The area was black, purple clouds were encroaching on Claire. She was trying to relax but her legs were moving uncomfortably and her skin was feeling like it was on fire.
Lying on her side, sweat dripping from her forehead, her breathing coming in slow uneven breaths. She shifted in the bed, going to her back. She could feel something approaching her, making the air even hotter and harder to breath. Or maybe I was something else...
'The hell is this... I felt this before...'
She opened her eyes. Dim red-orange light from the setting sun seeping into the room, and Claire gave a sigh. 'A failed attempt at a bad dream...no...It succeeded.'
Claire sat up, putting her hair back behind her head; she quickly wiped the sweat from her hair before going to her legs. She had taken her dress off before her nap for comfort. Instead of a very cumbersome dress she wore a deep red corset that look just tight enough to be comfortable as well as tight black night shorts. Grabbing a light pink semi-transparent sweeper with long sleeves, Claire did some minor touches to her face before heading off to her favorite room in the house.
Her walk was like that of a woman with something terrible on her mind.
Reaching the door just around the corner from the bedroom in the hall. It was a door with a handle that didn't have a keyhole. Claire knocked on the door, and once a click was heard she turned the door handle and walked on in.
Claire went right to work. Reading glasses were on first, and then books started floating from the shelves when she called the name, and finally the fire under her cauldron burst into flames and the pot started to smoke.
Three books were floating at eye level in front of Claire. "Magical Creatures of Wiccan Society", "Those That Cannot Be Seen: Demon Edition", and "Malice: Demons of the Darkest Nature" were the books, all lined up in a row in that order. "Magical Creatures of the Wiccan Society...turn to the page that describes a monster using black miasma," Claire said to the floating book. It opened quickly, pages flipping at a high speed, but it didn't stop until it reached the end of the book.
The failure was hard to swallow for Claire, but she just shook her head and waved the book away. "That was a bit off...never mind." Clearing her throat Claire decided to try the next book.
"Those That Cannot Be Seen...please find me an entry on monsters using mind altering magic."
The middle book did the same thing that the other book did before. It flipped through the pages, not stopping until it got to the end.
Now Claire was getting frustrated.
Waving the other book off, the young witch ran the details through her mind again. 'There was a feeling of helplessness, heaviness in the shoulders and weakness in the knees...heart beat quickens...heat travelling to core areas that caused overly sensitive reactions that correspond with...oh dear.' Claire made a realization that she had not noticed before.
Looking at her book shelf, Claire put her hands on her hips, "I summon thee: "Nightmare Kingdom."
A black leather covered book came from the shelf and right in front of the witch. The title was emblazed with gold letters on the front cover. It certainly looked like a book that was never really used. For good reason. Claire never liked what was in it.
"Nightmare Kingdom...find me the entry on the creature known as-"
Claire stopped a feeling of disgust in her voice as she finished, "the Incubus."
The book opened like the others, but the pages stopped right with a picture of a bat winged humanoid creature, the title 'INCUBUS' on the opposite page. Adjusting her eye-glasses, Claire began to read the words on the page:
"'From the beginning of life, the creatures that played with the erotic side of the human mind and hidden desire were the incubus and its female counterpart the succubus. These creatures live for hundreds of years feasting on the sexual energy of humans. They can use magic to hide their true appearance behind that of a unnaturally beautiful human, using their bodies to attract their target...they can also use magic to create illusions that can weaken the subject...magic that also use a certain miasma that can cause sexual stimulations in the target. Once the target is mentally and/or physically weakened the incubus or succubus will seduce its target...'"
Claire put a hand to her forehead, 'That bastard...'
Hands shaking with nervousness or trembling with anger, Claire requested the book turn the pages when she went through them, reading upon every detail she could absorb with her eyes, only stopping to push her glasses up her nose. By the time she was done she was visibly shaken by what she had read. "Absorbing life from humans via sexual intercourse..."
The book closed and sunk to Claire's waiting arms, she wasn't entirely done with it yet.
She had some more notes to jot down before she could be done.
While the wife of the household was in her den, the husband was resting from some daily work outs. Michael had done his weight lifting and was going to see if Claire was awake after her nap. Last he had checked she had been sleeping in their bed a few hours before.
The evidence of his work out was easily seen with the thin coat of perspiration on his bare upper body, it being as warm as it was outside and the garage didn't have an air conditioner made it easy to predict about the sweat.
Walking his way to the bedroom, Michael was stopped a few feet from his destination by the sound of the door to Claire's room opening. As soon as his wife stepped out of that room Michael smiled, knowing he didn't have to worry about waking her up. She was already up and running, and from the looks of it she had been rather busy.
Claire was holding a thick black book in her arms as she stepped out, closing the door behind her and locking it before it dissolved into the wall. She didn't notice her husband until she literally walked into him. The sudden collision knocked her glasses off her nose, but Michael caught them before they fell to the floor.
"Thank you," said Claire, putting her glasses back on.
"Sure. So, what have you been up to?"
Claire showed him the title of the book she was holding, "Research."
The witch gave a light sigh before tucking the book under her arm, "And what about you?"
Michael shrugged his shoulders, "I'm sure you can figure it out."
"Hm?" Claire lowered her glasses to see what he meant, and it didn't take her long to know. She saw her husband to be shirtless, and his well toned physique slick with perspiration made her cheeks turn a light shade of red. "Oh..."
Michael smirked. After three years of marriage to Claire, it was still a wonder that he could make her blush like a teenager. Then again, as young as she was maybe it took a great deal of time to get used to. "Well, I was going to wash up and have a small dinner. What were you going to do?"
Shaking her head and trying to concentrate, Claire cleared her throat, "I was going to do the same."
"Best better eat first then," Michael said, walking past Claire towards the bedroom.
Slightly confused, Claire followed her husband, "Why do you say that?" She placed the book on her vanity near the bathroom door.
No less than a second after she finished her sentence did she feel her husband's strong arms wrap around her shoulders, "Let's just say that if all goes as planned, we might have a shorter night than normal."
Slightly intrigued, Claire asked, "Oh, and what can I expect if this plan of yours succeeds?"
Michael whispered in his wife's ear, teasing, "Hopefully, you'll be wearing less than what you are now."
Claire's jaw fell at his idea, but it fell further when Michael gave her a love tap on her backside, causing her to go forward half a step. She quickly turned around and smacked his arm in retaliation, "Don't do that! You know how much I hate it when you do that."
Michael gave a light chuckle as he moved past her, "Yeah, you made it clear the first time." He went and pulled a t-shirt out of a drawer and set it on the bed. He gave a light smile, "Still, to hear you squeal every time makes it worth it."
Her only response was to throw the heavy book in her hands at her husband.
It missed him and landed on the floor, and Michael shook his head, "You missed."
Claire lunged for him, but Michael easily grabbed and tossed her onto the bed next to him with relative ease. He pinned her down, yet she tried to get free.
"Just wait until I get up again, I'll teach you a lesson," Claire said as she struggled. Her husband held her hands lightly at her sides, he didn't want to hurt her, and with his strength he could easily break her arms.
Michael spoke in a low voice, "Why would I want you to get up?" He lowered himself while pressing his right leg up and between Claire's legs and spoke into her ear, "You're not going anywhere now."
Claire put her hands on her stomach since Michael had her held by her upper arms; she knew she wasn't going to be able to move otherwise. Still, she decided to resist verbally, "I will not comply with that."
Pulling back, Michael let go of his wife and kissed her cheek, "That's one thing I love about you. You're defiant."
Claire rubbed her cheek against Michael's, "I'm not fond of the stereotype of damsel in distress. Not that I don't mind being rescued by you when I need it."
"I'm glad you're not like that," Michael said.
"Parents were fighters, guess I just inherited it from them," said Claire as she sat up on her elbows.
Michael took a quick breath, "Guess we should go and make dinner then, huh."
As he tried to stand up, Claire grabbed his hand with one of her own. The other hand went up the front of her corset, using her thumb to mess with the zipper, "We could, but I'm not too hungry at the moment."
Watching Claire lower the zipper very slowly, revealing more and more of her soft skin, put Michael right at attention. Soon enough, the piece of fabric was gone, and Claire's ample breasts were exposed to the cool air and she shivered.
The only sound that was made in the woods outside the Howlett house were the chirping of the crickets. Still, along the tree line looking at the house, the walking mass of muscle known as Hunter was standing there. He had been watching the house for the greater part of the last two hours. Neither the cold nor the wind was bothering him, it never did.
A black mist formed behind him, and when it disappeared, the guardian's master was standing there. He was in his more human appearance, wearing a light white jacket and black pants, his dark brown hair draping his shoulders. He was looking his best, and for good reason. He was finally going to get what he was lusting after.
"Hunter, what has happened? Anything worth noting about our new friends?"
The big man turned his head, but left the rest of his body still, "The man of the house is Michael Howlett. The woman's name is Claire Reddington. Their relationship is unknown, but they do indeed live together. It is also known that the 200 acres surrounding the home belong to Michael, and he patrols the entire line and has it under surveillance. I took out a few of the contraptions so we didn't let them know I was here."
"Very well done. We can use his surveillance to lure him out while I deal with the more important matter of retrieving my future bride," Adonis said confidently, his facade appearance changing back to his natural incubus form. "It has been awhile since I've had a new woman. It should liven up the palace, right Hunter?"
Hunter only nodded.
Adonis put his hands on his hips, looking at the house. There wasn't a single light on inside, but it seemed too early for anyone to turn in for the night. Adonis' mind had somewhat juvenile thoughts going through it, and while the exchange had yet to happen, he was already making plans for Claire. 'Well, she'll soon be my woman, so I'll refer to her as such from now on.' So, Adonis decided to be a bit more cautious, "Hunter. This Michael has been a thorn in my side since I first saw him lay his hands on my Claire. And since he will no longer have her under his devilish charms after tonight, I think it's your task to...rid her of him. Don't you say?"
Hunter's eyes lit up. He knew what his master was insinuating, and he liked the idea, "I shall deal with him, Master."
The prince unfurled his large black wings from his back, and his eyes glowed their vile green color as he smiled wickedly, "And while you do that, I will get my woman, and live happily ever after."