Devoured by Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #7)(87)

Braced to be barbecued by the unpredictable gargoyle, Tane was totally unprepared when he felt nothing more than a warm breeze before the invisible shackles were disappearing and he was hitting the ground with enough force to rattle his spine.

Surging upright, he snatched the sword off the ground, feeling like an awkward fool. He glared at his aggravating companion, not entirely convinced that Levet hadn’t intentionally ensured he dropped like a sack of potatoes.

Now, however, wasn’t the time to slice and dice his only ally.

He’d save that particular pleasure until later. “Come on,” he ordered, headed toward the back of the cavern.

“What? Not even a thank you,” Levet grumbled. “Next occasion I’ll leave you to the bats.”

Tane never slowed. “Laylah needs us.”

“Oh.” There was a flutter of wings as Levet hurried to catch up. “Why did you not say so in the first place?”

Chapter 21

Laylah turned down yet another passageway, the chill brushing over the back of her neck becoming more pronounced as Marika steadily closed the distance between them.

She could have escaped.

She had halted only moments after entering the tunnel to shadow walk. But rather than disappearing into the corridor, she’d shoved Maluhia into the mists and returned to the frozen mountain.

It hadn’t been easy to leave her child behind.

Even knowing that she’d never encountered another demon in the mists, not to mention the fact no one but herself could touch the babe, had made it easier.

Still, only the grim determination to bring an end to danger, once and for all, gave her the strength to leave Maluhia behind as she resumed her terrified flight.

“You can’t outrun me, Laylah,” Marika’s mocking voice floated through the air.

Laylah shivered.

Turned out that being chased through dark caves was just as creepy the second time around.

Just like when Tane was hunting her, there was no sound of approaching footsteps, no heavy breathing, not even the accidental kick of a pebble.

There was only thick silence and a relentless cold that froze her heart.

On this occasion, however, she wasn’t running blindly.

She had a plan.

A wild, insane, please-God-let-it-work plan. But a plan.

Entering the small cavern she’d been seeking, she slowed to a halt and turned to watch her aunt surge into the space behind her.

With an eerie ability, the vampire came to a precise stop. Laylah grimaced. One minute Marika had been charging forward at full speed and the next she was frozen in place. Not even a strand of hair moved.

Too weird.

The woman’s dark gaze scanned the cavern, searching for hidden enemies or a stash of weapons.

Thankfully, Marika was too much a vampire to consider that the cavern itself might be the trap.

Once confident she had her prey cornered, the older woman allowed a sneer to twist her lips.

“I warned you that you couldn’t escape.”

Laylah tilted her chin, but she didn’t bother to try and hide her fear.

If she’d learned nothing else, it was that it was impossible to hide emotions from a vampire.

Besides, she wanted Marika to believe she had conceded defeat.

The longer she could keep the woman off guard, the longer she could slowly build her power. If she did it too quickly the revealing sparks of electricity would warn the vamp of danger. She was certain to strike out and try to disable her.

And truthfully, she was still aching from her trip through the mists while hauling along a very large vampire, not to mention her side trip to hide the baby.

“Then I suppose I’ll have to kill you,” she said, knowing the arrogant bitch was bound to think it was a bluff.

Marika stepped forward. “You really are the most ungrateful brat. If it weren’t for me you wouldn’t even exist.”

“You want me to thank you for arranging to have my mother raped by a Jinn just so you could use me to sate your lust for power?”

She shrugged. “Not everyone is perfect.”

Laylah snorted. “Yeah well, not everyone’s a psychopath either.”

A frozen fury slammed through the cavern as Marika’s gaze lowered to Laylah’s arms.

“Where’s the child?”

Laylah grit her teeth.

Obviously the pleasant small talk portion of the encounter was over.

Things were bound to get ugly in a hurry.

“Somewhere you can’t reach him.”

“We didn’t have to do this the hard way, Laylah.” Certain that Laylah was no threat, Marika slowly circled her, like a shark sizing up its prey. “We are family, after all, even if you don’t approve of my… methods.”

“Family?” Laylah shook her head. “You know, there was a time when I would have done anything to find my family.”

“If my bitch of a sister hadn’t given you away you would have been properly raised to understand your duties.” Marika halted in front of her, a cruel smile curving her lips. “In fact, one could claim this entire mess is her fault.”

Laylah suppressed the suicidal urge to punch the bitch in the nose.

She was very close to having the necessary power gathered. She wasn’t going to screw up her plan for a momentary sense of satisfaction.

“Why did you choose your own sister to sacrifice to the Jinn?” she demanded. “There must have been demons more suitable?”