When Darkness Comes (Guardians of Eternity #1)(59)

Still, there was a barely tamed danger glowing in the slanted golden eyes and a tension in the coiled body that made her seem…

Deadly.

Covertly Abby cast a glance to the side, her heart faltering as she caught sight of Dante lying on the floor, Ms eyes closed.

Shit.

She didn't know what the creature had done to Dante, but if she was strong enough to knock out a vampire, what chance did a puny mortal stand in overcoming the intruder?

Not a chance in hell.

Her only hope of saving Dante seemed to be in talking her way out of danger. A frightening prospect.

Ignoring the instinct to rush to Dante's side, Abby sternly concentrated upon the woman before her. It had to be a good thing she hadn't already finished what she started.

Didn't it?

Careful to make no sudden movements, she sucked in a deep breath.

"Who are you?"

The golden eyes narrowed. 'You must stop."

"Stop? Stop what?"

The spell. It is dangerous."

Abby licked her dry lips, relieved to note that the wrenching pain that had been destroying her was starting to ease.

"Dangerous to whom?"

"Yovar mate, for one."

Mate? It took a moment for Abby to figure out she was referring to Dante. Her eyes widened in horror as her gaze flew to the still-unconscious vampire "I did that?"

"The spell…" Without warning, the woman threw back her head and growled low in her throat. Abby stiffened as she watched the creature lift a hand to claw at her neck. Almost as if she was battling some unseen enemy.

Abby scooted forward with a frown, her hand reaching out. "Are you hurt?"

The woman hissed at her. She actually hissed. Just like a cat.

"Do not touch me."

Abby's hand wisely dropped, but her gaze remained upon the claw marks the woman had made on her neck.

'You're bleeding."

"They demand my return. I can't…"

There was another growl, and then with a blur of motion, the creature was on her feet and bounding down the hall. She disappeared into the darkness before Abby could open her lips to call out.

Well, that was creepy.

For a moment Abby remained frozen in place. She had seen enough horror shows to know that just because a beastie had left the room didn't mean it wasn't still lurking in the shadows.

When nothing lunged out with a butcher knife or breathed fire from the doorway, she awkwardly crawled to lean over Dante's horribly still body.

"Dante?" With great care she gently cradled his head in her lap, her hands frantically stroking his beautiful face. "Dante… Oh God, please wake up."

He didn't move. Didn't so much as twitch for what seemed an eternity. She called, she pleaded, and she even prayed. Panic was rearing its ugly head when his lashes at last lifted to reveal dazed silver eyes.

"Abby?" His silken voice was oddly husky. "What happened?"

Ridiculously she felt tears trickle down her cheeks even as she laughed in relief.

She hadn't killed him.

Thank the gods above.

'You're asking me?" she rasped. "I haven't had a clue what's going on since this madness started. One minute you were at my side and the next you were on the floor."

His brows drew together as he silently attempted to piece together his fractured thoughts.

'The spell," he at last breathed. "It was ripping me apart."

Abby grimaced. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what I was doing."

A faint smile touched his lips. "It doesn't matter. We need to get somewhere safe until I can recover my strength."

Abby was all for that. Especially when that strange woman might pop out of the woodwork at any moment. A story for Dante when he wasn't lying near death from her stupid attempt at abracadabra.

"Can you move?"

He closed his eyes to assess his injuries, "If you can help me to my feet."

Abby bit her lip as she slipped a hand beneath his shoulder and helped him struggle upright. If Dante actually lowered his testosterone enough to ask for help, it had to be bad.

He swayed heavily against her, and Abby battled to keep him upright.

"We'll never make it to the car," she said. "We should call Viper."

"No. If you can help me down to the basement, I can recover In my lair."

Abby gave a blink of surprise as she automatically led him toward the nearby servant's staircase.

"You have a lair?"

"Of course. A vampire needs more than tinted windows and a soft bed to feel comfortable."

"Oh." Abby felt incredibly stupid. Until this moment, she had never considered the fact that Dante had walked freely about the house during the day.

Reaching the stairs, she helped him grasp the railing and together they began the downward trek.

"Oh, what?" he demanded, his jaw locked to combat his obvious pain.

"I just realized that when I worked here, you were always awake during the day. The tinted windows protected you?"

He managed a strained smile. "As long as I didn't stand directly in front of the window."

Breathing hard, she pressed her hand to his chest to make sure he didn't tumble forward.

"Aren't vampires creatures of the night?"