Embrace The Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #2)(38)

Viper smiled with grim anticipation. "Not without a fight, my friend. The demon will discover that vampire meat is not so easy to come by."

The gargoyle gave an aggravated twitch of his tail, but thankfully he held his tongue as a glow began to fill the air and the looming demon thrust into view.

Viper clenched his teeth at the sight of the narrow, scaled head with its long snout and mouthful of razor teeth. Many would confuse the demon with a small dragon, but Viper knew the difference. It was the long-forgotten Lu. A creature feared throughout the demon world. One that was nearly impossible to defeat without magic. And he was fresh out of magic.

"Shit," he breathed.

"Shit, indeed," Levet said at his side. "Now what?"

"Do you possess any spells?"

Levet gave a disgusted snort. "Do you think if I possessed any spells I would still be here? I am not nearly so fond of you, vampire, as to gladly die at your side."

"I thought all gargoyles could use some magic," Viper muttered as he edged to the side and prepared for an attack.

"Oh sure, mock me as I'm about to die," Levet groused.

"You are not about to die, Levet. We are both immortals."

"Pah. We both know that even immortals can die. Usually in horrible ways."

Well, Viper could hardly argue. It was true enough.

"If you prefer, I could simply toss you to the demon and hope he would make your death a swift affair."

Whatever French curses hovered on Levet's lips were drowned out by the hissing rumble of the Lu.

Although the body of the demon was too large to slide through the tunnel without an effort, the serpentine neck allowed the black-scaled head to swing disturbingly close.

"I smell the Shalott." A forked tongue tasted the air. "Where have you hidden her?"

Viper's expression remained impassive as he concealed his relief that the Lu hadn't yet realized his quarry had escaped. There was nothing like centuries of practice to perfect the poker face.

"She is near enough, but I fear she is not overly anxious to meet with you," he drawled. "It seems that the charms of the elusive Lu are highly overrated."

The crimson eyes flashed with fury. Lu's had never been known for their sense of humor.

"You mock me at your peril, vampire."

Viper shifted closer to the wall. The faint, iridescent glow from the demon's scales would become blinding during a battle. He wanted to be in a position to be able to watch that deadly mouth when worst came to worst.

"I doubt my peril has anything to do with whether I mock you or not." He firmly kept the demon's attention on himself and away from the cowering Levet. "You're not here for my sparkling personality."

"True enough." At least the demon didn't try to deny his murderous intent. "Still I am not unreasonable. Hand her over and there is no need for you to die, vampire."

Viper smiled with cold disdain. "Oh, I have no intention of dying. Not by your hands. Or rather, by your teeth."

The angry hiss made the entire tunnel shiver in warning. "Brave words, but unless you have more than a stunted gargoyle to lend you assistance you are no match for me."

There was an angry buzz of wings as Levet took swift exception to the insult.

"Stunted?" the gargoyle huffed. "Why you overgrown worm, I'll—"

"What is your interest in my slave?" Viper forced the Lu's attention back to himself. Shay would never forgive him if he allowed the tiny pest to end up in the belly of a demon.

The leviathan head turned back to stab him with a smoldering glare. "That is a matter between my master and the Shalott"

"Your master? Since when have the mighty Lu allowed themselves to call another master?"

"You would be surprised, vampire. Surprised, indeed."

The soft, mocking laughter chilled Viper's already cold skin. He didn't like the idea the demon was hiding something from him. Something that was causing the Lu a great deal of pleasure.

"Why speak in riddles? Is your master so cowardly that he must hide in shadows?"

"Ah no, if you desire answers then you must first defeat me."

Viper held out his sword. "That can be arranged."

The crimson eyes narrowed in a dangerous threat "Foolish, vampire, I will have the Shalott. No piece of steel is going to halt me."

To prove his point, the long snout lashed forward with mind-numbing speed. His teeth bit through Viper's arm before he could leap out of the way. Clenching his teeth Viper stabbed the sword into the exposed throat of the demon. There was a hiss of pain from the Lu before he drew back, leaving deep gouges in Viper's flesh that bled with sluggish pain.

Slammed against the wall it took a moment for Viper to clear his fogged mind. Dammit all. There was more than one means to battle the much larger demon.

"Perhaps steel will not stop you, but there are some forces not even a Lu can battle."

Pointing the sword toward the ground Viper ignored the blood trickling down his numb arm and concentrated his will upon me rich earth beneath their feet. He possessed no magic. No vampire was able to wield spells. Or even to sense them. But they did control ancient powers. Powers that came from the elements themselves.

His fierce will spread from the sword to the ground, churning deep below. The tunnel shook sending a spray of dirt falling from the low ceiling.