Bound By Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #8)(29)

The wizard allowed a hint of anger to touch his gaunt face. “If you wish to assign blame then you may point your finger at the damnable Weres. It was their battle with the demon lord that destroyed my altar and closed the conduit I had opened to my prince.” His fingers grasped the heavy pendant. “It will take time to restore all that I have lost.”

Tearloch backed away.

He didn’t give a damn about Weres or demon lords or any other pathetic excuses.

The Dark Lord had reached beyond his prison to touch Tearloch with a searing demand to be set free.

Until he’d managed to resurrect his master there would be no peace.

“You have a week,” he snapped, heading toward the opening of the cavern. “Fail me, wizard, and I’ll banish you back to hell.”

Chapter 7

Jaelyn walked through the long, steel-lined corridor, knowing on some level she was dreaming.

Not that it didn’t feel real.

Terrifyingly real.

She shivered at the sensation of the white silk robe that covered her from neck to toe brushing against her skin. At the familiar hum of the florescent lights. At the cool air that stirred her hair, which spilled down her back.

She was back in the private compound owned by the Addonexus.

There was no mistaking the military perfection of the steel passageways that were carved beneath the Tibetan mountain, or the ventilated air that remained a monotonous sixty-five degrees.

Nor was there any mistaking where she was headed.

This wasn’t the first occasion she’d been locked in this particular nightmare. But like every other time, Jaelyn was powerless to halt the unfolding drama that clenched her stomach with dread.

Trapped, Jaelyn continued down the corridor until she reached the heavy metal door at the end. Without hesitation she pushed it open and stepped into the dark room beyond. Too late she sensed the waiting vampire as he uncloaked directly beside her.

“Samuel?” She turned her head to regard the pale-haired vampire with more surprise than alarm. “What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you.” A disarming grin spread across the handsome face, the blue eyes twinkling.

Jaelyn wasn’t fooled by the boyish charm. She knew the cunning predator who lurked just beneath the golden good looks. Still, she wasn’t prepared for the man to dart forward, snapping a thick, silver collar around her throat.

She hissed in pain, her hands lifting to tug at the collar that was searing into her skin.

“What the hell?”

Samuel’s smile widened. “Surprised?”

She warily backed into the center of the room, futilely attempting to remove the collar even as her senses spread through the sparsely furnished office to make certain there weren’t any other attackers looming in the shadows.

Better late than never, right?

“I was summoned by Kostas,” she said. “He’s not going to be pleased when he finds out you’ve been screwing around in his office.”

Samuel clicked his tongue, his expression mocking. “I’ve warned you that you should never take anything at face value, sweetie. Your weakness has always been your habit of trusting others.”

Damn.

She dropped her hands, a cold dread forming in the pit of her stomach.

She’d been brought to the compound only a few years after Samuel. For thirty years they’d trained side by side, sometimes as partners and sometimes as opponents. And for thirty years he’d tried to lure her into his bed.

But in this moment she wasn’t feeling the whole BFF vibe.

In fact, there was an ugly glint in the blue eyes that made her inner alarms clang.

“You sent the message?” she demanded, inching back until her butt hit the edge of the walnut desk.

She wasn’t trying to escape. At least not yet. Instead she was judging the precise measurements of the room. Six feet from the door to the two wing chairs beside the bookcase. Three feet to the file cabinets in the corner. Two feet from the desk to the wall.

During a fight it was vital to be familiar with her surroundings.

Tripping over a piece of furniture could mean the difference between life and death.

Samuel smiled with cocky confidence as he strolled toward her, his muscular body shown to advantage in the black running shorts that were all that covered him.

“You should have made sure the note was genuine before you left your rooms.”

Yeah. Master of the Obvious.

“I’m assuming that Kostas isn’t going to be making an appearance?”

“No, we’re all alone.”

She licked her dry lips. “What do you want?”

His gaze traveled down her body. “You know, my dear, there was a time when I might have been satisfied having you in my bed.”

She didn’t bother to disguise her grimace. “Never.”

“There’s no need to rub it in,” he chided. “You’ve made your lack of interest painfully clear.”

“So now you think you can force me?”

“Jaelyn.” Genuine indignation darkened the blue eyes. “I would never rape a woman. Surely you know me better than that?”

She refused to react as he allowed his powers to fill the air. A Hunter never revealed weakness. Not even when her skin beneath the silver collar was being scorched to a crisp and a frigid pressure threatened to crack a rib.