Wingless And Damned (The Damned Series) (6 page)

Just in case we are being followed, I tap into our mental connection.
"Why are we here?”

He doesn’t answer me right away, instead he rushes to open the door and ushers me inside.
“I wasn’t ignoring you, but we needed to get inside as quickly as possible. We aren’t the only ones that can telepathically communicate. To answer your question—this is where it all started.”

As I look around, I am surprised at how eerie this place looks and smells. Seeing massive roots hanging through what I’m now realizing are cavern walls. The farther down the winding stairs we get, the mustier the air is. I swear I am detecting a dark ancient magic inside these creepy walls. When we get to the base of the staircase, Alexander reaches against the wall grabbing at something. Suddenly a fire quickly erupts from the end of a large torch. Alexander moves ahead of me guiding us with the light of the torch. We get to the end of the hall and find a very heavy door. When I place my hand on the
door, I feel an awe inspiring wave of power rush through me. Alexander senses my unease and pushes the door open. He disappears into the darkness only to be quickly backlit by a bright fire. As soon as he lights the fire, he proceeds to light one in each corner. The eerie feeling I get in the pit of my stomach sends chills down my spine. Something, or someone, is watching us.

Alexander must feel it also because he rushes to my side and speaks to me through our connection.
“This is where it all started. This is where the original witch twisted the curse we now bear. Your mother was the leverage used against the witch in order to get her to twist it. Ciarra was the witch’s name. It was Ciarra who saved your life when your mother went into labor. She also saved the Faeries, who you know as your aunts. They were being held here as the original Strigoi’s' slaves.”

Leaning into Alexander, I welcome his strong embrace. The moment I was pressed against him my body started yearning for him to touch me in places not befitting this cave. Letting out a giggle, I quickly try and sneak under his strong arm. Walking around
him, I carefully plan out my next words. “So this is where it all started? Why do I feel this overwhelming darkness everywhere I turn?”

He knew where I was going with it and paced back and forth in front of one of the fire pits. “My dear there is a horrible darkness consuming this place. I can only tell you of our legends and one of them is of a terrible evil. I guess it would be considered a demon. It was released when Ciarra twisted her curse. I know not where the demon is, however he is never far from this horrid place.”

I’m pretty sure he just said a demon is here among us
. I look around only to have my gaze drawn time and time again to a long altar of solid rock in the center of the large room.

Not being able to stop myself as I walk toward it. I get right up on it and notice an almost black shiny finish to the altar. It looks an awful lot like dried blood. When I reach out and touch it, my worst fears are revealed. “It
is dried blood!
Whose blood is it?”

I can’t help but think it’s my mother’s blood.

Hearing my thought, Alexander wraps his arms around me the best he can to comfort me. “It’s not your mother’s blood, I swear to you. Your mother gave birth in a chamber down the hall. No harm came to her other than the frailty of her body giving out during childbirth.”

The words weren’t even off his tongue when we are plunged into total darkness. Even our torch was extinguished. I held myself closer to Alexander.

He eagerly says, “I guess we start our training now!”

Trying to rush away from the noise I hear
, a thunderous roar that makes me believe Alexander is tracking the beast that upon opening my eyes is standing within two feet of my current position.
This is fucking training?

Willing my feet to carry
me, as far from the nine feet tall, goat-legged red beast as possible, I finally get a good look at it. When our eyes meet, I am drawn to the fact this monster has, eyes shaped like a goat. I guess they match the fact his feet are hoofed like an animal also. Instead of seeing two arms and two legs, he has four sets of what appear to be sharp curves I can only describe as claws at the end of his three pronged hands. It also has horns.

I try to stick close to Alexander as this ferocious, snarling, massive beast of the netherworld descends upon us. The last thing I see before being flung like a damn ragdoll across the cave is a clawed hand slashing my right shoulder. When I finally get my eyesight to clear, I notice Alexander’s hands are now claws. His teeth were glistening with the bright red blood of this nefarious beast. Even
now, I can’t help but think Alexander is the sexiest thing I have ever laid my eyes upon.

While watching Alexander hold his own, he connected with me.
“A little help here! If we rip its head off, its body will be useless. Help me take it apart.”

I surprised myself with the speed I propel myself from against the cavern wall. The moment I launch myself across the room, my teeth descend and my hands are nothing but massive claws. All I can think about is spilling as much of this creature on the ground as possible. As I get
closer, I am met with a clawed hand going straight through my left shoulder.
Damn it, as if his claws didn’t do enough damage the first time around.
Surprisingly with his claw stuck inside my shoulder and my meat and muscles hanging loosely out around my shoulder blade, I feel no pain. Laughing at it, I reached up and use my claws to rip the hand stuck to me from his wrist. All that remained was a stump. I reached down and ripped the clawed appendage out of my shoulder. Now, I’m not going to lie, ripping it out fucking hurts!

I throw myself onto its back as Alexander is straddling its face with his muscular legs. Now working together, we both claw and chew at his thick neck until our claws and foreheads meet in the middle. Alexander, knowing we are victorious, did backflips with the demons head in his hands. Seeing a giant fire light, I spot Alexander,
bloodied, and clawed, throwing the head into the raging inferno. As the body hit the ground, I looked upon what we had accomplished with awe. I am still having problems grasping the fact I am a monster now.

With his new found speed, Alexander rushes to me, takes me in his arms, and holds me. I lift my face to his only to see it covered in blood. He takes that as an invitation to close the distance and sensually places his lips against mine. His tongue quickly finds my mouth eager to be conquered by his sweet bloody mouth. I can’t help but get wrapped up in the moment and quickly find myself relishing in this bloody passion I now find myself. Our passion was short lived as the rest of the fires lit. I look around while keeping my back snuggly placed against Alexander’s muscular frame. As I press harder into
him, I feel his thickness pressed against my ass.

I can’t help but laugh and tap our connection.
“Really? Now?”

With a thunderous clapping of hands, we are rudely snapped back to reality. The sound seems to echo off every nook and cranny this immensely vile cave holds. When we finally pinpoint the location of the noise, we are met by a tall, dark, red-eyed creature. His large frame stands more than nine feet tall, and his skin is translucent showing blue spidery veins traversing his horrid face.

Alexander apparently recognizes the creature and whispers, “Vemeri.”

I take this moment to link our thoughts and ask him,
“Who the hell is he?”

His one word reply startles the hell out me. “Original!” Alexander steps in front of me to look Vemeri in the eyes and then asks him, “Where, are the other five?”

Vemeri laughs at the question. “Obviously not here or your little huntress would be dead by now!”

In all his glory, Alexander launches at him. I notice he is able turn into his awesome, monstrous self-mid-lunge. Vemeri, clearly sensing the attack, side steps. Alexander anticipates the move and adjusts his movements. I find myself transforming into whatever the hell it is I am. I look at my hands; they now have huge claws. My teeth are so sharp they cut my lips when I accidently press them into my bottom lip. I encounter the sweet taste of blood trickling out of my wound as I lick my lips and sync my moves with Alexander's.

I launch myself high into the air. As I descend, I attack Vemeri from the side. Alexander maneuvers him into my trajectory. Instead of scoring a hit on the
Strigoi, Vemeri kicks me across the room. My lungs feel like they are trying to inhale glass when I land in a broken heap of muscle and bone. Instantly my femurs starting to mend and I double over from the pain caused by my impact with the wall. I am sure I am turning purple from the lack of oxygen. This only pisses me off more. Once my bones are whole, I catapult myself into the air again. This time I am met by Vemeri being tossed like a toy by Alexander. When I look at Alexander he is no longer just a half anything; he is full-fledged werewolf. As I start to claw and bite at the only body part put in my path, I glance up only to see a leg going flying past my face. All I can think is
“Asshole, you almost hit me!”

I am met with Alexander's snickering as I pulled my mouth free from Vemeri’s throat. Deep in my mouth and hanging from my bloody lips, is the Adam's apple of a once powerful original
Strigoi. Blood gushes up and out and seems to cover any surface in its path. Hearing wet choking sounds, I pulled my head back, I spit the Adam's apple out of my mouth. I lick the dripping blood from my fingertips and watch as Vemeri eyes glaze over and his body begins involuntary twitching; my first original hits the floor with a bloody splat. I step back for a second to marvel in our victory once more.

When I look at Alexander, he is dazzlingly naked and covered in Vemeri’s blood from head to toe. I smile at him and feel and overwhelming need to touch him but settle for the less depraved action of saying, “I love you! One down, five to go!”

Chapter Eight

Being startled awake, I find Gaius standing in our bed chambers. As I was crawling out of bed, I notice how absolutely beautiful Lea looks. Trying hard but failing several times to remove my gaze from her lovely features, I am finally able to pull myself away to deal with business only to have one thought cross my mind,
Mine
. I quietly sneak out of the bed feeling reassured she would sleep through a hurricane. I direct Gaius to the sitting room attached to our suite.

Gaius explains the
Strigoi descendants of the original we killed last night are on the move for our tribal lands. Unless we meet them on the outskirts near the forest, it will be a massacre. I have to wake Lea and let her know about our dire situation. Telling Gaius I will deal with this and the orders will be put out within the hour for himself and the rest of my army, I dismiss him.

* * * *

As I awake, I feel Alexander’s amazing lips pressed against mine and all I can think is this is the best way to wake up. Alexander explains the progeny of the original we killed last evening are moving on the tribe's land, our land. The same smiling sweet faces we saw last night, even in our bloodied state, anything happening to them is too hard to comprehend. Our only hope to keep the monsters from getting to our people is to meet them at the edge of our lands. As I'm contemplating, what it is we are up against I have an idea. Smiling at Alexander, I excitedly tell him, “I can call on my people from Nalla Vareim! They will come aid me in anything I need. My sister, Zariseda, will drop everything if I just say the word.”

Alexander smiles as he thinks about what I have just told him
. Finally he responds, “My army needs no assistance but in order to prevent more bloodshed, I would more than appreciate the Faes help. I just have to tell my brother Gaius what orders to give the men. How long do you think it will take before you can have word of the arrival of your Fae?”

I nod my head in agreement and smile as I see he isn’t looking forward to the looming battle. “The sooner I contact
her the sooner she will port here.”

I pull out my pulsating crystal to connect with Zariseda who immediately answers me with a snarky comment, “Well, well, well. Thought we misplaced you somewhere! What is it you require of me, dear sister of Nalla Vareim?”

Not being able to help myself, I smile and laugh as I hear and can only imagine the funny faces she is making at me on the other side of the crystal. Realizing Alexander is awaiting an answer on the arrival of my brethren, I finally get to the point. “I need you, and any other brethren you can gather in as quick a fashion as possible. Our tribe’s village is being threatened by the army of the original Strigoi we slayed yesterday evening! Please come at once, my dear sister!” Strained in her speech she responds with a breathless, “It will only be me my dear sister the rest of the brethren are wrapped up in a war of their own.”

Alexander reaches out and caresses my hand as
I finish talking with her. As I start to melt into him, I notice a thickness in the air and what looks like a distortion in the left corner of the suite. Squeezing his hand, I realize it's my Zariseda. I rush to the corner just as she bursts through the distortion in all her winged magnificence! I am always so damn jealous of her gorgeous iridescent blue wings and her tiny waist with ample bosom always sparking the interest of the Fae men. For some strange reason she seems smaller than me. We used to be the same size but now she seems to be a few inches shorter. She has always been a beautiful creature! Her green eyes look even more defined on her delicate features today, as if they are glowing. Quickly I envelop her small body in a tight embrace. Zariseda gasps for air when she realizes this creature hugging her is her Lea.