Hunt the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #11)(54)

The spell continued to crawl up the demon’s body, smudging his physical shape, inch by inch.

Could the spell be causing an interruption with his personal demon magic?

Sally didn’t know, and she didn’t care. All that mattered was the frustration that marred the pudgy face before the demon gave a lift of his hand and disappeared.

Chapter Thirteen

Uncertain if the demon was truly gone, or if he might suddenly reappear, Sally ran a frantic hand over Roke’s face, her breath ripped from her lungs at the feel of his icy skin.

He was always cool to the touch. Every vampire was. But not . . . frigid.

There was something seriously wrong with him.

“Roke.” She leaned down to whisper directly in his ear, terrifyingly certain he was slipping away from her. “Roke, can you hear me?”

“He’s fading.”

The sound of the low, musical male voice had her jerking her head to the side to discover a slender imp with emerald eyes and long hair the shade of newly minted copper.

He was dressed in a camouflage robe that blended with the nearby trees, and she never would have noticed him if he hadn’t spoken. A knowledge that did nothing to reassure her.

Still on her knees, she held up a warning hand, mentally preparing a spell of revulsion. It wouldn’t hurt the imp, but it might convince him to go away.

“Stay back.”

The stranger placed a hand over his heart, offering the traditional gesture of peace among the fey.

“I only wish to help,” he said, his face impossibly beautiful in the moonlight.

She licked her dry lips. They’d been running from the fey for what seemed like forever, but he didn’t act aggressive. After all, there was nothing to stop him from attacking her if that’s what he intended.

Of course, he might be trying to lure her into a sense of security to get his hands on the box.

“Who are you?” she asked, remaining on guard.

He surprisingly offered a low bow. “A loyal subject.”

“Subject?” she muttered in confusion.

He straightened, meeting her puzzled gaze. “You are a Chatri, aren’t you?”

A Chatri?

As in fey royalty?

A cold chill inched down her spine at the unexpected question.

It was the box.

It had to be.

“No.” She gave a violent shake of her head. “I’m just a witch.”

He looked instantly contrite. “Forgive me. I understand if you want to keep your identity a secret.”

Okay, this was going from weird to weirder.

If she hadn’t been desperate to help Roke, she’d be fleeing in the opposite direction.

Instead, she forced herself to glance at the vampire who remained unconscious on the ground.

“I just want to help my . . .” Her lips twisted as she said the word she’d been avoiding for the past month. “Mate.”

The imp sucked in a sharp breath. “You’re mated to a vampire?”

“Yes,” she admitted in impatient tones. “Can you help him?”

“May I approach?”

The imp waited for her to give a reluctant nod before gingerly crossing the ground with a grace that would match a vampire. He lowered himself to his knees, his fingers reaching to touch Roke’s ashen cheek.

Sally watched in silence as the imp closed his eyes and appeared to be assessing Roke’s injuries.

“What is it?” She at last broke the silence.

The imp opened his eyes, his expression troubled. “I can’t determine the precise poison, but it must be something specifically designed to harm vampires.”

Sally frowned. How could Roke have been . . . oh. Her hands clenched as she remembered the dart that the demon had shot at Roke.

At the time it’d seemed like nothing more than an irritant. Now it was obvious the demon had used it to administer the poison with the intention of keeping Roke distracted until it could go into effect.

He hadn’t counted on Sally’s spell to ruin his plans.

Bastard.

“Can you help him?”

The imp shook his head. “No.”

“Then who can?”

“Maybe the vampires.” The green eyes held a concern that was at odds with his calm voice. “Does he have a clan nearby?”

She had to remind herself to breathe. “No. Why?”

“He’s a chief. They can draw power from their clan.”

Oh. She didn’t know that. Chewing on her bottom lip she tried to calculate how far they were from Nevada.

“How long does he have?”

The imp grimaced. “Not long. I’d say no more than an hour. Maybe two.”

“Damn.” She tasted blood as her teeth sank into her lip, tears filling her eyes. Even if she drove like a bat out of hell she couldn’t reach his people. “It’s too far.”

A copper brow arched at choked words. “I’m an imp.”

Sally blinked. “Yeah, I got that.”

“I can create a portal to take you anywhere you want to go,” he said slowly, as if realizing she was having difficulty processing anything beyond her savage fear that she was going to fail Roke.

She held the green gaze. “Can you take me to Nevada?”

“Yes,” he agreed. “Although I can only travel to a place I’ve been to before.”