Hunt the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #11)(65)

The temperature dropped as Roke released his powers, the earth shaking beneath Sally’s feet as the section of the ceiling abruptly collapsed to block the opening.

Blessed goddess.

Sally coughed at the cloud of dust as Levet gave a squeak of alarm. Roke, however, calmly inspected his handiwork before turning to join them.

“That should keep them out,” he said, his eyes shimmering with a breathtaking silver glow as Levet abruptly formed a small ball of magical light.

“Where are we going?” Sally demanded, allowing Roke to lead them toward a fork in the passageway and down a path that looked like it’d been abandoned for years.

“This leads to the older mines,” he explained, his voice distracted as his gaze searched the darkness for unseen enemies. “There are a hundred tunnels; they can’t guard them all.”

It wasn’t actually a plan, but Sally didn’t have any better solution, so tugging the blanket up to her knees, she followed his swift pace. She was eager to put as much space between her and the approaching vampires as possible.

She wasn’t going back in that cell.

Period.

Levet brought up the rear, his light bouncing off the jagged walls of the tunnel, and his low grumbles providing a welcome distraction for Sally.

Roke didn’t seem nearly as appreciative, occasionally tossing a dark glower over his shoulder. Thankfully for the health of the tiny gargoyle, the tunnel began to angle upward, branching into a dozen smaller passages that demanded Roke’s full attention.

Nearly half an hour later they reached the mouth of the mine, stepping into a wooden building filled with long-forgotten mining equipment.

“Wait here,” Roke muttered, silently gliding across the floor to peer out a busted window.

“Well?” Sally prompted when his hands clenched in obvious frustration.

“They’re spreading out,” he admitted, turning to meet her anxious gaze. “We’re going to have to make a run for it.”

Her mouth went dry, her palms damp at the very real fear they were trapped.

“I can’t outrun vampires.”

Slowly he moved toward her, holding her gaze. “I can.”

“But . . .” Her words ended in a gasp as he reached down to scoop her off her feet, cradling her against his chest. She instinctively pressed a hand against his chest as the other kept the blanket in place. “No.”

His dark face was unreadable, but she could feel the urgency that thundered through his body.

“Sally, let me help you. I . . .” He struggled to speak, his regret at having failed her a tangible force. “I need this.”

Levet scurried toward the open door, his tail whipping around his feet in agitation.

“They are coming.”

Roke held her gaze. “Sally?”

“Fine.” She gave a jerky nod, a rising panic making it difficult to breathe. “Let’s get this over with.”

His arms tightened, his expression warning of dire consequences for anyone stupid enough to try to stand in his path. Then, gesturing for Levet to go first, they headed out of the shack at a speed that made her eyes water.

Wrapping her arms around Roke’s neck, she glanced over his shoulder.

Oh . . . crap.

As fast as Roke might be, he was weakened and forced to carry her while his clansmen were obviously fresh as freaking daisies.

“They’re gaining on us,” she forced past the lump in her throat.

Roke’s pace never slowed, but his head turned toward Levet who had taken to the air to keep up.

“Gargoyle, if you have any magic, now is the time to use it,” he growled.

“Oui.”

Turning midflight, Levet pointed his finger toward the pursuing vampires, muttering a spell in an ancient language. The air prickled with a surge of magic, making sparks twirl around the gargoyle’s hand before it was shooting straight toward the vampires.

Peering over Roke’s shoulders, Sally prayed for the desert floor to split open to consume the pursuers. Or at least for a massive explosion that would slow them down.

Instead, what she got was a sputtering shower of sparks that was about as lethal as a firecracker.

“That’s it?” Roke rasped in disbelief.

“It is more than you can do,” Levet muttered in sullen tones.

“Shit.” Coming to a halt, Roke lowered Sally to her feet and stepped in front of her.

Sally pressed a hand to her thundering heart, sweat trickling down her spine despite the chill in the air. There were few things more frightening than watching a half-dozen vampires circle her.

But while she could literally taste the fear racing through her, she fiercely refused to panic.

Not this time.

Grimly, she focused her surge of emotions on the magic that bubbled deep inside her.

She wasn’t going to be taken without a fight.

Thankfully ignoring her, the tiny blond-haired vampire strolled toward Roke, her gaze flicking toward Levet with blatant disdain.

“I wondered how you escaped your lair.”

Roke folded his arms over his chest, his silver eyes slowly meeting the gaze of a nearby clansman, waiting for him to lower his head in a sign of submission before moving to the next. He continued the process until each of them had silently conceded his alpha status before shifting his attention to the woman who refused to back down.