Fear the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #9)(105)

Oblivion.

The trumpet of doom sounded in her mind at the precise same time the world around her went white. Gasping, she dropped to her knees and pressed her hands to her forehead.

The chaos around her faded away to leave a lone image burning in the center of her brain.

Scales.

The golden scales of justice.

And on one of the flat plates was a small stone.

Cassie momentarily floundered, unable to decipher the vision. Dammit, she’d been so desperate for a glimpse of the future.

Fate couldn’t be so cruel to offer her that glimpse without the means to understand it.

Could it?

The vision remained, branding her synapses. But just as she was about to scream in frustration, the weight tilted. It was less than a millimeter. A breath of a dip by the plate with the stone. But it was suddenly as clear as if it was written in bold letters across the wall.

What they needed was something to tip the balance.

No, not something.

Someone.

Caine’s warm, musky scent at last penetrated the white shrouding her mind, his lips brushing her ear as he tried to bring her back.

“Cassie.” His fingers combed through her hair, his voice thick with concern. “Cassie, can you hear me?”

She leaned against his chest, smelling the wolf still clinging to his naked skin. He’d shifted back to human, but his beast was straining at the leash, maddened by his inability to reach her.

With an effort, she managed to force her eyes open, finding Caine kneeling beside her, his expression tight with concern.

“Levet,” she managed to croak.

He scowled. “What?”

She shuddered as the sounds and smells of the raging battle came crashing back. It was close. Close enough she could taste the blood in the air.

Clinging to Caine, she squashed the panic threatening to overwhelm her.

“We need Levet.”

Caine gave a puzzled shake of his head. “The gargoyle?”

“Yes.”

“Did you hit your head when you fell?”

She made a sound of impatience that was lost among the screams. “I had a vision.”

Caine parted his lips, but before he could speak the body of a cur flew over their heads, slamming into the wall with a sickening thud.

“Shit,” he muttered, tugging her as far away from the carnage as was possible in the cramped space.

She reached up to grab his face, knowing with absolute certainty that she held the fate of the world in her hands.

“Keep them away long enough for me to try and reach him.”

“Reach Levet?” he muttered, still clearly baffled by her insistence that they needed the tiny demon.

“It’s imperative, Caine.”

“Fine.” He glanced around the gory melee, turning back with a helpless frown. “How? With this much power a cell phone will never work.”

She’d already figured that one out. Which meant she only had one option.

“An act of desperation,” she admitted wryly.

He studied her for a long moment, and then with that absolute belief in her that never failed to melt her heart, he leaned forward to brush her lips in a tender kiss.

“That works for me.”

Love spilled through her as she wondered what magical fate had ever brought this Were into her life.

“Be careful,” she commanded, her voice gruff with worry.

“Always.”

He stole another kiss before stepping back and shifting.

Cassie closed her eyes as he launched himself at an approaching demon, his fangs sinking into the creature’s throat. Knowing that Caine was in danger was enough of a distraction without watching it in real time.

Instead, she allowed the image of Levet to form in her mind, sending him a silent plea to travel to the rift.

She didn’t have a clue if her message was actually reaching the gargoyle. Or even if they had the necessary time for him to arrive.

But knowing she would be all but worthless in the battle, she continued to do the only thing that might help. A fine sheet of sweat coated her skin as she focused on her mental image, the heat and chaos in the room beating against her senses.

With such confusion, it was nothing less than a miracle that she felt the stir of air at her side. Even then she wasn’t sure what to expect when she opened her eyes.

Panic. Mayhem. Nightmares from the pits of hell.

Death and destruction.

All very real possibilities.

What she found instead was a tiny gargoyle stepping out of thin air, his tail stuck straight out and his wings quivering.

“Levet,” she breathed in shock, rising to her feet.

She wasn’t sure if she was more surprised that she’d actually managed to reach him, or that he’d managed to arrive so swiftly.

The gargoyle, however, seemed unaware of her presence, let alone the battle raging only a few feet away, as he glared at the tiny demon who appeared directly behind him.

“You . . . I . . .” Wild-eyed, Levet pointed a claw toward the small female wearing a long white robe. “Mon Dieu . . . Do not ever do that again.”

The female remained unruffled, her almond-shaped black eyes holding a vast power. “You said it was an emergency.”

Levet shivered, still trembling from his hasty journey. “Oui.”

“You’ve traveled by portal before, haven’t you?” the demon asked, her curiosity holding more than a hint of amusement.