Taken By Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #7.25)(16)

Whispering the words of power, she sent the illusion spreading outward, touching the minds of the captives.

Engrossed with her spell, Juliet failed to notice the startled cries, and even the sudden pounding of footsteps. It was not until Victor snatched her into his arms and pressed her painfully against the wall of the tunnel that she realized she had very nearly been trampled by the fleeing prisoners.

“Damn,” Victor snarled, keeping her wrapped tightly in his arms even after the last of the terrified humans had disappeared down the tunnel.

“It worked,” she breathed, astonishment blending with relief as she sensed the prisoners continuing their frantic flight through the tunnels.

“Too bloody well,” Victor growled next to her ear.

“What do you mean?”

“The escaping prisoners have attracted precisely the attention we hoped to avoid.”

Shaking off the fog of her spell, Juliet stiffened as a violent wave of fury pulsed through the tunnel. Dear God. Something was charging toward them. And she did not have to be a full-blooded demon to know it intended harm.

Profound, agonizing harm.

The thought barely flared through her mind when Victor scooped her off her feet and was bolting across the cavern to a narrow tunnel that Juliet hadn’t noticed until that moment.

“Victor,” she breathed, fear crawling over her skin.

“Just hold on, little one.”

She did. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she unashamedly clung to him, knowing that without Victor she would still be stumbling across the cavern. Few things could match a vampire for speed.

Well, few things except for the creature chasing them, she realized with a stab of regret.

No matter how swiftly Victor sped through the tunnels, or how often he darted into side corridors, the menacing pursuer continued to grow closer.

“We will never be able to outrun it,” she at last muttered.

“I fear you are right.” Coming to a grudging halt, Victor placed her on her feet, his beautiful features grim. “It appears we must fight.”

Juliet gave a sharp shake of her head. “No.”

“No?”

“This is not your battle,” she said, unconsciously pressing her hands to his chest. “You can escape. I will distract—”

He muttered an incoherent curse before grabbing her face and kissing her with a combination of frustration and yearning need.

“I will not leave you,” he husked against her mouth. “I will never leave you.”

“Victor—”

With a firm motion he thrust her back and turned to place himself between her and the approaching danger.

“Stay behind me.”

She smacked him in the middle of the back, as aggravated with herself as with the stubborn vampire.

It was not that she regretted her decision to rescue Levet. Even if it meant facing her own death. She was done with hiding from the world. But she had not considered the unfortunate consequence that her decision would endanger Victor.

But then, why would she?

She had always known the Marquis DeRosa desired her in his bed, but it had never occurred to her that he would involve himself in her mad quest. He had not survived for so long by being reckless.

Now the thought that he might be hurt or even…

No, she could not even bear to imagine such a cruel fate.

“Damn you.”

“I was damned several centuries ago,” he assured her smoothly. “Let us hope it is enough to convince the Jinn to seek easier prey.”

Juliet sucked in a startled breath, instantly distracted by his words.

“Jinn? Are you certain?”

“Regrettably.”

“I thought they were a myth.”

He shrugged, still turned to face the oncoming danger.

“The Commission has sought to keep them from mingling among the humans,” he said, referring to the ruling council among the demon world. “But they occasionally flout the restrictions placed upon them and create chaos among the masses. Which explains why the wood sprites have gone into hiding.”

Juliet unconsciously clutched her mother’s amulet, a sensation of dread creeping down her spine.

“Lovely. How do we defeat it?”

“We don’t,” he managed to mutter before a dark shape abruptly lunged from the shadows.

Even though she was prepared, a scream was wrenched from Juliet’s throat as the creature launched itself forward. Although it had taken the form of a human there was nothing reassuring about the beast. In fact, there was something highly unnerving about the delicately carved features and thick mane of golden blond hair that gave the Jinn its luminous beauty, when combined with the malignant lust for pain glowing in the large, lavender eyes.

Venomous beauty.

Clutching her mother’s amulet in her hand, Juliet futilely wracked her brain for a spell. Not that she possessed the power to actually harm the Jinn, but she might be able to distract him long enough—

There was an unholy roar and Victor launched forward, his fangs fully extended and his frigid power blasting through the air.

Juliet instinctively stumbled backward, wise enough to give the two ferocious predators plenty of space. It was a common tragedy for harmless humans or lesser demons to be crushed when caught between more powerful species. Besides, she needed room to draw her circle if she was struck by sudden inspiration.