Devoured by Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #7)(62)

“Shotgun,” Levet called, scrambling into the passenger’s seat.

His butt never hit the leather seat as Tane grabbed him by the horn and tossed him in the back. “Don’t even think about it.”

There was a flurry of French curses and Laylah was forced to hide her smile as she climbed into the seat Levet had nearly claimed and shut the door. The tiny gargoyle could always be counted on to lighten the mood.

Not nearly so amused, Tane gunned the engine and pulled out of the garage at a speed that made Laylah happy she had the blood of an immortal running through her veins. He slowed as they reached the road.

“Which way?”

She hesitated. For years she’d sacrificed everything to keep the child hidden. It wasn’t easy to risk revealing his location to anyone.

“South,” she at last forced herself to say, instinctively tugging on the seat belt as Tane stomped on the gas.

Laylah clenched her teeth to keep them from banging together as they hurtled down the rough road. The three of them off to save the world.

Or at least one helpless baby.

Not quite the Justice League, she wryly accepted. A brooding vampire, a stunted gargoyle, and a Jinn mongrel with trust issues.

Still, they had to be better than nothing.

Casting covert glances at Tane’s elegant profile that was caught in the glow of the dashboard, Laylah was relieved when Levet suddenly stuck his head between the seats.

She didn’t want time to consider whether or not she’d just made the greatest mistake of her life.

“You know, Laylah, if you intend to keep the child then you should really consider giving it a name,” the gargoyle gently chastised her.

Tane flashed Levet an annoyed glare. “What does it matter?”

Levet sniffed. “Because a mother who cares about her child gives him a name.”

If Laylah hadn’t been looking directly at the gargoyle she would have missed the pain that flared through the gray eyes.

Her heart wrenched.

Oh, dear God. Levet was intimately familiar with a mother who didn’t bother to name him. Perhaps she had even abandoned him.

Demons could be even more brutal than humans when it came to dealing with deformities.

“Yes,” she breathed, reaching to run a comforting hand down his wing. “You’re right.”

A wistful smile touched his ugly face. “Then why have you hesitated?”

“Because I’ve always known there was the possibility that the child belonged to someone else. And that one day they would come for him,” she tried to explain. “It wouldn’t be fair if I had already named him.”

“And less painful for you to give him away?” Levet asked softly.

She grimaced, knowing she must sound like an idiot. “That was the thought.” “And now?” Levet prompted.

“Now I’ll kill anyone who tries to take him from me.” Tane sent her a knowing smile. “Spoken like a true mother.”

Marika prowled along the wrought iron fence that framed the elegant estate.

Out of necessity she’d swapped her Valentino gown for black silk pants and matching top that snuggly outlined her perfect figure and allowed her to blend into the shadows. She’d also tugged her hair into a simple knot at her nape to keep it from being caught on the nasty trees and bushes that cluttered the godforsaken country.

Her lips pinched.

At least Sergei had managed to cast a Spell of Finding on Laylah before Victor and his henchmen had forced her from her lair. The interfering bastards. It meant that it was only a matter of time before she had her hands on her niece and they could return to civilization.

And in the meantime she intended to keep a very detailed tally on every indignity she was forced to suffer. She was going to take payment out of Laylah’s flesh.

Tapping a manicured nail against her chin, she considered the distant house, her impatience to track down her niece briefly overshadowed by the waves of power that filled the air.

“You are certain she is no longer inside?” she demanded.

Sergei nodded. Like her, he had changed from his designer clothing into a pair of casual chinos and a loose black silk shirt. His hair was pulled into a tail at his nape.

“I can sense her heading south.”

“Is she alone?”

“It’s impossible to say.” The mage sent her a warning frown. “The spell I cast on her is fading. We should hurry before I lose all connection to her.” He muttered a curse as Marika stepped toward the fence, her head tilted back as she tested the air. “What are you doing?”

“Do you know what this place is?”

Sergei shrugged. “A vampire’s lair.”

“Much more than that.” A humorless smile curved her lips. “My niece moves in elevated company.”

The mage shifted uneasily, sensing something was wrong but unable to detect the power that choked the air.

“A clan chief?”

“The King of all Vampires.”

“The Anasso?” Stark disbelief was laced through Sergei’s voice. “I thought he was a myth.”

“You are welcome to ring the doorbell and discover the truth for yourself.”

“No, thank you.” There was a tense pause before the mage moved to stand at her side, his expression suspicious. “You are remarkably indifferent to the fact that the Anasso is now aware that you defied demon law to create a Jinn half-breed for the sole purpose of returning the Dark Lord to this world and crowning yourself queen.”