Shades of Darkness

by Alexandra Ivy

  Chapter 16

  Levet flapped his wings, attempting to shake off the layers of sand. The fine grains were everywhere. In every nook and cranny of his body. He grimaced. He was going to be chafed raw by the time he got back to Vegas.

  “The portal is gone.” Brigette was staring at the big hole in the ground, her expression one of disbelief.

  Levet cleared his throat. He’d hadn’t fully thought through the danger of tossing a fireball after the fleeing brownie. Styx’s mate Darcy often told him that he needed to think before he acted, but it seemed a wasted opportunity. How did you know how anything was going to turn out until after it was over?

  He would have missed some spectacular adventures if he stopped to think what might happen.

  “Oui.” He scratched the tip of his snout. “But on the bright side, the brownie is also gone.”

  “Bright side?” The Were whirled around, her hands balled into tight fists. “There is no bright side.”

  “Of course there is,” Levet protested. Really, werewolves could be so crabby. It had to be all that hot blood pumping through their veins. He spread his arms wide, offering his best smile. “You wanted to be out of the bulla, and here we are.”

  She refused to properly appreciate his awesome efforts. Or even his smile.

  “Yeah, stuck in a strange dimension with a jinn.” She glanced around the empty desert as if expecting the powerful creature to pop out of a nearby dune. “Perfect.”

  “The jinn is unfortunate,” Levet had to agree. “But if we are careful, it is possible we will survive.”

  She blinked. “That’s your bright side?”

  “It’s better than always being a gloomy butt.” He dropped his arms, studying the tight line of her jaw as she struggled to contain her temper. “Does nothing make you happy?”

  She released a growl. “Certainly not being stranded in the middle of a desert.”

  “That is not an answer. What will make you happy, Brigette?”

  She flinched, as if his soft words had rubbed against a raw nerve. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I thought power would fill the hole inside me.”

  “There is only one thing that can fill that hole.”

  She pointed a warning finger in his face. “Don’t say it.”

  “Love.”

  “I told you not to say it,” she snapped.

  Levet lifted his hand in a helpless gesture. “It is true.”

  Brigette turned, gazing blindly over the rolling sand. “I was loved.”

  “Not by yourself.”

  She snorted, her lips twisting into a self-derisive smile. “I loved myself. Too much.”

  Most demons no doubt would agree with the female. She’d sacrificed her home, her family, and her pack all for the promise of power. How could she be anything but a selfish bitch?

  Levet, however, wasn’t so easily fooled.

  “Non. You judged yourself so lacking you destroyed everything in an effort to prove yourself worthy.”

  She made a small, choked sound. As if she’d almost swallowed her tongue. “How could you possibly know what I felt?”

  “Because I did the same.”

  “You made a deal with an evil spirit to destroy your clan?”

  He shook his head. “Not precisely, but I have occasionally rushed into situations that were not entirely safe.”

  She pointedly glanced toward the gaping hole in the sand. “Occasionally?”

  Levet heroically ignored her mocking tones. The female had not had the best life. She’d been infected by an evil spirit, sacrificed her family, and then ended up in a dungeon. It was no wonder she was a gloomy gussy. Hmm. That didn’t seem right. He shrugged.

  “I have a need to prove I am as heroic as any other demon,” Levet confessed.

  He didn’t like revealing his secret lack of confidence, not to anyone. The world depended on his bubbling enthusiasm. But this female was clearly in need of a pep talk. And since he was the only one available, he had to do his duty.

  Perhaps sensing they shared more in common than she wanted to admit, Brigette’s anger drained away and she held up her hands in a gesture of defeat.

  “What are we supposed to do now?”

  “We find a portal,” Levet told her.

  “Can you sense one?”

  “In that direction. But…” He wrinkled his nose.

  Brigette rolled her eyes. “Let me guess. That’s where the jinn is?”

  “Oui.”

  “Nothing else?”

  Levet closed his eyes, allowing his senses to spread through the desert. The power of the distant jinn was like a tidal wave, beating against him and making it almost impossible to determine if there was any other magic in the dimension.

  At last he firmly shook his head. “Non.”

  “Damn.” Brigette narrowed her eyes against the blinding blaze of the overhead sun. “What about Chaaya? Is she here?”

  “I do not sense her or the leech.”

  “I suppose that’s one small miracle,” Brigette muttered in resigned tones.

  “Do not fear.” Levet reached up to pat her hand. “I will distract the jinn and then you can escape.”

  Brigette jerked her head down to study him with a startled expression, as if she couldn’t believe anyone would sacrifice themselves to save her.

  “Are you insane?”

  Levet blinked. What an odd question. “I am a hero.”

  She scowled. Then, before Levet could assure her that he was indeed noble enough to martyr himself, she lifted her arm and shook it.

  “Nice, but I think you forgot something.”

  “Did I?” Levet was confused, but not necessarily surprised. “Unfortunately I have forgotten many things,” he confessed. “Styx, the King of Vampires, told me that I have a hole in my head. Or perhaps he said he intended to put a hole in my head. To be honest, I was not really listening. He babbles about the most uninteresting things. Like the night he was yakking about the importance of not selling his big sword on eBay, even though he never uses the thing and I needed the money to buy a new—”

  “This!” Brigette rudely interrupted, giving her arm another shake.

  Levet frowned. “I was supposed to remember your arm? How odd.”

  Spitting out curse words, the female grabbed the glowing strand that held them together.

  “This.”

  “Oh. The tether?”

  “I couldn’t escape even if you were able to distract the jinn,” she reminded him. “Not as long as we’re bound together.”

  “Actually.” Levet cleared his throat. “It is possible I was not entirely honest with you.”

  Brigette looked puzzled. “About what?”

  “About the magic that has bound us together.” Levet whispered a soft word of magic and the leash disappeared.

  Brigette’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she studied her arm in disbelief. At last she sent him a glittering glare.

  “You lied?”

  “Lied is such an ugly word,” he protested.

  She took a step forward, the already hot air becoming an inferno as her anger lashed out in a physical wave of heat.

  “Levet.”

  “I did not wish you to do something you would later regret,” he protested.

  She bared her white teeth. “Like eating you?”

  “That would have been at the top of the list.”

  The female snarled in fury, her muscles tensing as if she was preparing to leap on him.

  “I’m going to—”

  Whatever she was about to say was lost as the sand behind her began to spin. Faster and faster, the fine grains twirled in a whirlwind that grew over seven feet tall. Hastily, Levet backed away. He’d already felt the thunderous magic that beat inside the cyclone. This wasn�
�t good. It wasn’t good at all.

  The wind battered at them as the cyclone drifted closer, then without warning, a tall form stepped out of the spinning sand.

  Brigette gasped, her hand pressing against the center of her chest as she ogled the half-naked male who stood in front of her. Levet sniffed. The jinn was gorgeous, of course. They always were. And his stunning emerald eyes smoldered with a sensual promise. But still. There was no need to gape at him as if he were some sort of god.

  Especially when the jinn was regarding them with an expression of extreme irritation.

  “Enough of your squabbling,” the jinn chastised. “The two of you are giving me a headache.”

  * * * *

  Chaaya glanced around the black…nothingness that surrounded them. It was like they were trapped in outer space. Or maybe wedged somewhere between dimensions.

  The thought should have terrified her. She had no ability to create portals to escape the strange void. Instead she was furious.

  Whirling around, she glared at the male who was calmly investigating their surroundings. As if he hadn’t just ruined everything.

  “You just can’t help yourself, can you?” she snapped.

  The aggravating male arched a brow. “Excuse me?”

  “Why did you grab me?”

  He turned to face her, his arms folded over his chest. “The question is why did you ask the jinn to take you to the power controlling Brigette?”

  “It’s what I do.” She waved her arms in a dramatic motion. She couldn’t help herself. She was a little…emotional. “It’s my duty.”

  He stepped toward her, his own emotions tightly controlled. Well, not so tightly, she acknowledged as a savage shiver raced through her body. The temperature was coating her in a layer of ice.

  “No. You sacrificed your life to halt the evil from entering the world,” he reminded her. As if she’d somehow forgotten. “You’ve done your duty.”

  She wrapped her arms around her. It wasn’t that she was actually cold, but her mind told her that she should be.

  “That’s not how it works.”

  His eyes narrowed. “According to who?”

  Chaaya snorted. It was a stupid question. So she gave him a stupid answer.

  “Destiny.”

  He didn’t roll his eyes, but he looked skeptical. Still, he didn’t argue. “Fine, then we do it together.”

  Chaaya stomped her foot. It wasn’t childish. It was…demonstrative.

  “I didn’t ask you to get involved in any of this,” she reminded him.

  He studied her for a long moment. Was he deciding what to say? Or debating the pleasure of walking away and leaving her to stew in her own impulsive folly?

  “Do you want me to tell you what Kgosi meant when he asked me if you knew?” he abruptly demanded.

  The word no hovered on her lips. Now wasn’t the time for that sort of conversation. Then curiosity overcame any claim to logic, and she nodded.

  “Yes.”

  “He sensed you were my mate.”

  Chaaya hissed, as if she’d taken a blow to her stomach. It didn’t matter that she’d sensed the emotional bonds weaving them together. Or Basq’s fierce need to protect her. Or her own need to protect him.

  It was still a shock to hear the word spoken out loud.

  “Mate?”

  He stepped toward her. “Do I truly have to explain what the word means?”

  “I know what it means, but…” Her words trailed away as another shiver raced through her.

  He moved until he was close enough to lightly brush his fingers down her cheek. At the same time, he deliberately leashed in his powers to allow the air to warm above freezing.

  “Yes?” he asked.

  She tilted back her head, becoming lost in the striking beauty of his eyes. “How can you be sure?”

  He cupped her cheek in his palm, wrapping his other arm around her waist. “Like you said. Destiny.”

  Destiny…

  The word had always been a curse to Chaaya. Somehow her destiny always meant pain and loss and loneliness.

  It never meant being partnered with a sexy, brooding male who made her heart thump and her blood hot with hunger.

  “I drive you nuts,” she muttered.

  “True. But that is exactly what I need.” His voice was husky as he splayed his fingers against her lower back, urging her to arch against his hardening erection. “Otherwise I become a dull lump who wouldn’t recognize fun if it bit me on the ass.”

  “Don’t.” She reached up to press her fingers against his mouth. She’d said the words, but having them thrown back in her face made her wince in regret.

  He nibbled at the tips of her fingers. “You bring excitement to my very boring life.”

  Chaaya snuggled closer, moving her finger until she could press it against the tip of his large fang.

  “Is that a good thing?”

  The white center of his eyes glowed with a sudden hunger. For blood or sex? Or both? A groan was wrenched from her throat at the vivid image of having him pumping deep inside her at the same time as those fangs were buried in the flesh of her neck. Oh, yes. She was fully on board with both.

  His nose flared as he easily caught the scent of her desire. Allowing his fingers to skim down her neck, he swiftly slid her leather coat off before slipping his hands beneath the white tee.

  “It took me a while to recognize it, but yes, it’s a good thing,” he assured her.

  Chaaya stood still as he peeled off the undershirt to reveal her bare torso.

  “Basq,” she rasped in shock. “What are you going?”

  The darkness around them swirled. Was it reacting to the vampire’s intense desire?

  Impossible to know for sure.

  On the other hand, Chaaya didn’t have to guess if she was reacting to his touch. Her knees nearly buckled as he cupped her breasts in his hands.

  “What I’ve wanted to do since you arrived in Vegas.” His thumbs swept over the tips of her nipples, teasing them to tight nubs. “Perhaps from the moment I was created.”

  Chaaya arched her back, pressing hard against his thick erection. She wanted this male. No, wanted wasn’t a big enough word. She ached for this male. As if he’d ignited a fire that had been smoldering for centuries, not just a few weeks.

  Maybe Basq was right. Maybe they’d been waiting for this moment from the moment they’d been created. And now the promise of an explosive orgasm clenched her gut with anticipation.

  But as much as she wanted to rip off his clothes and nip and nuzzle her way from the tips of his pointy fangs to the bottom of his feet, she wasn’t going to put the male at risk. He was hers to protect.

  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she sent him a frustrated frown. “You have painfully awful timing, vampire.”

  His fingers headed downward, skimming over her rib cage before they grasped her narrow waist.

  “You’re my first mate,” he reminded her. “I don’t have a lot of practice.”

  The word hit her again, but this time it didn’t make her flinch. Instead she quivered with pleasure.

  “Mate,” she breathed.

  He held her gaze. “Does that frighten you?”

  “Yeah,” she admitted without hesitation.

  She felt him stiffen at the soft word. “Do I frighten you?” he demanded.

  “No.”

  “Then what are you afraid of?”

  She grimaced. Her awareness of this male was snuggled in the center of her heart. Like a secret treasure she wanted to hoard for an eternity. And now his every touch was enslaving her more firmly than if he’d bound and shackled her to his side. No doubt most females would be enchanted to tumble into love with such a worthy male. But she…

  “I just earned my freedom,” she protested.
>
  He didn’t look shocked. Or annoyed. Instead he offered an understanding nod.

  “And you think I intend to imprison you?”

  She struggled to breathe. She wasn’t sure it was entirely necessary since she was a ghost thingy, but it felt weird to not to do it.

  “Do you?” she asked.

  “Never.” The word came out with a fierce insistence. “I’ve spent endless years in my own prison. We are going to rejoice in our freedom together.”

  The breath returned to her lungs. Was it possible? Could she share her life with this male without feeling as if she was being smothered?

  She tangled her fingers in the lush satin of his dark hair. “Even when I want to go to the Diablo Club?”

  His lips twitched. She was well aware he detested when she spent her evenings at the rough, demon-filled bar. Then, bending his head, he scraped his fangs down the side of her throat.

  “Even then,” he assured her.

  Chaaya pressed against the back of his head. She wanted those fangs in her flesh almost as much as she wanted to sink down on the steel-hard arousal that he was stroking against her lower stomach.

  Almost.

  “And when I want to gamble away your fortune?” She continued to test his tolerance.

  “As long as you aren’t playing strip poker.” His fingers moved to unzip her leather pants. “That’s going to be our private game.”

  “You know how to play poker?”

  “You can teach me.”

  His lips traced the line of her collarbone, his hands tugging her pants over her hips. Bending down, he paused to pull off her boots before he finished stripping her bare. He might not know much about cards, but he obviously knew exactly how to get a woman out of her clothes.

  He kissed his way back up her body, pausing to explore each line and curve with diligent care. Chaaya groaned, her toes curling in bliss.

  “Now, that’s a temptation I can’t resist,” she admitted.

  He stroked his fangs over the upper curve of her breast, his icy touch far more erotic than the heat from any other demon.

  “And me?”

  She shivered, relishing in the ruthless pleasure that jolted through her. Had she always known that beneath Basq’s solid dependability was a male who could create magic with his touch? That might explain why she went to such lengths to try and smash through his façade of calm control. She wanted the fiery male he kept buried.