Fear the Darkness

What they needed was something to tip the balance.

No, not something.

Someone.

Caine’s warm, musky scent at last penetrated the white shrouding her mind, his lips brushing her ear as he tried to bring her back.

“Cassie.” His fingers combed through her hair, his voice thick with concern. “Cassie, can you hear me?”

She leaned against his chest, smelling the wolf still clinging to his naked skin. He’d shifted back to human, but his beast was straining at the leash, maddened by his inability to reach her.

With an effort, she managed to force her eyes open, finding Caine kneeling beside her, his expression tight with concern.

“Levet,” she managed to croak.

He scowled. “What?”

She shuddered as the sounds and smells of the raging battle came crashing back. It was close. Close enough she could taste the blood in the air.

Clinging to Caine, she squashed the panic threatening to overwhelm her.

“We need Levet.”

Caine gave a puzzled shake of his head. “The gargoyle?”

“Yes.”

“Did you hit your head when you fell?”

She made a sound of impatience that was lost among the screams. “I had a vision.”

Caine parted his lips, but before he could speak the body of a cur flew over their heads, slamming into the wall with a sickening thud.

“Shit,” he muttered, tugging her as far away from the carnage as was possible in the cramped space.

She reached up to grab his face, knowing with absolute certainty that she held the fate of the world in her hands.

“Keep them away long enough for me to try and reach him.”

“Reach Levet?” he muttered, still clearly baffled by her insistence that they needed the tiny demon.

“It’s imperative, Caine.”

“Fine.” He glanced around the gory melee, turning back with a helpless frown. “How? With this much power a cell phone will never work.”

She’d already figured that one out. Which meant she only had one option.

“An act of desperation,” she admitted wryly.

He studied her for a long moment, and then with that absolute belief in her that never failed to melt her heart, he leaned forward to brush her lips in a tender kiss.

“That works for me.”

Love spilled through her as she wondered what magical fate had ever brought this Were into her life.

“Be careful,” she commanded, her voice gruff with worry.

“Always.”

He stole another kiss before stepping back and shifting.

Cassie closed her eyes as he launched himself at an approaching demon, his fangs sinking into the creature’s throat. Knowing that Caine was in danger was enough of a distraction without watching it in real time.

Instead, she allowed the image of Levet to form in her mind, sending him a silent plea to travel to the rift.

She didn’t have a clue if her message was actually reaching the gargoyle. Or even if they had the necessary time for him to arrive.

But knowing she would be all but worthless in the battle, she continued to do the only thing that might help. A fine sheet of sweat coated her skin as she focused on her mental image, the heat and chaos in the room beating against her senses.

With such confusion, it was nothing less than a miracle that she felt the stir of air at her side. Even then she wasn’t sure what to expect when she opened her eyes.

Panic. Mayhem. Nightmares from the pits of hell.

Death and destruction.

All very real possibilities.

What she found instead was a tiny gargoyle stepping out of thin air, his tail stuck straight out and his wings quivering.

“Levet,” she breathed in shock, rising to her feet.

She wasn’t sure if she was more surprised that she’d actually managed to reach him, or that he’d managed to arrive so swiftly.

The gargoyle, however, seemed unaware of her presence, let alone the battle raging only a few feet away, as he glared at the tiny demon who appeared directly behind him.

“You . . . I . . .” Wild-eyed, Levet pointed a claw toward the small female wearing a long white robe. “Mon Dieu . . . Do not ever do that again.”

The female remained unruffled, her almond-shaped black eyes holding a vast power. “You said it was an emergency.”

Levet shivered, still trembling from his hasty journey. “Oui.”

“You’ve traveled by portal before, haven’t you?” the demon asked, her curiosity holding more than a hint of amusement.

Cassie shook her head, wondering if the bickering duo were unaware of the war that raged around them.

Difficult to believe.

But before she opened her mouth to point out their danger, Levet was continuing his tirade.

“A portal is not the same as . . .” He waved his hands as words failed him.

“As?”

“As poofing.”

“Poofing? Hmmm.” The female tapped a finger to her narrow chin, her calm a direct contrast to Levet’s agitation. “I suppose that’s as good an explanation as any other.”

“Arggg.”

Cassie stepped forward. She didn’t understand the argument. Demons were, after all, as baffling as humans.

But enough was enough.

“Levet,” she said in firm tones.

On cue, the tiny gargoyle turned to offer her a bow. “Ah, ma chérie. I received your call.” He straightened to regard her with a curious gaze. “You said you have need of me?”

Cassie waved a hand toward the dozens of demons who were currently shredding one another into gory little ribbons. “We all have need of you.”

Levet followed the direction of her hand, giving a sound of distress as he fully took in the violent chaos.

Just in front of them, Caine was methodically chewing through the neck of an orc, his back marred with bloody gashes from the creature’s claws.

Toward the front of the shattered room, Styx and Salvatore laid waste to any creature stupid enough to get near their savage attacks, the growing pile of corpses surrounding them like a wall of death.

Moving with a fluid speed, Viper danced among the carnage, his sword so quick most of the demons never saw their brutal end coming.

Further on, Ariyal, the Prince of Sylvermysts, was spraying a volley of arrows into the spreading rift, while his vampire Hunter mate, Jaelyn, stood back to back with him, her sawed-off shotgun blowing large holes in the strange, troll-like monsters coated in scales with raven beaks.

There was even an elemental fey who was mated to Cezar, who was using her powers to leech out of the air the lethal heat that pulsed from the Dark Lord.

This was the fate they’d all feared.

“Sacrebleu,” Levet breathed. “As much as I wish to be of service, I fear I am no warrior. And my magic . . .” He grimaced with a bone-deep regret. “It is not predictable enough to use in battle.”

Cassie bent down so they were eye to eye, reaching to grasp his hands in a pleading grip. “That’s not why you’re here.”

He blinked in confusion. “It is not?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

“I don’t know,” she grudgingly confessed. “But you were in my vision.”

The gray eyes widened in fear. “What was I doing?”

She settled back on her heels, biting her lower lip as she realized how silly her explanation was going to sound.

“Tilting the scales.”

“Scales?” Levet scratched his stunted horn, clearly baffled. “What scales?”

“Those.”

Cassie pointed her hand to the center of the room where the combatants had cleared a space for the two females who stood face-to-face.

Although they were nearly obscured by the shimmer of combating energies, there was no mistaking the Dark Lord with her deceptively girlish beauty and her shadowed aura, or Abby, who was bathed in a soft glow, her eyes as brilliant as sapphires.

“Abby.” The gargoyle gasped in distress as the Dark Lord lifted her hand and bolts of lightning shot toward the Phoenix, knocking her backward. Abby grimaced in pain, but with grim determination she forced herself to step forward, continuing to surround the Dark Lord in the power of the goddess. “Non.”

With a flutter of his wings, the gargoyle abruptly charged forward, using his small stature to dart between the legs of the demons who were too busy to take notice of him.

“Levet . . . wait.” Cassie straightened, her breath squeezing from her lungs at the fear she’d just sent the precious little demon to his death. “Crap, crap, crap.”

“Don’t fear.” The female demon reached to pat Cassie on the back of her leg, the pulse of her power a tangible force. “I will protect him.”

Cassie glanced down at the unpredictable creature, not entirely reassured by her promise. “Why?”

She flashed a smile filled with anticipation. And sharp teeth. Yow.

“Because I am not done playing with him yet.”

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. . . .”

Shakespeare’s words ran through Levet’s mind as he narrowly avoided a spear that nicked the top of his wing.