Two miles before starting the final leg, Kira pulled a cloth from between her breasts along with a vial of green liquid and soaked the cloth before rubbing every inch of herself, even her thick braid of hair. The application turned clear as it soaked in. “Help me with my back please. Just the leather. It’ll trap my scent.”
“Must be stifling in there.” He said as he wiped the black leather.
“Extremely,” Kira admitted. “but I need it. Leather is a good medium for retaining magic. The potion I’m wearing would last ten minutes on cotton and other fabrics. Leather will maintain it for five hours. Leather is just treated skin and skin holds magic longer as Spirit Energy recognizes a proper container… except for enchanters who aren’t limited in power and can craft permanent runes.”
“Yes, but even I know you can do spells even Kanade cannot.” He returned the cloth she stuffed back down her cleavage and zipped up the opening to the hollow of her throat. “Kanade cannot make sharpened ice, create fire or make levitated objects into deadly projectiles. Her magic can only protect, not destroy. It is a tradeoff, Kira.”
“You do learn quick.”
“Only because my assumptions get me in trouble and I hate trouble.”
They moved from on carefully and a mile later they got off the path the enemy obviously used frequently. More traps and simple warning creations would only make following it further in more dangerous. Kira became more anxious with each step, but felt more at ease with Ethan beside her. It was well known Ethan, when determined, focuses on one thing and blocks everything else out. His earlier hesitation and attempts of levity turned serious and removed distraction. Kira, deep down, was glad he was there and not as a reminder of her crime. Steel grey eyes narrowed through the woods. The HUD over his eye began counting down the feet after the last mile ended and gradually his awkward traveling through the woods became as quiet as any jungle cat on the hunt. Kira was surprised to say the least.
As they crept up a small hill she stopped as his large hand gripped her shoulder and pushed her down easily. In a whisper he said “We’re here. Now I need to verify if this is the place.” They laid side by side in the thick vegetation and as Kira heard him command his headset, she looked over the hill slowly.
Ahead, hidden beside a pond was a dilapidated cabin or maybe it could have been a barn at one time. Around it were thick trees that offered much cover. Old windows were cracked and the roof was in desperate need of repair. Vines, grass and shrubs grew wild and Kira doubted anyone lived there, but she could feel it was a perfect place to avoid attention and was so remote that it was a miracle a place like this had been tracked down. But then as the wind shifted she caught a scent that made her shiver in sexual delight. It was a strong musk with floral undertones that only males could wear and not seem feminine in the least. She felt more sexually excited over this scent than the whole of her life and knew it was undoubtedly Incubus musk, incredibly powerful. She remembered it as all women of Order must so that if they smell it to run to safety or be trapped by the sexual demon.
Ethan touched her shoulder and she shook her head to clear it. He still looked straight at the building and Kira noticed the lens had gone from clear to dark blues, reds and oranges in color. “With all the trees blocking, it’s impossible to see any warm bodies through the walls, but I hear voices. I count three male voices. We’re about two hundred feet away. Can you tell anything, Kira?”
“Only that there is definitely an Incubus. I can smell him?”
“Really?” He sniffed. “I smell only forest.”
“You wouldn’t be able to.” She whispered. “Only females can smell an Incubus. I wouldn’t be able to smell a Succubus, but you could. And if one was here, you would certainly know, just as I do. Ethan, mind if I use that? Before I even think of getting close I want to know as much as possible.” He took it off without hesitation and handed it over without taking his eyes away from the large cabin. He didn’t want to miss anything.
For the next thirty minutes they laid on the hill in silence and to avoid detection, Kira looking as best she could and listening to idle conversation of four deep voiced individuals through the headset. Their speech was nearly hypnotic and Kira knew that these demons already affected her and her resistance was barely keeping the thoughts of what she wanted from surfacing at bay. But she heard whimpering and knew a woman was inside, but the images on screen were useless and couldn’t see through walls just like natural eyes. “This is it, I’m heading in.” Kira said as she returned his device and watched him readjust it while she pulled two vials from her belt in event of an emergency.
“Good luck.” She heard and she lightly stepped over to a thick tree and dropped low. Peeking around it she moved away from the window, trying to use the trees as cover and utilize natural blind spots. The potent odor increased with each step closer, but she maintained composure. Her small feet avoided dry sticks as best possible and she moved slow so as to avoid crunching the grass.
Two hundred feet took a half hour to approach a shrub that grew up beside the building. So close to a window she could now hear that there were more women inside mewling for more attention by the group of Incubi. The fully naked humans were helpless against their captors power and wanted to couple all day and night long. They were quite literally turned into loyal sex-slaves, unable to resist the demons and were incapable of thinking anything else. Even if the humans couldn’t see through the veil, demonic power still worked. Kira slowly peeked into a room and was startled to see eleven women bound to a dirty bedroll, six with swollen bellies and looked full term, ready to give birth any day. Worse yet, on the other side of the room were a dozen cribs with baby Incubi being tended to by a mature one. It was a breeding nest that had to end.
The Incubus watching over the young was a man of six feet and built like a tank. His skin was lavender in tone with long golden hair that flowed down his shoulder blades. He wore simple jeans and no shoes. Kira felt the drawling sexual energy intensify within her own genital folds swelling and wetting for penetration, but her sunglasses blocked the innate Incubus power just enough to retain sanity. Still, from the back, the demon was raw manly power with long limbs, narrow waist and bulging with muscle in all the right places.
The demon’s muscles twitched and Kira drew away from the window just in time to not lose control. Her heart hammered wildly and she struggled to control her breathing. Inside, she heard a door shut and the women inside quieted down.
Kira went to move to the next window.
Unknowingly to her, two more Incubi were silently coming from a hidden nearby pond after fishing and caught sight of her. They smiled greedily to each other and stalked up behind as she peeked into another window where their brothers relaxed and slept.
Cold fear shot down Kira’s back when there came a voice as soft as silk that offered great sex and endless pleasures. “Welcome to our humble abode.” The words both terrified and exhilarated her. Before she could use the potions, one of the brothers spun Kira around and the direct azure gaze overwhelmed her sunglasses. The second brother increased the power over her and made her completely helpless. The first delicately held out his large, erotic hands she wanted caressing her. “Now Love, hand over those toys so we can play like adults. It’s been awhile since a Witch was in our midst.” Kira wanted to desperately please and gave over not just what was in her hands, but every potion, sunglasses and even her small dagger.
Nothing of her remained except to please them. All was freely given.
“Brothers!” the second crowed. “Special Delivery! And what a looker!”
Five more came outside immediately to find Kira pawing the second brother, rubbing herself against him. With so many Incubi focusing their powers, she was unable to speak, but her body turned into a machine of lust. The eldest brother and largest grinned, the shirtless one from the nursery and breeding room. “Well done! A Witch? She must have been a very bad girl to be sent after us. It means we are now on Order’s radar. Sh
e will be good for breeding our sons, but we can no longer stay here. If she was sent to kill us, her supervisor will have left the moment she was caught and shall soon return with actual warriors. Keep her near. The master must know we have been compromised. Until he tell us what to do, we cannot leave. Keep the Witch near, but pack our things and ready our sons. The sluts too. He will likely let us keep them since they are all ours. We’ll need to set up a watch soon.”
The seven hurried inside to begin packing.
Ethan watched in fury as Kira helplessly rubbed herself over one while a second groped through her top to feel her exceptionally well endowed breast, but he was too far when he saw the supermodel men with light purple skin hurry back inside. Kira disappeared too and for the moment, he overheard everything and made a field decision. With seven physically powerful demons inside packing in a rush, Ethan took a gamble and ran down the hill to jump into a patch of shrubs close to the open door.
Just as the camouflage of greenery stilled the largest demon with big blue-green eyes stepped outside with a cell phone and was dialing. In the man’s bare shoulder was a brand that looked like a caged eagle that was seared into his skin. A lesser demon lord’s mark. He flicked his platinum blonde hair away from a youthful face to say “Master, we’ve been discovered.”
Thanks to Tattoo’s creation, Ethan targeted the man’s too handsome face and picked up the conversation with the headset. “By whom!?”
“A Witch. We didn’t smell her and there was no other woman with her. We got her and she is in her prime, big breasts and wide hips. She will bear an army of sons if we tell her to use magic on herself. Every six weeks she would. What do you wish of us?”
“I’ll be there in a moment to get you.” The call ended.
Not five seconds later an Elf popped right in front of the Incubus. The Elf’s sickly yellow skin was mostly covered in a child’s blue jeans and a beige shirt. Around his chest was a wicked bow, also at his back was a quiver full of short arrows and several throwing knives were at his belt. Ethan knew that the Elf might be no taller than four feet and the weapons small, they were lethal. Any Elf could match speeds of a Naga and notch an arrow in the blink of an eye and have the strength of two men with which could draw the string of the bow that was deceptively powerful. Ethan held completely still, even he stopped breathing because the Elf’s long pointed ears were powerful and stood not ten yards away. “Be quick, Oaf!” The Elf hissed. “If the enemy comes soon we’re all dead. Don’t waste time with the pregnant women or young. We do not have time. Bring me the Witch, slay the rest.”
The Elf hissed as he spun when there came a growl from a bush. It exploded in a burst of fire. Centered in it was a man rising into a standing position. The Elf notched an arrow and loosed it, but it exploded from a superheated ‘BOOM!’ that threw the two demons into a tree with a mighty shockwave. Ethan growled “Not today! I’m ending this.”
Fire shot from Ethan’s palm at them, but he watched as the Elf suddenly disappeared without clapping like a Pixie, but the wild look in those beady black eyes were terrified. The leader Incubus on the other hand was wrapped in fire that burned him alive. He couldn’t even scream as he inhaled pure flame.
Six Incubi came running out with weapons after hearing the explosion. One carried a weight bar with four hundred pounds in a hand like it weighed nothing. Ethan knew they were hopped up on souls of women who they raped and killed while feeding off their sexual energies and each one was well fed and in their prime.
None of that made a difference in front of a Fire Elemental who was done sitting around. Their moment of hesitation lingered on their dead bother and a man cloaked in flames had cost them everything. “Raaa!” Ethan roared while aiming a palm at them and loosing a stream of red and orange heat like a flame thrower that clung to them like napalm. Agonizing pain lasted shortly as every one of the six were burned alive for their inexcusable crimes of rape, murder and destroying souls of those who bore their children life.
When all were nothing but charred husks and no more surprises were forthcoming, Ethan pulled the fire to himself and ended it. Smoke and the smell of burnt pork filled the air, enough to make Ethan gag, but nothing else was so much as singed, not the grass or even dead leaves. It wasn’t over yet as Ethan said “You really think you got away don’t you.” He grinned and remembered every detail of the Elf mastermind, held out his hand and a softball size Drone appeared. “Too bad so sad. You let me see you. Big mistake.” He said more to himself, cocked his arm back and threw the ethereal fireball. After it left his had it shot immediately around and past his shoulder like an indestructible bullet. The Drone shot through trees and the forest, only getting faster as no solid matter could stop it. It would ruthlessly seek the Elf for all eternity till it was killed.
Ethan stepped around the dead killers and into the house to find Kira curled into a ball in the corner with a pleasured look on her face as her hands were down in her leather pants, pleasing herself. “Kira, snap out of it.” He shook her, but her green eyes were glazed over. “I hope Kanade is right.” Ethan gently slapped Kira, but didn’t get a rise. A second, harder smack broke the spell.
Kira shook her head, touching her throbbing cheek. The Incubus odor still unsettled her, but she looked around a little more like herself. Then she shook violently as she remembered it all. Her lower lip trembled as she said “Ethan, you… saved me… it was horrible. I couldn’t stop myself from doing that. I feel so dirty… Are they all…?”
“Dead?” he finished slowly and helped her up. “Yes. The crispy critters are outside. Right now you need to focus.” There came the cry of several babies. “Kids? Kira what are we supposed to do now? I don’t think it’s over.”
“It’s not. The children need to die. I’ll erase the memories of the women, but…”
Ethan stepped in front of her and said determinedly “No. You will not kill a baby, even a demon baby. They didn’t violate the accords or eat their mother’s soul. So long as the demon doesn’t kill, I say let it be. Especially a baby. You can save the women by taking memories, but we must send the kids somewhere safe.”
Kira grimaced, but couldn’t say no. Not even she agreed with her idea that came from her lips. “The job’s done. Send the call.” And she ran outside to leave the stench that filled the room.
Ethan followed her after scanning the next room and forcing himself not to retch, knowing she needed to be watched, but upon seeing the overdone husks, he needed to destroy all evidence and cremated the bones to ash while saying “Priority contact, First House, Ethan Volorum for mission completed. Send in Pixie to pick us up at my location and dial Tattoo or nearest officer on call.” His earpiece went ‘Beep. Beep.’ As it sent the message and awaited response.
There was a ‘Click’ sound as if a phone was picked up and Tattoo’s face appeared on the lens’ screen. Ethan was highly surprised to see the video conference. “Got a message you’re done? But why did you call me? I’m a busy man, Ethan.”
“I know, but there’s been a bit of a snag.”
Tattoo listened to the report and nodded. “Good call, Kid. Kira must have been highly affected by the Incubus control to suggest slaughtering a helpless child. We’re not demons. You have my word that the demons will be sent to Demon World as is required by our law and another less affected Witch will cloud the women’s memories of the incident and have the unborn safely delivered or shed if early enough. They will have the best care, I’ll assure you. Kira’s hunt is over. Send the recording as soon as you can, for review of her case.” The image cut out and was done.
By the time the bones were even less than ash and scattered by the wind a Pixie appeared and sent Ethan and Kira back to the First House.
Lurking unnoticed in the shadows of the dense woods nearby were a pair of glowing, elliptical sea blue eyes. They were watching in secret the entire time and also heard it all. His greatest surprise was the scent of the Fire Elemental Order has been keeping secret. The hidden demon k
new it was very weak, but he knew the underlying scent of that bearded man and it had to been reported immediately. As the man called Ethan and Witch Kira vanished with the Pixie, a grin spread and feline whisker’s twitched. “The king will sure be surprised to hear of this.” The demon said gleefully as he stood and pulled an enchanted demon seed from a pocket from his belt and threw it into the pond before jumping through the portal the seed opened, straight to Demon World.
Chapter 11
Waiting for their arrival just where they had left was Kanade who wrapped her arms and wings around Ethan from behind. He was startled because he barely stood for a second after being transferred. She immediately began talking “Are you alright? Hurt anywhere? I was so worried!”
“Angel, calm down. You’re talking too fast to be understood.” He laughed. “And you’re crushing me.” Her arms were much like steel bands.
Her strong sense of smell inhaled. She detected his natural smell, hers lingered from last night strongly. Nothing of Kira thankfully and a potent smell of burnt meat. Satisfied all went well and he returned to her, she released her hold while saying “I was so worried somethin’ happened. Most of the day has gone by. In a half hour dinner will be ready. Tell me what happened.”
Ethan could see Kira after soft wings pulled back. The Witch was on her knees crying openly in her mother’s embrace on the street with Minna too. The father stood near, crying too at seeing his child return alive safely. Then the Amazon guards stepped closer and with a purpose he couldn’t let slide. “One moment Kanade, I have something to take care of.”
He started over to the group and she followed, taking his hand and sighing in relief of his touch. “Kira, go stay with your family.”
Forgemaster (Book 1 in the Spirit Guide Saga) Page 35