Bound By Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #8)(67)
Author: Alexandra Ivy

Styx lifted a broad shoulder. “He’s your mate.”

Her lips twisted. The vampires had sensed her mating with Ariyal the moment they’d approached the caves.

Which had only added to the tension.

“Yes, I know.”

The large vampire shifted his attention back to the silent Ariyal.

“Your loyalty now lies with the dark fairies.”

“You son of a bitch.”

She barely had time to place herself between her mate and certain death, slamming her hands against his chest to hold him in place.

“Ariyal, please.”

“He can say whatever he wants about me.”

“Thank you,” Styx drawled.

Annoying SOB.

“Shut up, leech,” Ariyal snarled, his gaze never leaving Jaelyn’s pleading expression. “But he’s not allowed to insult your honor.”

Her heart melted, even as she wanted to slug him for his stubbornness.

No one had ever defended her honor before.

No one.

“There’s no insult in wanting to know if I’m about to be led into a trap,” Styx said without apology.

Ariyal placed his arm around Jaelyn’s shoulders and tucked her close to his side.

“If you thought it was a trap then why the hell did you come?”

“When the Hunter approached me she hadn’t yet bound herself to our enemy.”

“Oh, for Christ’s sake,” Jaelyn snapped. “He’s not our enemy. We all want the same thing.”

“Do we?” Styx demanded, his power brushing over her as if seeking the truth of her heart.

“Yes.”

There was a short, tense silence as the Anasso continued to study her; then with a smooth lift of his hand he gestured for his vampires to step back.

“You have fifteen minutes.”

Jaelyn’s rush of relief was cut short by Ariyal’s typical male reaction.

“You may be King of the Vampires, but you’re—”

“Ariyal.” She stepped directly in front of her mate, framing his face in her hands. “If we haven’t convinced them to join us in fifteen minutes then we’ll already be captured or dead.”

Simple and straight to the point.

For once, it worked.

Hallelujah.

Clenching his jaw, he forced himself to draw in a calming breath and speak to the Anasso in a voice that wasn’t deliberately intended to provoke the vampire.

“What’s your plan?”

Styx slid his sword into the scabbard that ran the length of his back, his own expression altering to one of commanding efficiency.

“I have three Ravens performing sweeps through a five-mile perimeter to make sure nothing is allowed to sneak up on us.”

Ariyal tilted back his head, testing the air. “I smell Were.”

Styx lifted a brow, as if caught off guard by Ariyal’s ability to detect the distant scent.

“Salvatore is in the area searching for the curs who attacked you,” he admitted.

Ariyal wasn’t pleased. “Will he be joining us in the caves?”

“Not unless absolutely necessary.” Styx smiled without humor. “He was trapped down there not long ago. He’s in no hurry to repeat the performance.”

Jaelyn briefly wondered if the Were was responsible for the damage in the lower levels. Well, the initial damage. Ariyal had done his own share.

Then she was struck by a sudden thought.

“Did you warn him that the cur is a magic-user?” Styx nodded. “Yes, as well as the fact he’s traveling with what we suspect is a vampire that has unusual talents.”

Jaelyn very much wondered about the strange vampire and exactly what Styx was hiding, but before she could press for an answer Ariyal was speaking.

“You might also warn him that Sergei is still lurking around, along with that damned gargoyle.”

There was a rustle from the trees that lined the nearby graveyard before the unmistakable scent of granite wafted on the air.

“Hey,” Levet protested, waddling forward with a wounded expression. “I just rescued you from a fate worse than death.”

“You rescued me?” Ariyal made a sound of disgust. “Don’t you have that backwards?”

“Oh.” Levet blinked, coming to a halt next to Jaelyn. “Do I?”

Ignoring the rueful amusement of the vampires, Ariyal glared at the tiny demon.

“Where’s the mage?”

Levet cleared his throat, his tail twitching. “He might have escaped.”

“Might have?”

“Very well, he escaped.” Levet’s wings fluttered in a shimmer of color. “Is that what you desired to hear?”

“No, it’s damned well not what I wanted to hear.” Ariyal looked as if he could happily have turned the gargoyle into a teeny pile of rubble. “I specifically told you to keep an eye on him.”

“I could hardly keep an eye on him when it was daylight, could I? Gargoyles have needs.” With an offended sniff, Levet turned to offer Jaelyn a charming smile. “Ah, ma enfant, I see that you are unharmed. I was so concerned.”

“Not now, Levet,” Styx growled.

Levet blew a raspberry toward the towering vampire, but with an impatient curse Ariyal leaned down to grab the gargoyle by the horn and turn him back to meet his fierce glare.

“Did you try to track the mage?”

“Of course I did.”

“And?”

“And he must have an amulet to mask his scent.”

Ariyal hissed in frustration. “So you have no idea where he went?”

Levet wisely stepped out of reach of the Sylvermyst, waving a hand toward the entrance to the caves.

“His footsteps led in this direction.”

“Shit.” Ariyal sprinted toward the caves. “The baby.”

“Wait.” Styx muttered a curse when Ariyal ignored his command. “Fifteen minutes, Sylvermyst.”

Jaelyn was swiftly following Ariyal as he darted into the caverns and headed down the nearest tunnel. She understood his concern. If the mage actually managed to get his greedy hands on the child and escape they might never track him down.

At least not until it was too late.

And if he screwed up and got caught then the wizard and Tearloch would be on guard, making it almost impossible to locate Ariyal’s tribesmen without attracting unwanted attention.

They had reached the lower levels of the caverns when Ariyal came to a sudden halt, turning to face her.

Jaelyn frowned, her senses on full alert. “What is it? Do you sense something?”