Chapter One: In The Devil's Shoes

I watched as Ashtyn Tanner walked home from school.  She was alone and carried a black backpack.  Her eyes were emerald-green and wide.  Her black hair was tied back into a perfect pony tail.  She had dark black glasses that were in the shape of squares around the eyes.  Ashtyn wasn't very tall only about 5 foot 3, and she had a beautiful pale complexion.

 

Ashtyn Tanner was my next victim.  She was 15 and was on the verge of being depressed.  Being a Devil for now 8 years, she should be slightly easy to convince to make a deal.  But it was never easy for me.  I would always think of Carter and how she had suffered through making a deal with The Devil when she was 5.  She did because she was afraid of having an unhappy mother.  It was something that I had learned Devil's pry on.  Worry.

 

Ashtyn's parents had just gotten a divorce.  She had planned to go move away with her father, but instead her Dad left them moving as soon as the papers were sign.  Ashtyn hadn't even heard a goodbye from her father, so she was stuck with her Mom.

 

Ashtyn's Mom was a workaholic.  She was a CEO of a very important company and was always talking into her cell-phone.  Her name was Elizabeth Tanner and she was perfect.  She had beautiful blond hair that wasn't beginning to grey even though she was in her mid forties.  She had stunning green eyes like her daughter that shone like emeralds.  Most woman around Elizabeth's age would be depressed about getting a divorce, but instead she was ready to get back into the dating world, and focus more on her career. 

 

I always felt bad for cases like this.  If a kid had two loving parents like Carter, or at least maybe one loving parent, there was hope that they wouldn't go with a deal with me.  But if they were like with Ashtyn and thought no one cared about them, then it was easy to convince them.  Too easy.

 

Ashtyn wore a white polo shirt, a navy blue skirt, a matching navy blue jacket with a golden A embroided on it, and black shoes.  Not to be mean or anything, but to me she looked exactly like a school girl nerd.

 

I was about to get ready to go and approach her when I saw a boy a couple of years older than her turn up.  He had sandy blond hair with ocean blue eyes.  It looked as if he had been born at the beach because he had an amazing tan.

 

The boy said something about his name being Brayden and just moving here.  He was looking for the post office, and was wondering he she could be so kind to point him in the right direction.  Ashtyn nodded, and pointed to the right and told him to go down Bear Drive. Brayden smiled a classic pretty boy smile and went on his way.

 

I was about to go and start talking to her but a high-pitched voice stopped me.

 

"Listen here, Mr. Devil."  The voice said sounding slightly mad and aggravated.  "Stay away from Ashtyn!  She doesn't need to go and make her life spin out of control!"

 

I spun around to glare at whoever was talking to me.  Who were they and how did they know what I had to do?  If they were a Devil they would have minded their own business and let me be on my way.  So whoever this was it wasn't one of his kind.

 

"Who the hell are you, and how do you know what I'm doing?"  I asked eyeing the stranger up and down.  She was a girl who looked to be maybe 17 or 18, although if she were like Devils she could be older.  I looked to be 18, but I was really 26. 

 

The girl had dark red hair that was curly and went slightly past her shoulders.  She had piercing eyes that looked like they couldn't decide if they wanted to be violet or blue, so instead they were a mixture of the two.  She was around 5 1/2 feet tall, and very slender.

 

She was wearing a pink dress that looked like freshly made cotton candy.  It was made of a soft fabric and went to her knees.  The upper part of the dress bunched up at the top.  The straps were thin, and it the cut of the dress was slightly low. 

 

Across her back was a tan bag filled with arrows.  She also had a bow in her hand.  I began to worry as I thought of exactly who, or more of what, she might be.

 

"Some know me as Aphrodite.  Others as Venus, and now-a-days I'm called Cupid, even though that is the male term for my kind."  She said and I suddenly began to realize what she was.  "But I'll let you call me Arabelle if you stay away from Ashtyn."

 

I smiled at her and shook my head.  She was a Cupid.  They could be one of the biggest pain in the asses to a Devil.  Whenever someone was depressed and felt as if no one loved them, a Cupid would send that person love.  If I were a real Devil I would be saying that it was stupid, but I'm not.  I've seen how wonderful that method could work out.

 

"Well as much as I would love to stay away from her, I can't."  I answered wondering if I was turning into The Devil I replaced.  That would be creepy.  "I have a job I have to do whether you like it or not."

 

The Cupid, or Arabelle frowned at me.  I knew she was hoping that I would just be a pushover and say that of course I would leave precious Ashtyn alone, but I couldn't.  That wasn't part of being a Devil.

 

"You don't understand, I've seen her future if this goes my way."  Arabelle protested putting her hand on her hip and stomping her foot which had a tan sandel on it that matched her arrow bag.  "She's going to change the world."

 

"Isn't it a shame that the good always die young?"  I said in a sarcastic way feeling like a major jerk.  Someone besides one of my victims finally talks to me, and I have to push her away.

 

Arabelle glared at me and I could already tell that we were going to be the best of friends.  Her eyes turned to a bright violet color so suddenly it startled me.  She crossed her arms over he chest and disappeared in a huff.

 

"Goodbye to you too!"  I called out even though I knew she wasn't listening to me anymore.  She was probably going to find some way to make sure that I would stay away from Ashtyn.  But no matter what she did I couldn't stay away from her.  If I didn't offer a deal with her who knows what would happen in the wonderful place called hell?

 

I turned my attention back to Ashtyn.  She had made inside to her old brick house where her ten-year old sister was waiting for her.  I had lost my chance to make offer now. All because of a Stupid Cupid.

 

 

 

Author's Note

So what do you think of Arabelle/Cupid? And this version of Tad?

Reviews

[Dreamer<3]

I still like Tad. I wish I knew why he absolutely has to make people make deals. Why can't he leave them alone? Arabelle seems like she's minor now, but I doubt this is the last time we hear from her. Excitingggg!

[M Garcia]

Different seeing Tad that way, yet he seems to be the same Tad at heart. Very different from the Devil in Carter's story. I can't wait to see what Cupid/Arabelle brings to the table.

[livinglifeloud]

Aphrodite/ Venus is the goddess of love. Cupid is her son.

This is a interesting spin off of your other book.

[Julie Beth]

i miss the old tad lol but the new one is just as good i think that Arabelle/Cupid could be good for this story cant wait for more :)

[compositionc]

Stupid Cupid.

[Daydreamer54]

Not being or anything, but to me she looked exactly like a school girl nerd.
not to be mean or anything.
Lol, that was unexpected..the part about cupid i mean and i like how tad thinks about carter rae. ^^ I think arabelle would be a total romantic and will always be arguing with tad about Ashtyn's future. i wonder who will take over her fate in the end.