Darkness Returns

by Alexandra Ivy

  “I have heard rumors of the lethal beasts, but I have never encountered one,” she breathed.

  His lips twisted with a mysterious smile. “You are fortunate,” he told her. “It is rare one crosses paths with a demon and survives to tell the tale.”

  Lilah cast a nervous glance around, afraid the beast might be hidden in a shadowy corner. “Where is he?”

  “I have him shackled in a nearby cave, although the chains will not hold him for long.”

  She was shaking her head before he finished speaking. She was willing to sacrifice for her coven, but she had no intention of battling against a demon. “I have no power over vampires.”

  “Not alone,” he agreed. “But with your coven and my own magic user, we can bind him in a prison that will contain him for an eternity.”

  “Another witch?” Lilah demanded, realizing that would explain the scent of salt. Most witches used it to cast spells. Even minor ones.

  He gave a dismissive wave of his hand. “She is much more than a witch, but you have no need to worry about her.”

  Lilah frowned. Typical male. Always minimizing the contributions of the women who served him.

  “Why not just kill the vampire?” she bluntly demanded.

  The charming mask slipped to reveal the cold, calculating man she’d always sensed lurked just below the surface.

  “Do you wish to crawl into his cell and place a stake through his heart?”

  She took an instinctive step backward. “No.”

  With a visible effort, he regained command of his composure. “Are you willing to assist me or not?”

  Lilah hesitated. She didn’t want to be involved with demons. They were not only deadly to humans, but they had powers that could do more than just kill her. They could enslave her soul for an eternity.

  Unfortunately, without this man’s assistance, she had no means to rescue her coven. And a witch alone in this day and age was as good as dead.

  “If I promise to cast a spell of ensnarement, you will ensure my coven is released and taken to a home where we will be safe?” she demanded.

  “There is a little more.” He lifted his hand to stroke his goatee. With the firelight dancing behind him, and his eyes glowing, he looked like the devil himself.

  And maybe he was.

  She shivered, but with an effort she managed to force the question past her lips. “How little?”

  “I will need a key.”

  “A key?” She blinked in confusion. “To what?”

  “The vampire’s prison.”

  Her mouth dropped open. Had this man not heard the horror stories? Vampires fed on blood. They stole virgins from their beds. They could raise the dead from their graves. “Why would you want a way to let the creature out?”

  A dangerous expression rippled over the too-handsome face. “My reasons are not your concern.”

  Lilah bit back her protests. What did it matter what nefarious connection he had to the vampire? She couldn’t offer him what he wanted. “I have no magic that would create an opening once I have cast the spell.”

  He shrugged. “Thankfully, I do.”

  Lilah clenched her hands into tight fists. She’d spent the day attempting to plead for the release of her coven, followed by a tedious walk through the rain to reach this house. Her feet were soaked and her hip ached. She was in no mood for games.

  “Then why do you need my help?” she demanded.

  “The key must be kept secure.”

  “You want me to keep it hidden?”

  “I do.”

  His smooth answers did nothing to ease her frustration. Indeed, it only added to her certainty he was luring her into a wicked bargain. Decent gentlemen didn’t imprison vampires and then demand a key. They killed them.

  “Why do I sense there is something you are not telling me?”

  His eyes narrowed even as he forced a smile to his lips. “You are very perceptive, Lilah,” he murmured in a soft voice. “That is what attracted me to you in the first place.”

  Lilah was flattered despite herself. Her conceit was always her weakness. “Tell me what you want from me.”

  “First a gift.” He held out his slender hand. “Come with me.”

  Lilah frowned. She didn’t trust this man. And she certainly had no intention of being led away from the public area of the house. “It is late.”

  His lips twitched, as he was once again amused by her apprehension. “Do not fear. We are merely crossing the room.”

  Reluctantly, she laid her fingers against his palm, startled by the coolness of his skin. If she hadn’t seen him during the day, she would have suspected he was one of the vampires himself.

  In silence, he led her down the long room, turning her so she faced the wall.

  “Stand here.”

  She sent him a startled glance. “What am I supposed to do?”

  He spoke a soft word, and suddenly there was a full-length mirror in front of her.

  “Look.”

  The breath hissed between her teeth. Not at the sudden appearance of the mirror, but at the reflection staring back at her.

  Suddenly, she wasn’t the old, faded woman who rarely bothered to brush her hair or change her clothing. Instead, she was the beautiful maiden who’d been pursued by endless men. Her hair was a riotous mass of silken curls, her skin smooth and kissed by honey. Her eyes were mysterious pools of green with the shimmer of gold.

  She lifted a shaky hand to touch her face. It felt as soft as satin.

  “A trick,” she croaked.

  “A promise,” he whispered in her ear. Just like the serpent in the Garden of Eden.

  “Sorcery,” she accused.

  “Perhaps,” he agreed. “But does it matter if I can give you this?”

  Temptation pulsed through her like a living force. She wanted her youth. With a desperation she’d never realized until it was being offered.

  “Impossible,” she breathed, fiercely reminding herself that nothing came without a cost.

  His breath brushed over her cheek, sending a chill down her spine. “Not only is it possible, but I can offer it to you for an eternity.”

  Lilah’s lips parted, but she couldn’t hear the words she was speaking. Instead, the world around her began to fill with a swirling mist, as if she was standing in the middle of a snow globe that had been suddenly shaken. She blinked, feeling a tug in the center of her chest. Then the mist became darkness, flooding her mind and sending her whirling back through the maelstrom.

  Chapter 17

  Lilah slowly came to her senses. It took a minute to realize she was back in the hidden studio, and that Chiron was bending over her with a fierce concern etched on his face.

  She released a shaky breath, a queasy sensation rolling through her stomach. Not just from memories that had burst through the barrier in her mind, but the effort to accept what she’d seen.

  Once, she’d heard the saying Don’t ask if you don’t want the answer. Suddenly, she understood the exact meaning of that phrase.

  “Lilah.” Chiron bent down until they were nose to nose. “Can you hear me?”

  Belatedly, she realized he’d been saying her name over and over. Raising her hand, she intended to press it against his cheek. Instead, there was a low roar, followed by the sound of thunderous footsteps.

  Lilah knew exactly what was coming even before a huge hand grabbed Chiron by the shoulder and tossed him across the room.

  “What have you done to her?” Inga screeched.

  “Inga. No.”

  Lilah struggled to her feet, stepping toward the enraged ogress. But her balance was on the fritz, causing her to sway forward. She would have fallen on her face if Inga hadn’t reached out to grasp her upper arms.

  “I have you,” she said gently.

  Ice formed on the walls as Chiron prepared to attack. Carefully, Lilah turned her head and sent him a warning glance.

  “No. Please, Chiron,” she pleaded. “I’m okay.”

&n
bsp; The ice continued to crawl around the room, but Chiron halted a few feet away, his fangs fully exposed. As if they needed the warning he was ready and eager to kill.

  Inga at last broke into the explosive silence. “What are you doing in here?”

  Lilah returned her attention to the female who’d been lying to her for centuries. “I’m looking for answers.”

  Inga dropped her hands, her expression guarded. “Perhaps you should search for some manners as well. These are my private rooms.”

  Lilah held her gaze. “I remember.”

  Inga stiffened. “What are you talking about?”

  Chiron swiftly moved to her side, keeping his fangs fully exposed. “You have your memories back?” he asked.

  “They’re starting to return.” She wrinkled her nose. “Most of them are still fragmented.”

  He cupped her face in his hands. “Are you all right?”

  Inga released a low growl. “Of course she isn’t. What have you done to her?”

  His gaze never strayed from her upturned face. “Lilah?”

  “I’m fine.” She paused to clear the sudden lump from her throat. “But there’s something you need to know.”

  “Whatever it is, it can wait. You’re too weak.” Chiron pressed his thumb to her lips. His dark eyes smoldered with emotion, revealing that he was still upset.

  Just how long had she been lying on the floor while she was lost in the past?

  A stab of guilt mingled with her bitter regret. “No, I need to tell you.”

  His eyes narrowed. Could he sense the emotions churning through her?

  “Tell me what?”

  “I was the witch.”

  Distantly, Lilah could hear Inga’s sharp intake of breath, but her focus remained on Chiron as he studied her in confusion.

  “What witch?”

  Inga crowded closer, towering over them as she clenched and unclenched her big hands. “Don’t listen to her,” she rasped. “She’s clearly confused.”

  “Shut up,” Chiron snapped, before visibly restraining his burst of annoyance. In a soothing motion, he brushed his fingers down the curve of her throat. “Take your time, Lilah.”

  A shiver shook her body. She didn’t want to take her time. She wanted to spill out the truth, as if she hoped the quicker she released the poison, the less damage it would do.

  “There was a man. Sir Travail,” she blurted out. “He was pretending to be a human, but I’m certain he was something else.”

  Chiron blinked. “Was he a guest here?”

  Lilah forced herself to take a deep breath. She was babbling. Never a good thing.

  “No. But he’s the one who arranged for me to come here.” She glanced toward the ogress. “Along with Inga.”

  The large female pressed her lips together, even as Chiron demanded her attention.

  “When?”

  “The same time your master was taken.”

  Chiron jerked, as if she’d physically struck him. “You saw Tarak?”

  “No, but the man claimed to have captured a vampire. He needed a coven of witches to help create a prison. And to protect the key.”

  She’d intended to come straight out with the truth. Like ripping off a bandage. Instead, she’d skirted at the edges of a confession. As if she could protect herself from Chiron’s inevitable disappointment.

  His icy power wrapped around her. “You know how to free my master?”

  She lifted her hand to point toward the ogress. “Inga does.”

  Inga took a sharp step backward, knocking over an easel and sending the empty canvas skittering across the floor. “I don’t know anything.”

  Lilah faced the female who’d been the center of her life. She waited for the pain. Or anger. Instead, all she felt was an aching sadness.

  “I’ve seen the truth.”

  Inga shook her head, the oversize muumuu floating around her square body. “It was a dream.” She waved a hand toward Chiron. “Or a trick from that vampire. He admitted he could mess with your mind.”

  Lilah took a step forward. Chiron instantly moved to stand at her side, but she concentrated on the female who was clearly distressed by the realization that the barriers in Lilah’s mind had been demolished.

  “No more lies, Inga. I beg of you.”

  “I—”

  “Please,” she interrupted, her expression pleading. “Who is Sir Travail?”

  Genuine fear turned Inga’s eyes red. “I can’t.”

  Lilah muttered a curse. Enough was enough. She’d been living in the dark too long. “Tell me or I will leave this hotel tonight and never return.”

  “No, you can’t.” Inga’s voice held an edge of panic, her eyes darting toward the door, as if she was considering the various means of preventing Lilah from escaping.

  “Don’t test me,” Lilah warned.

  Inga grimaced before heaving a resigned sigh. “It’s only going to cause you pain.”

  Lilah held her gaze. “Who was Sir Travail?”

  “His real name is Riven, Lord of the Merfolk.”

  “Merfolk.” Chiron intruded into the conversation, his voice sharp. “That’s why I smell salt.”

  Lilah’s mouth parted in shock. She’d read the stories that surrounded that mysterious species. The theory was that they’d once walked on land, but had long ago returned to their lairs in the deepest part of the oceans. But she’d always assumed they were either a myth or that they’d perished after they’d disappeared.

  “You’re a mermaid?” she breathed, trying to wrap her mind around the thought.

  Inga flushed, easily sensing Lilah’s shock. “My mother was. She was captured by a roaming band of orcs. After I was born, she handed me over to a slave trader.”

  Lilah’s heart clenched with pity. This female might have deceived her, but that didn’t erase all the years of loving companionship they’d shared. “Oh, Inga.”

  She shook her head, as if trying to ward off Lilah’s sympathy. “It no longer matters,” she said in clipped tones. “I was traded a few times, but eventually my owner was killed and I managed to escape.”

  Lilah frowned. “Did the mermaids capture you?”

  “I went to them,” Inga admitted, her voice harsh with a remembered pain. “I didn’t know what else to do. I had no family. No home. I thought—”

  Lilah reached out to place her hand on Inga’s forearm. “It’s okay. What else could you do?”

  “I was greeted by Lord Riven and promptly informed I was a blemish on my family.”

  Lilah grimaced. Her memory of Lord Riven was of a sophisticated charmer, but even back then, Lilah had glimpsed something darker lurking beneath the surface. If she hadn’t been so blinded by her lust for eternal youth, she would have realized what she sensed was pure evil.

  “Bastard,” she muttered.

  “He promised I could wipe away my stain on my mother if I agreed to help him.”

  “Yeah, he was good at promising things,” Lilah muttered.

  Inga nodded. “He took me with him to meet a group of mongrel trolls who were holding the vampire captive.”

  Chiron stepped forward, making both women shiver at the blast of icy air that swirled around him. “Tarak?”

  “I didn’t hear his name,” Inga said. “He was shackled with silver manacles and his head was covered. All I know is that he was payment for a debt.”

  Chiron hissed in fury. “What did you do to him?”

  Inga met the vampire glare for glare. She wasn’t a female who backed down. Not ever. “Once Riven convinced Lilah and her coven to join us, we traveled to this place.”

  Lilah dropped her hand and stepped away. She’d just learned she was human. Which meant she didn’t have the ability of demons or fey to withstand physical damage. She wanted to be out of the path of the two large and potentially violent predators.

  At the same time, she determinedly steered Inga’s attention back to her explanation.

  “Why here?”

  T
hankfully, the distraction worked. Inga slowly turned her head to meet Lilah’s questioning gaze. “This building belonged to the mermaids from the beginning of time.” She glanced around the studio. “Until the humans arrived, and they retreated into the ocean.”

  Lilah nodded, a fuzzy memory starting to return. She was standing in the swamp with her hands lifted toward the sky. She was chanting words that no longer made sense to her.

  “I created the barrier around the hotel.”

  “Along with your coven and me,” Inga said.

  She pressed a hand to her aching temple. Her coven. Women she’d gathered together for their mutual protection. She hadn’t liked them all. In fact, there’d been a few she’d detested. But they’d been a family.

  Now…they were gone.

  “What happened to the others?” she forced herself to ask.

  Inga waved a hand, clearly indifferent to the fate of the other witches who had once lived here. “A few died during a plague that swept through the area.”

  Lilah felt a stab of surprise. “So there was a plague?”

  “Yes, but it only affected humans.”

  “What about the others?”

  “They grew jealous of your eternal youth,” Inga admitted. “Eventually, they decided you must have made a pact with the devil and fled into the swamps. I don’t know what happened to them after that.”

  Lilah shivered, the queasiness returning. “I did make a pact with the devil.”

  Easily sensing her distress, Chiron moved to wrap his arm around her shoulders. His gaze, however, was focused on Inga. “Do you have the magic that keeps her from aging?” he questioned.

  “It’s not my magic,” Inga corrected. “It comes from the grotto.”

  Lilah resisted a hysterical urge to laugh. It was all so insanely awful.

  “A magical grotto?” she choked out.

  Inga shook her head. “The grotto is just an illusion. The magic is in the water.”

  “Oh.” Lilah’s eyes widened. “There really is a fountain of youth.”

  “It was a source of power for the mermaids,” Inga continued. “That’s why they chose this location for a lair.”

  Mermaids and fountains of youth. Lilah gave a shake of her head, as if it would help her to accept the bizarre tale. “Is that why you insisted I bathe in it each night?”