When Darkness Comes (Guardians of Eternity #1)(73)

"What would you do if anything was possible?"

There was no hesitation. "Travel."

"Travel where?"

"Anywhere. Everywhere."

He paused at the road, sniffing the air until he caught the scent of the demon traveling away from the city.

"Very ambitious."

She snuggled closer, creating an aching heat that clenched the muscles of his thighs and an assortment of other pleasurable parts of his body.

"When I was little and my dad would come home in a drunken fury, I used to hide under my bed with an old globe that a teacher had given me," she murmured. "I would close my eyes and point at a spot, and then I'd imagine I was on a boat traveling there. In my mind I have been all over the world."

A sharp pain raced through him. This woman had been betrayed by those who should have protected and loved her. She had battled monsters in her own home and then been thrown into the world with no one to stand at her side.

But now that was all done.

She belonged to him.

He would devote his life, or even his death if necessary, to making sure she was never hurt or lonely or afraid again.

"Someday you will go," he swore softly. "I promise."

Her arms wrapped about his neck, almost as if she sensed his dark determination to do whatever necessary to keep her safe.

"We will go. After all, you owe me a honeymoon."

"Honeymoon. I like the sound of that." Without thinking, he reached out with his thoughts to gently stroke her face.

Her eyes widened in shock. "What did you just do?"

His lips twitched as he deliberately shifted his thoughts to cup her firm breast.

"You mean this?"

"I can feel you touch me. How can you do that?"

"You're my mate."

"But…" She gasped as he teased her nipple to a hard point. "Stop that."

'You don't like it?"

"Can I do that to you?"

"Not unless I take your blood."

Her gaze narrowed. 'That's not fair."

He chuckled as he bent to press a kiss to her lips.

"Life is never fair, lover."

"Tell me about it," she groused, her gaze scanning the darkness about them. "Are we following the trail of the demon?"

"For now."

She turned her head to regard him with a frown. 'You're worried."

He sniffed the air. The worrisome smell of blood had been growing stronger. Now the ground seemed to reek of it.

"The Shalott has been injured."

"Viper?" she demanded.

"He is on the trail of the wizard."

Her breath caught. 'The witches?"

"They may have punished her."

"Why?"

'You slipped through her clutches."

He slowly lowered her to her feet. A vague sense of menace was crawling over his skin. He couldn't yet pinpoint the source of unease, but he wanted to be able to strike swiftly.

Abby shifted close, no doubt feeling his own prickling alert. "You think she was sent to get me?"

"I think it's a possibility."

"Then why didn't she?"

Dante shrugged. At the moment all he could do was speculate.

"If she is in the power of the witches, it's not by choice. Shalott's are independent, fierce creatures, and she would struggle against her commands whenever she was able."

"Like you."

He smiled wryly. "'tfes."

There was a moment of silence before Abby shifted to stand directly before him.

"We must rescue her."

"A demon?" he demanded in surprise.

"She could have killed both of us. Or at the very least taken me away while you were unconscious. I think we owe her."

He allowed his hand to drift over her tumbled curls. "If it is possible, we will release her. First we must find her."

Viper allowed the man to drop to the ground and licked his fangs clean. He had no real taste for wizard-wannabes, but the guard had to be eliminated, and he hated to waste perfectly good blood.

Not that the man had been much of a guard. A smile twisted Viper's lips. Despite the small medallion that had proclaimed the man a disciple of the Prince, he had been no match for Viper's strength. The battle had done nothing more than whet his appetite.

With a flick of his hand, he used his powers to sink the inert body into the ground. The fresh blood that coursed through his body elevated his strength and stirred the dark predator within. He was on the hunt, and he would kill anything in his path.

Sliding through the graveyard, he entered the large crypt and easily found the entrance to the tunnels beneath. He paused to sniff the air.

He could smell humans. And a handful of lesser demons who were willing to serve mortals in exchange for protection. Nothing that could prove a danger to him.

Nothing beyond the wizard.

Melting among the shadows, he slowly traveled down the steps. Although he was always confident, Viper wasn't stupid. A vampire did not live as many centuries as he had by blundering into danger.

If the wizard was tapping into the power of the dark lord, he would be a formidable enemy. It would take as much cunning as skill to best him.