outer demon wars 01 - comic book demon (4 page)

We didn’t talk for a long time. Time stood still.
Wait, what?
I looked at the trees. They stood completely motionless, where only moments before they had been swaying in the light summer breeze. Leaves seemed to float in mid-air, halted in their dance to the forest floor. I flicked my gaze back to Mac. He too seemed in awe of the frozen landscape. His eyes met mine. 

We were like two magnates drawn to each other. We both had reasons to say no. We both had reasons to keep as far away from one another as possible. Much like magnets, if brought too close together, our bodies would close the distance and collide. I had a feeling when we did, there would be no telling where I started and he ended. 

“Dara, I am so amazed by you.” He drew my face closer, brushing his lips against mine in a feather light kiss. 

The kiss was a question. One he wanted an answer to. I pulled away. But, sweet
Millennium Falcon
I didn’t want to. I was just so confused about all of this. I was a princess. Wait, no, a queen. I was part demon. I was supposed to marry someone I didn’t know. And, out of everything, that last one bothered me the most. 

A hurt expression crossed his face. My heart broke. I didn’t want to hurt him. 

“Please, Mac. I’m hungry and tired. I can’t stomach any more granola bars, and I would kill for a shower.” 

He nodded and stood up, offering me a hand as well. He wouldn’t meet my eyes. Great, I had hurt the only man I had cared about.
I’m so pathetic
. The only man I cared about, I had known for nearly twenty-four hours. I knew I was pushing him away because I was scared and confused. 

“My wings have healed. I can fly us somewhere for food and lodging. But, that needs to be our last time flying, Anabelle. The other demon factions will find us.” He looked away abruptly. 

His wings shimmered and solidified. I blinked at him. He was so beautiful. His wings were massive, seeming to gleam against the night sky and get lost in it, just like I had known they would. 

He looked at me as though he were waiting for permission.
That hurt.
Had I ruined things? Where there things to ruin? 

“Well? What are we—uff.”

 He snatched me to him, and with a
whoosh
, I could feel the tell-tale pull of gravity. We were air born. Well, I couldn’t actually see, as my eyes were shut so tightly that it would take an act of God and a presidential decree to open them. 

“Are you scared of heights, Annabelle?” His tone was detached and had an edge of harshness to it.

I scoffed, “Uh, no.” I most certainly was. I just wasn’t going to tell him that.

I felt his laughter before I heard it. It was a deep rumble in his chest, and sweet Chewbacca, it made my whole body vibrate. 

“Annabelle, open your eyes.” It was a whisper that someone would use on an injured calf. 

I eased one eyelid open, then the other, not quite able to make sense of what I was seeing. He held me tight to his chest so that my head could peer just over his shoulder. I had no idea how high we were flying, but I knew it had to be way up there because never in my life had the stars looked so beautiful. They sparked in a different light each time I looked at them, dusting the night sky in such a way that I knew I would never, for however many days I lived, get to see them in that way ever again. 

“It’s beautiful.” 

“It really is.” His voice had gone deep and rumbly. 

I glanced down to see his eyes were glowing red. I was too close to him. I was too attracted to him. I couldn’t fight this, even though there were a number of reasons to. I shifted slightly, and he held me yet tighter. 

“Kiss me.” I wasn’t asking, I was begging.

 His lips crushed mine. With just that contact, my world exploded. I could feel myself slowly breaking apart, but strangely, I was okay with that. 

He opened his mouth to me, and I responded. He nipped at me, teasing me in a way that was neared desperation. I felt the same, thinking we would only get that one perfect moment together. I seemed to add my own desperation. 

He growled into my mouth, and I swallowed it. My sex became drenched in a liquid rush. I could not help my body’s response to him. Distantly, I heard the steady whooshing of his wings slow then stop. He pulled away and placed a small kiss on the tip of my nose. He trailed a finger down the side of my face and neck, stopping at my collarbone. 

“Come with me, dara. Let me feed you.”

 I blinked at him. Feed me? I looked around to see that I was standing in the middle of a Denny’s parking lot in the arms of a demon who didn’t have a shirt on. Thank goodness it was late. 

Mac walked behind me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I felt him tug and unzip the pack that was currently on my back. I guessed he was getting his t-shirt. He took full advantage of the position and ran a finger down the back of my neck. Then he did something that nearly brought me to my knees. He slipped his hand to the front of my throat and held me close as he leaned near my ear. I could feel his super-heated breath tickling the sensitive skin there. 

“You should be a virgin when I take you to our realm. When you meet Narious. But,
dara
, I don’t think that is going to be possible.” 

I opened my mouth for a response, but nothing came out. I was standing there flapping my lips like a goldfish out of water, still trying to formulate a response when he ventured in front of me. He had a smile spread so far across his face that I wondered if his cheeks hurt. It was such a smug smile laced with male satisfaction. The dickweed seemed so happy that he’d made me speechless. I’d show him speechless. 

Chapter Six

DINNER WAS STICKY AND SWEET. Whenever I see pancakes, I have to have them, and Denny’s serves breakfast twenty-four-seven! I was so hungry that I polished off my whole meal in short order. Even Mac seemed surprised. My belly was full, and I was exhausted. I wanted to find the nearest bed and collapse face first in a mountain of pillows. I reached for my wallet as the bill arrived. I had fifty bucks to my name, but I guessed that wouldn’t matter soon. I paid the tab, and we left. 

“Okay, I don’t suppose you have a credit card do you? We are going—” My words were cut off by an explosion so loud that I had to cover my ears. 

The force of the blast sent me flying backward. I went air born, and thank dear sweet baby Ewoks, I landed on grass. Even with the lawn softening my fall, my head slammed down hard, causing my teeth to clack with such force, I thought they surely had to have cracked. They didn’t. 

I lay there, sprawled on my back blinking up at the stars. What had happened? I tried to lift my head, and white-hot pain exploded with every movement. I blinked again. The stars were swirling slightly. Maybe that was how Van Gogh had gotten the idea for
Starry Night
, though I didn’t think I was in an insane asylum. My hearing was shot. All I could hear was the pounding of my own heartbeat in my ears. Finally, I was able to sit up. I reached to the back of my head and winced at the contact. It was wet with what I knew was blood. 

I didn’t understand what I was seeing. The restaurant was gone. It was just gone. Left in its place was a raging inferno. The blazing heat licked every bit of my exposed skin, causing it to burn slightly. The bright reds and deep oranges of the fire lit up the parking lot and night sky like some kind of morbid spotlight. The smoke would make its way to me, so I needed to get the hell out of there. 

I made my way to my feet. I was unsteady and dizzy, but I knew if I did not get out of there, something far worse would slither its way to coil around me. I looked at the parking lot. People stood around screaming and wailing.
Oh, no there were people in there!
Tears pricked my eyes, but the heat of the fire prevented them from spilling down my cheeks. 

Where the hell was Mac? I tried to blink away the confusion and swirling lights, but the world was becoming hazy. I had to get away from here. I stumbled a few steps then fell to my knees. I heard someone screaming, yelling my name. But, it was so distant. I felt strong arms wrap around my waist. I had that feeling of weightlessness and gravitational pull. I was in the air. I knew I had a concussion, and I needed to stay awake, but my eyelids were so heavy. With every blink, I struggled to stay conscious. I slid, painfully slowly, into the blackness.

I grew up watching peanuts. Charlie Brown was the man. I loved it. I loved that it was all about the kids, and that they didn’t let the adults even have a speaking role past the
whomp whomp whomp.
That’s all I could hear. It was like someone was trying to talk to me, but the sound was so far off that it just sounded like the teachers on Charlie Brown. I tried to open my eyes, but even that movement hurt. Now, low and even talking was yelling. I groaned. 

After a lot of effort, I opened my eyes. I saw Mac’s beautiful face looking down at me. I felt myself smiling, but it quickly turned into a frown as I saw the look of pure panic on his face. 

“Oh
dara
, my sweet Anabelle. I thought I had lost you.” His eyes were full of tears.

 I didn’t understand. What was wrong? I reached up and put a hand on his cheek. Why was he so sad? 

“What,” I rasped. My throat was so dry and raw. 

He held up a hand and brought a water bottle up to my lips. Nothing had ever tasted so amazing in my life. 

“What happened?” I choked out. My throat felt as if I had swallowed fire and had not been very good at it. 

“Another ember demon. I am so sorry. I never even saw him.”

 His words were so pain-laced that they hurt my heart. I did a quick scan of his body. He was covered in burns. I tried to sit up, but every time I tried, the world spun.

“Dara, stay down. You need to rest,” he cooed, as he smoothed a hand over my forehead. 

“But, you’re hurt.” 

He shook his head. I grumbled, but he wouldn’t give in. 

“How long have I been out?” I asked, hating the shrillness of my own voice. 

“About a day.” 

Three days since the incident at the comic book store. That seemed like a lifetime ago. 

“Mac, please help me up. I need to go to the bathroom.” 

He slipped an arm under my head and one under my knees and lifted me up as though I were a newborn. 

“Mac, I need to walk.” 

He growled but did as I asked. Finally. I was able to survey just where I was. A hotel room and it was massive one, the biggest one I had ever seen. The furniture was all black wood and glass and the carpet was thick and white. The bed was set in the lower portion of the room, and there were two stairs leading up to the upper portion. There was a white piano also in the amphitheater section along with the bed. 

Mac had to help me walk the half mile to the bathroom. Oh holy Boba Fett, the bathroom was all white marble and gold fixtures. The light was so bright I had to cover my eyes. Mac noticed and flicked the tractor beam from hell off. 

“Mac, how in hell are we paying for this?” I croaked leaning against the frosted glass, votive style sink.

“I do have a credit card,” he said with a cocky grin plastered across his face.

I blinked up at him. There was the answer to the question I’d asked just before the Denny’s had blown up. I shooed him out and used the restroom. There was a phone by the shower, and I made my way to it. I dialed the front desk and ordered a bottle of ibuprofen, food, and a toothbrush. I eyed the shower with longing. I would not ask him for help. I stumbled over to the shower and turned it on. 

Mac came running in just as I slipped my disgusting jeans off. His gaze went from my face to my Storm Trooper panties. He licked his lips. Damn him. I swear, all he would have to do is snap his fingers, and I would be ready for him. His lips quirked at the corners as I narrowed my eyes at him. 

“I don’t have the energy for this.” I didn’t mean to have an edge to my tone, but I did. 

He just laughed. 

“Oh, I called the front desk. They are sending a few things up. Would you call them back and ask for a pair of shorts and a tank top?” I asked trying to ignore any feelings he had stirred up.

He nodded and left the bathroom. I finished stripping and only had to pause once from the world spinning. The shower was glorious. However, after two minutes, I had to sit down on the floor. So much had happened. My paradigm hadn’t just shifted, it had been blown to smithereens. I needed to make a mental list of everything. I was a princess, queen, or something, of some demon kingdom. Demons were actively trying to kill me. I needed to return to this place so I could help end the war. My guardian had a direct connection to my panties.
Life has gotten . . . complicated. 

My mind slipped to my mother. She had been in so much pain for so long after my father had left. Every moment she had looked at me, she had seemed to remember I was half of him and that had thrown her back into the hole. When she had been diagnosed with brain cancer, my whole selfish world had disintegrated. From the time we found out, to the time she died it had only been five months.