To celebrate the upcoming release of my erotic paranormal romance DAMNED AND DESIRED from Ellora’s Cave (release date TBA), I decided to do something fun for the blog. I wrote up a FREE READ mini-story with a Thanksgiving theme using the setting and some of the characters in DAMNED AND DESIRED. I’m posting the first part now and Part 2 on December 2nd since it’s a little long. I may post the entire story on my website.

Happy Thanksgiving

A Moveable Feast for Demons

A Thanksgiving Story

Sakari Lock paced the portal’s entrance in the middle of the desert, awaiting the arrival of two demons. The quarter moon illuminated the stark Arizona landscape dotted with clumps of sage brush, prickly pear cacti and mesquite bushes. Her car was safely hidden behind a stand of trees and a rock formation at least a hundred yards off the deserted highway. Ever since she was sent to Earth she was a failure in her duties as a demon drone. She was late and they would come looking for her soon.

Rubbing her arms, she tried to warm her chilled skin in the November air. She’d left her mortal job at the Red Rocks Bar and Grill in such hast she was still wearing her work clothes—tee-shirt, short skirt and cowboy boots. She wished she’d remembered a jacket.

This wasn’t the first time she returned to Anartia late. But this time, not only was she late, she didn’t have her life force offering for the rulers of Anartia. Acquired through sexual encounters, the chi or life force energy sustained their alternative world and those residing there. As a demon drone, it was her duty to replenish that energy and she was doing a lousy job. It didn’t matter if she had a good reason, the demoness did not tolerate disloyalty. Sakari was in a lot of trouble and her immortal life was at stake.

Work had kept her late, so late she was unable to acquire her collections of chi. The tavern was packed with customers all celebrating their yearly event. How was she to get a mortal off alone and seduce him in the middle of all the festivities? She considered luring a susceptible cowboy down into the wine cellar, where she could use her demon skills as seductress, mindful not to indulge in her own pleasures during the encounter, or risk harming her quarry.

But the wine cellar had more traffic that night than the kitchen with the other bartenders constantly restocking. At the end of the night she didn’t have time to seek out quarry. Instead, she packed up the leftover feast and drove out to the desert. The cooks were grateful not to have to waste all that food.

Starring at the boxes sitting on the sand, she had a sick feeling. What if the demoness didn’t accept her alternate offering? This special feast prized by mortals would not sustain their exiled world or its inhabitants, but she hoped the novelty pleased the demoness enough to ease her temper. The smells of roast turkey, stuffing and other baked goods surrounded her and mingled with the earthy desert scents. When she detected the sea salt odor of the ocean the hairs on the back of her neck stood. She knew the portal from Anartia had just opened. She took a couple steps back.

They were coming.

Moments later, she felt the magnetic pull from the vortex—the natural energy center that Anartia used to amplify the portal’s power. The doorway between worlds worked best when aligned within the natural power of a vortex. A shimmer swirled along a rock formation. Dante and Zorian emerged, looking annoyed.

“One day you’ll push Gwyllain too far,” Dante said, lifting his chin and giving her a proud look. With his bronze skin, lean muscular build and long black hair, the demon resembled the local Native Americans.

Zorian, who was much taller and muscular, looked more like Dante’s bodyguard than another of Gwyllain’s drones. He glared at Sakari with his hands on hips. “The demoness and her consort demand your presence immediately.” He said. “It won’t be pleasant.”

“It wasn’t my fault this time. I couldn’t leave work,” she said. But her excuse sounded lame and she knew the demoness and her consort, Tarik, would not be tolerant.

“She has no offering,” Zorian said disgusted. “I don’t sense any life force collection.”

Dante groaned. “Are you mad, Sakari?”

“I didn’t have time. But I have another offering. A feast.” She pointed to the boxes.

Dante bent toward the boxes and sniffed. “Food?” He gave a snort. “Food will not sustain our world or the inhabitants of Anartia.”

“It’s all I have,” she pleaded.

“Fine. We’re wasting time.” Dante picked up a box and handed it to Zorian, then picked up another. Sakari picked up the third. “Let’s go.”

With a hand on her nebula stone pendant, Sakari stepped into the portal. Dante and Zorian followed.

Moments later she stepped onto the edge of a great cliff, overlooking the crashing waves of an ocean. Dante and Zorian arrived on either side of her. They strode up a long grassy slope toward the white temple much like an ancient Greek temple from Earth.

Quietly, they entered the Great Hall. Gwyllain and her consort Tarik were in the midst of collecting offerings from several drones. No excuse would save Sakari now.

(Read Part 2 December 2nd here.)

DAMNED AND DESIRED by Kathy Kulig

ISBN: 9781419924699

Book 2, in Demons in Exile series

Coming soon to Ellora’s Cave

Blurb: She’s a demon, he’s a shapeshifting leopard. From their first meeting in the Sedona desert, passion ignites and trouble begins. When immortals from an alternate dimension try to free their exiled world, Brad is caught in the middle of a battle that could destroy not only him, but the land he loves. If Sakari chooses to save him, she stands to lose everything, unless…

Tags: Damned and Desired, Demons, Demons in Exile, Ellora's Cave, Kathy Kulig, Thanksgiving

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