Thank you for the encouraging messages I've been receiving to continue this story. Here's the next chapter, enjoy! (:

Chapter 3

"Annabelle!" I suddenly heard a voice I'd recognise anywhere. Why him? He was calling from the yard, so he must have seen the flowers on the compost heap. I quickly got down from the roof and was just climbing down the ladder when Erik burst into the barn.

"Here you are!"

He looked at the cart standing and the blankets that were lying on top of a heap of hay.

"What happened here?" he asked.

"None of your business."

He walked over to me with a sudden angry look on his face.

"If someone is daddling with my woman it is my business," he said grabbing my arm. I squared my shoulders.

"No one is "daddling" with me and I am not your woman, so please leave," I replied and shook my arm free.

"Gmph...I am not convinced," he said ignoring me and kicked into the hay.

The next moment he grabbed both my shoulders and pushed me against a pillar.

"Tell me who it is! I swear I will have his head mounted in my storeroom by nightfall!"

So he even hunted humans...

"Let me go!" I yelled at him, but he didn't. Just then he forcefully kissed me. I tried to push him away from me, but he was too strong. I let my hand go around the pillar. I knew there was always a watering can hanging there. I gripped it and brought it down hard on his head. He let go of me and cursed.

"How dare you woman?!" he hissed. I knew I was in big trouble now. I ran, but tripped over my dress' hem.

"I will show you what I do with a woman who refuses to give in!" he said as he grabbed me by my hair. Just then I heard a swooping noise. I looked up at Erik and saw compLete shock and horror on his face. There was something sticking out his shoulder...it was the tip of the demon's tail. The demon flicked his tail, flinging Erik aside. He collapsed and fainted at the sight of the demon and probably the pain from the wound.

The demon stretched its hand out to me and helped me up.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No...thank you," I said rubbing my head. It did hurt where Erik pulled my hair. I was surprised to see the demon, so he didn't leave after all...

"We must leave this place now."

"What?! Now?"

"Yes. With this man knowing about me the townsfolk will no doubt swarm and burn down the barn soon. Your...association with me has placed you in a bad position so I can't leave you here. And...we don't have much time to find your father."

"Are you healed enough to travel though?" I asked. I wondered where the demon had been? Did he go back to the demon court?

"It doesn't matter, come!" he said and pulled me by the hand. When we exited the barn he indicated that I should get onto his back. He opened up his wings and my breath was taken away by the sheer size of them. As if the very muscular body of this demon wasn't scary enough already. I noticed there was something hanging by his side, a sword. I hesitated, but then did what he asked on climbed onto his back and put my arms around his neck like he instructed me to. He then took off as if he was carrying nothing. I was terrified and amazed at the same time, seeing the world become small underneath us. The wind rushed past us. It felt like we flew for hours. Eventually I started feeling tired and sleepy.

I hadn't realised that I'd fallen asleep until I woke up. I was somewhere...strange... I saw stone walls. Solid wood furniture with gold trimmings... I was in some sort of bed... I could feel warmth. Someone was holding me... I quickly sat up. I was still wearing my clothes from the day before. The person that was holding me was the demon. He opened his eyes lazily when I moved.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"At the demon court."

"Really?" I had no idea they lived in such luxury... Then I thought of something else.

"Why am I in bed with you?"

The demon smiled in a way which I wasn't sure how to interpret.

"While we are here at the court it is best that they believe that you are mine. Demons have strict rules about each other's property."

Great, so now I'm a demon's property... I was feeling scared. What if everything the demon told me was a lie to get me to come here with him and that I will never see my father again?

"You will see you father again," the demon said as if reading my mind.

"Eh?!"

Could demons read minds?

"My name is Rafael."

Perhaps not...

"Why are you telling me your name?"

"If you are to pretend to be mine you should at least know my name."

It made sense.

"I'll call you Rael, as a nickname."

For a fleeting moment the demon looked shocked and then sad, but quickly regained his composure.

"That's fine. I will leave you for a while. Everything you need should be in here."

With that he left.

I waited for a long time, but he didn't come back. It was very difficult to tell how much time passed since the room had no windows. Golden lamps lighted the room enough to see. I was feeling a bit hungry and decided to explore the huge room. I soon found it connected to several other rooms, like a house. There was a kitchen, dining room, lounge, en-suite bathroom, and an exercise room with equipment I've never seen before. While I was eating a banana I found in the kitchen I explored more and found two locked doors. I peeped through the keyhole of the one and could see bright light. Perhaps this door led outside? I so wish I could see it! No matter how much I tried, the door was solid and locked. The other locked door was dark so I couldn't see anything. Another door led into some sort of dimly lit scary hallway. I quickly closed the door again. Oddly, no room had windows.

Eventually I found myself in the bedroom again. Perhaps I could learn something about Rael? I tried opening the top drawer of a small pedestal-type desk, but it seemed stuck. When I tried harder it actually shocked me!

"Ouch!"

I heard someone giggle.

"Who are here?" I asked, but didn't see anyone.

I turned up a lamp to cast more light in the room.

"Go easy on the eyes!" the same voice called out. Then I saw it. The desk had a face! Its yellow eyes were blinking. I quickly turned the light down a bit.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you talking to me!"

"That was because you are not attentive. Typical human."

Now a desk was insulting me...

"Who are you?" I asked.

"What does it look like? I'm a desk for crying out loud!"

"Surely you weren't that way all your life?"

I've never heard of living furniture before...

"So you know of sorcery do you? Are you sure you are not a sorceress yourself?" it asked moving closer to me. Its yellow eyes were examining me and sent chills down my spine.

"No...I'm no sorceress!"

"Hmph...seems that way. A shame really."

"So you are under a spell?"

The desk glared at me.

"You ask too many questions! I am here to make sure you don't get into trouble, not be your teacher!"

"Oh, so Rael asked you to?"

"Rael...?"

The desk looked at me with a funny expression for a moment.

"What has he told you?"

"Told me about what? I am here because he owes me a demon's favour for saving his life."

"Is that so? And what did you ask him to do?"

"My dad is somewhere in this place. I want to get him back."

"And when your dad is returned home, what are you going to do then?"

"What do you mean? I'll go home with him."

"So...you don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

"How a demon's favour work? You see...there are three parts to it."

"Three?!"

"Yes, you saved his life. That is part one. Then he returns your dad home. That is part two. Part three then falls back to the demon. He can still request something from you."

"What?! That's not fair!"

The desk laughed.

"Of course it isn't. Who makes deals with demons anyway? You must be really stupid."

"Hey, don't insult me! And I didn't make a deal with Rael, I simply saved his life. He was the one that said he owed me a favour."

"Same difference! Anyway, you should know the layout of the place by now. Two rooms as you know are locked and are off limits..."

"What are in them?"

"That is none of your business! Ahem...now..where was I? Oh, you are not to leave this place without the master at any time. Lastly, that closet over there is for your personal use."

I opened the closet and it seemed much larger inside than outside. It had steps up so I stepped into the closet into some sort of dressing room. It had many shelves with all sorts of shoes and accessories. Rails contained many different outfits. Some dresses were very beautiful, something I'd only see on pictures and imagine princesses wore to balls. I sighed. It's a shame that these are here. Why would I be wearing fancy dresses in a demon's house?

"Are you all right dear?" a female voice asked. I looked around and found it was the mirror talking to me. It was a medium size mirror mounted to the wall. It had emerald green eyes similar to the emerald stones that adored the frame.

"I'm sorry. I'm just sad that there are so many beautiful things in here that I'd never get a chance to wear anyway."

"Why not? This is the demon realm, Annabelle. You can wear what you like."

"Really? And...how did you know my name?"

"The master has informed us of you."

"The master...did he put the spells on you?"

"What spells dear?" the mirror asked looking a bit perplexed.

"Sorry, never mind."

Perhaps the desk was just being funny with me...

I could see my hair was messy in the mirror and picked up a brush. As I was brushing my hair I heard giggling and very soon realised it was the brush.

"That tickles!" a little boy's voice said. I quickly apologised and put it down again.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know!"

"I don't mind, it's what I am here for anyway. Just feels strange since I haven't brushed a lady's hair before. The master's is much coarser."

I recalled that Rael had thick black hair that he kept tied up.

The little boy sounded so cheerful. I was very curious about all the enchanted furniture. Why were they all like this? And what was in the two locked rooms?

"Thank you for brushing my hair," I eventually said to the brush before looking for something to change into. My dress' hem was torn from stepping on it and it was a bit dirty.

"Don't worry, we'll have something ready for you when you come out of your bath!" the little boy said excitedly.

"Oh...okay?"

I stepped out of the closet and went to the bathroom and sure enough the bath was filled with water and bubbles. It looked so inviting. Just as I was about to remove my dress a thought struck me.

"Is there anyone besides me in here?" I asked.

"No, it will be just you," the desk's voice piped up. I looked around the see it standing in the doorway. Its feet were those ball claw ones and I was amazed to see that they moved.

"We aren't perverts you know!"

With that he walked out and the door slammed shut. Okay...

I undressed and soaked in the warm water. I couldn't believe all that has happened to me. Here I was in a demon's house full of enchanted furniture. What would happen next? I recalled the conversation I had with the desk. Would Rael really require something more from me after my father's safe return? What would it be? He's a demon, right? If that is so... I shivered. No...surely not!