but be invisible to the staff. She imagined orderlies crowding her doorway while she had her legs spread and was pounded by the invisible demon’s hard cock. She would be locked up for a long time. Forever even.
A tear tipped over her lower lid and she wiped it away. Self pity. Demon visits were preferable to a life in a cage. She glanced around the parking lot. Another car drove by slowly. The man inside turned his head to look at her. Victoria lowered her eyes. The other car parked and the man got out, looking at her curiously before going into the side door of the church. He was probably the priest. Victoria sighed. She would never tell anyone. Even a priest.
She started the engine. As she looked to the left, preparing to merge onto the street, she saw a movement to her right. She pulled out into traffic and as she stopped at the light someone materialized in the passenger seat next to her. She startled, but had the sense to keep her eyes on the red light. She blinked rapidly, thinking. The vision of the psych ward came to her again. As the light turned green, she touched the accelerator with her toes then glanced to her right. Just her eyes. She didn’t turn her head.
He was there, staring straight ahead as she was. He was in the human man form, wearing a collared shirt and jeans. She swallowed and thought about turning around and going back to the church, but he read that thought.
“It won’t help,” he said.
Victoria’s throat tightened. She followed the car in front of her at it made the long curve near the mall. It occurred to her that in this situation the demon could not very well knock her to the side and leap on her. He would crash the car. She frowned. If he wanted sex why not wait until she was alone in the house, or at least at her destination. She watched as the mall slid by. No use pretending that’s where she was headed. But it was a very public place. She turned into the entrance and took the access road that ringed the huge parking lot. Would he attack her in public? Was it his intention to have her committed?
“No. Victoria I do not want you locked away in prison or in the hospital.”
She began to tremble and her knuckles whitened on the wheel. He had never spoken more than a few words to her at a time. Usually instructions. Usually orders.
She swallowed again and whispered, “What do you want?”
He did not answer so she hazarded a glance at him. He was staring straight ahead and actually looked sad. Like he had feelings.
“Pull over and park,” he said.
She did. She put the lever in park and set the brake. Just in case. She kept her eyes ahead, watching shoppers with their bags make their way to their cars. She watched mothers and children and rich ladies in heels. She watched the security cart with its flashing light make its rounds. She watched everything except the seat beside her. He spoke again.
“I need you to come with me.”
“We do that sometimes, if I get enough foreplay.” She turned her head now, to look at him. Her humor was tinged with some hysteria.
“This is not a joking matter, Victoria.”
She took a calming breath. He looked so normal. Handsome, even, in a rough well-used sort of way. He could appear as anything and anyone. Why this form? He could have appeared as handsome and perfect as the well-chiseled models in a fashion magazine. Victoria realized that she was thinking that if she could be a shape-shifter she would look like the models in the negligée catalogue.
But this form was flawed. The nose looked like it had been broken at some point and healed not quite straight. He had that thick scar on the front of his throat. And his ears were too interesting to be perfect. She liked his hair. It was a sandy blond and just the right length to show that it might wave and curl if it ever grew longer to touch his shoulders. The blond looked natural, like he spent a lot of time outdoors, and his dark tan and the squint-wrinkles around his eyes suggested he was rarely inside. He was clean-shaven, but stubble was apparent along his chin and jaw. He was tall and had the strong chiseled bone structure of a Norseman. She