Cursed Kiss (Paranormal Romance)

by Taylor, Helen Scott

  The creature lumbered a half step closer to him. When Clare saw the chain jerk taut on its front legs, she gasped with relief. It raised its head and bellowed an ear-numbing roar. Just a few more inches slack on the chain, and its snout would touch his shoulder.

  But it couldn't reach him. That meant it should be safe for her to go to him.

  She crept closer but a scuttling black movement caught her attention. Something the size of her hand scampered across the arc of light from her torch and disappeared in the shadows. It resembled the blood-sucking spider pet of her grandmother's.

  Had it bitten Luka? With a sick lurch, she examined what she could see of his naked body. He was marked and bloody in places. He might have been bitten.

  Seeing the spider reminded her of Monique. She'd been so consumed by Luka's plight, she'd forgotten her grandmother was headed this way.

  "We must get out of here as soon as possible," she shouted to Pablo. "Monique might be along at any time."

  Pablo flashed a bleak glance at the tunnel. However horrific the beast in the cavern, there was no doubt Monique frightened him more.

  The serpent stretched towards Luka again. Its forked tongue flicked out over leathery lips and touched his chest. It grumbled in its throat and pulled against the chains. Had it gained another inch?

  With a groan, Luka raised his head. The touch of the serpent must have roused him.

  He was alive! "Thank you, God," Clare whispered and welcomed the warm surge of relief.

  Pablo crawled closer to him. "Luka, we're here."

  With what looked like tremendous effort, Luka turned his head towards Pablo. "Clare," Luka croaked.

  "I'm here."

  Luka's gaze wandered around the cave until he found her. A smile touched his lips, and his eyelids fluttered closed.

  "Luka," Pablo called. "What did Monique do to you? Are you hurt?" He didn't respond and Clare's fear surged back.

  "Luka," she called urgently. "Luka, what's wrong with you."

  The beast licked him again. Luka opened his eyes and turned to look at it. Clare tensed, expecting him to jerk back in horror. Instead, he raised his hand towards it.

  "No!" Pablo and Clare shouted in unison, sending the word echoing around the cavern.

  Luka's fingers grazed the animal's chin. Rather than biting off his arm as Clare feared, the serpent calmed. The creature's eyes drifted closed, and it tipped back its head like a dog being petted.

  "I'll untie Luka while the creature's distracted," Pablo said, and crawled forward, holding the sword before him.

  Clare hesitated a moment, then crawled after him. When her dress caught under her sneakers, she ripped the skirt off, and bundled the silvery fabric beneath her arm.

  As she approached Luka, the smell of the beast's breath made the gorge rise in her throat. Although she took small shallow breaths through her mouth, she could still taste the stench.

  Luka was secured to the wall by a chain attached to a metal belt fastened by a bolt. His arms and legs weren't tied. Monique obviously hadn't expected him to wake up. Now Clare was closer, she saw bruising and shallow wounds marking his skin.

  "Try touching him," Pablo said. "If Luka's theory about his psychic energy deficit is correct, he should be okay here."

  Cautiously, she placed a fingertip on his shin. For a moment she thought it was all right, then the familiar rushing sound filled her ears. "I'm still affected."

  Pablo frowned. "Then it isn't living on Earth that's caused his problem. It must be something Monique did to him."

  Clare stared at Luka's pale face, the dark rings of fatigue beneath his eyes. If Monique had cursed him, maybe Clare could lift the curse. She pushed away the hope and concentrated on getting him free. "We must move him. Do you need me to help?"

  Pablo glanced at Luka's hand petting the serpent's scaly chin. "Support his arm while I shift him away from the wall."

  Clare unfolded the bundle of skirt material and looped it beneath Luka's arm. She took the weight slowly, careful not to allow his fingers to break contact with the beast. Pablo eased Luka forward, then worked behind him to release the metal belt. Her thumping heart marked the seconds as she crouched in front of him, the creature's massive head a few feet to her left.

  Pablo pulled the metal belt clear and gripped Luka beneath his arms. "Take his legs."

  Clare jammed the length of material beneath his knees. She gritted her teeth against the sucking feeling each time her fingers brushed his bare skin. Luka's hand drooped, breaking contact with the beast's chin. Its eyelids cracked open, and it blasted a snort of charnel house breath that made her eyes water.

  "Now," Clare said. They stumbled away from the creature, Luka between them.

  The beast's head whipped up, eyes blazing like the fires of hell. The cave reverberated with its roar of complaint as they collapsed near Luka's armor. Clare's muscles were weak and shaky with fear and the small loss of psychic energy.

  "Your clothes are here." Pablo helped Luka don the padded undergarments that he wore with his armor.

  "You seem more alert," Clare said with relief.

  Luka glanced around the cavern. "Monique drugged me with something from Earth in a hypodermic syringe. Red Death has been drugged as well, the poor creature. It was once a proud animal."

  Clare glanced at the beast. She'd only seen it as a danger to Luka, yet the way it stood with its head hanging reminded her of an abused pet. The poor serpent had suffered at Monique's hands like everyone else.

  "We must get out of here now," Pablo said, as he helped Luka to stand and wrapped the cloak around his friend's shoulders. "Monique is not far behind us." The men's eyes met and held in a gaze that vibrated with unspoken memories.

  Clare longed to help Pablo support Luka as the two men staggered towards the tunnel exit.

  "I'm glad you came," Luka said, "but the last thing I want is for Monique to capture you two." He looked longingly at Clare. "She would hurt you to punish me."

  Brightness flared in the tunnel entrance. All three of them stumbled to a halt and stared as Monique stepped into the lantern's pool of golden light, Edward behind her.

  "Luka, what a wonderful suggestion." She ran the tip of her tongue across her blood-red lips. "You always were full of good ideas."

  "Monique," Clare blurted. Her grandmother stood in the mouth of the tunnel surrounded by four guards, blocking the route to safety.

  "Don't sound so surprised, Clare, darling. You knew I was coming. I asked you along, if you remember. It seems you chose to come with someone else instead." Monique turned an icy glare on Pablo. His gaze dropped to the ground, his shoulders slumped.

  Anger coursed through Clare at the flicker of a smile on her grandmother's face at Pablo's reaction. She enjoyed tormenting him. She'd probably enjoyed tormenting Clare's father as well.

  Clare's tiredness fell away and she moved to put herself between Monique and the men. "I'm taking them home."

  Monique scanned her critically and tapped a finger against her lips. "What have you done to my favorite dress?" She glanced at the serpent, which had picked up the silvery material and was shredding the fabric between its teeth. Monique sighed theatrically. "You've fed my dress to Red Death. I'm sure it would rather have eaten Luka." She turned her attention to him. "I was waiting for you to wake up first. It's much more entertaining if the prey struggles."

  She snapped her fingers and the four guards advanced on Luka, swords in hand. Clare stood her ground, blocking their way. "Don't touch him," she commanded in a voice that echoed around the cavern and sounded eerily like her grandmother's. The men hesitated and glanced uncertainly at Monique.

  "Go on," she barked.

  Three of them dodged around Clare to reach Luka. One bulldozed Pablo away from Luka's side with his shoulder. Clare jumped in front of the fourth man and shoved him in the chest. He stood a head taller than her and should have been able to knock her aside without blinking, but he shrank back from her touch as though she was poi
sonous. His eyes skittered back to Monique.

  "She won't hurt you, you fool."

  Warily he moved forward again, grabbed Clare's arm, and shoved her aside. The four guards surrounded Luka.

  "Strip him," Monique said, and stared at Clare with a cruel twist of her lips. "We don't want the poor serpent to get any more fabric stuck between its teeth, do we?" Clare bit down on a curse. She wouldn't react to Monique's taunts. She must stay calm and composed. Tamping down on the panic that crawled into her chest, she waited for a chance to escape.

  Luka stood passively as they pushed him around while they removed the clothes he'd just put on. Once again, nearly naked, Luka sneered at Monique, the mocking curl of his lips so blatant she could not miss the insult. "You can slap on all the youth-restoring tinctures in existence. You'll still be an ugly old crone."

  "Shut up!" She stepped forward and slapped him around the face. Luka's head snapped aside, but after a moment he raised his chin and stared Monique down again.

  Pablo retreated into the shadows by the wall.

  Without taking his gaze off Monique, Luka addressed Pablo. "Don't give her the satisfaction, my friend. Stand up to her." He did shift his gaze then and flashed an apologetic smile at Clare. "I'm sorry, my darling. I wish things could have been different for us. I've come to love you very much."

  With a shriek, Monique yanked her rosy sword from the small scabbard at her waist and brandished it in Luka's face. "You'll never have her."

  Monique moved so quickly Clare could hardly follow with her eyes, let alone intervene. The sword sliced a diagonal cut across Luka's belly. He cried out and doubled over. When the guards pulled him upright, the wound gaped, blood trickling into the waistband of his underwear.

  Clare jumped forward to help him, but Monique blocked the way with her blood-stained sword. The bloody, metallic scent filled Clare's nose and dizziness swept over her. For the first time, she truly understood how Pablo felt.

  "Have you lost your mind?" Clare stared at her grandmother. The woman had a look of madness in her eyes. She was deranged. Clare couldn't reason with her when she was like this.

  Monique swung around and her icy glare settled on Clare. "Edward, hold my granddaughter for me."

  Edward took a step towards her. Clare backed away as a crashing tide of memories hit her: Edward's grip on her throat, the paralyzing dark cloud in the night. "Don't touch me."

  Edward paused as if considering her words.

  "Grab her, you damn fool," Monique shrieked.

  Moving swiftly, Edward was behind her, wrenching her arms behind her back. Clare struggled and kicked his shins, but it was like kicking rock.

  Monique advanced and touched the sword tip to the delicate skin of Clare's cleavage. The air froze in her lungs.

  "You don't want to hurt your own granddaughter." Luka spoke calmly, but there was an edge of desperation in his voice.

  "She has bad blood," Monique snapped back. "I should have known not to trust her with a father like that. He took my daughter from me but she paid for leaving and so did he."

  Monique trailed the edge of the blade across Clare's skin to her neck. She held her breath, frightened to even breathe.

  "Would you still love her if she was covered in scars?" Monique said to Luka. "But of course, I was forgetting. You can't touch her anyway, can you?" She laughed and it echoed around the cavern like something from a nightmare.

  "You need her to continue your line." Luka's voice still sounded calm and steady although he must be in pain. "She's more use to you alive."

  "Oh, I won't kill her."

  The blade sliced Clare's skin just below her collarbone. A whimper slipped between her lips. She tried to shrink back from the pain, but Edward stood firm, an unyielding barrier at her back. She looked down, dreading what she would find.

  Blood trickled down onto the shiny fabric of the dress's bodice. Tears filled her eyes, more from shock than pain. She hated her weakness. The wound was nothing compared to Luka's.

  "Don't hurt her," Pablo shouted, surging forward. He pulled up a few feet from Monique, breathing hard, but standing tall.

  The tears in Clare's eyes brimmed over at the sacrifice Pablo was willing to make for her.

  "You both protect her?" Monique's voice rose in disbelief.

  She pointed her sword at Luka's groin. "I summoned you. You should have been mine. Instead you've defied me at every opportunity."

  Edward suddenly released Clare. She stumbled aside to put distance between them and turned to see him backing towards the shadows. What was he up to now? She touched her collarbone. Her fingers came away bloody, but the cut didn't feel deep.

  Monique shoved Pablo in the chest and pushed him against Luka, who sucked in an agonized breath as Pablo collided with his wounded stomach.

  "Don't you want Pablo to touch you, Luka? Surely after so many years of selfless service, you give the poor boy whatever he wants."

  Pablo stepped in front of Luka, blocking him from Monique's view. "Leave him. He owes me nothing."

  Monique barked a short, humorless laugh. "You have no idea how right you are. You think you protect him, don't you? You've served him like a faithful little puppy dog, feeding him energy, because poor Luka can't touch anyone else, can he? No women. No love. Only you, Spaniard."

  With every word Monique uttered, the tension wound tighter. They all sensed something terrible was coming.

  Monique raised her blade and pointed at Pablo. "Let me tell you a secret. You're not his savior, you're his curse."

  "Don't listen to her," Luka retorted. He tried to reach out to Pablo, but the guards yanked his arm back.

  Pablo gazed from Monique to Luka, confusion creasing his face.

  "It's true, pretty boy," she said. "Luka just has to kill you and he'll be free of his affliction."

  "That can't be true," Luka said. "Ignore her."

  From the look on Pablo's face, he wasn't hearing Luka. Desolation filled his eyes.

  Monique walked around Pablo, poking him with her finger. "Every day you're alive, you hurt Luka. Because of you he's lived as a recluse. He doesn't want you. He's never wanted you." She stabbed a finger towards Clare. "He wants her."

  Wide-eyed Pablo turned to Clare, his chest jumping with snatched breaths.

  "It's not true, Pablo," Clare said. "Luka cares for you."

  "He doesn't," Monique shouted. "Look at him, Pablo. Look at Luka. He's never wanted you."

  Sick dread clogged Clare's chest. What would happen now? What would Pablo do if he thought his life had been a lie?

  Monique would not be happy until she'd destroyed both the men just like she'd destroyed Clare's father.

  Anger rose inside Clare like hot lava, the pressure building, ready to explode. She snatched a dagger from the belt of a guard who was holding Luka and stepped up to Monique.

  Her hair floated around her head in a cloud, her skin tingled, and a distant hum filled her ears. "You destroyed my father," she said in a penetrating voice that filled the empty cavern. "You tried to do the same to me, but I survived Edward's attack. I won't let you destroy anyone else."

  Clare angled the dagger towards Monique and a jolt of power shot out and struck the older woman like an electric shock. Monique jumped back and raised her sword. The air between them vibrated, pulsing against Clare's skin.

  "I didn't send Edward to kill you," Monique said, her tone puzzled.

  "Bullshit. Edward attacked me twice. In Amsterdam and psychically in the night."

  Something dangerous flickered through Monique's eyes. She scanned the cavern. "Edward," she commanded. "Where are you? Show yourself."

  Monique grabbed a lantern from the ground and raised it to illuminate the cavern.

  Edward was crouched near the serpent, building a small heap of pebbles into a pyramid. He'd removed his jacket and tie, and half his shirt buttons were unfastened. "What're you doing?" Monique roared. "Come here and explain yourself."

  Edward's eyes reflected th
e light with a glow like an animal caught in headlights. Slowly, he got to his feet and walked towards them.

  The hair on Clare's scalp prickled. Her sense of self-preservation screamed at her to run. The four guards must have felt the same way as they all scattered. Clare sidled across to Pablo and grabbed his sleeve to get his attention. "Take Luka and get over by the wall."

  He looked up at her dully, misery on his face. "Unless you want Luka to die, move him over by the wall." That got through to Pablo. He grasped Luka's arm and pulled him into the shadows.

  Clare backed away, putting some distance between herself and Monique. Her grandmother stood alone in a circle of light, her slender body rigid with anger. As Edward approached, she strode forward and swung her hand at his face. The impact rang around the chamber as though she'd slapped a hollow pot. "How dare you attack my granddaughter. You do what you're told from now on."

  Edward's head jolted to the side at the impact. He straightened, blinked rapidly, and lifted a hand to his eyes. A high-pitched whine escaped from his mouth, then a huge, fat cockroach wriggled out between his lips and dropped to the floor.

  Clare pressed a hand over her mouth and swallowed back the bitter taste of bile. Edward's eyes fixed into a dead, unblinking gaze. He stared down at Monique and in a voice that sounded like the rattle of a million insect bodies, he said, "You killed my Daisy."

  Chapter Seventeen

  The swirling clouds obscuring Edward's thoughts cleared, knocked away by the blow to his head. He straightened his neck and stared down at the furious face of Monique Moray. Why was she angry?

  Memories swooped up from the dark hole in his mind. His name was Charles Kemp. He was an architect, top in his class. Monique had hired him to design a house in the south of France. He'd taken his wife Daisy to see Monique's garden. Daisy loved flowers. She wore a straw hat with a yellow ribbon.

  Darkness flooded back, wiping his mind. He looked right and left. He stood in a dark cave. Lantern light beat the shadows back to the walls. Clare Moray stood to his right, her face stained with tears. How did he know her? What had he done to her? Guilt swamped him. "What will I tell Daisy?"