Bound By Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #8)(54)
Author: Alexandra Ivy

“Hold on,” Ariyal commanded. “What are you doing?”

“We need an escape tunnel.” Levet pointed toward the far wall. “Violà. I shall create one.”

“No.” Ariyal shuddered at the mere thought of being trapped in the enclosed space while Levet created havoc.

“Just because you are impotent does not mean that I am,” the gargoyle informed him with a sly smile. “Indeed, my magic is formidable.”

“What you are is a walking disaster and I don’t want you collapsing a ton of rocks on my head,” Ariyal snapped.

On cue a large rock tumbled from the ceiling, forcing the two of them to leap back or be smashed in the head.

“Hey!” Levet yelped.

“Dammit, gargoyle.”

“That was not me.”

Ariyal glared at his companion as another rock crashed onto the floor.

“Levet, I’m warning you …”

Levet lifted his hands. “I swear.”

The words had barely left his lips when a male voice echoed through the air.

“Stand back, you fools.”

Ariyal hissed. He recognized that voice.

“Sergei?” He glanced around the gloomy cavern. “Where the hell are you?”

“I’m in a cave just above you,” the mage spoke through the hole he’d made in the floor. “I have a spell that will provide a large enough opening for you and the gargoyle to escape.”

Ariyal had promised himself that the next time he crossed paths with the mage he would fulfill his fantasy of slicing off the bastard’s head and using it to decorate his lair.

It didn’t improve his foul temper that he had to put his pledge on the back burner.

“Then do it.”

“Not until you’ve agreed to my price for your freedom.”

Ariyal rolled his eyes. He hadn’t expected the damned magic-user to actually free them.

This had to be yet another trap.

“Price?”

“You don’t think I’m going to rescue you out of the goodness of my heart, do you, Sylvermyst?” Sergei mocked.

“What if I promise not to rip out your intestines and use them as fertilizer?” he offered, ignoring Levet’s glare.

Did the tiny pest think that they could convince the mage to release them with sweet words and flattery?

“Charming,” Sergei snapped. “Did you learn your bartering skills from Morgana le Fay?”

Ariyal clenched his fists at the deliberate taunt. Oh yes. That head was absolutely going to be mounted over his fireplace.

“Just get us the hell out of here.”

“Only after you swear you will take us out of these cursed caves with a portal.”

“Dammit, how many times do I have to say this? There’s too much lead… .”

“Only in this section of the caverns,” the mage interrupted. “This particular cave was obviously built to hold fey as prisoners.”

“Obviously,” Ariyal said dryly, wondering what game the mage was playing. “Lead, however, doesn’t keep a wizard from escaping if he wanted. Why do you need me?”

“Mage,” Sergei corrected, his voice thick with anger at the apparent insult. “And it isn’t lead that is keeping me here.”

“Then what is?”

There was a tense silence, as if Sergei was considering how much to reveal.

“When I got sucked through Tearloch’s portal I was dropped not far from here,” he finally rasped, a tiny shower of rocks warning his control over his magic wasn’t entirely perfect. “I’ve managed to keep myself hidden, but I’m not stupid. I know the moment I try to escape my presence will be noticed. I won’t make it out without help.”

“And you’re willing to leave behind the babe?” he demanded in suspicion. “I thought you were dead without it to offer you protection?”

“I have no choice.”

Ariyal’s humorless laugh bounced off the walls of the cavern.

“That didn’t stop you before. You nearly killed us all with your idiotic attempt to keep Tearloch from escaping from London. Tell me why you’re willing to risk leaving it behind now.”

The mage swore in Russian before reluctantly giving into Ariyal’s demands.

“Fine, I’ve used most of my powers just to keep myself hidden. Until I manage to rest and eat a decent meal I’m as helpless as a baby.”

Ariyal paused.

He didn’t possess Jaelyn’s ability to sense lies, but he could hear the throb of fear in Sergei’s voice.

A man didn’t fake that.

Not a man with Sergei’s enormous pride.

“I agree to your bargain.”

There was another pause. Clearly Ariyal wasn’t the only one with trust issues.

“Do I have your word?”

“For what it’s worth.”

“Actually I think it will be worth a great deal.” The mage struggled to bolster his flagging arrogance, perhaps sensing he’d revealed more than he intended. “I just happen to have information about a certain vampire that I will be willing to share once we’re safely clear of these caves.”

“Jaelyn?” His power blasted through the room as he glared at the ceiling of the cavern. Was this yet another trick? “Dammit. Tell me what you know.”

“Now, now, Ariyal,” the bastard drawled. “You give me what I want and I’ll give you what you want. Fair trade.”

“Someday very, very soon I’m going to kill that son of a bitch,” Ariyal swore.

Chapter 16

The dreams came again.

But this time Jaelyn wasn’t in the Addonexus training facility.

Not that the dungeons of the slave-auction house on the outskirts of Chicago were any better.

She stood in the middle of a barren cell, the air thick with the stench of trolls and her skin still scorched from the silver manacles that had been removed while she’d been unconscious. But despite her discomfort, she felt a stab of satisfaction as she paced toward the silver bars and glanced down the narrow path that ran past the numerous cells to the thick door at the far end of the cavernous room.

This was her first job as a full-fledged Hunter and she’d been anxious to prove she was worthy of her Ruah’s trust.

Of course she hadn’t expected to be asked to play the role of a vampire whore in the hopes of discovering what idiot possessed the cojones to kidnap vampires in the middle of a crowded brothel. Or for it to take nearly three weeks of prowling the local demon dives before she’d at last hit pay dirt.