Hunt the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #11)(88)
Author: Alexandra Ivy

“If I do, the warriors will destroy you.”

Cyn muttered a curse at the implication he could be bested. The female clearly knew very little about male pride.

“They could try,” he snarled.

Again, the female ignored him.

“Once you’re within our homeland they can’t touch you,” she promised. “Will you come with me, vampire?”

“No, he damned well won’t. Not until we know—”

“Cyn,” Roke sharply interrupted, glowering at his friend.

“What?”

“Back off.”

Cyn growled as he lowered the gun, his muscles clenched as if he were expecting a full-out attack.

“I don’t trust her.”

Roke stepped around his bristling friend. He didn’t trust the female, either. But it wasn’t as if they had a whole lot of choice.

“Take me to Sally.”

She gave a dip of her head. “Follow me.”

Turning, she disappeared into the strange sparkle of lights and Roke was quickly hurrying to join her.

“Roke.”

He glanced toward his companion who remained stubbornly at his side as they stepped through the entrance to the portal.

“I know, but this might be my only chance to find Sally.”

“You had better hope this isn’t a trick, fairy,” Cyn growled at the back of the female Chatri. “Your people might not shed blood in your homeland, but I’m quite willing.”

“Barbarian,” she muttered.

“Berserker, thank you very much,” Cyn informed her, his fangs fully exposed.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Roke asked.

Cyn was always a lethal warrior, but he wasn’t usually so touchy. Especially not with a beautiful woman.

The clan chief grimaced, as if realizing he’d been acting out of character.

“She . . . troubles me.”

Roke studied his friend’s tense expression. “Hmm.”

There was the sensation of the air pressure shifting, then they were out of the portal and standing in a hallway lined with glossy wooden floors and marble walls nearly hidden beneath the climbing ivy.

Roke and Cyn both hissed at the golden sunshine that peeked through high windows. Dammit. They had to be in a dimension that ran on a different time. Thankfully the angle of the sun meant that the glow hit high on the wall, leaving the actual corridor in shadows.

“We must be swift,” the female warned, taking off at a brisk pace.

Roke ignored Cyn’s icy disapproval, allowing himself to be led from one hallway to another.

Eventually they became wider with more marble and gilt, not to mention a few passing Chatri who stared at them in startled dismay.

“Mother of gods, I’ve never felt so out of place in my life,” Cyn muttered as they tried to ignore the elegantly dressed men and women who looked as if they were headed to some fancy-ass ball.

“No killing,” Roke muttered as Cyn ran his fingers over the blade of his dagger, eyeballing a male who flared his nose as if he’d just smelled something nasty.

Cyn shook his head. “You don’t know anything about having fun.”

Sally pinned a smile to her lips.

Seated next to her father on the high dais, she struggled to concentrate on the formal speeches being offered in celebration of her father’s return. Even if her nerves weren’t shredded as she waited for some sign from Fallon, she would hate being put on display.

If being a princess meant sitting on an uncomfortable throne so a group of strangers could gawk at her, she’d be happy to give the privilege to someone else.

Immediately.

Perhaps sensing her growing distress, Sariel leaned sideways to awkwardly pat her hand, which clenched the arm of the chair.

“I told you that my people would be happy to welcome you, child,” he reminded her.

Despite being furious with her father, Sally couldn’t deny a rueful pleasure. He was doing his best to make her feel at home.

“I’ve been happy to meet them as well. Especially my sisters and brothers,” she said, keeping her voice low so it wouldn’t carry. “But you promised I would be allowed to contact Roke.”

Sariel’s lips flattened. “In time.”

“He’s going to be worried about me.”

Her father abruptly changed the conversation. “Tell me what you think of Lasko?”

“Who?” she asked in genuine confusion.

Sariel nodded toward the young man standing near a marble column, his beautiful features carved with an inbred arrogance that made Sally grimace.

“He’s the eldest son of the Sonesel House.”

She sent her father a horrified glare. “You’re not trying to play matchmaker, are you?”

He shrugged. “Once I break your mating you will be free to choose another male. Lasko is not only wealthy and a powerful warrior, but his house is a rival to ours. Such an alliance would be highly beneficial.”

She snorted. “Beneficial to whom? Not me.”

The amber eyes held a hint of censure at her flippant tone. “To all Chatri.”

She rolled her eyes. It seemed her father just couldn’t resist trying to use her to his own advantage.

Not that it mattered.

There was only one man who would ever be her mate.

“Thanks, but no thanks,” she said. “I have no plans to play Juliet.”

Sariel frowned, obviously not a fan of Shakespeare.

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m not interested in Lasko even though I’m sure he’s a fine man,” she clarified.

“There are others,” her father began only to be interrupted by a flurry of soft gasps and a few cries of fear from the back of the room. Slowly Sariel rose to his feet. “What is the disruption?” he demanded.

The crowd slowly parted to reveal Fallon as she moved forward with two large vampires flanking her.

Sariel went rigid, a flush of anger staining his pale cheeks.

“Fallon, explain yourself.”

Fallon flinched, but with remarkable courage she met her father’s furious glare.

“Sally’s mate was anxious to be reunited with her.”

Indifferent to her father or the chattering crowd, Sally launched herself off the dais and directly into Roke’s waiting arms.

She breathed deeply of his familiar scent, tears streaming down her face as he buried his face in the curve of her neck.

“I have you,” he murmured, running a comforting hand down her spine. “And I’m never letting you go again.”