Beyond the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #6)(75)

Good…God.

Her wolf impatiently prowled beneath her skin, growling with a need she didn’t understand. It was as if her beast were anxiously searching for something just out of reach.

Shivering, she met Salvatore’s glowing golden gaze. She could sense the power of his wolf reaching out to her, brushing over her skin and cloaking her in his familiar heat. But more than that, she could feel him flowing through her fingertips and into her bloodstream.

Like warm honey, the feeling of Salvatore poured through her, marking her in the most intimate way possible. Harley made a sound of shock, but deep inside, her wolf howled in satisfaction, the restless ache that had plagued her being replaced by a stunning sense of…rightness.

She was whole.

Complete.

The thought had barely passed through her aching brain when she realized there was more than just the essence of Salvatore racing through her blood. There was his power. More power than she’d ever dreamed possible.

Charging full throttle through her body, it washed away her weariness and healed her wounds at record speed.

With a moan, she leaned against the altar, struggling to remain upright as her bones mended and her flesh knit back together at an insane rate. Holy crap. The patching up hurt nearly as much as the initial injury.

At last the deluge of power settled to something bearable, and sucking in a steadying breath, Harley straightened enough to stab Salvatore with a suspicious frown.

“What the hell just happened?”

Salvatore smiled with smug satisfaction. “Exactly what you think happened.”

The mating.

It was complete.

“Oh, shit.”

“Too late for regrets, cara.”

She bit back the urge to tell him that this mating didn’t change a thing between them. Although Salvatore had done his own share of healing, the silver chains continued to burn his flesh and sap his energy.

“It might be too late, period, if we don’t get out of here,” she muttered, her attention shifting to the large silver lock that held the chains in place.

For all the power that tingled through her, she didn’t think she could free him with her bare hands.

As if reading her mind, Salvatore jerked his head toward the shadows behind the altar.

“See if you can find Briggs’s stash of weapons. He’s always had an obsession with big swords. No doubt to compensate for what he lacked in other areas.”

Harley shook her head. They didn’t have time for her to go on a treasure hunt. Already the black mist was beginning to form over the flames of the brazier. She had to get Salvatore loose, and she had to do it now.

“I have a better idea,” she muttered, bending down to lift a heavy rock from the base of the altar.

Holding the rock in one hand, she grabbed the lock, hissing as it instantly blistered her skin.

Salvatore struggled against the chains, his face tight with frustration.

“Merda, you’ll hurt yourself.”

“Turn your head away.”

It was the only warning she gave him before she set the lock against the stone altar and lifted the rock to smash the stupid thing over and over. Sparks flew and the sharp sound echoed through the cavern, but with stoic persistence, Harley at last beat the lock to a mangled bit of metal that fell away from the chains with a reluctant clunk.

With a harsh growl, Salvatore shoved the loosened chains off him and leaped from the altar. Then, yanking the knife out of his upper thigh, he glanced at the smashed lock at his feet.

“Remind me not to piss you off.”

“Too late,” she muttered, anxious to get the hell out of the caves. She had reached the end of her tolerance for dark, cramped places and vicious enemies who enjoyed causing pain. “I think that blob of a demon lord is trying to make an encore performance.”

With a nod, Salvatore clutched the knife and began to head back toward the opening of the cavern.

“Let’s get the hell out of here.”

On creepy cue, the blob shifted away from the brazier and headed directly toward them.

“No,” the demon lord hissed. “We have not yet finished our business, Giuliani.”

“Oh, we’re finished,” Salvatore growled, shoving Harley behind him as the mist swooped downward and attacked.

“Shit.” Harley flinched as the pain smacked into her with the force of a freight train. “How are we supposed to fight this stupid thing?”

Salvatore shoved the knife into the heart of the mist, making it shudder and pull back, but only for a moment. Before they could run, it was returning for another attack.

“He was taking his power from my blood,” Salvatore gritted.

Blood? Harley glanced back at the altar, realizing that the blood Salvatore had lost was pooled in a small cavity at the end of the altar and continued a steady drip into the flames.

She didn’t know jack squat about demon lords, but she had to try something.

“Keep him busy,” she ordered Salvatore, making a dash toward the brazier.

Slashing at the mist with his knife, Salvatore snarled when the flames shot directly toward her.

“Harley.”

“Trust me.”

She tried again to approach the brazier, only to be driven back by the fierce heat. Dammit. There had to be a way.

Turning her attention from the blazing fire, she instead approached the altar. If it was Salvatore’s blood that gave the demon lord his power, then she had to get rid of it.