Fear the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity)

by Alexandra Ivy

  “You are a fool,” he hissed.

  “Perhaps, but I would be even more of a fool to spend the next century waiting in this godforsaken swamp for a master who has already lost the war,” Dolf grimly pressed, too far gone in his growing madness to consider the danger.

  “What do you suggest?” Gaius asked, the ice in his voice warning he wouldn’t be coaxed into an indiscretion. His growing doubts would go with him to the grave. “That we abandon the Dark Lord and pray she doesn’t manage to escape her prison?”

  Without warning, the nearest bookshelf slid outward to reveal a hidden passageway.

  Gaius tensed in shock, his fangs lengthening in preparation for an attack. Instead, Sally stepped into the room, her hair hanging around her face, which was amazingly devoid of her ridiculous black makeup, and her slender body covered by a flannel nightgown.

  She looked like a child. As long as you didn’t look into the eyes, which were glowing with a crimson fire.

  “Yes, Dolf, please enlighten me on how you intend to betray me?”

  The cur fell to his knees, his head pressed to the floor at the sudden blast of power that had nothing to do with Sally and everything to do with the Dark Lord. “Mistress.”

  Sally moved forward, her expression slack as she was piloted by the evil deity to stand directly next to the cringing cur. “I have made allowances for you because you are young and impetuous, but my patience has run its course.” The voice was female, but not Sally’s.

  “No, please,” Dolf whined, the stench of his fear filling the air. “I swear I will never again question your powers.”

  “No, you will not.”

  Leaning down, Sally placed her hand on the back of Dolf ’s head, her touch almost gentle. But even as the cur’s violent shudders began to ease, a dark mist formed around his body.

  At first nothing happened and Gaius wondered if it was simply a spell to keep him trapped on the floor. Then, instinctively, Gaius stepped back, watching in horror as the blackness began to boil and churn, consuming Dolf ’s body with a silent swiftness.

  There was no other way to explain it. Wherever the mist touched Dolf, his body just . . . vanished. There was no sound, no scent, no sense of anything but death claiming its latest trophy.

  A ball of dread lodged in the pit of his stomach.

  What the hell?

  Sally was only supposed to be a conduit for the Dark Lord, but it was obvious she was able to call on some hefty magic. The thought should have been reassuring. It surely meant that the Dark Lord still maintained a large portion of her powers and was capable of returning Dara from the grave.

  Instead, Gaius could only watch Dolf being efficiently destroyed and wonder if the cur had been given the preferable fate.

  It was the distant howls of Ingrid who had been driven to her wolf form as she sensed the loss of her brother that at last snapped Gaius out of his dangerous sense of unreality.

  Lifting his head, he found Sally regarding him with those eyes that burned with crimson fire.

  “A shame, but he had outlived his usefulness.” Stepping over Dolf ’s disintegrating body, Sally walked to stand directly in front of Gaius. “What of you?”

  Gaius swiftly bowed. “I am yours to command.”

  “So I have your loyalty?”

  “Without question.”

  “And what of your faith?”

  Gaius warily straightened, praying the creature was incapable of reading his mind. “My faith?”

  “It’s simple, vampire.” She reached to run a nail down his cheek. “Do you still believe we can achieve your glorious future together?”

  Gaius suppressed his shudder, holding himself motionless beneath her light touch. No use provoking the crazy creature. “Of course.”

  “Hmmm.” The nail dug deep enough to draw blood. “Not the ringing endorsement I might have hoped for from one of my most devoted disciples.”

  Gaius desperately sought a distraction. “What would you have of me?”

  The crimson eyes narrowed before she dropped her hand and stepped back. “I need you to travel to Chicago.”

  “Again?” Caught off guard, Gaius spoke without thinking. “Did the prophet escape?”

  The air hummed with a surge of power and Gaius silently cursed his stupid question. What the hell had happened to his frigid discipline?

  “You agree with Dolf?” Sally asked in a lethally soft voice. “You suspect that I’m incompetent?”

  “I . . . of course not.”

  “But you suspect I’m incapable of holding on to my prisoners?”

  “No.” Gaius sought to minimize the danger. “I was just curious why you would want me to return to Chicago.”

  The punishing pressure eased, although the crimson gaze regarded him with an unwavering intensity that warned his brush with death was far from over.

  “The child I need is being held there.”

  Child? There was only one child that the Dark Lord could be interested in, and yet, Gaius paused, certain that he must have misunderstood.

  “You mean the babe that’s being protected in the King of Vampire’s lair?”

  Crimson eyes flared with hunger. “Yes.”

  “That is . . .” This time Gaius managed to swallow his impulsive words.

  “There’s something you want to share?” the Dark Lord mocked.

  Hell yes, there was something he wanted to share. He wanted to share that it was sheer madness to try and battle his way into the most highly guarded lair in the entire world.

  He would be dead before he ever reached the front gates.

  “No matter what my powers, I can’t possibly bluff my way past the Anasso and his Ravens,” he cautiously pointed out. “And I certainly can’t overpower them.”

  Sally shrugged. “You won’t be alone.”

  Gaius glanced toward the flakes of black dust that was all that remained of Dolf. “I doubt my remaining companions would offer the firepower I would need.”

  “The curs are no longer necessary to my plans.” Sally gave a wave of her hand. “I have a new servant to assist you.”

  Gaius didn’t know whether to be relieved or terrified. “May I ask who it is?”

  “A vampire named Kostas.”

  Kostas. The name wasn’t familiar to Gaius, but that wasn’t surprising considering that he’d spent the past few centuries beyond the Veil. But he did know that the vampire wasn’t one of Styx’s Ravens or one of his trusted allies, which made him wonder what kind of help he could provide.

  “He has access to the babe?”

  “He assures me that he is capable of sneaking in and out of the lair unnoticed.”

  Gaius frowned. “Then why do you need me?”

  “You will provide the distraction so no one will notice the absence of the child until he is well away from the lair.”

  Which meant he would be the one the infuriated vampires, and perhaps even a few pureblooded Weres, would be chasing. “Perfect,” he muttered beneath his breath.

  Sally put a hand on his shoulder, her palm searing a painful heat through the fabric of Gaius’s dressing gown. “Once you’re away from the vampires, you will bring me the child. This time there will be no mistakes. Understood?”

  Gaius nodded. The mistakes had been made the moment he’d allowed the Dark Lord to whisper in his ear.

  The only question was whether or not it was too late to correct them.

  Chapter 14

  Styx’s lair in Chicago

  Styx and Viper stood in rigid silence as Roke studied the piece of paper Levet had given them. The Las Vegas clan chief was wearing his usual attire of a pair of faded jeans, with his dark hair left loose and his chest exposed to reveal the dragon tattoo that marked his position as chief.

  So far as Styx knew, Roke had rarely left the rooms that he’d been given after his arrival in Chicago. No big surprise. The taciturn vampire had never been the life of the party, and being forced to remain so far from his people hadn’t improved h
is temperament.

  Unfortunately for him, Styx had no intention of allowing him to leave. Not until the latest danger from the Dark Lord had passed.

  “Is it a prophecy?” Viper demanded, his impatience adding a sharp chill to the air.

  Slowly, Roke lifted his head, his lean face hard with concern. “Not so much a prophecy as a warning.”

  Styx stepped forward. “What does it say?”

  “Beware the shadows.”

  “That’s it?” Viper snapped. “Beware the shadows?”

  “Yes.”

  Viper hissed, clearly not pleased by the vague forewarning. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  Roke moved until he was nose to nose with the Chicago clan chief, his smoky eyes shimmering with power. “You asked me to decipher the glyph and I did. It’s not my fault you don’t like what it says.”

  “He’s right, Viper.” Styx smoothly stepped between the two. Tensions were riding high and the last thing he needed was two of his most powerful brothers at each other’s throats. Literally. He kept his gaze on Roke. “Is that all you can give us?”

  There was a tense moment when Styx prepared for violence. Then, with a tight smile, the younger vampire stepped back, his gaze lowering to the paper still clutched in his fingers.

  “I sense the child when I touch the glyph, as if the prophet was thinking of Maluhia when she sent this message.”

  Viper was already headed toward the door by the time Roke finished speaking. “I’ll have the guards doubled,” he said.

  “Viper.”

  The silver-haired vampire turned to regard him with an impatient scowl. “Yes?”

  “Tell them . . .” Styx grimaced.

  “Tell them what?”

  “To look for shadows.”

  “They’re going to think I’ve lost my mind,” Viper growled.

  Styx shrugged. “They assumed that centuries ago.”

  “Thanks.” With a flash of fangs, Viper turned and disappeared down the hall.

  At the same time, Roke moved to stand at his side. “Is that all you need from me?”

  Styx folded his arms over his chest. “Are you in a hurry to be somewhere?”

  “Home,” Roke said, a muscle in his jaw knotted with a seething resentment at being away from those he’d taken as his family. “My clan needs me.”

  Styx shook his head. As much as he sympathized with Roke’s fierce loyalty, he needed his talents. Hard times called for hard decisions. “I understand your urgency to be with your people, but for now your duty is here.”

  Roke hissed, waving a slender hand toward the glass cases that contained some of Styx’s most treasured artifacts. “So I can sit on my ass, surrounded by your collection of froufrou, just on the off chance you need me to transcribe a prophecy?”

  Styx lifted his brows. “First, my collection isn’t froufrou, it’s chichi,” he informed the younger vampire. “Second, you’re here to stop the end of the world. I think that might be worth a few days of boredom, don’t you?”

  Roke stiffened, his pride offended. “I understand my duty.”

  “But?”

  “But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

  “Trust me, Roke, none of us like the waiting.” Styx laid a comforting hand on his companion’s shoulder. “But then I doubt we’re going to like what comes next any better.”

  Outside Styx’s lair

  Gaius circled the brick walls that surrounded the Anasso’s vast mansion, careful to remain out of sight of the security systems. Both demon security and the more high-tech kind.

  On his third trip around the estate, he halted in a small patch of trees, his hands clenched in frustration.

  “Dio,” he muttered. “Where is the fool?”

  There was a stir of air before the thick shadows near the brick wall suddenly dissipated to reveal an overly muscular male body covered in black fatigues. Gaius’s gaze lifted to the square face that reminded him eerily of his own.

  Dark, finely hewed features and black hair that was currently pulled into a tail at his nape had a distinct hint of Roman ancestors. But it was the soulless black eyes that captured Gaius’s attention.

  Psychopath.

  Always the most dangerous creature.

  “You really should pay better attention, Gaius,” the large vampire mocked, strutting forward with the confidence of a demon who thought he was cock-of-the-walk. “Who knows what might be lurking beneath your nose?”

  Gaius managed to crush his instinctive urge to teach the arrogant bastard just who was in charge. He could prove who had bigger balls once they had managed to steal the child. And if he didn’t, the Dark Lord certainly would.

  Instead, he concentrated on the man standing before him. Just because he was a blustering idiot, not to mention a supposed partner in crime, didn’t make him any less dangerous.

  “A Hunter,” he said. He’d never met one of the elite vampires who were as secretive as they were lethal, but he knew that there wasn’t any other vampire who could cloak themselves so thoroughly.

  “Not just a Hunter,” the vampire corrected, his tone harsh and his dark eyes flashing with a fury that he could barely contain. “My name is Kostas.” He waited as if expecting Gaius to recognize the name. “I was the Ruah. The ultimate leader of the Addonexus and commander of all Hunters.”

  Gaius wasn’t nearly as impressed as the man no doubt expected him to be. “Was?” He deliberately latched onto the revealing word. “I assume you were demoted?”

  Kostas’s growl echoed through the trees. “My position was stolen from me by the King of Vampires.”

  “Ah.” Gaius smiled without humor. “And now you want your revenge?”

  “I want the bastard to suffer.” The man’s anger swept through the trees, snapping off several branches. “And I want that suffering to last for an eternity.”

  “And I thought the cur was unbalanced,” Gaius muttered, irritated by the thought of being saddled with yet another moron who was clearly at the mercy of his emotions.

  Kostas moved with shocking speed to clamp his fingers around Gaius’s arm. “Don’t mistake me for a pathetic dog.”

  With a sharp blow to the vampire’s chest, Gaius sent Kostas’s large body crashing into a nearby tree. He waited for the man to rise back to his feet before pointing a finger in his direction and allowing his power to sear over Kostas’s flesh.

  “Don’t think the Dark Lord can save you if I decide I want you dead,” he warned.

  Kostas lifted a pleading hand. “Stop.”

  Gaius allowed the pain to continue for longer than necessary before he lowered his hand and regarded his companion with an imperious smile. “Tell me your plan.”

  Kostas’s eyes smoldered with the desire to rip out Gaius’s throat, but proving he wasn’t a complete idiot, he managed to leash his bloodthirsty urges. “As you have seen for yourself, I’m capable of shrouding myself in impenetrable shadows,” he said between clenched fangs.

  Gaius studied him in suspicion. “Then why do you need a distraction?”

  “I can’t walk through walls. The guards are bound to notice the doors opening, unless they have something else to occupy their minds.” There was a moment of silence, as if the vampire was weighing how much he had to reveal to pacify Gaius. “Besides, I can maintain my shadows for a considerable length of time if I’m standing still, but when I’m forced to move it becomes more draining on my powers. And once I’m carrying the child it becomes even more difficult.”

  “How long?” Gaius pressed.

  “Ten, maybe fifteen minutes,” Kostas grudgingly answered.

  “That’s not very long.” With a frown Gaius glanced toward the sprawling mansion, easily sensing the labyrinth of tunnels that ran beneath the grounds. “What if you have trouble locating the child?”

  “Trouble?” The man’s conceit returned with a vengeance. “I’m a Hunter. There’s nothing I can’t track.”

  “And this is the Anasso’s lair
,” Gaius pointed out. “Who knows what sort of spells and hexes he’s placed around the nursery?”

  “I’m trained to avoid such traps.”

  “Fine.” Let the bastard have his heart carved out by the King of Vampires. And, if by some miracle he did survive and escape with the baby, Gaius would be happy to claim the rewards from the Dark Lord. “Where will we meet after you’ve escaped with the babe?”

  “I’ll contact you . . .”

  “No.” Gaius pointed a warning finger. “We’ll arrange a meeting place before you enter the house and you will be there waiting for me with the child. Is that clear enough?”

  “You don’t trust me?” Kostas sneered.

  “I don’t trust anyone.”

  “Neither do I. How do I know you won’t double cross me?” Kostas tilted his chin to a belligerent angle. “And believe me, I’ll know if you’re lying.”

  Oh, Gaius believed him.

  The same rumors that whispered of a Hunter’s ability to cloak himself in shadows, also hinted that they could smell a lie a mile off. Not that it mattered. If it came to the point he had to lie to the miserable SOB he would just kill him.

  “My command is to take the babe to the Dark Lord,” he said. “Do you truly think I would defy our master?”

  Kostas didn’t look happy, but he knew this was a battle he wasn’t going to win.

  “We’ll meet at my current lair,” he muttered. “It’s fifty miles west of here in a small town called Platte. The entrance is at the back of the old quarry. Knock before you enter or you might find yourself in a nasty trap.”

  “I’ll be there before dawn.” Gaius grimaced, his gaze returning to the mansion where he could sense over a dozen powerful demons. “Always assuming I survive.”

  “And Styx?” Kostas demanded.

  “What about him?”

  “I was promised he would be given to me.”

  Gaius shrugged. “That’s between you and the Dark Lord.”

  “I’d better not be disappointed,” Kostas warned, abruptly disappearing in a shroud of shadows.

  “That, my friend, is almost guaranteed,” Gaius muttered, clutching his medallion as he studied the best place to make his grand appearance in the Anasso’s lair.