One of the larger demons advanced on Roman, circling behind him in an attempt to take him from behind. Roman swooped around and swung his sword, but the demon was quicker and evaded the blow.
A bird-like one flew straight at Larissa, screeching as it reached for her with horrendous claws. She repositioned her shield just in time and it flew into it with a smack, preventing it from reaching her with its talons. Stunned, it quickly pulled itself together and targeted her for a follow-up attack. She slashed at the demon, but missed. On the next swing, sword met flesh.
Thank God Talia taught her to wield a sword. More of these smaller beings flew in, raising their sharp talons as they approached.
The battle raged on, and Larissa did what she could to hold off those shit-bird demons. They seemed fixated on pecking holes in her flesh that would turn her into a fountain of blood.
Roman cried out. When she turned to him, blood coursed from slash marks on his back.
“Roman!”
Something grasped her from behind. Before she wiggled out of its hold, it had yanked the sword and shield from her hand.
As she struggled, the clay-colored arm squeezed tighter, pinning her arms to her sides and constricting her rib cage. The sword and shield crashed toward the earth and landed without a sound.
Fuck. What was she going to do now?
She tried to call Roman, but the hold was so tight she could do little more than gasp for air.
The demon unfurled its hideous wings and flew off, clutching her with its enormous arms against its vile body.
Her heart slammed into her throat, forcing her to gasp. As it soared over the barren wasteland below, it increased the distance from Roman. She’d flown with him many times. Even when she soared with him into the portal, being in his arms had provided a sense of security. How different it was with this demon. Icy prickles of terror spiked through her like it had punctured her with its talons. It could release her at any moment, and she’d be defenseless, crashing towards the ground with no way to prevent it.
Despite her aversion, she clung to the demon’s repulsive arms. But, she had nothing else to hold onto. She was essentially defenseless in this demon’s grasp.
They soared toward inky outlines of a mountainous range ahead. Spindly mountains appeared to cry to the heavens for mercy like lost souls.
Fuck, was that to be her fate?
* * *
The demon dragged Larissa by her wrists into a cave at the side of the mountain.
“Where the hell are you taking me?”
“Quiet.” It snarled.
Torches lit their way, casting sinister shadows flickering along the walls. Dozens of bat-like creatures appeared to rest overhead, and she ducked to crouch away from them.
The demon’s hold on her arms prevented her from reaching her last weapon. Her knife taunted her, out of reach on her lower leg. Desperate, she tried to blast her energy at him through her fingers. Unable to aim, the sparks ricocheted along the cave walls, and she jumped aside to avoid being hit by her magic. Dangerous idea.
Being separated from Roman was disastrous. Especially, since he’d been injured. His yelp at being slashed with demon claws echoed in her head like a nightmarish cry.
God, he had to be okay. It was her fault they’d come to this realm. Her stupid idea.
The demon dragged her into a room deep within the cave. Janie stood bound by chains to a wall, candle sconces on either side of her.
“Janie!” Larissa rushed to her, but the demon yanked her back.
“Larissa, oh my God! What are you doing here?”
Larissa gave her a sheepish grin. “We came to get you.”
Janie’s eyes bulged wide and her mouth dropped open. She stared from Larissa to the demon.
The demon bound Larissa with chains hooked to the cave wall alongside Janie. It took the knife attached to her leg and tossed it toward the mouth of the cave. She was fucked.
She suppressed a sigh as it would likely give the vicious monster more satisfaction.
It paced before her, leering with a twisted look of satisfaction at seeing her helpless.
“What are you doing to her?” Janie demanded. “Leave her alone!”
“Don’t ever command me.” It slapped her across the face.
“Don’t fucking touch her!” Larissa burned with fury as she struggled to escape its hold. If she had her gun, she’d blow enough bullets into him to make a demon colander—even if it wouldn’t kill it. She’d savor inflicting the pain on this soulless monster. If she had the sword, she’d mince him into narrow pieces like a chef slivered onions for sautéing.
It sneered at her. “You were stupid to come here. But it only adds to my bounty.” He leered at her and then Janie. “Doubling my pleasure.”
“Fuck off.” She spat at him. It didn’t reach, but the gesture gave her a small feeling of satisfaction.
“Larissa, don’t,” Janie said. “It will just make it worse.”
It dropped its head back and laughed, that sick sound more twisted than humorous.
It lunged for Larissa and grabbed her by the throat. She sucked in a sharp inhale, gasping for breath.
“We are the immortals. This is my realm. You are merely sustenance for us.”
Her pulse jack hammered as its putrid breath warmed her face. He tightened its grip on her throat. Janie screamed and then begged it to let go.
It was like Larissa was drowning only without any visible water. Air. She needed air. The edges of her world turned dark as her vision narrowed.
The demon released its grip on her neck, and she dropped her head forward, gasping for oxygen.
“I left you since the gargoyle had you so well protected in that gilded tower. But, look at how foolish you were, like prey offering itself as a tasty sacrifice.”
Her stomach churned with a vicious twist. Fuck, it was right. She was so damn irrational to think she’d stand a chance against demons in their realm. The prior victory was a fluke—or maybe it was due to a home-field advantage. But here, in this dark and barren world, what chance did they have?
Even the atmosphere reeked of despair. A world of darkness. No wonder demons had tracked to a realm of light to steal souls.
“Your magic is powerful. And you brought it to me. How thoughtful. It will enhance my control of this kingdom.”
Kingdom? Kingdom of what—demon wasteland. Who would want to rule over this realm? A demon king, she supposed. And unfortunately, it was right about her arrival. Like a fool, she’d ventured here, thinking she could help Janie. The more likely scenario was that she would be present at her death. They would probably die together.
“Why do you keep going after her?” Larissa demanded.
The demon paced before them, glaring at one and then the other before it smiled with satisfaction.
“She’s been marked. Incubi can mate with humans with certain traits, and she’s one of the lucky beholders. How fortunate for her, or she’d be long dead.”
“I’d kill myself before bearing your vile demon spawn!” Janie shouted.
“Don’t touch her!” Larissa warned. The revulsion of its intentions for Janie was worse than Larissa had imagined. Her gut caved in. What Janie would be forced to endure would make death a more enticing option.
It proceeded to Larissa and stopped before her, cocking its head. “What shall we do with you? At first, I wanted to steal your soul and take your magic. That can wait. If I can breed with you, our offspring would have immense power, which I could wield.”
No, no, no. A wave of nausea rose in Larissa, worse than the blackness that had engulfed her soul when the demon’s magic had twisted her thoughts.
“We’ll have to see if you carry the trait.” He ran a long, curved finger over her cheek. It left a trail of icy shivers across her flesh. “And that requires some exploration.”
She turned her head with disgust. “Don’t fuckin’ touch me.”
“You don’t have a choice in any of this, witch.
Whether you live or die is my choice, not yours.” It raised his hand, palm facing her. “I sense the magic in you. It’s grown even since our last encounter. Your abilities are much too powerful to waste. And since you present yourself like a gift, I am more than happy to indulge in taking what you offer.”
“What I offer?” Larissa repeated. “I would never give you a damn thing—except a kick in the balls, a punch to your gut, and a slap—”
He cut her off with a laugh. “It’s funny how you make threats with pathetic human violence, when you are clearly unable to carry out any one of them.” It moved closer to her, its foul breath reached her face. “Go on, hit me. Kick me. Do all those things you vowed.”
She struggled against the restraints, eager to pummel him until her arms fell tired, but the only thing she’d managed was to exhaust herself against the bindings.
“I do like how you struggle. And I will greatly enjoy subduing you to my will.”
“Fuck you!” She spat in his face.
Her saliva rolled down his cheek. He wiped it with his fingers and dragged them on her leg. Then he moved them to her inner thigh. His horrid touch in an intimate place reviled her. She squirmed again. Once again, he laughed. Her struggle only seemed to encourage him, so she stopped resisting and counted instead. Seven ice-filled seconds passed before it removed his hand from her thigh. But, then it stroked the side of her neck. She jerked her head away. The incubus laughed. She wasn’t going anywhere or resisting anything with the way she was chained.
Oh God, this was a horrifying mistake. Why had she thought she stood a chance coming here?
The demon stalked to Larissa. “This works out even better for me. I killed your grandmother to stop her from training you. She did something that prevented me from stealing her magic, but I have plenty more time to practice here with you.” He leered at Larissa. “We can do so the old-fashioned way. You might enjoy it. I know I will.”
It trailed its fingers along her collarbone, raising gooseflesh. “Oh, yes, I’m going to enjoy taking it all from you eventually.” The demon’s smile turned more sinister. “Every bit of magic. Every spark of energy as you struggle beneath me.”
Fuck, fuck, and fuck. What the hell could she do?
He prowled closer and sniffed. “You smell of gargoyle. Stinking up your flesh.” He curled a finger down her cheek and over her collarbone. “Don’t worry, I’ll push all thoughts of him marking you from your mind.” With a sneer, he added, “Permanently.”
Shit. She thought of trying to shoot energy from her fingers at him, but she was so inexperienced and her arms were bound. If it even worked, what if she hit Janie instead?
“Perhaps, you could be enticed with a visual more suited to your kind.”
The surrounding air seemed to pulse with energy as his form contorted. His body tapered in as his wings retracted behind him. The ruddiness faded from his skin and turned to the color of milky tea. In the next pound of her heartbeat, he’d taken on a human form. With the long raven hair and muscular frame, he’d adopted, he could be mistaken as Roman’s brother. He smiled at her through eyes that lacked humor. The seductive nature of it made her turn her head away with a disgusted sound.
Had he created this form like Roman to seduce her? As if she’d be taken by such a superficial ploy.
“You’re nothing like him,” she spat. “I don’t care what form you take—you’re not comparable!”
He stormed to her and grabbed her chin, breathing on her cheek. She resisted shuddering.
“How you respond doesn’t matter,” he warned with an icy edge. “I’ll take what I want and discard the rest.”
“Larissa, I’m so sorry. I wish you hadn’t come after me.”
When she turned to Janie, the resigned look in her eyes showed she was accepting her fate. The demon’s stated intentions seemed to destroy all her hope.
Shit, Larissa wouldn’t let them give up and give in, no matter how dire their situation. She had to be strong for Janie.
“We’ve been together since we were kids, Janie. I have no regrets coming here today. Because whatever we go through, we go through together.”
“Of course,” Janie said with a weak smile. “You’ve always been my guardian angel.”
Larissa wished. In this cavernous darkness, no angels flew.
“Oh, how sweet,” the incubus jeered. “Weak humans with their sentimentality.” It raised an arched brow.
“You’re blinded by hatred and know nothing about humanity,” Larissa declared.
“The only thing I need to know is how your souls benefit me and fuel my strength.”
Shadows slipped into her soul. Shit. It was the demon’s darkness. She’d faced this in Janie’s hospital room. If it claimed her, it would drag her to a dark place full of despair.
She had to fight it. Counter it somehow. But, how?
Her grandmother’s words came to her—light drives out the darkness.
Right. Larissa needed to think of positive things, not dwell on their gloomy situation.
She searched for something. Anything that would help. Her mind flitted past images of darkness in the world to find more positive ones. She thought of her grandmother. She always had a smile and a caring touch, and home-baked treats for neighbors. And her mother. Although most memories of her mother were faint, she remembered her mother’s love. And her father. He’d devoted his life to caring for others with decades on the police force. Like Roman and the Stone Sentries in many ways. They selflessly took care of others. Yet without any acknowledgment or appreciation.
Other examples flashed before her—people she’d met as a police officer. An old woman who went out each evening to feed the feral cats. People who took in and cared for the less fortunate. Volunteers who devoted their time for a cause they were passionate about—caring for people, animals, and the environment. The number of those who wanted to make the world a better place dwarfed the tiny element of who would bring devastation. If only she could focus on those rather than the few who reveled in their destruction, she could find light.
Would it be enough to counter her growing despair in this desolate land?
Chapter 10
Roman swallowed the pain of his injuries to soar after the incubus that had grabbed Larissa. Every nightmare had come true for him. Every dark thought had played out before him. He’d failed to protect her.
That reality sliced through him as if his chest had been carved open by a sword. And not a sharp, clean cut, but one with a jagged edge. The pain dwarfed the claw marks that shredded his back. At least, his tougher gargoyle hide had prevented the sharp talons from reaching his vital organs.
Two demons soon caught up to him as their speed surpassed that of a gargoyle. With two combatants on him, he had to stop and fight them both. And unfortunately, they’d acquired weapons.
Larissa had kicked and punched and struggled against her captor. Yet, she’d soon disappeared from view as the incubus flew them toward the shadowy mountains.
Adrenaline burst through him, igniting combat fury. It powered him like he’d pulled an explosive device inside his gut that fired his veins and fueled his bloodlust.
He wouldn’t stop fighting for her.
Roman and the demons parried, sizing each other up, posturing with exploratory strikes. Their nostrils flared and eyes narrowed. Then, one advanced and a sword met Roman’s shield. The clang echoed in his ears.
The battle raged on. The sound of his sentries clashing with demons erupted behind him, but he didn’t dare remove his attention to look. Two against one were shitty odds.
Finally, one of the demons got cocky. It advanced on him with an aggressive blow and smug expression. Only, it had overestimated its reach. Roman jumped to the side as it struck at him. He then smashed his sword through the back of the demon’s neck.
The other demon’s eyes narrowed as it pulled its gaze from its decapitated comrade to Roman. Despite the intimidation in its stare, Roman glimpsed its fear. The odds had
evened out.
Through red-rimmed eyes, Roman homed in on his target. He roared as he lunged and struck, but the demon was quicker and deflected many blows. Fueled by battle rage, Roman pursued without pause.
His constant strikes had tired the demon. He could see it in its sluggish reaction. It panted and sweated. And, after it struck out at Roman with a desperate, feeble effort, Roman slipped around and behind it.
He placed his sword at the second demon’s throat. “Take me to her.”
The demon spat, “I don’t take commands from invaders.”
Roman nicked the creature’s throat. It shrieked as blood trickled out.
“Take a close look at your companion there,” Roman said, gesturing at the headless demon corpse. “Would you like to change your reply?”
The demon’s gaze flickered to the fallen one. Its chest had blackened and disintegrated, and the rest of its torso had followed to its grim end.
It glared at Roman through red-eyes, spewing all the hatred it could convey with a glance. “Come.”
Roman followed the demon as it set to fly in the direction of the one that had taken Larissa. The sounds of battle raged behind him as the sentries clashed with the demons.
Roman tried to send a message to the gargoyles, but he couldn’t connect. Fuck. This had happened when the demons were in Boston and their dark magic had prevented the gargoyles from communicating telepathically.
He shouted, “I’m going for Larissa.”
Who knew if they’d hear him above the sounds of combat? The shouts and shields, the war cries, and crash of swords.
Ah shit, one of them had likely seen what happened and known he had to follow. Although the sentries were better off fighting as one cohesive unit, the incubus had broken that when it had stolen Larissa from the battle arena. And now, they all had to readjust.
Roman headed deeper into the shadowy darkness that pervaded the realm like a dense fog in this strange red sky. The raven outlines of the mountain stood ahead. He chased in pursuit, but the demon was faster. And once it reached the mountains, it turned to Roman with a wicked smile and then soared behind the crags.
Captivated by the Gargoyle: Stone Sentries 3 Page 9
