Bound By Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #8)(105)

A week later

In a lair south of Chicago

The two-story brick farmhouse with white shutters and a wraparound porch was as picturesque as it was isolated.

Perched on a bluff that overlooked the Mississippi River, it was surrounded by acres of meadows filled with wildflowers and patches of woods that were as necessary to fey as plenty of fresh air to breathe. And far enough from the main road to prevent all but the most determined trespassers.

Inside, the house had been modified to please the most demanding vampire. The tinted windows allowed the sun-challenged to move around the house no matter what time of day or night. The rooms were large and the furniture a charming mixture of antiques and modern that was chosen for comfort rather than fashion. And of course reinforced to withstand the love play between a newly mated vampire and Sylvermyst.

It was, as far as Ariyal and Jaelyn were concerned, a little slice of heaven.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t entirely ignore the world outside their secluded lair.

Ariyal’s tribe was settled throughout the countryside, often bringing their squabbles to Ariyal to settle or just stopping by to request his opinion on various decisions they were about to make.

Jaelyn never complained. Not even when they interrupted a romantic evening she’d planned, down to his favorite dinner ... a pair of edible undies.

His people were slowly healing beneath his patient leadership, and for the first time since Jaelyn had met Ariyal, he wasn’t burdened by the guilt that had been slowly destroying him.

And then there had been the visits from Styx and Salvatore.

The two kings had been impervious to Ariyal’s distinct lack of welcome as they had grilled him and Jaelyn on their time in the mists, as if telling the story over and over would somehow reveal what the Dark Lord might be plotting.

Not that she blamed them.

She was as anxious as anyone to find a way to rescue Cassandra and Caine from the mists. Not just because she wouldn’t leave anyone to the tender mercies of the Dark Lord, even if they were Weres. But because it was too dangerous to leave a true prophet in the hands of their enemy.

And of course, there had been the disturbing news that Gaius, the vampire who’d given his loyalty to the Dark Lord, was an Immortal One who was able to travel through the veils separating worlds.

Which meant that even if the Dark Lord was prevented from entering this dimension for now, he was able to send his minion to do his bidding.

Not the most comforting thought.

It all combined to keep them from having the private honeymoon that they had once hoped to enjoy.

A damned shame, she acknowledged, wanting nothing more than to spend the rest of the night in bed with her delectable fey.

Instead she was forced to pull on a pair of jeans and a dark T-shirt as she watched Ariyal finish buttoning the loud red Hawaiian shirt with yellow flowers. In the past few days they’d come to a hard-fought agreement that when they were in mixed company she would put aside her stretchy pants and sports bra, while he would cover that magnificent chest.

Mating, she was swiftly discovering, was all about compromise.

They braided each other’s hair. Then as his hands began to roam in a manner that warned his thoughts weren’t on their impending meeting with Styx and Salvatore, she firmly took his arm and steered him out of their private bedroom.

“We can play later, Sylvermyst,” she promised, leading him down the carved oak staircase that glowed in the light from the small crystal chandelier hanging from the open beamed ceiling. “Styx and Salvatore are already here.”

He grimaced, his hand flexing as if he was considering the comfort of calling for his bow and arrow.

The truce between the three powerful leaders was uneasy, at best.

“What if I tell them to go?”

“They’ll just come back later,” she warned, a smile curving her lips at the large bouquet of wildflowers that was arranged on a table in the small foyer.

Ariyal’s love for nature could be seen in crystal vases all over the house, perfuming the air and adding splashes of color that Jaelyn was rapidly becoming addicted to.

She’d had no idea how bleak her life had been until it was filled with Ariyal’s vibrant warmth.

He tugged on her braid, his expression rueful. “Didn’t you make me promise that if we survived we were done saving the world?”

“All we’re doing is meeting with Styx and Salvatore.”

He grimaced. “I’d rather meet with the Dark Lord.”

“Ssh.” She pressed a finger to his lips. “That’s still a possibility, you know.”

He heaved a sigh. Although he was convinced that the Dark Lord couldn’t use his new body to travel into the world, there was no doubt that the bastard was on the other side plotting a means to return.

So long as he existed, there would be danger.

“Fine,” he said, “but spending time with the Royal High-nesses gives me a rash.”

She chuckled, studying the elegant beauty of her mate’s face. “I thought you blue bloods like to hang together, Prince Ariyal?”

He swooped his head down, pressing a possessive kiss to her mouth.

“I prefer to hang with my princess,” he murmured against her lips.

She pulled back with a snort.

Princess.

It might be true that she was becoming fond of Ariyal’s people. Excessively fond. And that she would kill anyone or anything that tried to harm them.