Bound By Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #8)(72)
Author: Alexandra Ivy

“Jaelyn.”

She sent him a warning frown. They didn’t have time to squabble over whether she was going to put herself in danger or not.

“Can you do it or not?”

“Yes,” he grudgingly conceded. “Just don’t …”

“Do anything stupid.” She finished for him, reaching up to steal a swift, possessive kiss. “Ditto.”

“Ditto?”

Stepping back, Jaelyn pointed toward the motionless Tearloch.

“Right now he’s your enemy, not your brother,” she reminded him. “Don’t let yourself be fooled into feeling pity for him.”

Ariyal grimaced, but there was a grim determination etched onto his beautiful face.

“I’ll do what I have to do.”

She felt his bleak regret as he leaped forward, his sword slashing through the air directly at Tearloch’s vulnerable throat.

Mindlessly Tearloch met the strike with his own sword, fighting back with an obvious skill.

Jaelyn forced herself to ignore the instinct to join in the battle and plunged into the surrounding fog. She demanded that Ariyal trust her ability to take care of herself. How could she offer him any less?

Even if leaving did suck.

Big time.

The ringing of steel on steel began to dim behind her as she moved steadily through the white landscape. Dammit. Where was the bastard?

She continued on for what felt like miles before a sudden prickle of energy rippled through the mists and she came to a sharp halt, her senses on full alert.

“Who’s there?” she demanded, her feet spread in a fighting stance. “Wizard? Show yourself.”

On cue Rafael stepped out of the fog, his robes flowing around his thin body and his bald head shimmering in the odd light.

“Welcome, vampire.” A sneer twisted the gaunt face. “I was hoping that it was Dante approaching, but I suppose you will suffice.”

“He’s already put you in your grave once,” she mocked, her tongue stroking down a massive fang. “It’s my turn.”

His thin lip twisted with a hatred that burned in his crimson eyes.

“I do not know what I dislike more, the sheer conceit of vampires, or females who do not know their proper place.”

Jaelyn made a sound of disgust.

A male chauvinistic pig.

Why wasn’t she surprised?

“Come closer and I’ll show you the proper place of my foot,” she promised sweetly. “A hint … it’s up your ass.”

His spiderlike fingers stroked the pendant hung around his skinny neck.

“You cannot defeat me. Not here.”

The suspicion that he wasn’t just blowing air out of his ass curdled in the pit of her stomach.

She could actually feel the force of his power throbbing in the air around him.

“And why is that?” she demanded, more in an effort to gain some time than any true interest.

If she couldn’t find some Achilles’ heel then she was in a shitload of trouble.

“In this place the power of the Dark Lord pumps through my veins.”

With a demented smile the wizard pulled back the sleeve of his robe and used a fingernail to slice through his brittle skin. Instantly a thick, gray sludge filled the wound; then slowly it dripped down his arm.

Jaelyn stepped back before she could halt the revealing movement.

She’d seen a lot of ewww things in her life, but that vile slime was right at the top of this list.

“God almighty,” she breathed. “You do know you’re insanely creepy, don’t you?”

His smile widened as he lifted his arm and licked the sludge off his skin, smacking his lips as she shuddered in horror.

“I shall enjoy making you scream.”

The jackass no doubt intended the taunt to rattle her further. Thankfully the familiar words only jerked her out of her mesmerized sense of horror.

She’d promised herself a long time ago that when she met her death it wouldn’t be with a damned whimper.

“Yeah, I get that a lot.”

“I am not at all surprised.” The wizard gave a casual flick of his hand. “The Sylvermyst must be desperate for a mate to have chosen you.”

Unable to sense the magical attack, Jaelyn was unprepared as the sensation of a fist slamming into her chin sent her flying backward.

“Damn,” she muttered, flowing to her feet and glaring at her opponent.

“Not quite so confident now, my dear?” he mocked.

She managed a grin despite her shattered jaw. She wasn’t going to give the bastard the satisfaction of seeing her pain.

“We can chitchat or we can fight.” She shrugged. “Your call.”

Anger rippled over his face as he lifted his hand once again, but this time Jaelyn was prepared. Even as he sent a blast of magic in her direction she was flowing to the side, kicking out to crack his ribs.

He hissed in shock, but with a movement faster than she would have believed possible he was turning to hit her with another explosion of power.

Jaelyn’s teeth rattled as she struggled to stay on her feet, the magic slicing a hundred tiny cuts in her skin as it blew past her.

The smile returned to the wizard’s lips. “Obviously the rumors of the near-mystical powers of the Hunter were grossly exaggerated.”

“You think?”

She flowed with blinding speed behind him, her claws raking deep wounds through his robes and into the flesh of his back.

“Bitch,” he snapped, barely seeming to notice the nasty gray sludge that oozed down his back. “This is my favorite robe.”

“Surely you must know that all vampires like to play with their prey before striking the killing blow?” she taunted.

He muttered a low word, and Jaelyn suddenly felt bands of air wrapping around her, holding her prisoner as surely as if they’d been made of steel.

“An odd way to play,” Rafael rasped, moving forward to wrap his fingers around her neck. “Unless you enjoy pain?”

Oh … shit.

This wasn’t going nearly as well as she’d hoped.

Actually, she was pretty sure that it couldn’t be going any worse.

“Even if you defeat me the vampires are gathered to halt you,” she ground out. “They will destroy the child rather than allow the return of the Dark Lord.”

“You mean that child?” With a smile the wizard glanced to the side, clearly capable of parting the mists with a mere thought. Not that she had time to admire his talent. Instead her last hope died as she caught sight of the baby nestled in the fog, its eyes wide open and watching her with an unnerving awareness. “If they stand in the Dark Lord’s path they will be destroyed,” he assured her, his nails digging in to her throat. “Just as you will be.”