Wingless And Damned (The Damned Series) (2 page)

A male voice, in a strange foreign accent, says, “Stop moving or I will drop you! I am not going to hurt you!”

I am lulled into submission by his words.

I do not know what has come over me. I can still
think, “Stop” and shriek but the words fail to reach my lips. What is wrong with me?

My spirit guide tells me,
“The Strigoi are very old and very powerful. They can make you do anything they wish just by suggesting it to you.”

At the realization I’m not going anywhere, I stop fighting. I have no choice but to show no resistance. This is met with a softer hold as the male continues to carry me over the dark trees.

On the ground, I hear the Neuri men howling in the distance. I have no idea what has occurred at the camp. I do hope the screams I heard were of the tribe’s people getting away. I am very concerned for my people.

Where is he taking me?
Just as the thought crosses my mind, we start to descend into a small clearing. With my feet now firmly on the ground, I scan the horizon and can spot nothing but trees as far as I can see. Just as my legs are about to try to carry me away—

“Come with me.”

To my surprise, I follow. Why am I walking to my own demise with a smile on my face? The creature places his hand on a big iron door that looks heavier than any I have ever encountered.

Following him into a dark cave, we descend into a damp, musty smelling hell. I feel a glorious rush of power coming from deeper in the cavern. The farther along we go, the less cave-like it becomes. Yet again, I feel a power radiating from somewhere deep in front of us. It seems to be calling out to me. All that amazing power should be within my reach. As I start rushing forward, he grabs my arm and turns me to face him. I look into his eyes, his
frighteningly surreal red eyes.

“If you will listen and do as I say, you might just walk out of here alive!”

I nod in agreement, feeling as though I am in a trance. Can I pinch myself to wake up? As soon as the thought crosses my mind, he turns me around. Seemingly, out of nowhere, two large wooden doors appear in front of us. As if by magic, they open with no assistance from either of us.

Grasping myself in a tight hug, I see the contents of this new room. There are big fires in all corners and at least five
Strigoi sitting around in a group. My gaze tries to take in every grotesque detail of these men-like creatures. As a group they all seem to have the same scary red eyes, their skin seems to be translucent showing blue veins crisscrossing their snarling faces, their teeth are sharp and jut out of blood stained lips. With the exception of my captor, the Strigoi look malnourished, mere skin, bone, and
evil!
They are the most malicious monsters I swear I have ever seen! They seem to be consumed by the hatred of their creator. The most intimidating thing about them is the fact they tower over me. The ten feet tall cave ceiling has them crouching when they walk.

When my captor grabs my arm, I flinch thinking he will hurt me. He pulls me closer to the group of the
Strigoi. They seem to be engrossed in some kind of live action taking place in front of them. Pulled closer, I notice they are watching two beautiful winged Fae. I thought they were only a myth. I never imagined they could be real. As I snap out of my inner musings, I see the lovely Fae are in chains that appear to be burning their dainty wrists. It has to be very painful. “What are they doing to them?” 

His answer is a wave of his hand and it all becomes clear to me. They are the
Strigoi’s slaves, compelled to do as their master’s wish. These two unfortunate female Fae are making love to each other.

I have to do something but I am certainly no hero.

Chapter Two

My captor pulls on my arm when he notices I have paused. Beside myself, I try to understand the severity of my fate and that of the Faes'. My legs try to keep up with him as he brings me through a narrow, dimly lit hallway to a door at the end of the passageway. He opens the door and motions for me to take a seat at a heavy wooden table.

I sit and look around for any means of escape. Left with the stark reality of my current dilemma, I finally look at him and ask, “What am I here for? Why did you take me?”

He sits down across the table from me and looks me in the eyes with his horrific red glare. Seemingly casual and polite, he says, “You are here to finish what you started. You started a war that eventually will consume Strigoi and man beast alike, and no one will be safe. You think you were helping your people but it has been prophesized that this will not end well—millions will die.”

Feeling as if I have been slapped across the face, I gather my courage from deep inside.

“You are disgusting! You prey on the weak and take what you want from anyone who gets in your way. Now you say millions will die because I twisted a spell to help my tribe. I must ask
why do you care?
” 

His belligerent reply is not one I expected. “We take what we need to survive. I don’t kill or maim I just eat my fill
but then release. As you witnessed, the five men in the other room don’t have the same reservations I myself like to abide by. We are the oldest of the old but do not underestimate us. We will make millions more before our time will ever come to an end. You have started a war! We will forever be immortal enemies to the end of days! You must do as I say for it is the only way our world will ever have a chance against what evil we created! In addition, before you start judging me, you should know who I am. My name is Aison. I do not know why I am discussing this with the likes of you. You are here for another reason.”

Still in the dark, I try to wrap my mind around everything he just said. He is surprisingly attractive to look at with his red god-like lips, his facial hair only adds to the strength in his
ruggedly handsome strong jaw line, a perfectly straight nose and golden shoulder length hair. Wrapping my mind around the fact this man,
no monster,
is actually quite caring as evidenced by the anger in his voice at what I created. “What is this you are saying about me being here for a reason? What reason could you possibly have for taking me? Where are the people of my village?”

He reaches out and touches my arm gently as if I were made of porcelain. I guess to him, I am made of the finest china and can shatter at the slightest amount of pressure. No sooner than I start to understand this, he stands in front of me, grabs me by the
arm, and says, “I am sorry but I must. In order to keep you safe after the ceremony, you will need to be mine.”

The moment the last word left his mouth, I felt a sharp then amazingly pleasurable pressure on my neck. I do not even have an inclination to pull away! My body melts into Aison as his lips and tongue take what he needs. I feel my inner fire igniting, imagining what his lips and tongue would feel like and taste like on other more
sensitive
areas. Just as my mind is wandering to these delicious things, he stops and looks at me.

“You need to drink a small amount of my blood in order to finish this.”

At that moment, I would have agreed to anything this beautiful man asked me, and I open my mouth. Instead cutting his wrist or finger, he bites his tongue and conquers my mouth with his. I am shocked as I kiss his delightful mouth but then remember why I am here and who he is. I pull away as fast as possible.

No more than an hour ago, he was the ugliest
thing
in the world to me. Now I want him to kiss me in the most private areas of my body. What is happening to me? Has he placed me under a spell? I muster the courage to ask him, “Have you placed me under a spell, is that why I want you now?”

He smiles softly at my innocent question, shaking his head. “No, I haven’t. I have consumed your blood as you have mine, and you are now fond of your maker.”

Shuddering, I understand what he has just said to me. “What do you mean my maker? Am I going to be one of you
things?”

He seems to find my dread and questions amusing and he pauses for a second before answering my question. “No you are not one of us. We have not completed the process. However, if the others decide to kill you after the ceremony I can finish the transformation. You will then be mine for all of eternity
-As I feel the ominous intent to his words I ask what ceremony he is referring. “What ceremony am I here to complete?”

Apparently, this is all too much for my brain to register and I black out for I do not even know how long. When I come to, lying in a bed made of the softest feathers I have ever felt, I see Aison. He is sitting in a chair across the room in front of a fire
looking striking as the fire dances across his amazingly handsome features. I see the red shades of the fire dancing in waves across his layered shoulder length hair. His high cheekbones look so amazing with his chiseled jaw line. He has just enough facial hair to enhance not cover his beauty. When he isn't trying to eat me, his red eyes look almost bright emerald green.

He notices I have stirred and looks at me as I am admiring him. A smirk dances across his
pleasing red lips and amusement fills his voice. “Good morning! It is about time for the ceremony. I will wait outside for you to freshen up.”

Having said this, he stands and exits apparently
sure, I will follow his instructions. His close proximity has me fretting in the chamber. Having nothing else to occupy my time and keep me from completing the ceremony, I do as he says. I guess we will see what is to come.

I enter the hallway from the chamber and Aison places a red velvet robe over my shoulders pulling the hood over my long black hair. I shiver as his knuckle brushes my cheek. We walk as he explains the ritual to me.

“You will move to the center of the circle and say the incantation you said when you twisted the last curse, the only difference is you will undo the portentous curse you placed on your people.” Hearing the whispers in the back of my head I just now get a handle on what my spirit guides are telling me.

You must twist the curse again and make it irreversible
All born of your tribe from this day forward will be cursed as a werewolf at the age of 26 and be doomed to roam the Earth finding no peace or rest until the end of the Strigoi.

Disheartened by the nature of the request, I see what they plan to use as leverage. Walking toward the center of the room, I see Kimi in all her magnificent pregnant splendor lying with hands and feet tied on the center slab. She is crying and the
Strigoi continue to harass her as well as appearing to marvel in the shock that they are causing her. I plead with Aison, “Let her go! She has nothing to do with this.”

“She is here to make sure you do what is needed.”

“I will do it if she and her unborn are released safely and unharmed.”

Feeling as if the spirits are right in the manipulation of the curse, I know the look I give Kimi is one of remorse.
My heart is yearning to set her free with no harm done to her and her unborn baby.

He nods in agreement and the other
Strigoi remove themselves from her side apparently having overheard and understood our conversation. Kimi’s whimpers turn into soft sobs as I run to where they want me to stand. I look at Kimi and the look in her eyes plead with me to help her but all I can do is try to smile at her to make her know it will all be okay.

Standing in the center of the room, I hear my spirit guides.

“
This is very bad and you will have to twist the curse so as to not cause more harm than already done.”

I slowly start twisting the curse as I try to do what is required of me to get Kimi released safely. I add a few incantations I hope no one will notice but to no avail. Finishing the twisted curse, Aison furiously rushes to my side and yells at me.

“Finish what you started; it is too late now!”

I realize I have doomed all future
Neuri children to live in this world as dreaded werewolves. At the age of 26, the prophecy will manifest. They are ill fated to wander the plains of this wicked world, without death to look forward too.

The only way this spell can be broken is if a mated pair come together and crossover at the same time. This will make them part werewolf and part
Strigoi, which is the only way they can successfully kill the original Strigoi to break the curse.

As soon as
my incantation is
finished, I collapse to the hard stone-covered floor, but before Aison can get to my side, the other Strigoi rush to me and treat me as if I am a feast of sort. One of the smaller Strigoi leaps across the room to land in a loud thud atop me, breaking my ribs. A sharp prickle of pain radiates from deep inside my chest and I start experiencing a drowning sensation and gasp for what little air my blood-filled lungs can acquire. I think I must be turning purple from a lack of oxygen and feel my life begin to fade. I reach for Aison only to come up empty.

They bite me on the soft skin on the inside of my thighs, their sharp teeth tearing my fragile skin. Warm, thickening blood pools under my body as these creatures continuously ravage my already broken body. My heart begins to slow and fuzziness blurs the edges of my eyesight. I realized I am
dying; it is too late for me!