He reached out to brush a soothing hand down her damp cheek. “It’s the only way.”
A strange expression settled on Inga’s harshly carved features. Then, her shoulders abruptly drooped, as if she was conceding defeat.
“Fine,” she muttered. “I might be able to reach the mermaids.”
“Do it,” Chiron commanded.
If he hadn’t been so distracted by his fear for Lilah, he would have sensed the shit was about to hit the fan. But he was caught embarrassingly off guard when Inga reached out and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. He glanced down, inanely thinking that it was his last shirt that hadn’t been destroyed, when he was lifted off his feet.
Disbelief jolted through him. What the hell? The ogress was large and powerful, but she was no match for a vampire. Not even with mermaid blood running through her veins.
He lifted his hand, but before he could strike, he found himself flying through the air. He braced himself for the impact against the wall, already imagining the pleasure of ripping out the female’s heart and feeding it to a gator.
As expected, he slammed into the paneled wall with painful force. What he didn’t expect was that behind the paneling wasn’t stone. Instead, the thin wood splintered, and he hit a hidden window with enough force to burst through the glass.
He roared in fury, trying to grab the frame as he sailed through the opening. This was the last time he underestimated the bitch, he told himself, releasing a second roar as his hands grasped nothing but air. He was hurtling toward the ground and there wasn’t a damned thing he could do about it.
He heard Lilah call his name, but before he could answer, he suddenly realized the impending impact wasn’t the worst of his problems.
Not even close.
Agony seared over his skin as the first blush of dawn spread across the sky above him. Within minutes, perhaps seconds, he was going to be charred into a pile of ash.
He closed his eyes, filling his mind with the image of Lilah. If he was going to die, he wanted her to be his last thought.
* * * *
With a last smash of Ulric’s fist, the steel door flew off its hinges. Pain radiated up his arm from the violent impact, but he barely noticed. He was intent on escaping the dungeon and warning Chiron that the ogress was working with the enemy. Then he personally intended to repay her for breaking his jaw.
Absently wiping his bloody knuckles on his jeans, Ulric stepped into the narrow tunnel and sniffed the air. He’d been sloppy when he’d allowed Inga to blindside him. It wasn’t going to happen again.
“Finally,” a voice grumbled behind him. “With such large paws you should have been able to dig your way through a dozen steel doors by now.”
With a blur of motion, Ulric whirled around and grabbed the gargoyle by one stunted horn. Over the course of his long life, he’d endured the loss of his family, being enslaved and tortured by a demented vampire, and shot by more than one human. But nothing had ever been so painful as being trapped with Levet.
The aggravating creature had never stopped yammering. He complained he was hungry, that he was bored, that he possessed magic that could get them out faster than Ulric’s steady blows. Then he’d nearly burned them both to a crisp when he’d conjured a fireball and lobbed it at the door. The stupid ball had bounced around the dungeon, setting things on fire for fifteen minutes before Levet had managed to destroy it.
“One more word and I’ll rip out your tongue,” he growled.
Levet gave a flap of his wings, managing to escape Ulric’s loose hold.
“I am just saying if you would have allowed me to use my magic we would have been out a lot sooner,” the gargoyle said.
Ulric glared at him in disbelief. Was he serious?
“You did try your magic.” Ulric pointed to the burn on his shoulder, which hadn’t yet healed. “You nearly killed both of us.”
Levet stuck out his lower lip. “That was a first attempt. I was merely getting steamed up.”
“Warmed up,” Ulric instinctively corrected, then threw up his hands in frustration. Why was he arguing with the creature? “Never mind.”
He stepped over the mangled door before moving through the dark tunnel.
“Wait for me,” Levet called as Ulric jogged up the steep flight of stairs.
“Go away,” Ulric snapped, pausing to once again sniff the air to make sure no one was lurking in the large central cavern.
Levet appeared at Ulric’s side. The gargoyle could move with startling speed considering his legs were a fraction the length of most demons.
“I thought we were partners.”
“Partners?” Ulric sent him a horrified glare before following the faded scent of the ogress. She had to have a way to enter the caves that didn’t include falling through the ceiling. “I’d rather swallow poison.”
“Why would you want to swallow poison?” Levet demanded, staying just inches behind Ulric as they entered the opening on the far side of the cavern. “Of course, I once knew a gargoyle who ate rocks. He thought it would make him grow faster.”
Ulric snorted. “Let me guess, it was you.”
“Moi?” Levet sounded shocked at the accusation. “Certainly not. I may be small, but I am not stupid.”
“That’s a matter of opinion.”
Ulric picked up his pace as the ground beneath his feet angled upward. He could feel a faint breeze stirring the air. This had to be the way out.
Levet thankfully fell silent as they hurried through the darkness. At least until the distant sound of glass shattering echoed through the tunnel, followed by a harsh cry.
“Did you hear that?” Levet demanded.
Ulric didn’t bother to answer as he surged forward at top speed. He was no longer concerned with someone lurking in the shadows.
He recognized that voice. Chiron.
Reaching the narrow opening of the cave that was covered by a thick barrier of bushes, Ulric pushed the branches aside.
“Shit,” he breathed, his gaze locked on the body sprawled on the terrace.
He frowned, his gaze lifting to take in the broken window before returning to Chiron, who remained unnaturally still. The fall might have hurt, but it shouldn’t have knocked him out.
“It’s the dawn,” Levet said, as if able to read his mind. “You’ll have to get him.”
Ulric released a low growl. His brain must still be woolly from the blow he’d taken. Otherwise, he’d have realized at once what was wrong.
His muscles coiled as he prepared to rush across the garden. But before he could move, Levet reached up to tug at his arm.
“Ulric.”
Jerking free of Levet’s surprisingly firm grip, Ulric glared down at the annoying pest. Chiron was frying in the cresting sunlight and he wanted to chat? “What?”
“Bring him back here.” The gargoyle’s voice held a surprising edge of authority.
“Why? The hotel is closer to him.”
Levet shook his head. “We do not know who or what threw him out the window, but it is obvious they intended to kill him. And whoever it was is presumably still inside.”
Ulric grunted. As much as he hated to admit it, the gargoyle was right. Until they knew what had happened, he wasn’t going to take any risks.
Refusing to be delayed again, Ulric shoved his way through the bushes. Then, crouching low, he ran in a zigzag pattern across the garden. He had no idea if someone was watching from the hotel, but he preferred not to be hit by some nasty magic. Or shot by a gun.
In less than a blink of an eye, he was leaping onto the terrace and scooping Chiron in his arms. Without breaking stride, he was whirling around and heading back to the caves. Still, it wasn’t until he was through the bushes and headed down the tunnel that he glanced down at the male he considered a brother.
The sun hadn’t turned the pale skin red; instead, it was a sickly shade of gray and stretched tight over his bones. As if he was already starting to turn to ash. Ulric cursed, heading deep
er into the caves. He couldn’t be sure how far the sun might penetrate.
It wasn’t until he was in the central chamber that he at last halted and carefully bent down to lay Chiron on the dirt floor.
He knelt beside his master, fiercely willing him to heal. “Don’t leave me, amigo.”
Chapter 19
Horror froze Lilah in place. Her brain was still reeling from the deluge of memories. Now she struggled to process the fact that Inga had just thrown Chiron through a hidden window.
It wasn’t until a stray shaft of sunlight peeked through the broken glass that the full extent of Inga’s treachery hit her like a sledgehammer.
“No,” she screamed, making a dash toward the window. With startling speed, Inga had moved to block her path.
“I’m sorry, Lilah, but it’s for your own good,” the larger female said.
Lilah barely heard the words. Instead, her attention was captured by the sight of a strange male darting across the garden. Who was it? Not a guest. But he moved with the powerful grace of the Weres who’d stayed at the hotel. The mysterious male disappeared from view, but a second later, he was running back across the garden. This time, however, he had a body in his arms.
Chiron.
Hope blasted through Lilah. Could it be Ulric? Chiron had implied his friend was still in Vegas, but it was possible he’d decided to check on his master. Or maybe he’d been lurking in the swamps just in case he was needed.
Whoever it was, he was holding Chiron with obvious care as he abruptly disappeared through a clump of bushes. She had to trust he intended to help him.
In the meantime, she had to keep Inga distracted. If the ogress knew Chiron hadn’t been turned into ash, she might very well hunt him down and finish the job.
Taking a deliberate step backward, she allowed Inga to see the betrayal that burned through her like poison. “Killing my mate is for my own good?”
Inga held out a pleading hand. “He would never have been content to remain here. He would have tried to take you away.”
Lilah took another step back. “Not until he discovered a way to break the curse.”
“There is no way. And I couldn’t risk…”
“Risk what?”
Inga’s hand dropped, her shoulders hunching. As if she’d just taken a blow. “Losing you.”
Lilah made a sound of regret. This female had tried to hurt Chiron. That was unforgivable. But there was a part of her that couldn’t forget the endless years they’d spent together.
“Inga, you have never been in danger of losing me,” she told the older female. “Chiron is my mate, but you’ve been my most devoted companion for centuries. All you had to do was tell me the truth and we could have figured this out.”
Inga’s expression hardened. “There was nothing to figure out. The merfolk will never release you.”
“Chiron would have made sure they had no choice,” Lilah said, careful not to give away her fierce hope that Chiron was still alive.
“No.” Inga gave a sharp shake of her head. “Even if he managed to destroy Riven, which is highly doubtful, the others wouldn’t let the death of their leader go without a thirst for revenge. They would hunt you down and kill you. Along with anyone you care about.”
Lilah’s mouth went dry, a slow, dogged fear curling through the pit of her stomach. When Chiron had been standing at her side, it had been easy to convince herself they would find a way to break the curse. He was a vampire. There wasn’t a creature who’d dare try to stand against him.
But as the memories swirled through her brain, her confidence started to crumble and fade.
Riven was an arrogant, ruthless enemy. She didn’t doubt for a second that the other merfolk were just as vindictive. If they discovered Chiron had killed their leader, they would hunt him down and destroy him. Along with Inga and herself.
They would never stop. Not until they were dead. And all because of her infinite vanity.
There was only one way to protect the people she loved.
“You’re right.” She squared her shoulders. “I’m kidding myself if I think I can change my future.”
Inga looked wary. As if she sensed Lilah’s sudden resignation.
“It’s going to be okay, Lilah,” the ogress said in soothing tones. “I can make it all better.”
Lilah’s lips twisted into a bitter smile. “By wiping my mind?”
Inga held out her hand, as if she was preparing to touch Lilah’s face.
“You’ll awaken and all of this will be forgotten,” she assured her in a soft tone. “We can start over. You just have to trust me.”
Lilah heaved a small sigh. “I do trust you, but this has to end.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m sorry, Inga.”
Lilah jumped backward, even as she spoke a spell she hadn’t used for centuries.
Sensations thundered through her, rasping against her raw nerves. She clenched her teeth. How had she forgotten the addictive elation of using her powers?
Lifting her hand, she released the spell and watched the shimmering webs of magic wrap around the female standing in front of her.
Inga glared down in shock at the translucent bands that encircled her from neck to toes. The ogress tried to move, gasping in outrage when the bands pulsed and tightened in response.
“What have you done?”
“When my memories returned, so did my magic.” Lilah glanced around the studio, taking in the portraits that had marked her long life. No, she silently corrected. It hadn’t been a life. Not a real one. She’d been an unwitting prisoner, spinning in a wheel like a hamster. And now she’d put Chiron in danger. “This has to end,” she muttered. “Today.”
Inga’s eyes widened, the scent of salt spicing the air. “Lilah, what are you going to do?”
Lilah offered a sad smile. “What I should have done five centuries ago.”
“No.” Inga’s face flushed, the veins in her neck sticking out as she struggled against the magic that held her captive. “Lilah.”
With a last, lingering glance toward the female she would never see again, Lilah turned and walked out of the ogress’s private rooms. Once she reached the corridor, she didn’t hesitate as she moved toward the nearest staircase that led down to the lower floor. First, she had to make sure Chiron was okay.
Then she would do her duty.
* * * *
The pain was shattering.
It touched every part of Chiron, from his skin, which was on fire, to his bones, which felt as if they’d been crushed to powder. He knew he teetered on the edge of death. Even after he’d sensed Ulric scooping up his body and taking him to a place of blessed darkness.
The sun had drained his ability to heal himself.
Now he could only struggle to survive from one second to the next.
Lost in his agony, Chiron was vaguely aware of the sound of raised voices. Shit. Had Inga followed them? The bitch was determined to keep Lilah trapped in the hotel. Which meant she knew she had to get rid of Chiron. Permanently.
Then the sweet scent of ambrosia filtered through the air, and Chiron forgot all about his pain.
Lilah…
Despite his weakness, Chiron struggled to open his eyes. He could hear Ulric’s raised voice, as if he was trying to get rid of Lilah. Why? Did his friend think the young female was responsible for tossing Chiron through a window?
Or was he just being his usual overprotective self?
Whatever the cause, he might actually hurt Lilah in his effort to keep her away.
Panic thundered through Chiron, and he forced his parched lips to part.
“Lilah,” he rasped. “Please…come…”
There was a startled silence; then the soft patter of feet echoed through the air. His panic eased, a sense of peace flowing through him as he felt the light touch of Lilah’s hand on his face. He could die a happy vampire, knowing Lilah was safe. Ulric would protect her…
The thought was still f
orming when he felt Lilah’s arm press against his parted lips. What was she doing?
Then she leaned down and whispered in his ear.
“Feed.”
Chiron shuddered. He desperately ached to drink her blood. Just a taste. It would fulfill one of his deepest fantasies. But despite the urgency of his hunger, he was too weak. He couldn’t extend his fangs, let alone suck the nectar from her veins.
But even as a darkness started to crawl through his mind, he felt a warm drop of blood hit his tongue. The rich liquid slid down his throat, sending an explosion of heat through his damaged body.
Chiron moaned as more blood flooded his mouth. She tasted just as he’d anticipated. Delicate. Feminine. Magical.
Ambrosia.
Intent on savoring the unexpected treat, Chiron didn’t immediately realize the heat spreading through his body was more than mere pleasure. Not until the grinding pain started to ease and his skin no longer felt like it was going to peel off like a molting snake.
Slowly, he opened his eyes, his heart swelling with pride. His clever, beautiful Lilah. She’d known exactly what was needed to heal him. Nothing was more potent than the blood of a mate.
It had accomplished what nothing else could.
His hand lifted to touch her cheek. Damn, he’d been so certain he was about to die. Now his body was healing, and the female he intended to share eternity with was kneeling at his side.
Intending to tug her head down for a kiss, Chiron frowned when she slowly rose to her feet. She stared down at him for a long second, her expression impossible to decipher. Then, turning, she walked away.
Chiron struggled to sit up. Was she looking for something? Or did she fear an enemy was approaching?
“Where are you going?” he called, his voice frail.
She continued forward, not halting until she reached the altar set in the center of the chamber. Reaching out, she touched the smooth stone, her hands tracing the carved runes.
A terrible fear began to grow inside Chiron. “Lilah?”
She glanced back, a wistful smile touching her lips. “It’s the only way.”
He tried to struggle to his feet, nearly falling on his face. Quickly, Ulric was at his side, wrapping an arm around his waist to keep him upright.
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