She jumped when the dragon extended his talons. Before she could get away, he closed them around her. They hovered on the edge of the cliff for a heart stopping moment and she twisted around to look up at his face. His eyes flashed a moment before they fell off the edge. They plunged alongside the waterfall and her screams were lost in the roar of the waterfall. The dragon's wings unfurled as they skydived into watery mist. She covered her face with her hands, sure she was about to die. She grunted when the dragon pumped his wings and they rose into the air. She lay sideways in his talon with her hair hanging around her face as he flew through the underground caves so fast that everything was a blur of terror and hair. When the talon released her, she flailed wildly and hit the ground, which was less than a foot away. She scrambled to her feet and tried to dash away, only to trip over her own feet into an undignified face plant. She sat up and glared balefully at the dragon.
She jabbed a finger at him. "Don't you ever do that to me again."
The dragon snorted through his nostrils and her eyes watered from the blast of heat. She couldn't stop the shudders that raced over her as she remembered free falling. She felt sick and dizzy and buried her face against her knees.
You need to eat.
Cara raised her head and blinked when a silver tray appeared out of thin air on a flat rock. She folded her arms and kept well away from it and looked around. They were at the opposite end of the massive cave. Behind her was a solid wall that extended so high up, she couldn't see the top. To the right was a small cave that looked like a hobbit hole carved into the stone.
Eat.
"How can I keep anything down after that?" she groused.
Eat before I force you.
She didn't like the sound of that and scowled before she stumbled over to the rock. When she lifted the cover, heat caressed her face and banished the cold sweat. There was a mound of steaming pasta and she sniffed appreciatively. How the hell had a dragon conjured up pasta? Did she even want to know? She wanted to ask if it was poisoned and then figured it didn't matter if it was. There was no escape for her and if he wanted to kill her, she couldn't do anything about it. She leaned against the boulder and ate. Because of the space and constant light, she didn't feel as if they were underground. The dragon sat fifteen feet away and didn't seem as monstrous now that he was in a bigger area that suited him. She could feel his eyes on her.
"Water?" she croaked.
There's a basin in the cave with fresh water. Go to sleep.
Cara didn't ask questions. She walked into the hobbit hole, which had a bed carved out of stone. She ambled forward and pressed experimentally on the mattress before she meandered further into the cave. She peeked behind a stone partition and saw a private pool and bowl carved into the wall. The water was so clear that she could see different shades of color in the rock. She cupped her hands in the water and drank until her thirst was quenched. She pulled out her one change of clothes and whispered the cleaning spell over it before she tugged off the wetsuit. She took a quick dip in the pool and was surprised to find the water warm, almost hot. She was tempted to soak, but quickly washed the salt out of her hair before she dressed and rounded the wall.
The dragon was parked in the opening of the cave, waiting for her. Where the hell was she going to go? She met his eyes a little defiantly as she got into bed. Her hands slid over the expensive sheets and the mattress conformed to every curve of her body. She wanted to ask how he managed to get a mattress and one thousand thread count sheets, but was too tired. She wasn't sure how many days had passed since she set out on her mission. Too much had happened in too little time to process. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she drifted to sleep.
Chapter Six
Cara woke up warm and content. She opened her eyes and stared up at a glowing stone ceiling and frowned. She looked down the length of her body and saw the dragon watching her. She shrieked and sat straight up in bed. The dragon didn't move a muscle. He watched her with turquoise eyes that catalogued her every move. She had the sheet pulled up to her eyes. Realizing she must look like a frightened child, she dropped the sheet and tried to act cool and dignified.
She couldn't determine if it was morning or night or if she had slept for minutes or hours. She decided it didn't matter as she slipped out of bed and walked behind the wall to wash her face. She took a deep breath before she came out and faced the dragon. Involuntarily, her eyes ran over him. He was monstrous and too large to measure from his glinting black horns to the tip of his tail. It took every ounce of courage she possessed to walk out of the cave.
"So, what happens now?" she asked.
What do you want to eat?
Cara blinked. "Anything, I guess."
On that same flat-topped rock, another tray appeared with chicken sandwiches and a glass of iced tea. She flicked a glance at the dragon before she began to eat. The dragon turned to watch and she found it so unnerving that she stopped altogether.
You don't like it?
She took a sip of the iced tea before she said, "I don't understand what's happening."
You need nourishment.
"So you can eat me?"
The dragon snorted and she dove for cover as a stream of fire burst from his nose.
If I were going to eat you, I would have done so the moment you entered my cave. Besides, I can eat something more appetizing than you.
Why she was offended by that remark was beyond her. Her brain must be going haywire underground. "So, what am I doing here?"
In the centuries I've been trapped here, you are the only being who has managed to find me. You will stay with me as long as I am imprisoned here.
She mulled that over. So, he wasn't going to eat her. He wanted company? She bit her lip as she tried to wrap her mind around this. She looked down at the sandwiches with a frown.
"How are you caged here when you're so powerful?"
His eyes narrowed. I'm cursed. I cannot leave the cave.
She wanted to ask the obvious 'Have you tried everything?' but she didn't want to be extra crispy so she asked instead, "But you still have magic?"
I can conjure any worldly comfort and I have seen the world change through the eyes of humans, but I have not been able to summon anyone here. I have never been able to communicate with anyone until you arrived.
She shifted uncomfortably and began to eat again, hoping he wouldn't ask what she was dreading.
Why is Luc, a Master Demon, plaguing you?
The bite of sandwich caught in her throat. She choked and gulped down iced tea when she got her breath back. Her hands began to sweat and her stomach twisted with dread. "Demons infect people with greed, madness, rage, lust," Cara took another sip of tea because her throat was dry. "Under Luc's influence, he can cause a whole town to go up in flames in a matter of hours. He knows which humans are weak and influential, what they crave. He possesses them for a couple hours and brings forth their worst qualities. By the time he jumps to the next puppet, they're bent on destruction. I've always been able to sense demons."
She trailed off and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep the sandwich in her stomach. A long silence fell. She couldn't explain the horror she felt as a child, watching demons breathe chaos into those around her. Luc never inhabited one human for long. Right now, the puppet he possessed was one of the richest men in the world, a man who influenced the politics in seven countries.
So you became a demon hunter.
"Yes. I left home when I was sixteen," she said and tapped ragged fingernails on the glass.
You must be good at what you do.
She looked up with a frown. "What makes you say that?"
You're alive and Luc punished you by trying to kill your sister. You're a threat. I know how his kind works. Luc won't tolerate interference.
Cara stared at him for a long minute before she shifted awkwardly and muttered, "Thanks for what you did in the hospital. I've never seen Luc scared of anything."
His talons scraped the st
one floor. Luc has gone unchallenged for too long.
She seconded that. Before her, no one dared challenge the Master Demon, much less managed to thwart him. It was Luc's arrogance in not taking her as a serious threat that allowed Cara to do her work for so long, following Luc's trail and undoing the evil in his wake.
"You know him?" she asked uncertainly.
She was stepping into La La Land now, sitting as casually as you please in a cave, chitchatting with a dragon about demons. Then again, she'd never lived in the real world. What she sensed, no one else could. As far as most people were concerned, she was an evil witch. It was better for people to believe that than the truth.
Luc and I know one another, but he didn't dare come out so openly then.
"He's powerful," Cara said.
She wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes, unable to block out the sound of Luc's voice in her head, exploiting every human need in her. Cara didn't make connections, knowing Luc or other demons could use them against her. Sky and Dawn were pure of heart and therefore couldn't be possessed, which is why Luc infected Sky with a sickness no healer could cure. She pushed away those dark thoughts. It was done. Sky was fine and under the protection of an Ancient.
You're safe from him here.
Cara's head snapped up. "What?"
My power eclipses his while you're in my vicinity.
A bubble of something foreign erupted in her chest. Luc couldn't touch her or her family? Her mouth curved in an unfamiliar manner and she raised a hand to cover it as something burst from her mouth. Did she just giggle?
You're amused about something?
With her tongue pressed against her cheek, Cara said, "Luc must be pissed."
The pressure was off. Her family was safe and Luc couldn't stalk her here. She was relieved and so damn tired. She'd never had a normal life and for the most part, didn't waste time worrying about it. In kindergarten she realized no one else could hear demons whispering seductively into their victim's ears. She didn't know how to connect with anyone on a normal level because she wasn't normal. Now, she would live underground with a dragon for eternity. Her life was seriously bizarre.
The dragon didn't move, but that didn't lessen the aura of power around him. Even his stillness was alarming because she knew how fast he could move. He looked very reptilian with his long, arching neck, sharp angles and scales that shimmered in the light. If she looked at him objectively, he was beautiful in a freaky, alien way. His eyes seared her soul so she avoided them as much as possible. He was a beast built for war and although the thought of him in the real world made her body go cold with fear, it seemed so wrong having him down here. He saved Sky and he wasn't going to eat her so he couldn't be that bad, right? He didn't like demons or Luc, which meant he was on the 'good' side.
The dragon shifted, breaking into her musings.
What do you require?
Huh? "What do you mean?"
Clothes?
She looked down at her wet hiking boots, torn jeans and shirt. "Anything's fine."
I'll provide it. If you require food, contact me.
She got the impression that he was going to leave her and she didn't know whether to be afraid or relieved. She glanced around the dim interior of the cavern. She couldn't even hear the waterfall from here.
"Is there anything else in the cave?"
I am the only beast here.
Cara winced and waved a hand. "I didn't mean..."
The beat of his wings tossed her off the rock and she landed on her butt. Shit. She watched him fly away, a ghostly bird of prey that disappeared into the depths of the cave. Cara downed the rest of the iced tea before she ambled over to her cave and sat, feet dangling over the edge of the step. She should scope out her surroundings, but her body felt like lead. If her insides weren't caked with Rage and she wasn't in a dragon cave, she may have convinced herself that the past three days were all a dream. She focused inward and tried to purge Rage, but he'd had a lot of time to work on her on the flight from Montana to Ireland.
Drawing out a demon's taint on you was the same as drawing out the venom from a snake wound. This time, there were no innocent victims around if she went postal. She didn't worry about the dragon since he was a big boy. She braced herself and touched the lingering remnants Rage left for her.
"Freak!"
Cara cowered as three boys and four girls pummeled her with sticks.
"She's a witch like her mom! We have to burn her!"
Cara fought back, heart pounding in terror. She swung wildly but whenever she focused on one person, she was hit from behind. She managed to scramble out of their huddle and run as fast as she could through the dry grass. It was nearly waist high and she could hear them screaming behind her. She thought she was home free until a boy appeared in front of her and used her momentum to swing her to the ground. The others laughed and cheered as they gathered around her. She tried to get to her feet, but there were too many of them and they had no intention of letting her get away this time. Someone kicked her in the face and a boy stomped his foot on her chest, making her breath wheeze out of her. Through the blood streaming down her face, she blinked up at a girl with pigtails. Cara's breath caught in her throat as the girl held up a lighter. Cara thrashed and a boy sat on her legs while two girls stood on her arms, pinning her. Cara screamed for help as the other kids chanted, "Burn the witch! Burn the witch!"
Cara struggled madly, but she was outnumbered. Out of the corner of her eye, Cara saw the lighter spark. The girl tried several times and let out a triumphant squeal when a flame appeared. Cara stared at her classmate as she smiled wickedly and held the flame close to her hair. Everything slowed down and something slithered to life in Cara's chest. Fury beat through her and Cara let out an animalistic snarl. Cara twisted her arm out from beneath the girl's foot who screamed in surprise and toppled into the dry grass. Cara did the same with the other girl who watched dumbstruck as Cara sat up and effortlessly tossed the boy who was sitting on her legs. Once Cara got to her feet she lashed out at the girl with the lighter. The grass began to smoke. The kids screamed and Cara turned and ran. She wasn't in charge of her body, which was fluid, controlled and focused. Her mind was curiously blank and when she came to, she stood across the road from the field, which was engulfed in flames.
Cara wrenched herself out of the memory. She wasn't sitting on the step of her cave anymore. She was thirty feet away, soaked with sweat and trembling. She stiffened her spine and walked back to her hobbit hole. She was so engrossed in the memory that she ran full out as she had that day. Stumbling into the cave, she stripped out of her clothes on the way to the bathing pool. Cara ducked her head beneath the surface and swam for several strokes before she came up for air. She sat with her back against the wall of the pool for half an hour, staring straight ahead with no expression.
When she climbed out of the tub, she wrapped herself in a towel and paused when she saw a pile of clothes against the wall. I can conjure any worldly comfort. She pulled on soft pants and a shirt, brushed her hair and braided it. When she rounded the wall, she walked to the entrance of the cave and was almost disappointed to find herself still alone. She shook her head and climbed into bed. She stared up at the ceiling for a long time before she drifted into uneasy sleep.
Dragon
The dragon knew he should give her space, but he had to come back, had to keep an eye on her. His mind couldn't fully accept that she was here. A human female slept in his prison. He settled at the mouth of the cave and watched the slight rise and fall of the sheet on her chest. His keen hearing picked up even breaths that signaled sleep. Black hair spilled over white sheets and he knew her eyes were pitch black without a hint of brown. She had tan skin and he enjoyed the thought of her in the sun and felt a wistfulness that he instantly crushed. Average height, average build. She wasn't beautiful, but striking with exotic features.
Out of all the creatures that could have trespassed, he never thought a human, muc
h less a woman would dare. She popped up in his lair without an explanation and calmly asked for a favor as if he were a fairy godmother. She risked her life to find him, believing he was 'good' and that he would save her sister's life. He'd been so flabbergasted by how misinformed she was, he didn't respond immediately. Then, his mind had lurched into gear and he had decided to spare her sister's life to soften Cara's heart towards him.
He didn't know what to think of a human that hunted demons and sacrificed her life for a sibling. He'd never met such a reckless human. In his experience they were selfish, foolish and stubborn. Cara was definitely foolish and stubborn. Selfish, she was not. After she left the caves with his blood, he watched her make the trek up the cliffs, roaring and gouging the stone around him.
His freedom hinged on the way Cara perceived him. He watched her interact with her mother and sister and a long forgotten part of him stirred. Seeing Luc face his human hadn't put him in a good mood and he was too far away to send Luc back to hell. He saved Cara's life only for her to risk it again to attack the possessed human at the airport. He nearly strangled her to put himself out of his misery. She heedlessly threw herself on the tracks in front of oncoming trains. What was she thinking?
It was pure self-preservation on his part that made him order her to come to him when she reached the Cliffs of Moher. His future depended on a woman who stared down at the waves as if contemplating throwing herself in. He watched her every move, waiting for her to balk or refuse to come to him. To his astonishment, apart from her reckless need to exorcise demons, Cara kept her word. How long had it been since he'd met anyone who kept his or her word, human or otherwise? She obeyed his dictates to the tee, even though she knew she wasn't strong enough to make the journey back to the cave. Was that her plan? End her life instead of spending eternity with him?
Clutch of the Demon (Cursed Ancients Series Book 1) Page 5