We were on a plane four hours later. We got first class and lounged in the comfy seats, hand in hand. I was so comfortable that my eyes started to droop. I fought it, I really did... but I fell asleep before Nick even realized that I was tired.
"So where are you headed?" Ryder asked, sitting in a designer leather couch by the window of a beach house.
"New York," I told him, not bothering to lie. "We're doing this tomorrow night."
"Works for me," he laughed, looking at me. "When and where?"
"Times Square, nine o'clock p.m."
"Didn't know you were an exhibitionist," he raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not," I sighed. "We're going to the nearest hotel from there. Just me, you and the body you'll be wearing, no one else. No one."
"Alright," he shrugged. "But I have one request. Change that body before then. I really do not want to be taking a child, what is she fifteen? I have morals."
"Morals?" I snorted.
"Yes," he raised an eyebrow. "I could just delay, keep your friends in their comfortable miniscule prison longer. Poor Ray is getting awfully thirsty."
"Fine," I snapped. "I'll find a twenty year old."
"A pretty one."
"I have my pride," I shrugged. "She won't be ugly."
"It's a date," he grinned.
I woke up.
"When?" Nick was watching me when my eyes opened.
"Tomorrow," I murmured.
He stiffened, then put an arm around my shoulders, hugging me to him as far as the seats allowed. I took a deep breath and let it out, trying to be calm. It was hard, knowing that I had so little time. But I had to do this. I just had to get it over with and get Matt, Ray and Justin out. I'd just pretend that it was Nick. I closed my eyes again, praying that time would crawl by.
We landed in New York and got a cab to the nearest hotel. Nick kept an arm around me the whole time, like he was afraid that I'd suddenly disappear. It was comforting though, I liked having his warmth there. He got us a room, then led me up to the elevator.
The second the doors closed he pulled me into a grand sweeping kiss. I completely melted against him, savoring how safe and loved I felt. I wasn't going to feel like that tomorrow and probably not for a while after that. It's only natural that Nick would feel different around me for a while. It was too much to ask that he just accept me sleeping with another man, no matter the consequences.
"This is strange," Nick breathed a laugh when we broke apart, but he didn't let me go.
"What?" I asked, still pretty much limp against him.
"You're a lot shorter now," he smiled wryly. "I still feel like I'm cheating on you."
"Yeah," I laughed. "Can't blame you there, I imagine it's weird for you."
The doors opened onto our floor and we grabbed our bags then got out of the elevator.
"We're in room 412," he took my hand and led me down the hall.
It was eleven at night, so we stayed in, watch TV, cuddled some more and finally fell asleep in each other's arms. Blissfully, I had no dreams.
My eyes opened to sunlight for the second time in too short a time. I was not happy. Nick had an arm around my waist and I sighed, turning to face him so the sun wasn't in my eyes anymore. He murmured something in his sleep and pulled me closer, pressing his face in my hair. I smiled and happily went back to sleep.
The second time I woke up, Nick was awake, watching TV, with me tucked up against his side. I wondered what it was like to him, seeing a different face so often and struggling to remember that it was me. It was strange because no matter the body, to me it felt like my body. Was I Victoria to him, Victoria with red hair and green eyes? Did he even know my real name? Everyone in hell did, but he's been out of hell longer than I have.
"How long are you going to pretend you're asleep?" Nick laughed.
I opened one eye to find him staring at me.
"I was just wondering if you knew my name," I said honestly. "My real name."
"Kaysden," he nodded. "Everyone knows your story."
"Not everyone knows its me though," I shrugged. "Most people didn't make the connection that the runaway Princess was the same girl who turned down the Devil Prince."
"I'm sure your mother hushed it up as much as possible," he said, turning the TV off and looking down at me.
"For her own sake," I smiled ruefully.
"Everyone does everything for their own sake in hell," Nick laughed. "That's the way it is."
"Yeah," I sighed, sitting up. "I don't miss it."
"Yes you do," he laughed. "So do I. It was hell, but it was home."
"I guess it was," I rested my head on his shoulder. "What time is it?"
"Ten fifteen," he yawned.
"How long have you been up?"
"An hour," he put an arm around my shoulder. "So what do you want to do today?"
"Find a new body," I sighed.
"Okay, I'll go with you," he kissed my forehead and jumped out of bed.
"Hey," I looked up at him.
"Yeah?"
"Why did you chose to look like an eighteen year old?"
"Why did you chose a seventeen year old's body?" he shot back.
"Because she was nearby," I shrugged.
"Well the first person I saw when I fell was an eighteen year old boy," Nick said. "So I just took his form."
"I see," I nodded. "How old is your real form?"
"About twenty-five," he shrugged. "And yourself?"
"Twenty-one."
"So how old are you going for this time?" he asked, changing shirts. I took the opportunity to admire his lean muscles.
"Probably around eighteen," I said. "Just someone to borrow for a while."
"Then let's get going."
So we set out. We had the hotel room for three days, so we just left everything in there. Nick was more than a little uncomfortable with the scouting at the beginning, but I talked him into it and soon enough he was happily pointing out pretty red-heads to me.
"What about that one?" he asked, looking pointedly at a tall, well-built woman with striking red hair.
"She's alright," I shrugged. "But look at the engagement ring and the Gucci bag, she'll be missed for even one night."
"Okay," he shrugged.
"That one's good," I pointed out a petite woman with long auburn hair to her elbows. She wore a simple tank top and jeans, no purse. There was a wallet and cell phone in her jeans though, I saw the imprint.
"Let's go for it," Nick stood up from where we'd been sitting on a bench.
We followed the girl to the subway, then to her stop. She had better be flippin' worth this much effort. I was painfully aware of the clock counting down to tonight. This girl was around nineteen I'd guess. We followed her off the subway, luckily at a less than friendly neighborhood. From there it was almost too easy to get her into an alley and switch bodies.
Her mind was filled with panic, but I managed to extract the info I needed before I put her mind to sleep. She wasn't a virgin, which was good. The last thing I needed was the guilt of scarring this girl, her name was Sarah, with nightmares about a rape she didn't remember. She had no family and was living with her boyfriend in an apartment not far from here. It was pure luck that he was gone for the weekend, so I had no loose ends to tie up.
"Why did that happen?" Nick asked as I got my bearings in my new body. She was taller than the last girl. It was the body that Nick was looking at. She turned to dust like Victoria had.
"She had no consciousness," I shrugged. "I was running the organs but since she was a shell I burnt it out."
"Oh," he looked away from the ash and took my hand. We were about the same height now.
"How do I look?" I smiled. This body was so much easier to use than the last stiff one. Sarah was a runner and a gymnast, so she was nice and limber. Not as energetic as Amber, but still pretty good.
"More like Victoria," he said honestly.
"Do you prefer that?" I asked, watching his eyes.
"Yeah," he admitted. "I'm sorry, it's just a lot to take in in such a short time."
"It's okay," I said. "Let's get back to the hotel."
"What time are you-" he cut himself off with a clenched jaw.
"Nine," I said quietly. Sarah had a lower voice than the others, sexier. She was pretty too and I was liking the body. It was vain of me, but I really hated possessing anyone less than above average looks. Though I knew this body was making it worse for Nick. It didn't help in his mind that I was going to Ryder with such a sexy body.
There was a silence as we got back on the subway. Still neither of us spoke when we got off the subway and started back for the hotel. By the time we actually got to the lobby of the hotel I couldn't stand the silence anymore.
"You know it doesn't mean anything right?" I looked at him, but he kept his eyes ahead. "You know that I loathe Ryder more than anything. This is only to save Matt, Ray and Justin."
"Yeah, I know," he sounded like he meant it, but still wouldn't meet my eyes.
I set my jaw, then got into the elevator. I was not going to cry damn it. I was a demon princess, able to withstand unimaginable torture, I was not going to cry. It was just Nick... no one had ever cared about me the way he did. Ever. Demons don't know how to love... I didn't until I came onto earth and felt the emotion in the bodies I possessed. I learnt how to love through other people, but no one had ever loved me. Not until him. I couldn't loose that.
If Ryder made me loose Nick, I'd kill him, damn the consequences.
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