Claiming of the Demon King (ICS Book One)

Chapter Four - Curse of a Mystic

His dark eyes glittered. "I believe they were more afraid of me."

Okay, maybe he's not like me. "But those creatures were vicious. I saw them fighting."

"I've been around their kind for a very long time," he informed her with a secretive smile. "I know how to handle them."

"What happened at the end? Were those really fireballs?" she asked stupidly.

He grinned. "Yes, the Ascended are not practically fond of such auctions. I was surprised they didn't show up sooner."

"The Ascended?"

"Our world is split into two factions. The Ascended fight for order and peace. They were formed by several alliances between prominent families. The second faction is the Legion. Their leader is a Forsaken called Gabriel. He is pure evil. The two have been at war with each other for centuries."

Victoria let that sink in before asking, "So those beings at the auction were Legion?"

"Most of them were, yes. Some are neutral parties. Others, Ascended looking for a good show. The lines in this world are rather grey. Many change sides on a whim."

She shook her head, her mind racing. It was too much all at once. Sighing she stared out the window, watching the forest as it sped by. She had so many questions. Where was she going? What was going to happen to her? Would her father be alright without her?

Sadness welled inside her at that last thought. Did he understand why she'd done this? Would he try to find her? Her eyes watered. Sniffing she straightened her back. This had been her choice. At least now she knew he would be safe.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly.

"I'll be fine," she murmured.

She could feel him watching her, assessing. "Good, you strike me as a strong woman. My name is Nicholas Storm by the way."

"Victoria O'Hare. It's nice to meet you," she remarked politely.

He chuckled. "Come now. We both know this is hardly the most pleasant of circumstances." He sobered. "And I'm afraid it may not be improving for you as the night progresses."

Victoria blinked, her stomach clenching nervously. "What do you mean?"

"My master is, well..." he trailed off, staring out the window for a moment.

"Was he that massive...creature I saw at the back of the crowd?"

Nicholas smiled. "Yes, although he was not always this way."

"I don't understand."

"The master was a very powerful demon, a king in fact. He was also selfish and arrogant, concerned only with his conquests and expanding his throne. In order to win a war against another demon lord he broke the heart of a mystic, a particularly ruthless one. In her rage she placed a curse on him."

Victoria frowned. Mystics...

As if reading her mind Nicholas said, "They are rare beings, stronger than witches, with almost god like power."

Fantastic, she thought sarcastically. "What kind of curse?"

"I cannot say." Nicholas smirked. "One of the more annoying effects of the curse is you can't tell anyone what it is or how to break it, even if you are not the one being afflicted."

"How long has he been like this?"

"Seven centuries."

"Seven hundred years!" Victoria gasped, shocked to the core. The very fact that someone could even live that long in the first place was mind-boggling.