Darkness Avenged (Guardians of Eternity #10)(48)

Without warning Santiago’s low growl trickled through the hallway, his dark eyes flashing with fury.

“Dios, the bastards knowingly put you in danger.”

She shrugged. “They didn’t lie to me. I went beyond the Veil knowing the creature was there.”

“Only because you were so anxious to keep your people safe,” he snapped. “And they used that desperation to lure you into taking care of their problem.”

“The Commission rarely does anything out of the goodness of their hearts,” she reminded him. “Besides, the past no longer matters.”

Chapter 13

Santiago’s power trembled with the need to explode. He wasn’t entirely sure why he was so pissed off.

As Nefri said, the Commission wasn’t a collection of do-gooders. They were ruthless leaders who would readily sacrifice an entire clan of vampires if they thought it necessary to protect the world.

But the thought that Nefri had been forced to choose between keeping her people safe and living on top of a potential time bomb . . . yeah, it pissed him off.

“The hell it doesn’t matter,” he muttered, lowering his head to capture her lips in a kiss of seething frustration. “But we can finish this discussion later.” As he pulled back, he met her puzzled gaze. “What?”

“I thought you were angry with me.”

“I have a habit of being an ass when I don’t get my way,” he readily admitted. He was hot tempered, but he was always willing to confess when he was in the wrong. He’d known there was a reason why she struggled so hard to keep him at a distance, but his pride had been pricked by her cold dismissal. Now he offered a rueful grin. “You’ll get used to me.”

“Will I?”

He swooped back down to steal another kiss. “Mmmm.”

Her hands lifted to lie against his chest and for one tantalizing moment Nefri allowed her lips to part, conceding to the scorching heat that blazed between them.

Then all too soon her hands were pressing him away. “Santiago.”

He nipped at her chin in punishment. “Is this important?”

She shivered in pleasure. “You need to call Styx so we can continue our search for Gaius.”

His tongue traced the full line of her lower lip. “Soon.”

“Santiago.” She gave a tiny moan before shoving hard enough to break his clinging grip. “We don’t have time for this.”

He shut his eyes, shuddering at his swift arousal. Mierda. What was it about this female that made him behave like a damned Were in heat?

“Unfortunately, you’re right,” he conceded in thick tones, opening his eyes to meet her wary gaze. “But I still have a few questions.”

“Very well.”

“How did the spirit escape?”

“Siljar claimed that when the Dark Lord was destroyed it left a void in Gaius’s medallion that the spirit used to enter this world.”

He took a minute to consider her words, at the same time sending out his power to make sure that Melinda remained in her deep sleep. The last thing they needed was the girl waking up in a panic.

“As good an explanation as any, I suppose.”

“They sent me to discover if it was the right explanation.” Nefri shrugged. “Is that all?”

He snorted. All? Dios. He had a thousand questions. Unfortunately they would have to wait. Instead, he forced himself to concentrate on the most pressing problems.

“I would be a lot happier if I knew precisely what this creature is capable of,” he growled.

“You know as much as I do.”

“Which is what?” He gave a frustrated shake of his head. He’d fought more enemies than he could count over the years, but while many had been immortal, they’d at least been creatures he could make bleed. This . . . thing was something he didn’t know how to fight. It made him twitchy. “It’s obvious the spirit is capable of stirring emotions.”

Nefri slowly shook her head. “Actually, it seems more likely that Gaius is the cause of the overwhelming emotions,” she said. “Or at least his bite is.”

True.

Which only made the crazy situation . . . crazier.

“So this creature infects vampires?”

She lifted her hands in a gesture of genuine bafflement. “It’s impossible to say until we manage to find them.”

“Dammit.” He pulled out his phone. “You warn the gargoyle he’ll need to stay while I call Styx.”

“And you claim that I’m bossy?”

He frowned. “Do you have a better suggestion?”

“No,” she denied, her expression one of cool challenge. “I just wished to point out that people in glass houses shouldn’t—”

With a quick motion that caught her off guard, he wrapped an arm around her waist and yanked her against his body. “Shouldn’t do this?” He leaned down to press his lips to the tender curve of her neck. “Or this?” He nibbled down to the edge of her sweater, savoring the intoxicating scent of jasmine. “Or maybe this?” His tongue traced a throbbing vein back up her throat.

“Enough,” she protested, her voice unsteady as her cheeks flushed with arousal.

“Not nearly,” he muttered, but with a stab of regret, he released her.