Darkness Revealed (Guardians of Eternity #4)(28)
Author: Alexandra Ivy

Her hands fluttered before at last landing on his chest, the heat of her palms searing easily through Cezar’s shirt.

“Wait,” she breathed, her husky voice revealing that she was far from indifferent to his touch. He shifted to nuzzle the tender spot just below her ear. She gave a shaky sigh before she was determinedly arching from his touch. “Cezar, wait.”

He growled, his body twitching at her abrupt retreat. He could taste the desire that ran through her body. Why was she so damned determined to deny it?

“I’ve told you that I was forced to leave, that I would never have gone willingly.”

“But you haven’t explained why you came back.”

He eased away, his aching lust replaced by a sudden wariness. As much as he desired this woman, he wouldn’t risk allowing her to discover more than the Oracles had allowed him to reveal.

They were more dangerous than Morgana le Fay on her most evil day.

“What do you mean?” He kept his voice light.

Her eyes narrowed. “You deliberately lured me to Chicago. I want to know why.”

With a timing that was straight from the gods, Cezar heard the distant sound of an engine. Turning away from her far too intelligent gaze, he moved back to the mouth of the tunnel.

“Our ride has arrived,” he murmured.

He heard her low, impatient sound, but with grudging steps she moved to join him, peering through the branches that hid the tunnel from prying eyes.

“How do you know it’s our ride?” she demanded, her gaze searching the darkness that shrouded the wooded area.

“This road is part of Styx’s estate. Any traffic must be admitted through the front gates.” He smiled wryly as he recognized the soft, yet powerful purr of the approaching car. “Besides, only Viper would choose a Rolls-Royce Phantom for a rescue mission.”

“Who’s Viper?”

“A brother.”

“You mean a vampire?”

“Yes.” He lifted his brows. “Is that a problem?”

“Not so long as he understands I’m not dinner.”

The vision of another vampire wrapping his arms around this woman while his fangs sank deep into her flesh seared briefly through Cezar’s mind before he grimly forced it away. His control was precarious at best right now and thoughts like that were custom designed to make him feral.

“You don’t have to worry. Viper won’t so much as lay a finger on you.”

Something in his voice had her regarding him with a searching gaze. “How can you be so certain?”

“For one thing he is already mated, and for another, I would kill him.”

He didn’t miss her soft gasp. “Even though he’s your brother?”

There was no hesitation. “Yes.”

A silence descended as she absorbed his stark words. Then, sucking in a deep breath, she deftly turned the conversation to safer waters.

“Where is he taking us?”

Cezar watched as the Rolls slid to a smooth halt directly before the tunnel. Reaching out, he knocked aside the branches, searching with his senses to make sure that nothing lurked in the darkness.

“Viper has a number of establishments spread throughout Chicago, most of them possessing more security than the Pentagon.”

“Enough security to keep out Morgana le Fay?” she demanded with a shiver.

Taking her hand, Cezar led Anna toward the waiting car, debating whether to offer comfort or truth.

At last he settled on truth.

She possessed a pesky aversion to lies, even when they were for her own good.

“I’m not certain.” He shrugged. “It will at least give us time to consider our options.”

“What options…” Her words came to a halt at the same time as her feet. For a moment, Cezar thought that they must be under attack. Then, with a grimace, he realized her wide gaze was trained on the silver-haired vampire that was uncurling from the car. Damn. He should have prepared the poor woman. There had never been a female who hadn’t gone a bit breathless at the sight of the magnificent demon. “Holy cow. He’s…he’s…”

“Taken,” Cezar growled, unable to control the need to lean down to steal a kiss that was pure possession. Only when he felt her melt against him did he at last lift his head and regard the vampire he had called friend for centuries. “Viper, thank you for coming.”

Viper gave a small bow, his long silver hair glowing in the moonlight and his perfect features softened by the shadows.

“You have only to ask,” he said, his dark gaze shifting toward the silent woman at Cezar’s side. “And this is Anna?”

Cezar nodded. “Anna Randal.”

Viper allowed his gaze to stroke over the speechless woman at Cezar’s side.

“She’s beautiful.”

“Yes, she is.” Cezar’s voice was cold as he slipped a jealous arm around her shoulders. Even knowing his friend was well and truly mated couldn’t halt his instinctive need to mark Anna as his own. “I think we should go, before the Adar catches our scent.”

A small, knowing smile twitched at Viper’s lips. “Of course.”

Cezar waited for the vampire to slide behind the wheel before he bundled Anna into the backseat and settled himself next to her, his arms tugging her close. Within moments they were speeding out of the estate and heading toward the south of the city.

Leaving the elegant neighborhood behind at a speed that would curl Jeff Gordon’s hair, Viper glanced briefly over his shoulder.

“I don’t mean to pry, Cezar, but if I’m to find the best place to stash your companion then I need to know what I’m hiding her from.”

“Morgana le Fay.”

Viper’s attention returned to the road as he squealed around a corner, choosing the narrow side streets that were empty of traffic.

“Anna’s a fairy?” he demanded, a faint hint of surprise in his voice.

Like any vampire he was accustomed to his senses giving him precise details of the living creatures that surrounded him. Most vampires could even read the souls of others, always presuming the creature possessed a soul.

“We’re still searching for her heritage, although we suspect there’s a connection between the two,” he said carefully, shielding his mind so that the vampire wouldn’t suspect there was more to his interest in Anna than the obvious desire that was impossible to hide. He couldn’t risk Viper suspecting any connection to the Commission.

A beat passed before Viper flashed another curious glance over his shoulder.