by Leah Grant
“What is happening now? Why did you call me out of Darna’s presence?” he asked.
“I stopped you from doing the demon’s bidding, and again, I have saved you.” The angel’s voice was low and serious.
“I wasn’t the one putting on the moves. If she wants to have a good—”
“Silence!” Fury burned in the depths of the angel’s blue eyes. It frightened Drake. “The woman was tricked into carrying the kingpin demon. It was transferred into her by a fortune-teller. This demon is the same one that hunted you in your tragic youth, and still hunts you today. It found its way to you through her wish for love and your deeply buried pain over never having love. If you had joined sexually, it could transfer itself into you and taken you over.”
Drake was dumbfounded. “You are telling me that over the hundreds of years this thing has been hunting me?”
“Did you think I would forsake you, Nathaniel? Did it not occur to you that I have been at your side in this battle for good?” The angel reduced its size, then turned to face the window. “It will use any means to get to you and take control of your power. I know you have fallen in love with the woman, Darna. She has fallen in love with you. Believe me when I say that putting your thoughts out to the universe has huge results. She has wished for love for so long, and that led her to the medium. The medium knew that the demon inside her was only scheming to reach a goal. She allowed the evil to lurk and use her energy in order to survive. If she had fought it, the demon would have destroyed her. Darna told you how the woman’s appearance became younger? Can you see how that happened? Darna has no control over the demon. She has seen a glimpse of it, though, when it last took control of her mind. She managed to break the hold it had on her when I knocked at the door. That was why she was screaming.”
“She slapped me.” Drake knew he sounded childish, but couldn’t help it.
“You deserved it. If you had continued, I wouldn’t be speaking with you. All would already be lost.” The angel turned back to face Drake. “The demon can only transfer into you if you and Darna join.”
Had he been mistaken, or was there a hint of a smile on the angel’s face? “I can’t sleep with her?” Drake was floored.
“If you have relations, the demon will transfer into your body and take you over,” the angel answered.
“But why?” It didn’t seem at all fair.
“You are at your weakest at that moment. The demon has planned for this over time. It had to find a way to get inside you without your being able to fight it. It knows how much strength you have and had to find a way to prevent you from destroying it. It wants to have you and will do so at any cost.” The angel’s eyes flickered for a moment as if sensing something.
“I want this woman. I need her. For so long I’ve been without love, and now I have found it. I have to be with Darna. I’ll rid her of the damned thing, and we can get on with our lives.” Impatience crept over him.
“No, Nathaniel. That isn’t how it works. It isn’t so simple. Can you not comprehend this? The demon chose Darna because it could foresee the love between you both. It has taken hold of Darna and if you try to extract it from her—she will die. This time, the demon has planned well and does not intend to fail.”
Drake didn’t know what to say. Everything that had felt so easy now lay without hope. He couldn’t rid Darna of the demon without it killing her? The kingpin had sewn it up so tight. It knew he wanted to bed Darna and had used the easiest route to lead him to his own destruction. If the angel hadn’t intervened when it did…
“You have saved me yet again. I thank you.” Drake felt as small and as helpless as he had on that morning so many years before.
“You must help this woman and overcome the demon,” the angel commanded.
“How do I extract the thing without it killing her? I can’t take that chance.” The more he thought about it, the more he realized how much Darna meant to him. “How could I have fallen for a stranger so quickly?” Drake shut his eyes and leaned back.
“In the end, you will know that the time is right.” The angel smiled in a kindly way. “I must leave you now, Drake. Behold my words and know that I am close beside thee.”
“So that’s it? You’re going to leave me here, not knowing what to do?” What did he mean by, in the end, you will know the time is right?
“You will know the right choice to make. When you destroy the kingpin demon, you may then have a normal human life. There is the price of mortality, but with it comes your freedom.” Points of light flooded the room, then the angel was gone. Drake studied the reflections of city lights in the darkened window pane.
What was he supposed to do now? He could regain his mortal state if he killed this kingpin demon. The idea of not having to walk the earth through the ages was rather appealing. If he killed the demon, Darna would surely die and his last time on the planet would be filled with the ache of loss. No greater hurt was there than the loss of love. He blinked; something in his eyes felt strange. A wetness made its way down his cheek. It slid and rested, tingling as it carved its path down his skin, then slid again until falling off his jaw. For the first time since that day so long ago, Drake cried.
He wandered the empty streets, searching, but for what exactly, he didn’t know. An answer? He’d gone numb to his own life over the centuries. He’d shut down his heart, not daring to think about what he so longed for—love. Yet despite everything, here it was. Love had arrived, but with a few complications. But why? Why like this? Why couldn’t he have met Darna at the grocery store or a coffee shop? Why couldn’t he be done with this endless task of demon hunting?
Because you’ve behaved like an asshole. True. Drake stopped by a small park. The night air was cool, and he welcomed it. He sat on one of the benches, listening to the rustling of nocturnal life among the nearby trees as the hours slipped past. Memories drifted along like a fog filled with the past and the faces of his family. The loneliness ate at his guts. The angel was right. He had behaved badly over the years. There was no way he’d let Darna get hurt. He’d figure out a way to get the demon out of her or die trying. For once in his life, he’d put himself second.
Chapter 7
IT was late, and he wasn’t back. He’s not coming back, her fear and doubt whispered. What had happened and what was happening? Something was inside her and taking over—that part she did know. She had to find a way to help herself, but how to deal with it? Despairing and fed up, Darna threw the cushion she’d been clutching across the room. It landed with a soft thud against the bookcase, jarring one of the books forward. Quickly, she got up and went over to pluck the book out.
The Existence of Angels and Demons. She read the title aloud. She hadn’t read the book for a long time but remembered it well. She’d bought it trying to figure out a recurring dream. For years, she’d been plagued by dreams of a struggle. It had taken place in another time—the seventeen hundreds she’d thought by the look of their clothing. So many details from the dream had stayed with her—smoke coming from the stone chimney of the house with the thatched roof, the animals in the fields, wagon tracks through the muddy lane. Darna had dreamed repeatedly about a young man being attacked by a demon. In the dream, the man had been saved by an angel. Darna squinted, trying to recall the details. The angel had been massive, and the man had looked to be in his late teens, but strong and tall and…
When she recalled his piercing eyes, the book slid from her grasp, falling to the floor. Darna covered her mouth to stop the scream. Dear God no! It couldn’t be…the man in the dream had been Drake?
She sank down into the armchair by the window. A shiver went over her body then, and inside her, something stirred. She pulled a small throw blanket around her shoulders for comfort.
“I don’t know what you are or why you chose me, but I want you to know I’m going to fight you every step of the way.” Darna hissed the words out to the room, and in her heart, she knew whatever it was inside had
listened.
The chaotic events had left her body saturated with fatigue. She yawned, her system obviously trying to get as much oxygen as possible to fight the exhaustion. Why fight it? Darna went to her room, deciding to climb into bed. As she pulled the comforter up to her chin, Darna still hoped that Drake would come back and they’d work all this out.
* * * *
During the night she hadn’t actually been asleep, but lingering in that space between consciousness and slipping off. The sound of knocking woke her fully. Someone was at the door.
Darna pulled on a robe, cinching the belt tight, her heart racing. Sunlight streamed in through the window. Morning had arrived, and she had to face another day. When she got to the door, she went up on her toes to peer through the small viewing port, not trusting who might be on the other side.
“It’s you.” She choked out the words.
Drake stood, half leaning against the wall with his hands stuffed in his coat pockets. His eyes blazed with a mixture of pain and something Darna could only describe as unreachable. She wanted to throw her arms around him, tell him how relieved and happy she was that he’d come back, but one look at his face left her holding back.
“May I come in?” His husky tone as sexy as the dark unshaven shadows gracing his jaw.
Darna swallowed hard. “Drake, are you here to help me?”
*
Her voice sounded so small and scared. Drake wanted to hold her, to tell her he had so much in his heart for her. Yet, he could do neither. The angel’s warning had been clear. Darna housed his worst nightmare, and she had no idea. He had to somehow trust himself and the angel and find a way to extract and kill the kingpin demon without Darna dying in the process.
Keep it simple, he thought. Don’t do anything that will tip the scale. Keep the entity on edge, and it won’t know what to do.
“I am here to help you. I needed to go home and take care of a couple of things.”
“Would you like a cup of tea?” He watched her floundering about, trying to figure out what to do with the unease filling the room. Her fatigue was showing.
“That would be nice.” Drake took a deep breath and continued. “I am sorry that I took advantage of you while you were out.” He watched as she filled the small kettle with water from the sink.
“Darna, I need to know more about what happens when you have a blackout. Do you have any awareness at all about what is happening?” He came up behind her as she set the kettle on the burner, fighting the urge to touch and smell her hair. He wanted to pull her body next to his, to feel her graceful lines and softness against his hard edges.
“I did sense something.” She kept her eyes averted from him, reaching up into the cupboard to collect two cups. “It was strange. I thought I heard something speak to me inside my head.”
A ray of light broke through his dismal mood. A moment of hope. “Tell me more. Describe everything that you can.”
“I had no control over what it was saying to you. When the knock came at the door, it seemed to lose some of its power. I screamed and found that when I did, it broke the hold it had on me.” When she turned, he was right in front of her. He stared into her eyes, brimming over with uncertainty and pain. If only he could change all that.
“I am sorry I slapped you,” she apologized.
“I’m sure I deserved it.” How would he do this? How could he get the demon out of her without it killing her? Drake wanted to cup her lovely face and drink in a long kiss.
The silence in the room was interrupted as rain started to fall outside. In seconds, it intensified, the splatters against the window increasing as the cloudburst let forth.
“I love to listen to the rain. Do you mind if I open up a window?” Drake asked.
Her face lit up. “So do I. Listening to the rain makes me feel peaceful.”
He pushed the window open, breathing in the smell of the rain shower. The city below was a smattering of rush and noise. It was so far from the small farm of his youth, of his time.
“The tea is ready.” Darna poured the steaming liquid and offered sugar and cream.
Darna filled his thoughts and the more he thought, the more he realized that she was what he’d been waiting for. For so long he’d gone without love, and now here it was right in front of him and unobtainable. He couldn’t go on like this—having to walk through the centuries all alone. Yet, he couldn’t risk Darna’s life. If she died, then he would have nothing to live for. He gazed into the depths of her eyes, seeing a future, a family. This beautiful redhead with the open heart and the reaching eyes could shatter his heart. Her eyes spoke of love. There was only one solution: he’d protect her at any cost. He’d give his life for her to live. Drake sipped the tea, reaching across the small table to touch her wrist.
When she looked up, he could see the surprise on her face, but she didn’t pull away.
The difficult part was coming up. Drake knew he had to antagonize the demon. He would need to have it rear its ugly self for confirmation. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the white feather. Casually, he twirled it about in his fingers.
Darna’s face twitched. Drake watched as a hood descended over her expression. The demon was taking control again. A glaze washed through her eyes, and the seductress was back.
He ran the feather over the exposed skin on her arm. Drake locked eyes with Darna, not breaking his stare for an instant. A flash of red went over their green color. Got you, Kingpin. The angel’s feather was excruciatingly painful for the kingpin to feel, its energy and vibration from such a pure source. He mustn’t say or do anything that would tip the demon off. His composure must be flawless. Otherwise, the demon would kill Darna to spite him.
Darna leaned back in her chair, running her hand through her hair. Drake knew the seduction would be coming next. After all these years, the demon was counting on using his love for Darna to take him down. He’d have to comply. He did love her. The moment he’d set eyes on this woman he’d fallen. Hell, the moment he’d heard her mesmerizing voice he’d been hooked. There would be no future for them, but how could there have been anyway? He was a demon hunter, and he would go down fighting. He had been charged to walk this path since that day so long ago in the barn. Darna would find her way in life. He braced himself against the pain ripping over his heart. If only he could have had some time with her, a few years of happiness.
“I want to finish what we started in the bedroom before.” The soft huskiness of her voice came forward to lure and bait.
Drake smiled, lowering his gaze so not a hint of his plan could be read. “I want very much to be with you.” It wasn’t a lie. He did want to be with Darna. As long as everything he did and said were true to his heart, the demon couldn’t read into it.
He took her hand, helping Darna to stand. Together, they walked to the bedroom. Drake knew that Darna wasn’t in control, but that she might be able to hear and see what was going on. He was going to let her know how much love he felt for her.
They stood beside the bed. Drake cupped Darna’s face. “You’re so beautiful, Darna. Did you know I fell for you the moment I saw you? Despite what you may think, it isn’t just sex. I love you. I believe I always will.” He leaned forward to capture her lips. The kiss was tender at first, and then he felt the demon take over and it became much more sexual. Shutting his eyes, Drake let his body react to the seduction.
*
Darna tried to scream out. A taunting, malicious laughter swirled around her. The entity had control, and she couldn’t break through, but she could hear Drake’s words. Darna felt her tongue darting into the moist heat of his mouth. Her hands undid the robe, and it fell free. She couldn’t stop herself from undressing until she stood naked, nipples budding up in the cool of the room, waiting for his touch.
*
“You want me, don’t you?” Drake knew it was the demon purring out the invitation.
“I do want you, Darna.” He spoke the wor
ds slowly, deliberately, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders.
“Then take me, now.” Darna backed up against the side of the bed.
Drake ripped his clothing off. This wasn’t how he wanted to end things, but there was no choice. He had to get the demon out of Darna before it destroyed her.
“Lay down.” He followed her onto the bed, their naked bodies side by side. Drake touched the slender bones of her shoulder, then trailed his hand down the length of her body. He followed over the fullness of her breast, the dip down before the curve of her hip and then to the smoothness of her leg, with his hand. If he lived through this, these would be his memories of Darna.
“You are so lovely,” he whispered then leaned in to claim her lips. He took his time with the kiss, refusing to allow the kingpin to cheapen it. Each time the creature tried to rush his lust, Drake put on the brakes. He knew Darna was inside there somewhere and he wanted her to understand how special this was.
He stared into her lovely eyes, gently running his hand through her hair. The silky feel of those flaming locks sliding between his fingers was sheer delight.
“Take me.” It was Darna’s voice, but not Darna. Drake nodded, keeping his thoughts well-guarded. There was no knowing the extent of the kingpin’s powers.
Her hand found his hardness, and he couldn’t deny how strongly he was affected. He moved to cover her body with his own. She was wet and ready, and he slid in easily.
“See what you do to me, Drake?” Another flash of red went over Darna’s eyes. The kingpin thought it had him and was getting sloppy.
“Hold on, I’m going to rock your world, baby.” He let the pent-up lust take him over, stroking into her, joining at long last. She moaned, bringing her hips up to meet him with each thrust.
Darna arched her back, her breasts close for him to enjoy. He licked until the peaks stood rigid, then sucked until she moaned.
