Beyond the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #6)(72)

“Take her home, Dante,” Styx growled.

Abby jutted her chin. “No.”

Dante ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Abby.”

“This is my duty.” Abby pointed a warning finger in her mate’s face. “You know it.”

Dante threw his hands in the air. “That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Oddly fascinated by the sight of the mighty vampires bending to the will of the tiny woman, Harley was caught off guard by the faint scent that briefly stirred the air.

Somehow sensing Harley’s sudden surprise, Darcy took a step in her direction.

“Harley, what is it? Salvatore?”

“He’s here.” Harley breathed deeply, shaking her head when the scent evaporated as swiftly as it had appeared. “But I sense another presence.”

“The demon lord?”

“No. It’s familiar.” Harley deliberately paused. “Like you.”

Darcy’s eyes widened at the implication another sister might be near.

“Oh, my God. Are you certain?”

Harley shrugged. The scent had been so fleeting it was impossible to be absolutely certain.

Moving toward the nearest tunnel, she attempted to determine where the smell had come from when she was struck by a sharp wave of panic.

She faltered, glancing around in confusion.

She would swear that Salvatore was attempting to warn her. But of what?

There was a baffled moment as she simply stood at the mouth of the nearest tunnel, wondering what the hell was going on. Then, as she once again shivered at the thickening chill in the air, realization belatedly hit.

Briggs.

Turning her head, she sent her sister a frantic gaze. “Run!”

Chapter Eighteen

Harley was remarkably unfazed as the flash of magic exploded through the cavern and the ceiling promptly collapsed. Of course, she’d endured a number of explosions and cave-ins over the past few days. Maybe she was becoming immune to disasters.

Sending up a quick prayer that the others had managed to escape, she darted into the tunnel and ran from the choking cloud of dust and debris. Only when she was certain that she was beyond the collapsing ceiling did she slow her pace and pay attention to the confusing warren of caves and passageways.

The burning need to find Salvatore continued to plague her, but she wasn’t stupid enough to rush blindly through the dark. Briggs was somewhere crawling through the shadows, not to mention a demon lord, and who knew what other nasties.

Contrary to popular opinion, she didn’t need anyone telling her to be careful.

Pulling the silver knife from the holster her sister had fitted around her ankle before leaving Chicago, Harley allowed the sense of Salvatore that echoed in her blood to lead her through the cold, oddly barren passageways.

She felt like a damned homing pigeon, she ruefully acknowledged, wondering if Salvatore was deliberately doing something to afflict her with this overwhelming need to find him. That suspicion was certainly preferable to the thought that this growingly desperate urge was coming from her.

Coming to a halt as the tunnel branched into three separate directions, she hesitated as she caught the faint whiff of cur. It was muted, but unmistakable.

Alarm raced through her.

She wanted to believe that the curs were Salvatore’s servants who were here to rescue him, but that would be way too convenient for her current streak of luck. Besides, Salvatore had been adamant in not allowing his pack near. Not when they could be used as a weapon against him.

Which could only mean that they were either strange curs, or ones under the control of Briggs. And yet another danger to have to worry about.

Perfect.

Gripping the knife tightly enough to make her knuckles crack, Harley swallowed her reluctance and forced her feet forward. She wasn’t opposed to killing a few curs who got in her way, but she suspected that Salvatore would blame himself if anything happened to them.

And that bothered her, why?

Harley gave a shake of her head. She might as well accept she was currently out of her mind. It would be easier than trying to make sense of her recurring bouts of crazy.

Prepared for an ambush, Harley cautiously followed the sharp curve in the tunnel, halting in surprise when an oversized, bald-headed cur staggered toward her.

Her first thought was that he was stark naked, as if he’d recently shifted. Her second thought was that he was taking up way too much space for one man. His shoulders almost brushed each side of the passageway. And if his head hadn’t been bowed and covered by his hands, she suspected it would have been in danger of bumping the ceiling.

Warily, she watched as he weaved and stumbled toward her, muttering beneath his breath.

Okaaaay. If this was an ambush, it was the strangest one she’d ever heard of.

The cur had nearly reached her when he belatedly realized he was no longer alone. Jerking his head up, his eyes flashed crimson and his lips curled back in a snarl.

“Just hold on, Rambo,” Harley held up her hands in a nonthreatening motion. Well, nonthreatening if you didn’t count the big knife. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

The cur tilted back his face to sniff the air, and Harley realized that he was bleeding from a wound on the temple and that the left side of his face was a painful shade of black and blue. He looked like he’d just come out the loser of a Bully Beatdown.