Damned and Desired (11 page)

The demoness shot him an evil look.

Sakari had always thought she preferred Anartia to Earth but now she couldn’t wait to return to Earth.

“I’d welcome an offering from my new Drone, Sakari.” Tarik held out his hand to her. “Better now. Each moment the energy drains.”

She was grateful to give her offering to Tarik. The male Drones had to deal intimately with Gwyllain. The thought made her cringe. Tarik could be stern but he wasn’t cruel.

“Fine,” Gwyllain snapped. “Make the offering quick. Then show her to your lower-chamber as a warning to what happens to Drones who don’t perform.”

Sakari understood. The demoness wouldn’t allow any more mistakes. In the thousand years exiled on Anartia, Sakari had never been to the subterranean chamber where Tarik worked. In the lower chamber humans were assimilated into Drones. The core controller was also located there and was responsible for collecting all the lifeforce essence and distributing it throughout Anartia. The Drones had to give their offering through sex with Tarik or Gwyllain, because they were energy conduits to the core.

“Are you ready, Sakari?” Tarik asked in a commanding tone.

His words went through her and thoughts of Brad suddenly entered her mind.

She’d only just met this mortal. Why couldn’t she get him out of her mind when she was about to give her offering to Tarik? “Yes, of course, Tarik.” She took his hand and 58

Damned and Desired

walked past the demoness whose attentions were on a male slave. He stood behind her stroking her shoulders, then sliding his hands into the top of her dress and fondling her breasts.

Tarik smiled. “Come, Sakari. Let’s pleasure each other and replenish Anartia.”

Sakari followed Tarik into his private chamber. “What happens in the lower chamber? The demoness forbids us from going there.”

Tarik laughed. “Don’t fear. The core is where the energy is stored and distributed on Anartia. And my lower chamber is my laboratory where I am completing a project to release Anartia from the magnetic binds of Earth. Soon we’ll be home on Prygos.”

Sakari sighed with relief. She always thought it was some sort of torture chamber the demoness used to punish the Drones or slaves who angered her.

Tarik approached her and stroked her arms. “I will give you a tour later but now we have an offering to address.” He gazed at her with hungry eyes and began to untie her tunic. She stiffened and he sensed her hesitancy. “I’ve thought about this for a long time. You should’ve always been a Drone, not Gwyllain’s servant. Just relax.” Her tunic fell to the floor and she stood completely nude before him.

Before he laid a hand on her, Gwyllain barged into the room. “Tarik, this Drone does not have a sufficient offering for you.”

“How so?” Tarik restrained his annoyance.

“I can sense the level of chi within her and it’s substandard. It’s a waste of time to give an offering without an adequate amount.” She glared at Sakari. The demoness had it in for her.

“Yes but I wasn’t planning on taking long with this Drone. I have others today.”

Gwyllain slithered over to her consort, touching his chest. “Others with better offerings. And when you are finished, if you are not tired, we will have time for each other. Don’t waste that time with a new inexperienced Drone.”

“True.” Tarik slipped Gwyllain’s dress aside and sucked on a nipple. The demoness moaned in pleasure and pressed her thigh between his legs.

“Send this Drone back to Earth. I forbid an exchange of offering with her.” It was a command. She said “Drone” like the word disgusted her.

“Of course. We shall meet later.” He sucked her other nipple and his hand reached between her legs, rubbing her pussy through her dress.

“Yes, later then,” the demoness said breathlessly. She slipped out of his grip and left the room.

Tarik huffed and turned to Sakari, stroking her hair and looking at her with lust in his eyes. He lifted her tunic back onto her body, very slowly and tied it at her shoulder.

Did Tarik look at all the Drones this way?
“Shall I go?” Sakari asked.

He nodded. “I guess you need to go back to obtain a better offering. Too bad. I’ve been looking forward to this for a very long time.”

59

Kathy Kulig

* * * * *

Sakari arrived on the other side of the portal still clinging to Valdon. The journey between worlds was unnerving enough with her nebula stone. Without the pendant, for those few seconds her life depended solely on another Drone. “It’s not lost,” she said, hoping she sounded convincing. “I’ll find it.”

“Don’t take long,” Valdon said as he turned and disappeared back into the portal.

When Sakari returned to her car, she spun tires along the rutty, abandoned road, swerving her Mustang onto the deserted highway. Punching the gas pedal, she got the car up to eighty mph. Fortunately, that early in the morning, there weren’t too many cars on the road. She would make good time getting to Brad’s place and retrieve her pendant.

She’d used her powers to calm his mind and change his brain waves so that he’d fallen asleep. With any luck, he might still be sleeping. What worried her was that she was unsuccessful in altering his memory. He’d recognized her from their first encounter in the desert. Was she risking exposure by seeing him again? But then weren’t all the Drones risking exposure by luring victims with their bizarre sexual encounters?

Drones were like succubi and incubi, energy predators and there would always be risks. As much as she was attracted to this mortal, continuing to use him as her Kithra was not very smart. He would eventually get suspicious that something odd was going on. That’s why Zorian recommended moving on to other quarry.

But she had to get her pendant back. The punishment would be severe if she didn’t.

She didn’t want to think about what Gwyllain would do if she failed. Tears stung her eyes. She was messing up again and after she did so well with Brad. She’d obtained the chi she needed and hadn’t killed him.

She rubbed her itchy nose and sneezed. Then sneezed again and again. The car went off the road, dropped hard off the shoulder, spinning out on loose gravel. The car pitched to one side and jerked her against the door. Then she screamed as she heard the crunch of metal and shatter of glass. She bounced around inside the car.

Moments later, at least it seemed like moments later, she opened her eyes. The sun was higher in the sky and brighter. Had she passed out? The world looked strange. The sky was growing trees and scrub brush and the desert had blue sand. Then she realized she was upside down and dangling from her seat belt.

Groaning she tried to undo the belt but couldn’t reach the release.
Damn, Gwyllain is
going to be furious.
Then she thought about the nebula stone. How was she going to get it now? Finally, she thought about her pretty red Mustang, dented, scratched and upside down. Dante helped her buy it. It was a present, something to smooth over her adjustment to her new life on Earth. He knew how she was fascinated by machinery and gadgets. Would he help her fix it now?

She heard a whining sound, saw flashing lights and looked out her window. A man’s face peered in at her. She screamed.

60

Damned and Desired

“It’s okay, miss. I’m a paramedic. We’re going to get you out. Are you hurt anywhere?”

She shrugged. She reached for the button to roll down the window, or would that be rolling it up since she was upside down. With that thought, she started giggling and couldn’t stop.

“Don’t cry, miss. You’ll be okay.”

“I’m not crying, I’m laughing.”

“Laughing? What’s so funny?” the paramedic asked, giving her an odd look.

“Never mind. Can you give me a lift to my friend’s house?”

He smiled. “No ma’am. I need to take you to the emergency center to make sure you’re okay.”

61

Kathy Kulig

Shadowy images flashed in Sakari’s mind like dream fragments. A cool cloth wiped her face and arms. Then a sharp prick in her skin made her jump and she opened her eyes, blinking from the bright room. Two women were standing over her. For a moment she thought she was back on Anartia being attended to by slaves.

“Where am I? What happened?” Sakari asked the young woman in a white coat and short blonde hair who had stuck the needle in her arm. The woman was extracting small tubes of her blood. Another woman wearing a white uniform wiped her forehead and a cut on her other arm with soapy water. Sakari flinched a little from the sting.

“Hilltop Emergency Clinic,” the woman said without looking up or stopping what she was doing. “You were in a car accident. The PA will be here in a minute.”

“Who?”

“Physician’s assistant,” the woman said louder as if Sakari had a hearing problem.

She placed a bandage on her arm from where she took blood.

“It doesn’t look like you’ll need stitches,” said the other woman much older with wavy dark hair and long, thin features. “A couple of Steri-strips. You were lucky. They said your car flipped.”

Sakari stared at her.

“I’m Jan. I’m going to bandage your forehead now. It might sting a little.” She dabbed something on her forehead and it did sting, a lot. Sakari jerked away.

The woman shook her head and clicked her tongue. “Try to hold still. I know it hurts.”

“She’s awake now?” a male voice said.

“Yes. I’ll get her chart and have her sign,” the older nurse said. “Be right back.”

“Thanks,” the male voice said.

The bright lights hurt her eyes and she couldn’t focus well yet. She heard the shuffle of the other women leaving. The room started coming into focus. Next to her on either side were other patients’ beds and nurses wandering around attending them. Brad moved next to her bedside. “I thought you were a dream,” he said.

Her eyes widened and her heart jumped in her chest. “No, not a dream. What are you doing here?” He remembered her. How? The first time they’d met, she hadn’t collected chi but the second time, she had drawn the lifeforce from him. Her mental influences over him should’ve been stronger. Kithra were not supposed to remember after the collection of chi.
How much did he remember? What’s different about this mortal?

62

Damned and Desired

He gave her a knowing smile and a bold stare that told her, he remembered everything. “I’m Brad Montag, a physician’s assistant. Remember me?” Beneath his professionalism, his eyes flashed with unmistakable lust.

She couldn’t deny the response her body was having. Her eyes lingered on his mouth. Thoughts of his firm lips and tongue pleasuring her filled her mind. Perhaps she could claim this male as her Kithra again without causing him harm. Why move on to another male when this one pleased her so? “Yes, I remember. I need to leave here.”

“Are you feeling any pain?”

“Headache but not too bad. A little sore here and there.”

He smiled. “Sore where?”

She pointed to the cuts. He explained the tests they were doing—X-rays and blood tests. “So far everything has come back normal. Surprising considering you flipped your car.”

“How do you know that?”

“The paramedics. How are you feeling? You look pale all of a sudden.”

“I’m fine.” Except the demoness would have her executed when she returned without her nebula stone.

“Nice car, they said,” Brad added. “Not too badly damaged. I have a friend who does body work and repairs if you need a name.”

“Thanks. I love that car. It’s what made the adjustment of moving here easier.”

“From where?”

“I really need to go.” She was looking for a way to get out. Would anyone stop her if she got up and tried walking out?

“If your X-rays are fine, I can release you.”

“When.” Her smile was more like a grimace. He had no idea the kind of trouble she was in with the demoness.

“Soon.” Brad reached into his pocket. “I think this is yours. You left it.” He swung her nebula stone at the end of its leather cord.

She thought her heart would stop. “Can I put it on?” Her hands were shaking. If he had been near the vortex with the nebula stone, he would’ve been transported to Anartia. She didn’t want to think of that implication.

“Sure. I’ll help you.” He hooked the necklace around her neck.

She hoped he didn’t notice her huge sigh of relief.

“I’ll check on the X-rays.”

She nodded, then noted she was clasping and unclasping her hands. Slipping her hands under the sheet, she slid them under her thighs. “Maybe sooner if I’m lucky?”

she asked.

“Maybe dinner when you feel better?”

“Perhaps.” She smiled and couldn’t take her eyes off him.

63

Kathy Kulig

“You’re smiling so I guess I’ll see you at the Red Rocks Bar and Grill.”

She frowned.
How did he know?

“Your medical chart,” he answered her unasked question. “You’re in the computer.”

She nodded. Employee physical.

About an hour later, Brad came over and said, “You’re free to go. Can I call someone for you? Family member, friend?”

She thought a moment. Who could she call? Haley was taking a class today. She was her only friend.

He frowned and looked sad. “Hang on.” Moments later he returned. “I can take my lunch break and give you a lift. Beats paying for a cab.”

She needed to get home and this was the fastest way. “Okay.”

* * * * *

Brad helped Sakari out of his car in front of the two-story garden apartment complex. She strode across the parking lot as if she was about to go hiking on the mountain trails behind her building. Except for the bandages on her head and arms, she didn’t look like she’d been in an accident.

“Nice view,” Brad said, admiring the high cliffs of red sandstone formations jutting out in the distance. “Did you know this area had been a backdrop for many old western movies before it got built up?” He led her upstairs to her apartment.

“I didn’t know that. I just liked the scenery.”

Upon entering her apartment, he climbed over boxes of antique lanterns, old radios, clocks, paintings, knickknacks, several sets of dishes, crystal glassware, books and children’s toys. Her furnishings were a mixture of new and old pieces. “Wow. You have a lot of stuff. Some antiques. Where did you get it all?”