Clutch of the Demon (Cursed Ancients Series Book 1)

by Jensen, A. P.

  When the dragon approached the waterfall Cara shouted, "Don't you dare!"

  He flew to the top of the waterfall and her stomach dropped as she looked down at the powerful falls, engulfed in cold mist. Her bottom half curled up, away from the cold water as she clutched his talons. She tried to yell at him that this wasn't her idea of fun, but he couldn't hear her. His body began to shift and when he dove alongside the waterfall, her heart stopped beating. She shrieked and put her hands out as they approached the bottom, but he pulled up at the last minute. Drenched, she shot the dragon a baleful look that he ignored. He headed back towards the opposite end of the cavern, letting Cara air dry along the way.

  The dragon set her down near the familiar flat-topped rock where she took her meals. Cara staggered and fell to her knees. The dragon watched her and tipped his head from side to side like a bird.

  "I don't know whether to thank you or kill you," she snapped.

  You can thank me.

  "I was having fun until the waterfall," she said and shuddered. "Not to be too demanding, but can I get a burger, fries and a chocolate shake?"

  The burger, fries and shake appeared and she dug in with more appetite than she had for any of the other meals. She felt as if she'd just come out of a carnival and could barely sit still long enough to eat. When she offered the dragon a fry, he shook his head. When she finished her food, she walked around with her shake, slurping noisily.

  "I never dreamed of flying, but parts of that were fun." It was the most thrilling, fun and pointless thing she'd done in her life. Skydiving had nothing on a ride from a dragon.

  I'm glad you enjoyed it.

  Being this close to him made her feel like an ant. Her reflection on his scales showed her rosy cheeks and bright eyes. Her hair was fluffed and tangled around her, but she didn't care.

  "What should I call you?"

  The dragon did that head-cocking thing again as if he couldn't figure her out.

  I was once known as Aodhan.

  She was pleased he'd given her a name. She didn't feel like a captive. She was beginning to feel like his companion and she no longer suspected that he was going to eat her. She yawned and then blinked in surprise.

  "How can I be tired?"

  We flew for a couple hours.

  "In that case, I'm off to bed. Thanks for the ride, Aodhan."

  Cara walked into her cave and fell into exhausted sleep.

  Chapter Eight

  Cara walked down a narrow alley with old buildings on either side of her. It was a warm night in Greece and she rolled tense shoulders. She walked up the stairs to the room she was renting for the month. She unlocked the door and with her back to the room, pulled a gun from the inside of her jacket and turned with a finger on the trigger.

  A woman sat on the couch and Cara saw a flash of white as the intruder smiled. Cara flipped the lights on and wasn't surprised to see Ursula. Most would probably peg Ursula at mid-forties, but Cara knew Ursula was ancient and just as dangerous as Luc. She was tall and voluptuous with dark brown hair and eyes that gleamed hungrily in the dim light.

  "You shouldn't have interfered," Ursula said as she trailed blood red nails down the arm of the chair.

  "Neither should you. You're destroying lives," Cara said.

  Ursula pursed her lips. "You think you did Paulos a favor by exorcising that demon from him? He'll never wake from the coma."

  "If that demon hadn't been implanted in him for so many years, he would have survived," Cara said quietly. "Nadia understands."

  Ursula's lip curled in disgust. "Nadia. I'll take care of that bitch later."

  Cara didn't offer her opinion. Nadia was more than capable of taking care of herself. Nadia suspected what was wrong with her father and called Cara to Greece. Nadia didn't like the results, but she hadn't ripped into Cara about his vegetative state. She knew having her father alive and doing deeds for Luc was much worse.

  "You have no idea what you're messing with," Ursula said and flicked her hand dismissively, "but I'll leave it to Luc to discipline you and remind you of your place."

  "I won't stand by and let the world be run by beings like you," Cara said.

  Ursula laughed and the sound was beautiful and haunting. Cara resisted the urge to smile and walk towards her.

  "I've heard rumors of you. It seems Luc underestimated your intelligence and worth. That isn't going to make him happy," Ursula said.

  "And I've heard of you," Cara said coldly.

  "You have? I'm flattered."

  Cara didn't even blink. She had four knives on her body and an extra gun, which would slow Ursula, but no bullet or knife could kill her. Injuring the older woman gravely enough to slow her down would have to do.

  "Cara," Ursula drawled in a silky voice. "That's a beautiful name for such an abomination."

  "What do you want?"

  Ursula twirled a strand of hair around her finger and little flames danced through the strands. Cara wasn't intimidated by the show of fire. She raised a brow and Ursula smiled cattily.

  "I'm wondering how good you'll taste. I've never had a mixed breed like you before. I think you'll taste luscious."

  Cara's stomach turned to ice, but she showed no reaction to the taunt. "Why don't you come over here and take a bite?"

  Ursula continued to curl her hair around her finger, but made no move to attack. She sat and crossed her legs, exposing a shapely leg from a slit cut high on her dress. Cara knew Ursula wasn't a warrior, but that didn't make her less dangerous. Ursula was the epitome of a femme fatale and Cara wasn't fooled by her laid-back attitude.

  "You've inconvenienced me, Cara," Ursula said with a pout. "You exorcised the demon I planted in Paulos for a decade and I need it back."

  Cara didn't answer. Her unnatural stillness finally registered on Ursula who tensed.

  "Where's the demon?" Ursula asked as she got to her feet.

  Cara let the demon rise to the surface and whispered, "I am the demon."

  Cara dropped the gun and released the chokehold on the demon she extracted from Ursula's victim. The demon howled in her skin and spread his poison through Cara's veins, filling her with malice. Ursula's hair blazed with flames and fangs elongated in her mouth as they rushed one another. Cara brandished a knife in each hand and ducked when Ursula attacked. While Ursula tumbled across the floor, Cara rushed after her. The demon cackled in delight as Cara drew first blood.

  Cara's hand clenched around an invisible knife, stabbing someone who wasn't there. Her eyes flew open and she tried to calm her ragged breaths. If she could get her hands on Rage again, she would strangle him. Every time she brushed against his spirit, she received a nasty shock of memory. It couldn't be helped. The more of his poison she purged through memories, the less potent his spirit would become. The sooner she got rid of him, the better.

  Her body was soaked with sweat and she tried to banish the memory of Ursula. Cara couldn't remember much of what had happened that night because she let the demon reign supreme to survive. When she returned to consciousness, the demon and Ursula were gone and she'd been covered in blood.

  What is it?

  Hearing that deep voice in her head calmed her jitters more than any other sound in the world. She turned her head and saw the dragon in front of the cave. She was so relieved that she waved stupidly at him. Looking at him banished her fear. Ursula's fangs looked plastic in comparison to Aodhan's man-sized teeth.

  "Just a dream," Cara said.

  She dropped back and drew the sheets over her head so he wouldn't see her face. She knew Ursula was still out there. The next time she saw that bitch, she would die, Cara told herself and drifted off again.

  Cara sat beside the Nile and watched the sun set. Ships traveled lazily on the water and she closed her eyes, enjoying the peace and quiet. She'd had a busy month and it was finally coming to a close. She had one more day in Egypt before she went back to the States. She missed her mom and sister. Maybe she would be able to stay for a week
in Montana. Mom would ask her to stay longer, but how could she tend her mom's garden when she knew Luc was creating an army of the most influential people in the world?

  Her body ached from the last demon she had exorcised. He was a plague of paranoia and depression and it took her two days to get control of him before she dispelled the demon back to hell. Her insides were raw and mutilated. She needed time to heal and recoup after letting his evil fester inside of her. She knew the moment she came into contact with her mom, Dawn would sense how battered her soul was. Dawn didn't approve the path Cara chose, but she also understood that she couldn't stop her either.

  Grass rustled behind her. Her hand was on the butt of her gun before her eyes opened. A little boy walked towards the Nile, tossing a wooden pyramid in the air with one hand. He was dressed casually in shorts and sandals and he couldn't be more than seven years old. He watched the ships while he idly tossed the pyramid from hand to hand like a ball.

  Cara released her hold on the gun and pressed a hand over her abdomen. She often fantasized about lying on a warm beach, swimming in crystal clear water and pigging out on amazing food, but she never had the time. She knew her life was numbered not in years, but breaths. She courted death daily and wouldn't stop, even if it cost her life. Each encounter with a demon taxed her physically and spiritually. Eventually, she wouldn't have anything left.

  "You sick?"

  Cara turned her head and saw the boy still tossing the pyramid. She shifted and tried to stifle a gasp of pain.

  "Just a little sore," Cara said with a reassuring smile.

  "You're American?"

  Cara nodded. "Yup."

  "What are you doing here?"

  "Just taking in the sights," Cara frowned. "You're out here alone?"

  The boy rolled his eyes. "You sound like my mom. I come here all the time."

  "What for?"

  "My dad told me to meet him here."

  Cara got to her feet, dusted herself off and looked around. "What time is he supposed to meet you?"

  "He told me to meet him here at dusk three years ago."

  He clutched the pyramid in one hand and scanned the ships with angry eyes. When Cara didn't respond, he glanced at her and scowled.

  "He's coming back," he said fiercely.

  Cara didn't want to argue, so she remained silent as the sky filled with color. The boy didn't ask why she stuck around and they watched the sun set in silence. He let out a long sigh and glared accusingly at her.

  "Maybe he'll come back," she offered with a shrug.

  He grunted and began to toss the pyramid again. "I know he will. You have a Dad?"

  "Yeah, but he's not a good guy."

  "Why?"

  Cara sighed. "There's good people in the world and then there's people like him. If I never saw him again that would be fine with me."

  "But he's your dad."

  "You may not believe this now, but it may be the best thing for you if your dad doesn't come back."

  She saw the boy's arm lift and had a split second of warning before he tossed the wooden pyramid at her. Cara dropped to the ground and heard it whistle over her head. She reached for the gun, but before she could pull it out, the boy kicked her hand. Two fingers broke. She rolled to avoid his second kick and with her good hand, yanked on one of his legs. He fell on his back beside her. She straddled him quickly and pinned his skinny arms beneath her knees.

  She saw the red glint in his eye and swore beneath her breath. She closed her eyes and channeled a thin line of magic into the boy before she withdrew. Her heart pounded as the demon within the puppet looked up at her.

  "Hello, Cara," Luc said.

  "Why are you using a kid?" Cara demanded.

  "You won't hurt a child and the puppet I'm using will be of no use to me if it's filled with bullet holes," he said in a chiding tone.

  As the silence stretched and neither moved their eyes from the other, the boy's mouth curved.

  "What are you doing here, Cara?" Luc asked.

  "Vacation," she said through clenched teeth and tried to ignore the pain reverberating from her hand.

  "That so? In the past month you've been to Greece, Italy, New Zealand and now Egypt. Your job as a nurse must be treating you well," he drawled.

  Although her stomach pitched, she kept eye contact with Luc. She knew he sensed her fear when his smile widened.

  "So, you've been exorcising demons, hmm? Frankly, I'm shocked that none of the demons you've faced have managed to turn you mad." Luc clucked his tongue. "Some of them were quite powerful and you've sent them all back to hell. You've been very naughty."

  She couldn't breathe. Luc was capable of anything and right now, she was closer to death than she'd ever been in her life.

  "Did you really think you could follow me around the world, unravel my plans and that there would be no consequences? My hard work is about to bear fruit and no one will interfere, even you."

  "Took you long enough to notice."

  The words flew out of her mouth before she could censor them. With more strength than the skinny boy should have been capable of, he bucked her off. She fell onto her back and quick as a snake, the boy stomped his sandaled foot on her injured hand. Cara screamed and the boy giggled. His dark face was hard to see, but his red eyes glowed.

  "Who knew you had the balls to learn how to exorcise demons and shift my plan off its foundation? I'm very disappointed in you, Cara."

  More pressure and her bones ground together. The boy couldn't be over eighty pounds, but at the moment he felt like a sumo wrestler.

  "You think you're clever, but you're human. You exist for one reason and it's not to plague me. Hearing the damage you did in Greece didn't please me at all. I don't like all this running around, so I'm going to ask nicely. Do you yield?"

  "No," Cara hissed.

  "You've proven yourself to be useful. You want my attention? You got it. Join me."

  Cara shook her head and his eyes narrowed.

  "Join me or you'll wish you were dead."

  Her hand went numb and she stopped struggling. Her other hand dug into the sand beneath her. She prayed she'd done enough on earth to allow her access to heaven. She closed her eyes against the boy who had the most powerful demon on the planet in his body. His body would begin to disintegrate if Luc didn't go back to his original puppet soon. She tilted her head to the side and exposed her throat. Do it, she thought. When she set out in Luc's wake, she'd known she was signing her own death warrant.

  The boy lifted his foot. Immediately, she curled her body around her injured hand. He leaned down and brushed sweat-soaked hair back from her face. Cara yanked away and met his eyes boldly.

  "Do your worst," she spat.

  A small, grimy hand ran down her cheek and the boy pressed a kiss to her numb lips. She waited with bated breath for Luc to make his move. Without a word, the boy picked up his wooden pyramid and walked away from her whistling.

  Cara sat on the bed with her head in her hands. The last of Rage's poison drained away with her tears. She was happy to see that Aodhan wasn't in front of the cave. She didn't feel like sharing her nightmares. She got to her feet and tried to banish the haunting sound of the boy's whistling as he walked away from her that night. She slipped on her shoes and padded out of the cave with her arms wrapped around herself. The chill she felt radiated from her soul. She tipped her head up and searched the highest points in the cavern for Aodhan, but he was nowhere to be found. After reliving her memories, the silence seemed menacing.

  "Aodhan?" she called.

  Her voice echoed around her. She decided to walk off her edginess and bypassed several dark pools. She tried to suppress her panic as she walked further from her hobbit hole. She rounded the largest pool she'd come across, glanced at the surface and froze. Something moved beneath the surface and ripples fanned out from the middle to where she stood. Images of sea monsters made her sprint. Something erupted from the pool behind her and Cara ran as fast as she coul
d over the uneven ground. Something swooped overhead and a moment later, Aodhan landed in front of her. She crashed into him with such force that she bounced back and fell on her ass. She wiped the water off her face and tried to calm her nerves, which were stretched to the breaking point.

  "Nice bath?" she snapped as she got to her feet.

  You didn't sleep long.

  She stalked around him and tried to hide her relief. She wasn't alone anymore. Luc couldn't touch her here. She stalked back to her hobbit hole and set her jaw when he easily outpaced her.

  If you need me, reach for me with your mind.

  She wasn't comfortable reaching out to anyone, especially through telepathy. It reminded her too much of demons. They could infiltrate a human mind so easily. All they needed was an opening and a weakness. Most people never realized they were possessed until she stood in front of them with a gun.

  When they reached the hobbit hole, she saw a cup of steaming tea waiting for her. She swallowed the refreshing peppermint and replayed her confrontation with Luc in Egypt. Three days later Dawn called to tell her that Sky had contracted an incurable disease and was going downhill fast.