Clutch of the Demon (Cursed Ancients Series Book 1)

by Jensen, A. P.

  Cara finished off the tea and ran a hand over her face. That was all done now. Sky was healthy and protected. For the first time, she realized it might be a blessing to be down here with the dragon. It wasn't a prison. It was a haven. She dedicated her life to following Luc and his minions. She was always on guard and lived out of a suitcase. At the moment, the only thing that could touch her here were her own memories. Those, she would never escape from. The only being she had to worry about was a bad tempered dragon that had his own idea of fun.

  She examined his scales, which looked as if they'd been polished. They were brighter than ever and she propped her chin on her fist as she looked him over. He'd once been human. What did he look like? That freaky slit down the center of his eye gave her the creeps, but it was easier to bear than the sadistic look she encountered on human's faces when she went demon hunting.

  "Did you live in Ireland, uh, before?" she asked.

  The dragon didn't answer for several minutes and she inwardly grimaced. She could understand that he didn't want to talk about his past, but they were going to be down here a long time. She couldn't help but be fascinated and curious about a dragon.

  I spent a lot of time in Ireland, but I roamed the world.

  She relaxed a little. "Are you the only Ancient?"

  There were five of us. When the witch, Morgana, trapped me here, she told me she had plans for the others. I don't know if she was successful.

  Cara mulled that over. "If the other Ancients knew where you were, could they help you get out of here?"

  The dragon's eyes narrowed. You aren't going anywhere.

  "We need to get you out of here!" Cara said defensively.

  I am as powerful as they are. If I haven't found a way out in centuries, it's doubtful they can help.

  She had to concede that point. "But we need to reverse the curse. You can't stay down here forever."

  He rose to his full height. You don't think I have tried everything?

  She refused to shrink at the warning tone. "Well, we have to do something."

  Agreed.

  "Are all of the Ancients dragons?"

  We have different forms but most of us prefer human or dragon. He regarded her closely. You're eager to return to your demon hunting?

  Cara suppressed the urge to recoil. If he only knew. "No, I want you to banish Luc back to hell."

  The dragon didn't respond to that.

  She bit her lower lip as she ventured, "If you're not on Luc's side, that means you're on the good side, right?"

  His scales rippled as he shifted, but once again, he didn't respond. She glared reproachfully at him.

  "You are good. You healed Sky," she said.

  It was a bargain. I didn't do it out of charity.

  "But you didn't have to heal her. You could have kept me here and let her die," Cara insisted, refusing to see Aodhan in a bad light. He wasn't like Luc or Ursula. He didn't prey on the weak or hurt others for fun. "And you gave them money!" she said triumphantly.

  Don't mistake our bargain for kindness.

  "You want me to see you in a bad light. Why?"

  If I were good, Morgana wouldn't have been able to seduce me.

  She shrugged. "We all have faults."

  He rose to his full height and eyed her with burning eyes. I'm a superior being put on earth to combat the dark. As centuries passed, I lost sight of my purpose and fell into depravity. Nothing could sate me. Morgana's trick shouldn't have worked. I have been paying penance for centuries while creatures like Luc and Morgana use humans as puppets for their amusement.

  "Which is why we need to get you out of here."

  He bared his teeth. If you release me, you may unleash something more evil than Luc.

  She considered that for a long moment. "You're not like him."

  So sure, the dragon mocked.

  "Yes, I am."

  When the dragon made no comeback, she frowned. "You said you were never satisfied with what you had. Were you always that way?"

  Aodhan's tail whipped around restlessly. I have always been fond of rare and beautiful things.

  "And you became insatiable, so much so, that Morgana was able to lure you here," she said, trying to cover her unease.

  The dragon's roar was her confirmation. She hesitated for several minutes before she slowly rose from the rock and approached. He shifted and she tilted her head back and put a hand over her lips to signal silence.

  "I need to check something," she said.

  She placed her hand on his scales and sent her magic into him, seeking. She didn't sense any evil spirit, but her intuition was ringing an alarm she didn't ignore. She placed two hands on Aodhan's chest and gathered more of her power. Nothing. With beads of sweat trickling down her face, she plastered her whole front against Aodhan and felt him go rigid. She didn't bother talking to him and possibly losing her focus.

  Something lay coiled in the depths of the dragon. It had been there for so long that at first she thought it was part of Aodhan. She passed over it and the being moved. Cara paused and poured more of her magic into the dragon who growled. She slapped a hand on Aodhan's chest and his rumbling stopped. Cara focused on the entity and delved deeper. The demon she confronted was ancient and powerful. It snarled at her and when she trapped it in her power, the force with which it fought made her head ring like a gong. The demon didn't want to leave its dwelling. It fought to stay within the Ancient and follow its master's orders.

  Cara used every ounce of power she possessed and bent the demon to her will. When the demon realized Cara wasn't going to back down, it turned its hatred on Cara. It attacked with such force that Cara flew back fifteen feet and sprawled on the ground.

  Dragon

  Aodhan had no idea what Cara was doing, but the feel of her warm flesh against him wasn't unpleasant. She stayed pressed against him for over an hour. He felt her magic sliding sensuously through him. Cara's magic was soothing and it stirred things in him he hadn't felt for centuries. Cara was more of a mystery to him than ever. He had no idea what she was looking for, but he wasn't opposed to her nearness. She smelled of lavender soap and he growled low as his hunger rose. When she slapped his chest, he opened his mouth to roar but found some restraint and shut it again. He didn't want to startle her into moving away. When she was finished inspecting his insides, they were going to have a talk. No one in existence dared to hit him.

  He felt Cara tense. She channeled more of her magic into him and ripped at his soul. Aodhan roared as ricochets of pain blasted through him. Before he could shove Cara away, she flew through the air as if he'd struck her. Unsure what was going on, he looked down, expecting to see a weapon sticking out of his chest, but there was nothing. With wisps of smoke drifting from his nostrils, he stomped over to Cara to ask her what the hell she thought she was doing when her eyes opened.

  Black eclipsed Cara's eyes. Her face was hideously twisted and Aodhan froze as the metallic smell of demon permeated the air. Cara went on all fours and her shirt stretched and bulged as something crawled beneath her skin.

  In the past, he killed puppets without thought. Most humans were so damaged by demons that their mind was never completely purged of that spirit even after it left their host. Aodhan's talons hovered over Cara and for the first time in his life, he was indecisive. He'd never been put in a position where he cared about a human enough to stay his hand, but Cara was his only hope of being set free. Aodhan retracted his talons and hoped that Cara could control the demon that possessed her. If not, he'd be forced to kill the only being capable of releasing him from this curse.

  Chapter Nine

  The demon swamped her soul with evil. She sensed Aodhan nearby, but she was too busy trying to keep the demon from consuming her to tell him what was going on. The demon was one of the strongest she'd ever met and had been implanted by Luc centuries ago. Greed and lust laced through her bloodstream like a drug and her head kicked back at the potency. The demon whispered of power beyond her imaginat
ion and her body trembled with need.

  Her mind was taken over by an image of an intimidating warrior with a fierce face and Aodhan's distinctive turquoise eyes. She stood on the edge of a field strewn with blood and soldiers. The warrior with Aodhan's eyes and shoulder length white blonde hair moved through the ranks of men, sword flashing through the air so quickly it seemed that the men around him fainted at the merest sight of his blade. Cara sensed that the legion in front of the warrior was infested with demons. The warrior didn't falter. He slay anyone who stood in his path. She watched the demons leave their dead puppets and try to find another host, but the warrior wasn't giving the demons a chance. Realizing they had nowhere to go, the demons sank into the ground to report back to their master. The warrior moved through the battlefield with lethal grace.

  Cara's heart pounded. The warrior was taller than any other man and every inch of him was sculpted with muscle. His bare chest was streaked with blood and as their numbers decreased, the demons left their puppets before the warrior could reach them. Even as Cara watched, the warrior looked straight at her, eyes blazing with bloodlust. Cara drew back even as the vision changed.

  Cara saw the same warrior in a tent surrounded by naked women. Hands and mouths moved over him. He was flat on his back on a pile of blankets, hands folded beneath his head. His eyes were closed as he let the women pleasure him. As one brave woman moved up towards his mouth, the warrior smiled.

  Cara recoiled and the demon cackled. She tried to wash away the vision, but the demon forced her to watch. Even when she closed her eyes, she couldn't banish the image of the warrior as he had his way with the group of women. He pleasured each one until they lay sprawled around the tent. He stood amongst them, still hard and unsatisfied. He roared for replacements and the tent flap opened and the next wave of women filtered in, licking their lips eagerly. The warrior's eyes glowed with lust and every inch of him was covered in sweat.

  Images passed through her mind of the man with turquoise eyes going into battle with puppets possessed by demons and creatures she'd never seen before. Women of every nationality coupled with the insatiable warrior who had no shame. He was more animal than man, greedy for every indulgence.

  The demon sifted through Cara's soul and let out a hiss when he realized what she was. Panic snapped Cara out of her daze. Frantically, she tried to bring up visions of Sky and her mother, but all she could envision was the warrior indulging himself in every possible way. Her body throbbed with lust and she clamped her legs together in reaction. The demon hissed in satisfaction and went to work, trying to turn her own body against her. She fell flat on her back and writhed as she tried to control the demon that exploited every sinful thought she'd ever had. She tried to shove the demon out of her, but he was too powerful. He whispered seductively in her ear, running filthy fingers over her breasts and between her legs while she jerked and slapped at his invisible hold.

  She was drowning in erotic images and the need to climax was a painful demand that pounded in her blood. She couldn't allow the demon to slip back into Aodhan, but she wasn't sure if she was strong enough to fight him off. Her eyes fluttered open. She opened and closed her mouth to call for Aodhan, but only a needy moan escaped. Her body undulated against her will as the demon ratcheted up her lust to a mindless state. She reached for the dragon telepathically.

  Aodhan!

  Her silent scream was desperate as she shoved at the demon and clawed for a thought that wasn't drowning in desire. She felt the dragon's presence and latched onto him for all she was worth. She felt his body jolt as he registered the demon snapping at her heels, trying to drag her beneath a tide of passion.

  Knock me out. I can't take him now, Cara rasped.

  Aodhan hesitated for the barest second and she screamed as the demon raked her chest in retaliation. The demon smothered her with images of the warrior claiming her and she groaned and dug her hands into the rocks beneath her.

  Do it! Cara commanded.

  Aodhan obeyed and the demon howled as she went unconscious.

  Cara sat on a beach. The sun was warm and the breeze that came in from the ocean ruffled her hair. A wave crashed on the shore and surrounded her feet, which were buried in sand. A man sat beside her. Cara turned her head lazily and saw the handsome, olive skinned puppet Luc was currently using. Cara struggled to wake, but the sleep Aodhan pushed her into was so deep, there was no chance of waking anytime soon. Her body remained relaxed even though Cara knew she should be looking for a weapon. The man turned his head and smiled at her.

  "Clever Cara. How'd you know he was possessed?" Luc asked

  She didn't have the resistance left to fight the compelling note in Luc's voice. There was no emotion in her as she replied, "Aodhan's an Ancient. He battled against the dark so I wondered what would compel him to change. Only you would benefit from having him caged."

  A large hand gripped her face and the man brushed a kiss over her face. Cara felt no alarm or fear as she stared into eyes that promised punishment.

  "That wasn't all me, baby," Luc murmured. "You know a demon couldn't possess him unless he was already a lusty, greedy bastard."

  "Aodhan's a warrior. You channeled his bloodlust into an insatiable desire that targeted women and wealth."

  "You see more than you should," Luc mused. "He retains enough of himself to tell you his given name? What a shame. I was hoping he'd be senile by now."

  Luc stroked a hand over the arch of her neck while his eyes moved over her face and skin.

  "You're earning his trust. He should have killed you the moment you entered his lair, but he stayed his hand. Why do you think he did that?"

  Cara didn't answer.

  "He needs something from you," Luc whispered.

  "What does he need?"

  Luc laughed. "He hasn't told you how to break the curse?"

  She didn't rise to the bait. She didn't pursue what Luc was clearly dangling in front of her. She felt a spark of satisfaction when his eyes flickered with irritation.

  "He healed your precious brat because he wants you to feel that you owe him. He needs your help to break the curse. Can you trust a monster that will kill you when he finds out what you are?"

  Cara's eyes flicked away from his. Luc chuckled and clucked his tongue.

  "If you join me, I can make you immortal."

  "With you as my master? No thanks."

  "So stubborn," he murmured and bit her ear.

  She wanted to shove him away, but that would be a useless effort. She stared out at the ocean and waited for this dream to pass. She felt the heat of Luc's displeasure when she remained silent.

  "If you break the curse, your life will be forfeit," Luc threatened.

  Her life was forfeit regardless. "So be it."

  "I'll be in touch, baby."

  Cara looked out of a castle window at a lake that reflected a full moon. It was a beautiful sight. The door behind her opened. The voluminous skirts of the gown she wore flared as she turned. The warrior with turquoise eyes closed the door behind him and locked it. Cara's heart began to pound as she ran her eyes over him. He was dressed in breeches that were molded to muscular thighs and a loose linen shirt. He didn't remove his eyes from her as he sat on the bed, unlaced his boots and tossed them in the corner.

  "Come here," he said.

  Shivers rippled over her. She shook her head and his mouth crooked at the corner. He got to his feet, pulled off his shirt and tossed it to the ground. Cara came up against the wall as she took a step back. The warrior was huge. He must be near seven feet tall and he easily dwarfed her. He placed his hands on either side of her head and leaned down so their faces were an inch apart. She stopped breathing.

  "You want me," he said.

  Cara finally found her voice. "No, I don't."

  His face was intense and carnal. When he reached out, she tried to slap his hand away. He wasn't deterred. He sank his hand into her coiffure and she heard the pins hit the floor a moment before he yanked he
r up to meet his hungry mouth. She made a choked sound as he slanted his mouth over hers. It didn't take long for his hunger to transfer over to her.

  The warrior dragged her up the wall and pinned her so she was at the same height as his mouth. She slid her hands into his distinctive, shoulder length hair and gripped. His hands moved impatiently over her and he growled in irritation when his hands encountered her skirts. While his mouth kept her busy, his other hand slipped between her thighs and rubbed the material of her undergarments over her heated core. She let out a choked sob and dug her nails into his bare shoulders, hips bucking against his calloused fingers.

  "Want me?" the warrior grated.

  "Yes, yes," she panted.

  For a second, he stared down at her flushed face. Then, she felt his hand move from her to the ties of his pants. She trembled as he lowered her slowly onto his cock. He tugged her down until she took every inch of him. She let out a long breath and dropped her face onto his naked chest, which gleamed with sweat. He braced her against the wall while his cock slowly moved in and out of her. Quickly, she grew impatient and raked her nails down his sides.

  "Don't want easy," she snapped.

  His hand cupped her chin and tilted her face up to him. They stared at one another, his eyes blazing in the darkness.

  "Think you can handle it?" he asked.

  She massaged his cock by contracting inner muscles and he groaned and rested his head against the wall above her. She took advantage of having his skin right in front of her and licked his nipple. He spread her thighs wide, distracting her right before he pounded into her. She screamed as he picked up the momentum and she knew she'd never get this from anyone but him. With each thrust, he hit her clitoris and she was so close, so close-

  Cara sat up in bed, hands desperately seeking the warrior, but her hands whipped through empty air. Her eyes were wild as she searched for him, but he was nowhere to be found. She was in her hobbit hole, not a castle. She looked towards the entrance and saw the dragon watching her with the warrior's eyes.