Fear the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #9)(56)
Author: Alexandra Ivy

“Gaius?” she snapped with impatience. “I’m waiting.”

“Yes, Mistress.”

Rising to his feet, Gaius scooped the child into his arms, refusing to glance down. The baby had always been destined to be sacrificed. There was nothing he could do to alter fate, was there? Shoving the warm bundle into the female’s outstretched arms, he backed away and stoically waited for her next commands.

The Dark Lord gave a lift of her brow. “Don’t you intend to demand your payment?”

Gaius shrugged. “Would it do any good?”

“There’s no need to pout, vampire,” the lethal female chided. “You shall soon be given your just rewards.”

Just rewards.

Gaius shuddered, recalling Dolf being consumed by black mist. At this moment the only reward he dared hope for was escaping the encounter without some hideous torture.

“Shall I return to my lair and await your next command?” he asked.

“Surely you want to witness my glorious resurrection as the Gemini?” The evil creature sounded truly shocked that Gaius wasn’t begging for the opportunity to bask in her transformation.

“I’m only your humble servant,” Gaius reminded her. “There are others much more worthy for such a blessing.”

“Why, Gaius.” The blue eyes shimmered with crimson fire, the pain returning to slam him to his knees. “If I didn’t know better, I might think you were anxious to leave me.”

Careful, a voice whispered in the back of his mind. This female was a god. Which meant her vanity was as inflated as her powers. Just the implication that he might prefer to be somewhere else would be enough to earn him punishment.

“Not anxious, but I do need to feed.”

“That can wait.”

It was a command, not a suggestion. Gaius nodded in defeat. “Very well.”

Confident that Gaius was playing the dutiful audience, the female turned her attention to the child squirming in her arms. Her expression was one of clinical curiosity, as if making sure there weren’t any defects in her creation.

“A charming baby, don’t you think?”

Gaius frowned. Was this a trick question? It was well known that children were an Achilles’ heel to vampires. They instinctively refused to harm a baby of any species. Or even a pregnant female.

“Yes. Charming.”

“I’ve never understood the fuss made over offspring. Slaves are easier to control and less inclined to be a disappointment.” The Dark Lord wrinkled her nose, sniffing the baby’s diaper. “They also smell better.”

“Most creatures feel the urge to procreate.”

The Dark Lord lifted her head, the blue eyes flickering with crimson. “Did you?”

Gaius flinched. He didn’t believe in coincidences. So why was he being forced to think of Santiago yet again?

A warning?

“Yes. I have—” He halted, grimacing as he corrected his words. “I had a son.”

“He’s dead?”

Gaius shook his head. “No, but he’s lost to me.”

“Lost?” The Dark Lord frowned. “You make no sense.”

“It no longer matters.” Anxious to turn the conversation away from Santiago, Gaius pointed toward the baby. “What will you do with the child?”

There was a long, tense moment as the female no doubt considered the pleasure of tormenting Gaius with the loss of his son. Then, abruptly losing interest, the female instead returned her attention to the babe.

“He will become a part of me as it was always destined to be. But first . . .”

The words trailed away and Gaius stiffened. Now what? He’d captured the prophet and her protector, as well as the baby. Two impossible tasks. He’d gone beyond the call of duty, hadn’t he?

It would seem not, he silently accepted as the Dark Lord sent him a frown, clearly waiting for him to react.

“Yes?”

Her dimples flashed. “A sacrifice must be made.”

He hissed in sharp surprise. “Me?”

Her smile widened at his sharp flare of fear. “Are you offering?”

He grimly fought back his panic. “I doubt I would be suitable.”

“Are you certain?”

“Mistress, please . . .”

“Don’t worry, Gaius. As you said, you don’t have the blood I need,” she mocked in cruel tones, her eyes nearly consumed by flames. “Not quite so impervious to the thought of death as you wanted to believe, are you, Gaius?”

He stiffened in humiliation. It wasn’t surprising the Dark Lord had sensed his growing apathy. Or that she’d managed to shatter his illusion that it no longer mattered whether he lived or died.

Bitch.

“Do you want me to return to the world and acquire what you need?” he demanded in careful tones.

“Actually, I have what I need close at hand.”

Gaius glanced around the thick fog. It couldn’t be too close. “Who is to be the sacrifice?”

“Caine should have destroyed the prophet by now.”

“Caine? Impossible,” Gaius muttered, too shocked to guard his tongue. He’d seen Caine defending the prophet. The Were had been willing to die to protect the female. Then sharp shards of pain stabbed into his body, reminding him the danger of speaking without thinking. “I mean, Caine is devoted to the prophet. He would never harm her.”

“Thanks to Dolf ’s spell Caine wasn’t in his right mind,” she reminded him, a coy smile touching her lips. “And, of course, I might have encouraged his madness.”

Gaius thrust aside his disbelief, instead concentrating on the more important question. “But why?” He slowly rose to his feet. “You were desperate to capture Cassandra.”

The Dark Lord glanced down at the child, the air filled with a searing anger before the creature managed to regain her composure. “She proved to be a severe disappointment.”

Gaius felt the hairs on his nape stand upright. Disappointment could have any number of meanings.

Maybe Cassandra refused to cooperate. Or maybe she hadn’t had a vision since her capture. Or maybe the visions had been impossible to decipher.

But Gaius didn’t think it was any of those things.

If the Dark Lord was willing to destroy the seer, it was because she gave a prophecy that she didn’t like.

Which could only mean bad news for Gaius.

Cristo. He was growngly convinced that he would never be reunited with his mate. Now he had to face the possibility the deity who had purchased his soul was destined to fail, dragging Gaius into the pits of hell with her. “A pity,” he rasped.