Darkness Returns

by Alexandra Ivy

  She wasn’t nearly as impressed as she should have been. Indeed, she looked aggravated. Ridiculous creature.

  “If it was up to me, I would have you tossed out of here.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re trespassing where you don’t belong.”

  “Trespassing?” Levet blinked in confusion. “How can we be trespassing at a hotel?”

  She shuffled her feet, obviously incapable of answering the perfectly reasonable question.

  “I don’t like vampires,” she muttered.

  Ah, well. That made sense. “Fair enough.”

  “Or gargoyles,” she added, reaching down to grab him by the horn.

  Before he could protest, he found himself sailing through the air to smack against the wall. He squawked, more embarrassed than hurt, as she stomped past him and disappeared down the hallway.

  “Smelly ogress,” he groused, rising to his feet and carefully brushing the dust from his wings.

  Lost in his mortification, Levet barely had time to notice the frigid blast of air before Chiron was appearing directly in front of him.

  “Tell me why I shouldn’t rip off your head,” the vampire growled.

  “Eek!” Levet jumped back, then glared at the demon towering over him. “I wish people would stop creeping around.”

  Chiron ignored his chiding, pointing a finger in Levet’s face. “You tried to kill me.”

  “What are you babbling about?”

  “I was chasing the person who shot this at me.” The vampire held up a wooden arrow he had tightly clutched in his hand. “I thought I’d lost him in the maze of hidden passages, but here you are.”

  Levet parted his lips to demand a tour. He adored hidden passages. Who knew what treasure he might find? But the temperature continued to drop, and there was a tremor beneath his feet that warned Chiron was in a mood.

  Typical vampire.

  “Oui. I am here, but I know nothing about an arrow.”

  Chiron flashed his fangs. “Do you think I’m a fool?”

  Levet stiffened his spine. He’d been threatened by vampires and dragons and trolls. He’d been threatened by the Dark Lord himself. He no longer cowered just because a demon was taller, with big, sharp teeth. At least, not on the outside. Inside there might be a teensy, tiny bit of cowering.

  “You are a fool if you believe I would attempt to kill you with such a crude weapon.”

  “This crude weapon is perfectly designed to kill a vampire,” Chiron rasped.

  Levet snapped his wings. Stupid demon.

  “I am a gargoyle. I could blast you with my magic,” he retorted, not bothering to mention that his magic was iffy under the best of circumstances. Right now, it might very well be nonexistent.

  Chiron narrowed his eyes, but Levet sensed his anger leaking away. Almost as if the vampire could tell he was speaking the truth.

  “Then what are you doing here?” he demanded.

  Levet released an exasperated sigh. There was not enough rum in the entire hotel to deal with this vampire as well as Inga, the pain-in-the-derrière ogress.

  “I am doing as you commanded. Searching for the key.”

  Chiron stepped back, impatiently tapping the arrow against the side of his leg. For the first time, Levet noticed the blood that coated his torn shirt and the dirt that clung to the male’s slacks.

  He didn’t appear anything like the immaculate, sophisticated vampire who’d left Vegas. Even his eyes were different. Softer. Distracted. As if…

  Hmm.

  “Have you discovered anything?” Chiron demanded.

  Levet wrinkled his snout. “The magic is very fluid. It flows around me like water, constantly moving.”

  Surprisingly, Chiron didn’t request a more specific explanation. Vampires had no understanding of magic, which meant they were forever demanding the most tedious details.

  “Is it human?”

  “The spell is human. The magic…” Levet shrugged. It was a question that nagged at him. “There is something unfamiliar about it.”

  Chiron’s frustration layered the nearby mirror in frost. “This has to be the place.”

  Levet shivered. He’d spent the past months in the company of dragons who were forever spouting fire. Now he was back with vampires who made the air frigid. Why couldn’t they leave the temperature alone?

  “Oui,” Levet agreed. “I believe the key might be hidden in the attic.”

  Chiron glanced toward the door that revealed the stairs leading to the upper floor.

  “Then why aren’t you searching for it?”

  “Because that nasty ogress nearly ran me over,” he complained. “Then she tossed me around as if I were a rag dummy.”

  “Rag dummy?” Chiron stared at him in confusion. “Do you mean a rag doll?”

  Levet shrugged, suddenly distracted by the sound of approaching footsteps. “Someone is coming.”

  Chiron stiffened, his nose flaring as if he’d just caught the scent of something bewitching.

  “Lilah.” His eyes softened even more. “I’ll distract her.”

  “Lilah?” Levet’s wings perked up. There was nothing better than being diverted from his troubles by a female. “I want to meet her.”

  “No.” The vicious word sliced through the air as Chiron sent him a warning frown. “I’ll go. You stay here and find the key.”

  The vampire whirled and whizzed down the hall at a blurring speed. Levet stuck out his tongue. Why should he remain and continue the boring search? A gargoyle had needs.

  First, he intended to find a few more bottles of rum, then he would make a quick journey to visit the local sprites. It was only polite to introduce himself to the native demons. And if they desired to have him spend an hour or two in their company, who was he to deny their request?

  A gargoyle’s work was never done.

  Chapter 5

  Lilah had grudgingly gone inside the hotel, but not because Chiron had commanded her to do so. She didn’t take orders from guests. Not even a vampire who was gorgeous enough to make her blood sizzle with awareness.

  It was just that she was as anxious as Chiron to discover who’d shot the arrow. Whether it’d been an accident or an intentional attempt to kill the vampire, it was unacceptable.

  She searched through the public rooms, finding her fairy guests sipping nectar in the solarium. They were giggling and dancing around the fountains. It was doubtful any of them had raced back from taking a shot at Chiron.

  Next, she found the lone Were who was returning from a run beneath the moonlight. She remained out of sight as he shifted into his human form and headed up the stairs to his room. It was possible he could have been responsible. Weres and vampires were natural enemies. But it seemed odd that he would sneak around and shoot an arrow from a hidden location. Weres weren’t known for their devious personalities. They were raw and blunt and sometimes savage. If he wanted Chiron dead, it was more likely he would have shifted into his wolf form and tried to rip off the vampire’s head.

  She climbed the stairs to the second floor, passing by the rooms. The doors were all closed, but she could sense the newly mated imps in their room. She assumed she wouldn’t see them until they decided to return home.

  She moved on to the opposite wing, once again walking a long hallway. She was almost at the end when she heard the sound of voices above her. Pivoting on her heel, she hurried toward the staircase that led to the upper floor.

  At the same time, there was a faint breeze as Chiron abruptly appeared in front of her.

  With a startled gasp, she took an instinctive step backward. Yeesh. Vampires needed cowbells tied around their necks. They moved too fast for her eyes to track.

  Heat stained her cheeks. She told herself it was because she’d jumped like a dew fairy at his sudden arrival. She was supposed to be a competent business owner who dealt with all sorts of demons. But she knew deep inside that her blush had nothing to do with embarrassment and everything to do with the excitement
that sparkled through her like champagne.

  It was unnerving.

  She’d had hundreds of handsome demons stay at her hotel. Some of them so lovely they didn’t look real. As if they were a vision sent down by some benevolent god. But this male…

  He wasn’t lovely. He was starkly male, with eyes that smoldered with a restless energy. His features were finely carved and his body leanly muscled. At the moment, he’d lost the glossy elegance he’d had earlier, but that only added a spice of danger.

  Her heart skidded, as if it’d slipped on ice, then jerked back to beating at a pace that was way too fast.

  Had the color in her cheeks deepened? Probably. The vampire could most certainly detect her thundering pulse. It was obvious in the glow of his eyes and the lengthening of his fangs.

  Time for a distraction.

  She glanced toward his wound, which looked like it had already healed.

  “Did you find who shot the arrow?”

  His lips flattened. “No.”

  “I don’t understand. I’ve had guests who have been in bloody brawls, and some who have magical abilities that can be dangerous when they’re drunk, but none of them have tried to shoot anyone with an arrow.”

  “Tell me about your current guests.”

  Lilah frowned. This male might make her feel all ooey-gooey inside, but he was way too fond of tossing around orders.

  “My guests have a right to privacy,” she told him.

  He lifted the hand that held the arrow. The tip was still stained with his blood.

  “Even if they tried to kill me?”

  An odd horror twisted her stomach. It’d been so close. Too close. If she hadn’t spotted a shadow streaking toward them, the arrow might have gone straight through Chiron’s heart.

  He would have turned to a small pile of ash, and she would have…

  Mourned.

  Yes. That was the word.

  But why? He was sexy, and charming when he wasn’t being an ass, and he made her tingle in all the right places. Still, he was a stranger. One who was passing through, like all her guests.

  So why did the thought of him dead make her feel almost sick?

  A dangerous question she didn’t want answered. Not now.

  “I’ll talk to them myself,” she assured Chiron.

  Without warning, he reached out to grasp her upper arm. Not hard. In fact, she could tell he was careful to keep his fingers from pressing into her flesh, as if he was afraid he might bruise her.

  “No. I don’t want you putting yourself in danger.”

  She blinked at his fierce response. Was he concerned for her? The thought was oddly endearing. But he was still trying to give her orders. That was a habit that needed to be nipped in the bud.

  “It’s my hotel,” she reminded him in the tone she reserved for her most annoying guests. “And have you considered the possibility I was the target, not you?”

  A sharp chill blasted through the air as Chiron’s fingers tightened on her arm.

  “If I thought someone meant to hurt you, I can promise every one of your guests and staff would already be dead.”

  Her lips parted in shock. “Chiron.”

  As if realizing he was way overreacting, Chiron dropped his hand and took a step back. His features smoothed into a charming mask, but his eyes continued to glow with a lethal power and his fangs were still peeking between his lips.

  “Do you have any demons here who have never visited before?” he asked.

  She gave a quick shake of her head. “No. There are only nine other guests besides yourself and the gargoyle. And they’re all regulars.”

  “Any witches?”

  She was baffled by his question. “Humans can’t penetrate the barriers. They become lost in the swamps if they get near this place.”

  He nodded. “What about vampires?”

  “There’s a mated pair here, but they’ve been coming for years. Even Inga accepts them, and she hates vampires.”

  His lips curled at the mention of the half ogress. A fairly predictable reaction. Inga was an acquired taste.

  “What do you know about your manager?”

  Lilah furrowed her brow. He couldn’t think Inga had tried to shoot him? The ogress might not be the most charming demon, but she’d been the only family Lilah had ever known. She’d raised her from a child and taught her every aspect of the hotel so that Lilah could run it with the same efficiency as her parents.

  Which meant she knew the older female well enough to be certain she wouldn’t go around shooting arrows at her guests. Even if they did happen to be vampires.

  “I promise you, she’s all bluff and no bite,” Lilah assured her companion.

  He glanced toward the ceiling, as if searching for something.

  “I don’t suppose you have security cameras?”

  “No.” She shrugged. It’d never occurred to her that they would need security. She had Inga to deal with any physical threats. Not even a rabid Were was stupid enough to take on an ogress. And the hotel was isolated enough to prevent any outside intruders. “Like I said, we’ve never had any problems here beyond the random destruction of my property.”

  He glanced down the corridor, lingering on the nearly invisible break in the wall where there was an opening to a hidden corridor.

  “There are plenty of places for an unknown visitor to hide,” he murmured, speaking more to himself than her.

  Lilah stilled. He’d been furious when the attack had first happened. A perfectly reasonable response. Along with his determination to discover who had shot the arrow. But there was also a strange acceptance. As if it was no surprise that someone wanted him dead.

  If she’d truly thought the arrow had been aimed in her direction, she would be a terrified mess.

  “Why are you here?” she abruptly demanded. “And don’t give me that nonsense about wanting to start your own demon hotel.”

  He paused, clearly debating how to answer. She’d noticed that before. Was he deciding whether he was going to lie to her?

  “I’m searching for my master,” he at last confessed.

  She furrowed her brow. When he’d told her that he was some sort of rebel, she’d leaped to the conclusion that he didn’t have a clan. That he was alone in the world, as she was.

  Clearly, she’d been wrong.

  “He’s lost?” she demanded.

  “Something like that.”

  He was being deliberately vague. Why? Did it have something to do with someone trying to kill him?

  “And you think he’s here?” she pressed. If there was something that might endanger her guests, she had a right to know.

  “I think it’s possible he was here.”

  “I can check the register book if you want.”

  He shook his head. “It would have been before you were born.”

  Lilah studied his pale face, sternly refusing to be mesmerized by his dark, compelling eyes. She was trying to make sense of why he would be at the hotel now if his master had left at least a century ago.

  Then she remembered something he’d asked when they had been on the terrace. “Oh. That’s why you were interested in my parents.”

  “Yes. I hoped there might be someone here who remembered the past.”

  Lilah remained confused. “Even if he stayed here, how would that help you find him now?”

  He considered his answer. “It’s possible he might have decided to live in the area,” he finally said.

  Hmm. Another vague answer. What was he hiding?

  “Then why wouldn’t he contact you?”

  “As the leader of the Rebels, he was the enemy of the Anasso.” There was an unmistakable edge in his voice. There was no denying the sincerity of his bitterness toward his fellow vampires. “He had no choice but to go into hiding.”

  “And now?”

  A portion of his tension eased. “There’s a new king. He came to Vegas to assure me that he has no interest in continuing the feud.”

&n
bsp; Lilah never traveled through the barrier. Not only because it was her duty to take care of the hotel, but because she didn’t know just how vulnerable she might be away from the magic of her home. Still, she managed to keep up with the world. Not only did her guests love to share the latest gossip, but she had full access to modern technology.

  She’d heard the rumors about Styx, the new Anasso. A few of the vampires had been critical. They admired his enormous power, but they were disappointed he didn’t rule with the same iron fist of his predecessor. They assumed that made him weak. Most of the vampires, however, had been pleased by his ascension to the throne. He allowed them to exist in peace as long as they didn’t harm another vampire.

  Live and let live.

  Which seemed like a good philosophy to Lilah.

  “You believe him?” she asked.

  Chiron grimaced. “I’m willing to give him a chance.”

  She suspected this vampire’s trust was something very difficult to earn. Perhaps impossible.

  That thought tightened her chest. What was happening to her? It was as if her emotions were going haywire. And not in a good way.

  “So you’re here to find your master and tell him it’s safe?”

  His jaw tightened. “I’m here to take him home.”

  Vampires were experts at hiding their feelings. Inga said it was because they didn’t have any. But Lilah had no difficulty in sensing Chiron’s intense need to find his master. “This means a lot to you.”

  “More than you can even imagine,” he said.

  Lilah released a small sigh. “Actually, I can imagine it quite easily. I would give anything for the opportunity to see my parents again.”

  His expression softened, his dark gaze sweeping over her face. “You don’t remember anything about them?”

  It was her turn to be vague. She didn’t tell anyone that she had precious few memories. Especially from when she was young. A human would no doubt assume it was the trauma of being orphaned at such an early age that caused the fuzziness. And that was probably the cause, even for her. But it troubled her that she had no one to ask.

  “To be honest, my childhood is pretty much a blur,” she said, keeping her tone light.