Bound By Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #8)(49)

He squared his shoulders, hiding his shredded pride behind a mocking smile as he swept past her rigid body.

“Right. See ya around, poppet.”

“Ariyal, what are you doing?”

“I’ll do my own damn hunting, thank you very much.”

Jaelyn cursed her stupidity as she watched Ariyal march away, his back stiff with wounded pride and his steps not nearly as steady as he would no doubt wish them to be.

She’d blown it.

In spectacular fashion.

She smacked her palm to her forehead. For god’s sake, all she had to do was keep an eye on one Sylvermyst.

A job she should be able to do in her sleep.

But over and over she’d managed to screw up her assignment.

Now she was stuck watching him walk away, furious with her weakness but smart enough to know that for the moment she had no choice.

She couldn’t allow him to take her blood.

Not when she didn’t fully comprehend the ramifications.

Yeah, it was more than likely that the blade would absorb her blood and it would do nothing more than give Ariyal the strength he needed to heal.

Then again ...

She shivered, turning to gaze over the silent cornfields.

What if the blood reacted as if he’d taken it straight from her vein?

The consequences could be nothing short of cataclysmic.

“He’s getting away, you know.”

The disembodied voice sliced through the air a mere second before there was a whiff of brimstone and Yannah suddenly appeared directly in front of her.

Jaelyn yelped as she grabbed her shotgun and pointed it at the intruder. Her finger was ready to squeeze the trigger when she belatedly recognized the heart-shaped face and black eyes that shimmered like chips of ebony in the moonlight.

“Dammit.” Jaelyn shoved the gun back into its holster, glaring at the creature, who calmly stroked her hands down the white silk robe. “You scared the bejeezus out of me.”

“Did I?” Yannah blinked with exaggerated innocence. “I thought Hunters were trained to never be caught off guard?”

“I wouldn’t be caught off guard if you walked around like a normal demon,” Jaelyn protested in cold tones, hiding her embarrassment behind a layer of ice. It wasn’t her fault she’d allowed herself to be dangerously distracted, was it? If Ariyal would stop being a pain in the ass then she could concentrate on the important stuff. And he wasn’t the only one to blame. Yannah and her mother Siljar certainly had their share of guilt. “You should wear a bell or something. It’s not polite to just pop in front of people like that.”

Yannah arched her brows. “Well, aren’t you the fussy one?”

“You would be fussy if you were forced to play babysitter to that ...” Jaelyn snapped her lips together, words failing her.

“To that delectable, gorgeous, completely edible ...”

The words returned in a rush. “Temperamental, stubborn, egotistical Sylvermyst.”

“He’s a man.” Yannah shrugged. “They’re all a pain in the backside.”

Well, wasn’t that the freaking truth?

“Some more than others,” she muttered.

“I suppose so.” Yannah appeared to consider the various flaws of the male sex before heaving a deep sigh. “Still, it’s a pity.”

“What is?”

“You cost me one thousand latinum.”

Jaelyn frowned. Had the demon had made an appearance just to mock her?

“Which might make sense if this was Star Trek and we were both Ferengi.”

“I made a bet with my neighbor, but Mother won’t allow me to wager with real money.” She wrinkled her tiny nose. “Besides, Jinns are touchy about their treasures.”

Jinn? Holy crap. Just what neighborhood did this female live in?

She dismissed the inane thought as she concentrated instead on the suspicion she was being led into a trap.

“What were the details of this bet?”

“I said you would have the Sylvermyst leashed and properly house-trained by the end of the week. Maric said you would kill him before you could ever reach the baby.” She pointed a finger at Jaelyn. “Neither of us thought a mighty Hunter would simply throw in the towel. It’s a grave disappointment, I must say.”

Jaelyn narrowed her gaze. Yep. Definitely a trap.

“Do you have a specific reason for ... popping in?” she demanded, refusing to rise to the bait.

“Have you forgotten you’re supposed to be reporting to me?”

“No, I haven’t forgotten, but for now there’s nothing to report.”

“Nothing?” There was a short, dramatic pause before Yannah smiled with wicked enjoyment. “Nothing at all?”

For the first time in decades, Jaelyn was relieved she couldn’t blush. Did the female know she’d committed the ultimate sin and had sex with her mark?

“Ariyal is still searching for the child,” she said, her words clipped. “We were attacked by zombies. Tearloch’s summoned a crazy-ass spirit wizard from the depths of the underworld, and Sergei might or might not be with them.” She absently stroked the wood stock of her shotgun, not above her own dramatic pause. “Oh, and there’s a gargoyle named Levet who has been following me around like a lost puppy because he’s searching for you.”