Darkness Revealed (Guardians of Eternity #4)(53)

“Dammit, I swore I was done doing crap like that. Is he…?”

“He’s just unconscious.”

Relief rippled over her face. “Thank God.”

Cezar frowned. Although he would prefer that Anna not use her powers until she learned enough control that she didn’t endanger herself, he didn’t want her hesitating out of fear she might hurt someone.

“Anna.”

She glanced up, revealing the shadows that lurked deep in her eyes. “What?”

Cezar swallowed his words and reached to take her hand. Now was not the time to remind her that Morgana le Fay was playing for keeps and that she might be forced to kill more than once.

Time enough for that when they were away from the damned imps.

“Let’s get out of here.”

There was no argument from Anna as she fell into step beside him. They bypassed the two imps that Cezar had dispatched and moved through the door to the stairs. In the distance he could sense imps moving through the building, but none of them was close enough to trouble them.

At least not yet.

They took the stairs two at a time, pausing as they hit the ground level and encountered the heavy lead door blocking their exit. Cezar reached for the keycard he had slipped into the pocket of his jeans and slid it into the lock.

With a click the door opened, revealing the nearly empty parking lot. It was still too early for most vampires or customers to arrive, and the damaged cars had already been towed for repair.

Pausing in the shadows of the doorway, Cezar studied the oddly peaceful lot. Imps weren’t known for their battle tactics. Hell, for the most part the demons were successful shopkeepers and bankers, not warriors. The glitter of gold was far preferable to the dangers of wading into battle. Even if the battle offered the opportunity to kill a fairy or two.

But even an imp should have enough brains to leave someone to guard the exits.

“What’s wrong?” Anna whispered at his side.

His gaze continued to scan the shadows. “The entrance to the tunnel is on the other side of the lot.”

“Then why are we waiting?”

“This has to be a trap.”

There was a faint scrape before the tall, crimson-haired imp who’d earlier been watching the building stepped from behind a cement column.

“So it’s true that vampires do think with something besides their fangs on occasion,” the intruder drawled, his emerald eyes sparkling with mocking amusement.

Cezar growled, furious that his senses had failed to pick up the threat.

“Imp.”

“No, not just imp,” the tall demon corrected, his hands held behind his back as he gave a proud toss of his head. “I am Troy, the Prince of Imps. No need to bow, although you can grovel if you wish.”

Cezar knew what he wanted to do with the oversized imp, and bowing or groveling definitely wasn’t involved.

“How did you mask your scent?” he demanded.

The mocking smile widened to reveal his too-white teeth. “I just told you, I am a prince. My powers are far greater than the average imp.”

Cezar took a step forward. “We’re about to find out just how great those powers are.”

Troy’s smile never faltered as he pulled a hand from behind his back to reveal a small crossbow already loaded with a wooden arrow.

“Unless your intent is to share some of that nummy vampire goodness, which I am quite willing to enjoy, I suggest that you stay precisely where you are,” he warned.

Cezar narrowed his gaze, stepping in front of Anna. “You better start praying to whatever god you serve that you don’t miss your target, imp.”

Troy shrugged. “I never miss my target, Cezar, but I didn’t come here to kill you.”

Cezar frowned, wondering how the hell the demon knew his name. “That might be a little more convincing if the building wasn’t being overrun by homicidal imps.”

The pale, perfect features hardened with fury. “When the queen calls I must respond, but that doesn’t mean I can’t tweak her nose when the opportunity arrives.”

Cezar stilled. So, the rumors of the bad blood between fairies and imps weren’t an exaggeration. This prince was not a bit happy with his queen.

That didn’t mean, however, that Troy wouldn’t kill them if there were some advantage to be gained. Imps had few morals and would sell their own mothers if they could make a profit.

“Tweak her nose?” Cezar demanded, keeping a close eye on the arrow pointed directly at his heart.

Troy gave an offended sniff. “I don’t like being given orders. Especially not by Morgana le Fay.” His eyes narrowed as he peered over Cezar’s shoulder at the silent Anna. “Are you the one responsible for bringing her to Chicago?”

Cezar growled low in his throat, not giving Anna time to respond. “You even glance in her direction again and you’ll be Troy, the dead Prince of Imps.”

“You’re not mated. What do you care?” The emerald eyes that held centuries of knowledge studied Cezar before his lips twisted in a wry smile. “I’ll be damned. Why is it that every time I finally find a decent screw they’re always taken?”

Cezar lifted a hand, not about to discuss his strange, unpredictable emotions toward Anna with a damned imp. Prince or not.

“Tell me what you want, imp.”