“I will keep you safe.” His promise warmed her, but she also knew it was unrealistic.
“You’re not responsible for me.” If what he was saying was real, they were in for the fight of their lives. She pulled away from him and hurried to her suitcase. She tucked her toiletries bag inside and pulled out underwear, a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved cotton top. It was May and the nights were still very cool.
He clamped his hand down on her shoulder and whirled her around. Fury radiated from every line of his massive body. His lips were parted on a silent snarl, exposing rather large white teeth. “You think I cannot protect you?”
God save her from a man’s ego. “I’m not your responsibility. You have to watch out for yourself.”
“I will do both.” He drew himself up to his full height as he made his proclamation.
“Sure.” In her experience, people looked after themselves when the going got rough. Leander was a stranger. Why should he care what happened to her?
She darted around him and dropped her clothes on the bed. She grabbed her panties and tugged them on, being careful to keep the towel wrapped around her. Jeans and socks were next. She kept her back turned as she slipped on her bra and top. Tossing the towel aside, she turned and faced him.
He was standing with his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face. Araminta did her best to ignore him and gathered the few remaining objects scattered around the room. She zipped her suitcase closed and set her tote bag and purse beside it. Her load was much lighter going home because all her promotional items and extra books were gone.
She’d have to contact Luna once the next twenty-four hours were over. At this point, Araminta wasn’t sure if Luna was a part of this madness or not. Her memory was a little iffy on what exactly had happened.
She could always plead a personal emergency as the reason for slipping out early from the conference. Having someone break into her home certainly qualified.
She grabbed her sweater from the chair where she’d tossed it earlier and slipped it on but didn’t bother to button it. She pulled the straps of her purse and tote bag over her shoulder and grabbed her suitcase. “I’m ready. I have to stop at the front desk long enough to hand in my keycard.” Thankfully, the room was paid for so it would only take her a second.
His frown deepened. “We should just leave.”
She shook her head. “I have to return the keycard.”
He looked as though he wanted to say more but kept his mouth shut. A muscle twitched in his jaw and she thought she might have heard his teeth grinding. She headed to the door but he was there before she could open it.
“Stay behind me,” he ordered.
“Conjure up a shirt, or something,” she shot back.
He narrowed his eyes, but a second later he was wearing a leather vest. It wasn’t a shirt or coat, but it was something. She bit her lip and decided it was better not to say anything. He didn’t look very happy with her at the moment.
He opened the door and glanced both ways. “Stay here until the elevator door opens.” He stalked down the hallway and hit the elevator button. When the bell chimed a few seconds later, he motioned to her. Araminta hurried down the hallway with her bags bouncing off her hip, dragging her suitcase behind her.
Leander didn’t like this, not one bit. His first instinct was to hustle Araminta out of here as fast as possible. But he was learning a thing or two about her and knew she was stubborn. He was also discovering he knew more about this world than he imagined. All kinds of information was stored in his brain from how to work the television in her room to what an elevator was.
He tried to appear confident, like he knew what he was doing, but this world was foreign to him in almost every way. He’d thought about using the stairs, not wanting to be trapped inside a small moving box. But he wasn’t sure Araminta could make it down the stairs with all her belongings, and he couldn’t help her carry them, needing to be ready to fight if any demons appeared.
He sniffed and nearly groaned as a whiff of her soap reached him. It was mixed with the sweet scent of her cream and his more musky, masculine smell. She might have washed, but she hadn’t done a thorough job of it. Deep within him, his lion gave a rumble of contentment.
Leander studied her as the elevator took them down to the lobby level. For a woman who’d had so much thrown at her tonight, she appeared calm and composed, not at all like the woman who’d dug her nails into his shoulders and clamped her thighs around his head to keep him from moving from her sweet pussy.
His cock flexed in agreement and he willed the unruly part of him to behave. She was right about one thing. They should have already left this place. It was dangerous for them to be here. By having sex with her to sate his physical needs, he’d put her in peril. It had been selfish of him, but he didn’t know if he could have done things any differently. The need to claim her had overridden all fear.
“Give me your key.” He held out his hand in expectation, but he should have known it wouldn’t be quite that easy.
“Why?” She held the small white card closer to her chest.
He sighed in mounting frustration. The next twenty-two hours or so were going to be extremely long if she fought him on everything. Still, he liked her independence and her spunk. He just hoped they didn’t get her killed.
“I don’t want you exposed to danger. You’ll wait in the elevator with the door open until I come back for you.”
She swallowed hard, her slender throat rippling. He wanted to stoke his lips over her pounding pulse, to soothe her fears, but knew he couldn’t. The threat was real. The faster she accepted that fact the better it would be for both of them.
She reluctantly handed him the plastic rectangle that opened the door to her room. The bell chimed and the doors silently slid open. Leander placed himself in front of her as the doors parted. Every muscle in his body tensed, and within him the lion paced and growled.
He took a deep breath while his gaze tracked all around the large area. He didn’t smell or see any demons. The coast was clear.
The lobby was fairly open with the elevators tucked into a dead-end nook. “Keep the doors open and watch for my signal.”
Araminta nodded and pressed one of the buttons on the brass elevator panel marked Door Open. Satisfied she was as safe as he could make her for now, Leander stalked toward the desk.
A single male sat tapping away on a long plastic board with keys. A computer, he reminded himself, his brain automatically conjuring up an image from memory. The man looked up as Leander approached. The man’s eyes widened and he swallowed hard, but he offered a tentative smile. “Good evening, sir. Can I help you?”
“We’re leaving early.” He tossed the keycard on the counter and turned away, his duty done. His senses were wide open, scanning for potential danger. There was only the human male here at the moment, but that could change at any time.
“Wait, sir. There’s paperwork to be signed.”
Leander whirled around and glared at the man. “Deal with it.”
He heard footsteps behind him and cursed under his breath. He should have known she wouldn’t stay where he’d put her. He caught Araminta’s arm and kept her next to him.
She smiled at the desk clerk. “I’m Araminta Davidson. The room has already been paid for. I have to go home early. A family emergency.”
The clerk’s gaze went from Leander’s hand where it was wrapped around her arm and back to Araminta. He reached for the phone. “Are you all right? Is there anything I can do for you?”
It didn’t take a lot of brains to know what the clerk was thinking. He thought Leander was coercing Araminta into leaving.
“Everything is just fine.” She patted Leander’s naked chest where the vest parted. “I’m giving him a ride home. It’s on my way.” She pushed her suitcase toward him. “Be a dear and carry this for me, will you?”
Leander wanted to keep his hands free for fighting but had little choice but to grab the han
dle and follow Araminta as she strode toward the front entrance of the hotel. He admired the sway of her curvy hips and the way the soft material of her jeans cupped her sweet ass.
He growled when she started to step outside and managed to shove her to one side and put himself in front of her. Streetlights lit the area. The coast was clear, the streets fairly empty. Only the occasional car passed by and several taxicabs were parked farther down the street.
It was quite a rush for him to be outside in the modern world, trying to match his knowledge to actual objects. The sounds of vehicles were continuous and the lights and colors brilliant. He took a deep breath, but his nose immediately wrinkled in disgust as it was assailed by the foul odors of gasoline and garbage. Still, he enjoyed the cool air brushing against his face and caressing his body. But there was no time for him to soak any of it in. He had to protect Araminta.
“My car is in the parking garage next door.” She waited patiently beside him, not trying to get past him. She rested her hand on his arm and gave it a squeeze. “I know this must be very overwhelming for you. You’ve been in captivity for so long.”
His lion roared within him. Did she think less of him for his captivity? He didn’t want her to see him as weak in any way. “I am fine. I am not without knowledge of your world.” He thrust her suitcase toward her. “You must take this. I need my hands free to fight.”
She wasn’t quite fast enough to hide the flash of hurt in her eyes. “Of course.” He wanted to curse and roar but did neither. She grabbed the handle and started to roll the suitcase behind her. “It’s this way.”
He stayed by her side as they hurried down the sidewalk and into the dark parking garage. The security lights were dim, but he didn’t need them in order to see perfectly. Cars were parked in long rows. There were plenty of concrete pillars and steel posts where anyone could conceal themselves while they waited to attack. Leander didn’t like this. Not one bit.
When he caught a faint whiff of sulfur and death, he thrust her behind him. “They’re here.”
The light in the distance was growing brighter and the voices louder and more distinct. Even though she knew it was safer not to draw any attention to herself, the Lady drew on some of her power to bolster her flagging strength.
Mordecai had been the first of the warriors released, but that had been decades ago. She’d been wandering this realm lost and alone ever since, searching for a way out. It made her legs weak to think she could actually be close to escape. But she didn’t allow herself to think beyond putting one foot in front of the other.
Energy hummed through her limbs and she all but threw herself to the top of the cliff she’d been climbing for what felt like weeks. She landed with a heavy thud on the hard ground but pulled herself to her knees. She had to be nearing the edge of Hell.
The perimeter between Hades’ realm and the Earth was like a solid steel wall, completely impenetrable. But there were a few places where there was a break, a crack, a small passageway between worlds. Most demons would never think to leave Hell, knowing Hades would discover their actions and punish them severely. Nobody left Hell without Hades’ permission.
And on the other side of the barrier, most humans would naturally shy away from the negative energy pulsing outward from such passageways. She didn’t know how safe it was to try to escape through one, didn’t know if Hades would send an avalanche of rock down to block her way at any moment, but she had to try.
Up ahead, the Lady could see light. She pushed to her feet and hurried toward the opening, running as fast as she could, her burst of energy flagging. She was weak but determined. She would escape Hell or she would die trying. The resulting blast of energy from her death would bring the other gods and goddesses of Hades’ pantheon running to see what was going on. One way or another, Hades would not succeed in his nefarious plan to take over the Earth and enslave humans.
She prayed this was not another deception by the dark god, a trap of some sort to break her spirit. The Lady didn’t know how much more she could take before despair swallowed her whole. The warriors had had one another to gain strength and comfort from these long years. She’d been totally alone.
She sensed someone near her but didn’t feel any threat from whoever or whatever it was. It was disconcerting to say the least, but she couldn’t afford to stop and investigate. Her window of opportunity was running out.
The tunnel was narrowing as it came to an end and she pushed forward, stumbling into the light. She cried out and threw her arms over her face to protect it. It had been more than five thousand years since she’d last seen any light at all, and even the mellow glow of the moonlight was too much for her to bear.
She fell to her knees and felt the cool moss and grass against her skin, the wind stroking her body like a lover’s caress. Tears spilled down her cheeks and onto the ground, which hungrily sucked the moisture in. Sweet-smelling violets immediately sprang from the salty drops. Their scent enveloped her and she smiled. She was home.
Hades felt the shift in his realm as the outer barrier was breached, and he threw back his head and roared. The walls around him shook and every demon raced for cover, including Luna, none wanting to bear the brunt of their master’s anger.
The goddess had escaped from Hell. How had that happened?
His senses flared and he searched for the rift, finding the tiny breach in the wall of his domain in a long-forgotten, dusty, abandoned corner of his realm. His fury sent rocks tumbling, collapsing the tunnel so no other could use it. Candlelight flared into mighty torches and illuminated everything around him. The mirror he used to see into other realms shook and rattled in its ornate frame.
“Mordecai!” He’d kill the warrior with his bare hands for allowing this to happen. “Mordecai,” he roared again. A nearby candle flared so high and burned so hot it scorched the rock ceiling and several goblets on a nearby table shattered with the vibrations of his anger.
“You bellowed, my lord.” Mordecai sauntered into the room looking like he didn’t have a care in the world. Luna ducked out behind him and disappeared from view. He hadn’t given her permission to leave. He’d deal with her later.
Hades was literally breathing fire as he stepped down off the low dais that held his majestic carved throne and approached his general. “How did this happen?”
Mordecai didn’t even pretend not to understand what Hades was angry about, which was the only thing that kept Hades from killing him instantly. “I was training your armies. You’re the one who made the deal with the Lady. I thought you had the situation under control.” Mordecai raised an eyebrow in question and Hades wanted to hit him and shatter every bone in the warrior’s face. He promised himself he would do so just as soon as his war was won.
He took a deep breath and calmed himself. Next thing his dear brother Zeus would be coming to see what all the commotion was. He was realistic enough to know that both his brothers had spies in his realm, but thankfully, none close enough to the seat of power to discover what was really going on. After all, he had spies in theirs. There was no love, or trust, between them.
“I would rather she’d stayed here until the battle was over, but it is of no consequence. She has no power now and is even weaker than my brothers.” Hades straightened the cuffs on his designer suit, in control of himself once again. His temper was his greatest weakness and it behooved him to control it, especially in front of one as cunning as Mordecai.
“How are the armies coming along?” Better to focus on what was important. The Lady of the Beasts had escaped into a world that no longer remembered her. She was powerless against him. The world belonged to him with its greed and violence. The only step left was for him to claim it. He listened with half an ear as Mordecai droned on and on about battle plans and tactical maneuvers. Who cared about such things? Maybe Ares, the god of war, but not Hades. All that mattered to him was the outcome.
In the meantime, he would test this new warrior who’d been set free from the curse and
find out what the lion was made of. What were his weaknesses and strengths? Could he be easily bought or manipulated? It would also be a test of the female who was with him. She would probably be the weak link.
Women were always weaker. Just look at the Lady of the Beasts. She’d been easily beaten and imprisoned along with her faithful warriors. He conveniently disregarded the loyalty and bravery of the last two women who’d released Roric and Marko from their captivity. As far as he was concerned, they were nothing more than an anomaly.
He dismissed Mordecai and called on four of his best fighting demons. He gave them instructions, opened a portal, sent them through the utter blackness and shut it behind them. He didn’t think they’d be coming back. But that was of little consequence as long as he learned what he wanted.
He stalked back to his massive wooden chair and threw himself into it. He rubbed the smooth wood as he turned to the mirror and commanded it to show him the warrior and the human female.
Chapter Seven
Araminta froze in place, trying to figure out where the danger lurked. Leander certainly thought that someone was in the parking garage with them. And where the heck had he gotten the sword he was now holding in his right hand? It seemed to have come from out of nowhere just like his clothing had, just like he had.
She blinked and tightened her hand around the handle of her suitcase. The night just kept getting crazier and crazier. She bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming. What was next? Some demon from Hell? Scratch that thought. She could do without the demon. It might finally push her over the edge and make her check herself into a hospital.
Leander’s gaze was centered on the far end of the parking garage. It was extremely quiet, even for the middle of the night. The sounds of traffic echoed through the cavernous building, but they were faint and distant. A plinking sound came from her left—water dripping onto metal.
Pride of the Lion: Hades' Carnival, Book 3 Page 8