Hunt the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #11)(105)

“No way,” his companion interrupted, continuing to scan their surroundings with a wary gaze.

Roke frowned. “This isn’t your fight, Cyn.”

The vampire kept his gun at his side, clearly determined to play the role of bodyguard.

“It is now.”

Roke rubbed the aching void in the center of his chest. His connection to Sally remained steady, but it was . . . muffled. As if something or someone was trying to hide her.

It didn’t take a genius to know who that might be.

“Why?” he demanded of his companion.

“Obviously, you need me.”

Roke snorted. It wasn’t often that anyone dared to imply that he was anything but fully competent at taking care of himself.

“I do?”

They reached the outskirts of the chichi suburbs, and Roke veered toward the empty farmlands, barely noticing the lesser demons who scattered in terror at the sight of two powerful vampires on the hunt.

“If Sally is with the Chatri then you need someone who has a basic knowledge of the fey,” Cyn explained. “So it’s me or Troy, the Prince of Imps.”

Roke grimaced. The only thing worse than traveling with the ridiculous imp would be another road trip with the gargoyle.

“This could be dangerous,” he warned. “I’m not Sariel’s favorite person.”

“Hard to believe,” Cyn said dryly.

“He might fight to keep Sally,” Roke pointed out.

Not that he truly hoped he could convince Cyn to return to Styx’s lair. Telling the berserker that there was danger involved was almost a certain guarantee he’d be first in line.

Cyn didn’t disappoint.

Smiling with irrational anticipation, Cyn ran his tongue down the length of one massive fang.

“All the more reason you need me.”

Roke did.

Although he didn’t know if Cyn’s knowledge of fey would actually help when it came to the mysterious Chatri, he was a powerful warrior who could slash his way through a horde of trolls without batting an eye.

“I owe you one,” he said.

“Aye, you do,” Cyn agreed. “Don’t think I won’t collect.”

When Sally was young, she was addicted to fairy tales.

What lonely little girl who was raised by a neglectful mother in bleak, isolated cabins wouldn’t dream of a world where beautiful people twirled through elegant ballrooms dressed in shimmering gowns and sparkling jewels? And where handsome princes tumbled into love with Cinderella even if she was a gawky, introverted witch instead of a pretty princess.

But dreaming of fairy tales and actually being dumped into one were two very different things, she quickly discovered.

She was still struggling against Sariel’s hold when they’d stepped from the portal into a large foyer with massive chandeliers and walls painted with exquisite murals.

Which meant she was completely unprepared for the swift arrival of her sisters and brothers who’d welcomed their father home with a stiff, but seemingly genuine happiness at his return. That had been followed by an endless line of Chatri who viewed their king’s arrival with varying degrees of pleasure.

All of them were, of course, breathtakingly beautiful with hair that ranged from pale gold to brilliant red and lean, elegant bodies dressed in silk robes that were heavily embroidered with priceless jewels. And all of them eyed her with a blatant curiosity that made her want to crawl behind the nearest fluted column and disappear from view.

There was none of the disapproval she’d been expecting, but it was still unnerving being the center of attention.

Her discomfort only grew as they were whisked away to a banquet hall that was twice the size of most football fields and filled with long rosewood tables and high chairs carved by the hand of an artist. The tableware was made of gold and crystal that reflected the magical balls of light that danced near the coved ceiling.

Once they were seated several dozen fairylike servants dressed in modest robes entered with trays laden with fruit and freshly baked bread and bowls of honey.

Sally had dutifully eaten, unwilling to become even more of a spectacle, but as the meal had ended and several musicians had settled in the balcony at the far end of the hall to fill the air with an exquisite melody, she’d become increasingly loud in her demand that she be returned to Roke.

Sariel smiled, promising that she would soon be allowed to speak with him even as he had lifted a hand toward Fallon, one of her sisters, and insisted the female take Sally to her rooms so she could bathe and change her clothes while her new rooms were being prepared.

Swallowing her angry words, Sally had little choice but to follow the beautiful female through marble corridors. Her father might be a powerful king, but in many ways he acted like a child. The more she insisted to be returned to Roke, the harder he would dig in his heels.

She would obviously have to pretend she was content to remain until she could find some way to escape.

Or at least contact Roke.

Fallon took several side corridors, making Sally wonder if there was any end to the sprawling palace, and then they entered a set of rooms that made her breath catch.

There was a delightful warmth in the delicate tapestries that covered the walls and the thickly cushioned furniture that was built for comfort rather than to impress. A cascade of water spilled through a wide crack in the flagstone floor, lined by flowers with vivid blooms in shades from crimson to brilliant sapphire.