Bound By Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #8)(74)

“My guess would be a vampire, but it was able to disguise its scent.” She regarded him with a frown. “Is that possible?”

“If he’s traveling with a witch he could have an amulet to mask his presence,” he suggested.

She shook her head. “I don’t think that was it. I could sense him, but it was muted, as if he was blocking my powers.”

An odd expression tightened the bronzed features, almost as if Styx had been struck by an unpleasant suspicion. But before she could question him, he was pacing to study the row of monitors that revealed the crowds filling the club below.

“He must have considerable skill if he was able to shroud himself from a Hunter.”

She narrowed her gaze. He was hiding something.

“Does it ring any bells?”

“None that I’m will to comment on without further information,” he said, revealing he hadn’t been deceived by her delicate attempt to probe. “Where are they now?”

She didn’t even consider pressing for an answer. Actually, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

She had quite enough on her plate, thank you very much.

“The last I knew Levet was trying to track them.”

Styx shuddered as he turned back to face her. “Good God.”

Jaelyn smiled. The tiny gargoyle seemed to have a genuine knack for irritating males, no matter what their species.

Then, as the thought of Levet reminded her that he was currently with Ariyal, and that they both might be in danger, she headed toward the door.

“I must go.”

“Wait.” With a speed that shocking even for a vampire, Styx was standing directly before her, his expression forbidding. “I need you here.”

“I’ve already told you all I know.”

“You’ve recently been in the caves.” He took a deliberate step forward, towering over her. “We’ll need you to lead us to the child.”

“I can draw you a map.”

“You have someplace more important to be?”

She met the dark gaze, refusing to be intimidated. “I’m still under contract to the Oracles.”

His jaw clenched. “I’m sure they’ll understand if you take a short detour.”

Understand?

Clearly this vampire had never had to deal with the Commission.

“I’ve already detoured more than I should have,” she informed him, her tone edged with the impatience she could no longer control. “Now I need to go.”

Grudgingly he stepped aside, but as she pulled open the door he called out.

“Hunter.”

She glanced over her shoulder. “What?”

“I intend to gather my most trusted warriors and enter the caves tomorrow night, just before midnight,” he informed her. “Your presence might very well mean the difference between success and failure.”

“But no pressure, right?”

He smiled without apology. “All’s fair in love and war.”

“Yes.” A smile touched her own lips as she turned and hurried from the demon club. She had been playing by the rules since she’d been turned into a vampire, but the world was hurtling toward Armageddon and she intended to snatch whatever happiness she could discover before it was too late. “All’s fair in love and war.”

Ariyal slammed the treacherous mage into the wall of the abandoned warehouse. At the same time, his power filled the late-night air with enough heat to make the candle sitting on a broken crate melt into a puddle of wax.

“You son of a bitch, I’m going to kill you,” he growled.

“No ...” Sergei struggled to breathe. “Wait.”

“For what?” Ariyal demanded. “More lies?”

He had no doubt been a fool to trust the mage. But he hadn’t had much choice.

Not if he wanted to get out of the lead-lined cavern.

And more importantly, to gain the information the magic-user had dangled like the proverbial carrot.

Predictably Sergei hadn’t been satisfied when Ariyal’s initial portal had taken them just a few feet from the caves. He’d been convinced that the shadows were crawling with the Dark Lord’s minions. And since he refused to reveal his information until they were on the outskirts of Chicago, Ariyal had little choice but to bring them to this empty warehouse.

Now, however, he was done. The bastard was going to be very, very sorry if he had tried to play games with a Sylvermyst.

The mage turned a pasty shade of gray. “I didn’t lie.”

“You told me you had information about Jaelyn.”

“And I do.”

Ariyal’s fingers tightened around the neck he could crush with pathetic ease.

“Telling me she can cloak herself in shadows is not information,” he hissed.

“If you would allow me to finish?”

There was a tug on his jeans, and he impatiently glanced down at the gargoyle standing beside him.

“What?”

“I think we should hear what he has to say.”

“Fine,” Ariyal rasped, returning his attention to Sergei. “But I warn you, mage, don’t screw with me.”

“Release me and I’ll ... arrg.” The mage’s eyes nearly popped from their sockets as Ariyal tightened his grip. “Okay. From what I managed to learn from Marika, a Hunter’s primary skill is the ability to shroud themselves in shadows so thick they’re virtually invisible.” Sergei held up a pleading hand as Ariyal’s fingers threatened to finish the job of crushing his throat. “Those same shadows also protect them from the sun for short periods of time.”