When Darkness Comes (Guardians of Eternity #1)(47)
Author: Alexandra Ivy

"Books."

She turned to regard him in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? The woman leaves priceless Ming vases and Picassos lying about like they came off a sale rack at some discount store and she fills a hidden safe with musty old books?"

‘They are spell books."

"Are you sure?"

A raven brow arched. "I’m a vampire; I can sense power, but not actual magic. You tell me."

She bit her lip before forcing herself to reach into the murky shadows and pluck out the handful of books.

She wasn’t sure what she expected. Ancient manuscripts wrapped in leather and gold. Rolled parchments with heavy seals. Bed knobs and broomsticks.

Anything but the library rejects she held in her hands.

"They look like regular old books to me." She flipped open the top book only to sneeze as a cloud of dust filled the air. "Dirty old books."

"Don’t tell me you’re a philistine?"

"A what?"

He chuckled softly. "Never mind, lover."

Abby rubbed her nose as she shot Dante a puzzled glance. Once again she was rumpled and covered in dust while he stood there without a hair out of place.

Damn him.

"Will these help lead us to the witches?" she demanded.

"Is there anything hidden in the pages?"

"You mean like some sort of code?"

"Like telephone numbers or names or a map to a hidden coven?"

Well, dub. She busied herself with flipping through the pages to hide her blush. No one had ever accused her of being a budding genius, but she was not usually a total moron.

"No, no names or maps," she muttered. "Just a bunch of really bad poetry. Good God, listen to this stuff—"

"Abby," Dante abruptly interrupted. "I don’t think—"

"’Circle of the sacred Chalice,

Turn your power to dark and malice.

Elements of earth and air,

Water and fire combine to share.

Hear our plea and know our cause…’"

Abby was uncertain when the words began to burn like fire upon the page. Or to echo eerily through the air as she mouthed the strange spell. She only knew that a powerful compulsion had suddenly taken her in its clutches, and the world about her disappeared.

She couldn’t halt the words from flowing. Not even when a sharp, fierce pain began to pulse deep within her. It was like falling from a cliff. There was no hairing until she hit the bottom.

Even if that bottom meant a jolting, bloody end.

She might have continued chanting for eternity if she had not suddenly been attacked from behind.

Given no warning, Abby found a pair of strong arms wrapped about her. She had time to grunt in confusion before she was being driven to the polished floor. Her head hit the boards with a sharp bang.

"Dammit." She blinked away the stars shooting in front of her eyes before struggling to her knees. "Dante, you could have just tapped me on the shoulder…"

Her words trailed away as she realized that Dante wasn’t responsible for her near whiplash. Instead her gaze fell upon a strange woman crouched directly before her.

Oh yeah, definitely strange, she conceded.

Struggling through the fog that still clung to her brain, Abby studied the dark, slender woman.

She appeared human enough. Despite the exotic beauty of her long raven hair and perfectly crafted features, there was a smoldering vitality that seemed more mortal than immortal. And her hard muscles were the sort that belonged to a well-honed athlete rather than the fluid strength of a vampire.

Still, there was a barely tamed danger glowing in the slanted golden eyes and a tension in the coiled body that made her seem…

Deadly.

Covertly Abby cast a glance to the side, her heart faltering as she caught sight of Dante lying on the floor, Ms eyes closed.

Shit.

She didn’t know what the creature had done to Dante, but if she was strong enough to knock out a vampire, what chance did a puny mortal stand in overcoming the intruder?

Not a chance in hell.

Her only hope of saving Dante seemed to be in talking her way out of danger. A frightening prospect.

Ignoring the instinct to rush to Dante’s side, Abby sternly concentrated upon the woman before her. It had to be a good thing she hadn’t already finished what she started.

Didn’t it?

Careful to make no sudden movements, she sucked in a deep breath.

"Who are you?"

The golden eyes narrowed. ‘You must stop."

"Stop? Stop what?"

The spell. It is dangerous."

Abby licked her dry lips, relieved to note that the wrenching pain that had been destroying her was starting to ease.

"Dangerous to whom?"

"Yovar mate, for one."

Mate? It took a moment for Abby to figure out she was referring to Dante. Her eyes widened in horror as her gaze flew to the still-unconscious vampire "I did that?"

"The spell…" Without warning, the woman threw back her head and growled low in her throat. Abby stiffened as she watched the creature lift a hand to claw at her neck. Almost as if she was battling some unseen enemy.

Abby scooted forward with a frown, her hand reaching out. "Are you hurt?"

The woman hissed at her. She actually hissed. Just like a cat.

"Do not touch me."

Abby’s hand wisely dropped, but her gaze remained upon the claw marks the woman had made on her neck.

‘You’re bleeding."

"They demand my return. I can’t…"

There was another growl, and then with a blur of motion, the creature was on her feet and bounding down the hall. She disappeared into the darkness before Abby could open her lips to call out.

Well, that was creepy.

For a moment Abby remained frozen in place. She had seen enough horror shows to know that just because a beastie had left the room didn’t mean it wasn’t still lurking in the shadows.

When nothing lunged out with a butcher knife or breathed fire from the doorway, she awkwardly crawled to lean over Dante’s horribly still body.

"Dante?" With great care she gently cradled his head in her lap, her hands frantically stroking his beautiful face. "Dante… Oh God, please wake up."

He didn’t move. Didn’t so much as twitch for what seemed an eternity. She called, she pleaded, and she even prayed. Panic was rearing its ugly head when his lashes at last lifted to reveal dazed silver eyes.

"Abby?" His silken voice was oddly husky. "What happened?"

Ridiculously she felt tears trickle down her cheeks even as she laughed in relief.

She hadn’t killed him.

Thank the gods above.

‘You’re asking me?" she rasped. "I haven’t had a clue what’s going on since this madness started. One minute you were at my side and the next you were on the floor."