A Very Levet Christmas (Guardians of Eternity)
Page 1
Books by Alexandra Ivy
Guardians of Eternity
WHEN DARKNESS COMES
EMBRACE THE DARKNESS
DARKNESS EVERLASTING
DARKNESS REVEALED
DARKNESS UNLEASHED
BEYOND THE DARKNESS
DEVOURED BY DARKNESS
BOUND BY DARKNESS
FEAR THE DARKNESS
DARKNESS AVENGED
HUNT THE DARKNESS
The Immortal Rogues
MY LORD VAMPIRE
MY LORD ETERNITY
MY LORD IMMORTALITY
The Sentinels
BORN IN BLOOD
BLOOD ASSASSIN
Historical Romance
SOME LIKE IT WICKED
SOME LIKE IT SINFUL
SOME LIKE IT BRAZEN
And don’t miss these Guardians of Eternity novellas
TAKEN BY DARKNESS in YOURS FOR ETERNITY
DARKNESS ETERNAL in SUPERNATURAL
WHERE DARKNESS LIVES in THE REAL
WEREWIVES OF VAMPIRE COUNTY
LEVET (eBook only)
And look for this Sentinel novella
OUT OF CONTROL in PREDATORY
Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation
A VERY LEVET CHRISTMAS
ALEXANDRA IVY
ZEBRA BOOKS
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com
All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.
Table of Contents
Books by Alexandra Ivy
Title Page
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
BLOOD ASSASSIN,
Copyright Page
Chapter 1
The Night Before Christmas, St. Louis, Missouri
Levet adored Christmas.
He loved the gaudy decorations. The caroling. The festive spirits of the humans.
Oh, and the mistletoe.
He didn’t know who had invented the tradition of kissing beneath sprigs of branches, but they had clearly understood how to celebrate a holiday.
And this year there was even more to love. How long had he waited for Harley to give birth to her babies? It seemed like an eternity. But at last they were here.
Five perfect babies. Three female and two male who were the first pure-blood Weres to be born in decades.
Which was why Levet had ignored the frigid weather and rushed from Chicago to St. Louis. Such a joyous occasion would no doubt include a grand celebration, with plenty of food and drink.
And of course, for the first time in more years than he wanted to admit, he would be spending the holidays with his friends.
A rare gift for a demon who’d been disowned by his family centuries ago.
Now he wondered why he’d bothered.
Standing on the bank of the frozen lake that edged Salvatore’s sprawling lair, Levet discovered his path blocked by a cur who was the size of a large mountain. Hess, the King of Weres’ right-hand mutt, wasn’t particularly bright, but he was impossible to get around. Especially if you happened to be a three-foot gargoyle with more brains than brawn.
Thoroughly annoyed, Levet folded his arms over his tiny chest, his large wings that shimmered in brilliant shades of blue and crimson with golden veins stretched out behind him.
“What do you mean I am not allowed to pass?” He tilted his head to make sure the moonlight captured the beauty of his stunted horns and handsome gargoyle features. He could only presume the thick-skulled hound didn’t recognize him. “Do you know who I am?”
“I don’t give a shit who you are.” Hess turned his head to spit on the newly fallen snow. “The king was very specific. Only family is given permission to enter the lair.”
Levet scowled. “But I am family.”
Hess narrowed his gaze, his breath sending out small puffs of icy fog. It was barely ten degrees, but the cur was wearing jeans and a too-tight muscle shirt.
“You?”
“Oui. I am like a brother to Harley.” Levet pointed toward the large house on top of the hill, referring to the Queen of Weres and one of his dearest friends. “Go ask her.”
“Everyone knows that the Queen only has sisters,” Hess said. “No brothers.”
Levet rolled his eyes. Did Weres deliberately choose the stupidest humans to turn into curs?
“I said like a brother, you imbecile. Clearly we are not the same species.”
Hess gave a low growl, reaching down to grab Levet by the horns and yank him off the ground.
“What did you call me?”
“Eek!” Levet dangled helplessly, his tail snapping furiously behind him. “Release me, you oversized Chihuahua.”
Hess leaned forward, his eyes glowing with a dangerous light. A cur didn’t have the same control over his wolf as a Were. The brute was on the edge of shifting.
Something Levet would prefer to avoid.
“You have two choices, gargoyle,” Hess warned.
“What choices?”
“Either you flap away with those fairy wings—”
“Hey, my wings are magnificent,” Levet protested, deeply offended.
“Or I rip them off and stuff them down your throat.” Hess ignored the interruption, his voice thickening and the air prickling with the heat of his wolf.
“Why must dogs always be so violent?” Levet muttered.
“Because we enjoy it,” the cur snarled. “Now get the hell out of here and don’t come back. You’re not welcome.”
With one mighty swing of his arm, Hess tossed Levet onto the ice where he slid like a hockey puck toward the far edge of the lake.
Smacking into the far bank, Levet tumbled end over end, at last coming to a halt near a large Dumpster. Furiously cursing, he tugged his horns out of the snow, turning to glare at the house on top of the hill. Since the house was built with large windows overlooking the lake, it was easy to see inside to the festively decorated home that was clearly filled with various demons enjoying Salvatore’s hospitality.
He should be among the guests, Levet silently groused, his gaze shifting to the dark shapes that patrolled the area around the house. Harley adored him. Every female adored him.
Besides, had he not just saved the world from Armageddon?
They should all be bowing down to him in humble gratitude.
Instead he was . . . forbidden?
It was outrageous.
With a twitch of his tail, Levet turned to stomp away from the well-guarded lair. There was no point in trying to slip past the guards. Salvatore was foul-tempered under the best of circumstances. With five new pups to protect, he would be beyond crazed. Levet wasn’t entirely certain that the wolf wouldn’t kill anyone he considered an intruder on sight.
“Uncouth animals,” he muttered. “They should be chained and muzzled.”
His outrage lingered as he left St. Louis behind, following the banks of the Mississippi River as he traveled north.
Once he was far away from prying eyes, however, his steps slowed and his wings began to droop.
The holidays weren’t going precisely as he’d planned.
In truth, they were a total bust.
The vampires were in a frantic search for Cyn, the clan chief of Ireland, who’d recently disappeared from the mysterious land of the fairies, along with Sally’s sister, Fallon. His own family had made it clear that he needn’t bother to travel to Paris to join in their celebrations, despite his having been reinstated into the Gargoyle Guild.
&nbs
p; And even Yannah, the exasperating female demon who’d been the recipient of his charming attentions, had refused his invitation to spend a romantic Christmas together. From out of nowhere she’d informed him that he was incapable of a mature relationship. As if it was his fault that they were constantly squabbling. Instead she’d returned to her home in the netherworld to spend time with her excessively handsome Jinn neighbor.
He was . . . alone.
Completely and utterly alone.
His wings drooped another inch, his claws already frostbitten as he trudged through the snow.
Zut.
He was a gargoyle who never allowed the tedious difficulties in life to dampen his spirits.
He possessed an unshakable belief in his own greatness.
And why not?
He was handsome, charming, and possessed massive powers.
And while his love life was currently in drought, he had every confidence he would soon be back in the puddle.
No, wait. Not puddle. Piddle? Paddle? Ah . . . saddle. Back in the saddle.
His steps faltered near a heavily wooded bluff, his snout wrinkling as a rare flare of self-doubt darkened his heart.
Certainly he was handsome, but it was true he was far too short to earn the respect of his fellow gargoyles. And while his charm couldn’t be questioned, it did seem that there were a rare few who were clearly jealous of his ability to earn the admiration of women. And as for his powers—well, he couldn’t deny they could be . . . unpredictable.
Lost in his brooding thoughts, Levet was startled by the sound of a high, feminine voice slicing through the chilled air.
“Help,” the voice pleaded. “Please, help me.”
With no hesitation, Levet scurried over the snow, entering a thick band of trees that ran along the bluff of the river. It was his duty as a card-carrying Knight in Shining Armor to answer the call of a woman in distress.
Okay, he didn’t actually have a card, but still....
He had just rounded a large outcrop of rocks when he caught sight of a small female standing at an awkward angle in a dazzling pool of moonlight.
His wide gaze took in the tiny, heart-shaped face dominated by a pair of jade-green eyes and the black hair that tumbled nearly to her waist. Her skin was pale as ivory, and her ears were oddly pointed. And on her back were a pair of gossamer wings in shades of white and silver.
Ooh la la.
She was beautiful.
A vision so lovely that she stole his breath. Then, his momentary enchantment was shattered as she reached down to grab her leg that was stuck in the air.
“Mon Dieu,” he breathed, realizing that the female’s foot was missing. Wait. It wasn’t missing. It was clearly caught on the other side of a portal. “What has happened?”
The female heaved a sigh. “I fear I had a bit too much dewberry wine at the office party, and the portal was already closing when I tried to dash through.” She gave another tug on her leg. “Now I’m stuck.”
Levet blinked. Office party?
Did fairies have office parties?
“Who are you?” he demanded.
She straightened as best she could with one leg caught in a portal and offered him a smile that melted the frostbite from his claws.
“Sera Belle, the Christmas angel,” she said, her voice light and lilting. “You can call me Sera.”
“Christmas angel,” Levet repeated in shock. He’d never met an actual angel. “I thought you were a myth. Like leprechauns.”
She deliberately glanced down at her slender body that was covered by a shimmering silver gown.
“Do I look like a myth?”
Levet unconsciously moved forward, quite certain he’d never seen a more exquisite female in his life.
“Non. You look . . . magnifique.”
“Do I? Thank you, my dear.” Her smile was one of feminine bewitchment. “I was running late, so I didn’t have time to do my hair.”
His gaze obediently moved to the glorious tumble of dark hair. “It is divine.” He sucked in a deep breath, oddly compelled to take another step forward. “And that smell.”
Levet’s wings fluttered as he was saturated in the scent of freshly baked bread.
Her expression became mysterious. “Yes. I get that a lot.”
“Do you need help?” Levet murmured, his fingers itching to touch the lacy beauty of her wings.
“I should think that was obvious.”
Levet grimaced at his silly question, suspecting that delectable scent of bread was somehow clouding his mind.
Of course the female needed his help. She was stuck, was she not?
“I could try a spell—”
“No,” she sharply interrupted. “The portal will open on its own in an hour.”
“Oui, but I could open it much faster.”
“Please . . . don’t.”
Levet sniffed. Did she doubt his powers?
Well, no matter how beautiful she might be he would not stay to be insulted.
He’d endured enough of that from Yannah, merci beaucoup.
“Bon.” He turned away. “I am quite busy, as are most demons who are charged with protecting the world from evil. If you prefer to wait in the cold, then so be it. That is hokey-pokey with me.”
“It’s okeydokey not . . . Wait, don’t leave me.”
“Ah.” Levet turned back, his hands lifted as he prepared to dazzle her with his skill. “Now you want me to perform a spell.”
“No. There’s no magic that can open the portal,” she hastily informed him. “But someone must perform my duties.”
Levet stiffened. There was a faux innocence in her tone that set off his spicy senses. Or was it Spidey-sense?
He narrowed his gaze. “Duties?”
She blinked, a dimple abruptly appearing beside her mouth. “I’m a Christmas angel.”
“Oui, so you said.”
She waved a hand toward the nearby pines covered in snow. “And it is Christmas.”
Hmm. Levet tried to recall what he’d heard about Christmas angels. He knew they didn’t slide down chimneys or ride reindeer, but it seemed that they were rumored to do something Christmassy.
“Do you spread festive joy?” he demanded.
Her lips twitched, as if she were amused by her inner thoughts. “Something like that.” She leaned forward, the jade eyes seeming to pierce to his very soul. “Now you must do it.”
“Moi?” Levet shook his head, taking a step back. Hadn’t he just been plagued by the worrisome fear he was not quite so splendidly magnificent as he’d believed? That despite his great deeds he had been left on his own for a reason? How could he possibly be responsible for ensuring the Christmas spirit for someone else? “I know nothing of being an angel.”
“It’s quite simple.” Moving with grace despite her leg being trapped in a portal, the angel reached behind her back to produce a small fairy wand. “Here.”
With startling speed she had the small, sparkly stick with a glowing end shoved into Levet’s hand.
“A wand?” A renegade flare of excitement raced through Levet. He’d never actually held an honest-to-God, genuine wand. “Is it magical?”
“Of course it’s magical.”
Levet gave it a tentative wave, his eyes widening as a brilliant sprinkle of lights shot off the end.
Why didn’t gargoyles have magic wands?
They were the boom. No wait . . . the bomb.
Levet gave the wand another swoosh. “What do I do with it?”
Again, the angel gave him an overly innocent smile. “Just tap a lucky demon three times with it.”
Levet studied the delicate wand. “That’s it?”
“Yes.”
“What happens?”
“They are . . .” There was a brief pause. “Encouraged to make a change in their lives. It’s quite easy.”
Levet’s glance went to Sera’s beautiful face. Hmm. He did not need to be a psychic to know that magic was never so simple.
Especially when it tampered with the minds of demons.
“I don’t think I am a suitable replacement.” He reluctantly held the wand toward Sera. “You must find someone else.”
“I see.” The angel heaved a deep, sorrowful sigh. “Ah well. A pity about the babies.”
Levet froze in sudden alarm. “What babies?”
Sera blinked, as if astonished that Levet didn’t know what she was talking about. “Harley’s babies, of course.”
There was a tiny voice in the back of Levet’s mind that warned he was being played. Thankfully, he’d long ago learned to ignore that particular voice.
“They are in danger?” he demanded.
“Oh yes.” Sera gave a somber nod of her head. “Great danger.”
“From whom?”
“A pure-blood Were named Damon who intends to challenge Salvatore for the right to be king.”
Levet’s wings twitched with a flare of panic.
He might wish the current King of Weres a severe case of the mange, but he was horrified by the thought that there might be a battle that would endanger the helpless pups.
It was always the innocents who suffered.
“When?”
“Now.”
Levet unconsciously gripped the wand, the need to do something to protect the helpless children thundering through him.
“We must warn Harley.”
Sera gave a shake of her head. “Only you can halt disaster.”
“But . . .” Levet was on the point of confessing that while his magic was formidable, it might not be quite powerful enough to halt a purebred Were, when there was a swirl of sparkles dancing around him. His eyes widened, his tail tucking between his legs as the sparkles twirled around him, faster and faster. Then, without warning, Levet felt a tug deep inside him, and he was lifted off his feet and was flying through the air at a blurring speed. “Eek!”
The King of Weres’ Lair in St. Louis
Salvatore hadn’t become leader of the pure-blood Weres because of his dark beauty, or even his ruthless ambition. He was the king because his wolf was stronger, faster, and more cunning than any other. And because his human side was capable of maintaining an icy control that was rare among hot-blooded Weres.