Darkness Everlasting (Guardians of Eternity #3)(25)
Author: Alexandra Ivy

"She should not remain."

Darcy bristled even as Styx’s fingers tightened around her own. "You have used your senses to touch her soul, have you not?" he demanded.

Darcy frowned. Touched her soul? Well, that didn’t sound good.

"Yes," Viper admitted in a grudging tone.

"Then go," Styx commanded.

Viper gave an annoyed shake of his head. "If you get yourself staked I’m going to be pissed."

A small smile touched Styx’s mouth. "I’ll keep that in mind."

Muttering beneath his breath, Viper turned to cross the room, pausing at the door to glare over his shoulder at Darcy.

"If he is harmed there is no place where you can hide. Not even death will keep you from my wrath," he warned before stepping over the threshold and slamming the door behind him.

Darcy shivered. It was a threat she took seriously. Hard not to when he had so deliberately flashed his fangs.

She cleared the lump from her throat. "He is very protective."

"We go back a few years."

"How many years?"

"Almost two thousand, give or take a few decades."

Her attention whipped back to Styx’s harshly beautiful features.

"Gripes."

"You did ask," he said wryly, giving a small hiss of pain as he attempted to scoot higher on the mound of pillows.

She pressed a hand to his shoulder, her brow furrowed with concern. "Don’t move."

"Then come closer." He gave a firm, relentless tug on her hand. "I need to feel your heat."

Darcy wavered. It couldn’t be a good idea to snuggle with a vampire. Any vampire. And most especially one that made her entire body tremble with awareness.

On the other hand, she had always been a sucker for any creature that was weak and injured.

And for all his attempts to appear his usual arrogant self, there was no mistaking the pain that tightened his features and the weakness that plagued his splendid body.

With a sigh at her own stupidity, she carefully scooted farther onto the soft mattress and stretched out next to his much larger form.

She swallowed another sigh. This time at the startling pleasure as his arms curved gently around her and pressed her tightly to his chest.

"Is that better?" she demanded, unable to stop herself from breathing deeply of his exotic male scent.

She couldn’t even remember why she shouldn’t.

Minimum.

"Much better," he whispered, his lips brushing over her temple.

Oh. Her heart nearly halted.

He needed to stop that.

"Viper said you were attacked by Weres?" she managed to croak.

His arms tightened. "They simply took advantage of my presence near their lair."

"Why were you near their lair?"

Styx stilled at her question. As if he was forced to consider his answer.

"I intended to punish him for trespassing on my territory," he at last confessed in a cold tone.

Darcy tilted back her head to regard him in shock. "You knew he was here?"

"I could smell him on you."

She grimaced, resisting the urge to sniff at her skin. She had never been a stinky sort of person, but being surrounded by uber-noses was making her downright paranoid.

"Oh."

The dark eyes flashed with something dangerous. "Why did you not tell me he had approached you?"

"Because I knew you would seek him out and try to punish him." She met his glare with steady determination. "I won’t be responsible for bloodshed, even if it’s not my own."

His annoyance wavered at her simple explanation. "I suppose it’s bad for your karma?"

"Very bad."

His lips thinned as if he was battling the urge to smile. "What did he say to you?"

"That he intends to rescue me from your evil clutches," she retorted without thinking. Not until his arms tightened about her to the point of pain. She didn’t know if it was the thought of Salvatore plotting to rescue her or the bit about his evil clutches that had caused him to tighten his grip, but whichever it was that grip was enough to make her gasp. "Um, Styx, I’m human enough to need to breathe."

"Sorry." The arms instantly loosened their grip, but only slightly. "Did he tell you how he intends to rescue you?"

"No. Just that I should expect a message from him."

"And what of his reason for desiring you?"

"He said that he couldn’t tell me because you would kill me if you discovered the truth."

"He claimed that I would kill you? The bastard." He struggled to sit up, no doubt prepared to leap from the bed and seek out the Were. An obvious mistake, for he gave a sharp gasp and collapsed back on the bed. "Damn …"

Worried that Styx had further injured himself. Darcy propped herself on her elbow and peered down at him with concern.

"What can I do to help? I know of any number of herbs that will ease your pain."

His harsh features miraculously softened as he leached up to touch her cheek.

It never failed to amaze her that such a large, formidable man could be so gentle.

"I fear herbs have no effect on vampires."

She grimaced as she realized how ridiculous her offer had been. "No, I don’t suppose they would. You need blood."

He slowly nodded, pain still etched around his eyes. "Yes."

Darcy sucked in a deep breath, not giving herself time to consider the dangerous thought that popped into her mind.

If she did, she would no doubt bolt from the room and never look back.

"Is fresh blood better than the bottled?"

His expression was wary as he cupped her cheek. "It is better, but not necessary. I will heal."

"But you would heal faster with fresh blood?"

He gave a sharp hiss. "Angel…"

"Would you?" she pressed.

"Do not offer, Darcy." He closed his eyes as a shudder wracked his body. "You do not truly want this, but I am far too weak to resist temptation."

"You are not allowed to tell me what I truly want," she protested, although she couldn’t deny there was some truth in his words.

It wasn’t that she feared he would hurt her by taking blood. Heck, what was a little pain for a good cause? Instead, she remembered all too clearly just how pleasurable it could be.

And she had to accept that there was a deep, dark longing inside her that wanted to feel that pleasure again.

His eyes slowly opened as his lips curled in a weak smile. "Forgive me. I do not mean to offend your feminist heart, but there is no need for you to make such a sacrifice. I will send one of the Ravens for blood."