Ulric recalled Chiron’s explanation for the gargoyle’s disappearance. “She threw you in the dungeon for stealing meat pies? That seems harsh.”
There was a brief silence. “How did you know about the pies?” Levet finally demanded, sounding surprised.
Ulric snorted. “A better question is, why did you steal them?”
“I didn’t,” the gargoyle protested. “Well, I might have borrowed a few, but I am a guest. She should be delighted I enjoy the meals.”
Ulric glared at the wall. Was the demon joking? If so, he wasn’t funny.
“You don’t borrow meat pies,” he snapped.
“What do you care?” Levet groused. “Are you the meat pie pupu?”
“Pupu?” Ulric shook his head. What the hell was the gargoyle talking about? Then he abruptly realized what he was trying to say. “Do you mean po-po?”
There was the sound of stone cracking, as if the gargoyle had kicked the wall.
“Why are you so obsessed with pies?”
“Because they got you locked in a dungeon.”
“The pies did not lock me in the dungeon,” Levet argued. “I told you, the ogress did.”
Ulric balled his hands into tight fists. He was going to kill him. It was that simple.
“Because of the pies.” The words hissed between his clenched teeth.
“Non.” Levet sounded confused, as if he couldn’t believe anyone would be stupid enough to think pies could have gotten him thrown into the dungeons. “It was because she is hiding the key.”
“The key?” Ulric shoved aside his pulsing need to claw his way through the stone until he could get his hands on the aggravating demon. The gargoyle had just said the magic word.
“The item we came here to find,” Levet said, in slow, concise tones. As if he was afraid Ulric couldn’t understand.
Ulric counted to ten. “I know what it is.”
He heard the gargoyle click his tongue. “Then why did you ask?”
Ulric felt his claws pop through his skin, even as the power of his wolf thundered through his body. He shuddered, struggling to control his beast.
Focus on finding the key, he sternly reminded himself. Later, he could teach the gargoyle just what happened when you taunted a Were. And he would savor every agonizing minute of the lesson. “Why didn’t you tell Chiron?”
“Because I was locked away before I could.”
“Where did she hide it?”
“I don’t know.”
Hmm. Did Ulric believe him? It sounded like a convenient excuse.
Still, there didn’t seem to be any logical reason for the gargoyle to lie. Unless this truly was a trap devised by Styx.
“But you’re sure the ogress has it?” he pressed.
“Non, but I am certain she knows where it is hidden,” Levet said.
Ulric turned, heading back toward the large cavern. “I need to find the ogress,” he said, speaking more to himself than the gargoyle. “That shouldn’t be too difficult. She’s as big as a barn.”
“Hey! Wait!” The gargoyle’s voice floated through the air, edged with a hint of panic.
Ulric’s long strides never slowed. “What?”
“You are not going to leave me stuck in the wall, are you?”
A genuine smile curved Ulric’s lips. “With the greatest of pleasure.”
“Stupid dog. You need me.”
“Like I need a hole in my head,” Ulric muttered, enjoying the thought of the creature being trapped in the stone for an eternity.
Maybe he would return and seal up the various cracks…
“That can be arranged,” Levet called out.
Distracted by the ridiculous gargoyle, Ulric was caught off guard as he entered the chamber to discover the towering form of the ogress standing a few feet away.
“Inga.” He stepped forward, momentarily pleased it had been so easy to locate the female.
He’d expected to waste an hour scouring the grounds and then the hotel looking for the ogress. Instead, she’d just appeared.
Like magic.
Too late, he realized it wasn’t luck or magic that had brought Inga into the cavern. She’d obviously followed him. Now she bared her pointed teeth, and before Ulric could shift into his wolf, she lifted a fist and smashed it into his face.
Ulric’s eyes rolled back in his head and pain exploded in his brain.
His last thought was that he hoped the punch actually killed him. Nothing could be worse than waking to discover he was trapped in the dungeon with that damned gargoyle.
Chapter 14
Lying in bed with Lilah wrapped in his arms, Chiron savored a rare sense of contentment.
Not that he wasn’t still anxious to release Tarak from his prison. Or that he couldn’t feel the soul-deep ache to complete the mating with this female. But for the moment, he intended to enjoy the sensation of her lush, warm body pressed against him.
How could he ever have considered his life complete without a mate? Obviously, he’d had no idea what he was missing. Like a blind man walking through the world for centuries, then suddenly being given the gift of sight.
Everything was more intense, more vivid, more exhilarating.
He couldn’t imagine what it would be like once they’d actually completed the mating. He wasn’t sure his poor old heart could stand the excitement.
Nuzzling soft kisses over her tangled curls, Chiron shivered as her fingers lightly traced the muscles of his bare chest.
She abruptly broke the peaceful silence. “Tell me what happened after you were banished.”
Chiron lifted his head to gaze down at her flushed face. He’d spent a long time trying to put the past behind him. Now, it felt like he was being forced to dig through memories he’d rather forget.
Still, he understood her curiosity. He was asking her to bind her life to his for the rest of eternity. She needed to know what she was getting.
“It’s not a very exciting story,” he warned.
Her nails scraped against his skin, sending darts of pleasure through him.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” she informed him.
He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. “Bossy.”
“Is there a reason you don’t want to talk about it?” she asked, clearly able to sense his reluctance.
Chiron grimaced. “It was a dark time for me.”
Her fingers lifted to touch his cheek. “You were alone?”
“No, thank the goddess. Ulric was with me. If he hadn’t been there…” He allowed his words to trail away, knowing exactly what would have happened to him without the steadying influence of his faithful companion.
He would have been dead.
“Tell me,” she urged.
His lips twitched. Lilah had already discovered he could deny her nothing when she used those soft, pleading tones.
Dangerous female.
“My first decades of life, I was little more than a feral beast who survived by cowering in a cave,” he said. “The only time I left was when my hunger drove me out to hunt for blood. Then I became a loyal soldier in the Anasso’s clan. Everything was regimented, including where I slept and how far from the lair I could travel. I never had any true sense of freedom.”
She looked puzzled at his words. “And after Tarak was captured you felt free?”
He shook his head, realizing she’d misunderstood his words. “Not free. I felt lost,” he said, although lost didn’t adequately capture his sense of being adrift. It was as if the floor had dropped from beneath his feet and he was plummeting through an endless darkness. “And with no barriers, I charged from one reckless decision to another. It didn’t matter how dangerous or stupid it might be.”
Her fingers drifted down the line of his jaw, her expression troubled. “Were you trying to kill yourself?”
“Not intentionally.”
“But unintentionally?”
He considered the question. At the time, he’d been desperate to distract himse
lf from the bitterness that simmered inside him like a toxic brew. The easiest way to accomplish that goal was to put himself at constant risk. Whether it was taking on a pack of trolls in a bar fight, or standing in the middle of a field until the cresting sun would send him fleeing for shelter, his skin raw and painful. Nothing like facing death to make you forget your troubles.
“It didn’t seem to matter,” he admitted. “I had nothing to lose.”
Her fingers moved to press against his lips, her scent sharp with distress. “Don’t say that.”
He grasped her wrist, kissing her palm before tugging her hand away from his mouth. A part of him was fiercely pleased by her reaction. She was obviously upset by the thought he had been so reckless with his life, but another part hated the knowledge that he’d upset her.
He swiftly attempted to distract her. “One good thing came out of that chaotic time.”
“What?”
“I realized I had a talent for gambling.”
Her tension eased, a hint of humor dancing in the golden shimmer of her eyes. “Hardly a talent if you can read people’s minds.”
He pretended to be aghast at her implication that his epic winning streak had been a result of cheating. “Not always.”
She arched a brow. “Hmm.”
He chuckled. He’d made a fortune fleecing unsuspecting humans and demons. “I’ll admit it’s a bonus.”
She studied him with a curious expression. “Is that why you chose to go into the resort business?”
His fingers skimmed down her arm, bathed in the fading moonlight. She’d been vivid and beautiful in the magical sunlight, but in the darkness, she possessed a mystical charm.
A temptress who’d firmly woven him in her spell.
“It started as a fluke,” he said, his fingers continuing to drift over her bare skin. It was addictive. Like stroking pure silk. “I won a decrepit hotel in Paris in a card game. Ulric challenged me to turn it into a profitable business.” He gave a rueful shake of his head. The building had been on the point of collapse and in an area of the city no respectable guest would willingly choose. So he’d created a private gambling club for aristocrats that catered to their deepest fantasies. Within less than ten years, he had to turn customers away. “I could never resist a dare.”
“I believe that.” She rolled her eyes. “Why humans?”
“I was still technically banished. I wasn’t supposed to be in Europe.” He shrugged. Ulric had been furious when Chiron had traveled around the world only to return to one of the numerous countries from which he’d been formally banished. For Chiron, it had been a necessary act to regain his self-respect. “I thought a human casino would draw less attention from the Anasso.”
“Obviously, he didn’t find you.”
Chiron shrugged. “By the time I returned, he’d already started to retreat from the world, rarely leaving his lair. I suspect Styx had taken over the duties of the Anasso, although he was careful to keep his master’s illness hidden.”
Lilah fell silent, as if mulling over a new, unexpected thought.
“Do you resent him for that?” she abruptly demanded.
He stared down at her, not sure what she was trying to ask. “Resent who?”
“Styx.” She moved so she was perched on her elbow, her hair bouncing over her shoulders and brushing against the pillow. Chiron swallowed a growl. He’d spent a lot of time running his fingers through those curls. Just the memory was enough to make him hard and aching. “It sounds as if your master was next in line to become king. The two of you could be ruling the vampires.”
Her unexpected words promptly killed his surging desire. Okay, it didn’t kill it. Nothing could do that. But it put a severe damper on it.
“Not me.” He gave a dramatic shudder. “I have no desire to babysit a bunch of whiny, psychopathic demons who are constantly bickering over who has the bigger territory.” Even when he’d suspected the Anasso was lying to them, Chiron had pitied him. After an hour of listening to the various vampires who’d come to plead their case to the king, Chiron had a throbbing headache. “I’d rather deal with humans.”
“What about Tarak? Will he challenge Styx when he’s released from his prison?”
Chiron started to shake his head. Tarak had never once indicated a desire to sit on the throne. But that was before he’d been betrayed and imprisoned. Who knew what the hell had happened to his friend during those long centuries.
“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “Tarak was always a team player. At least, when he believed in the Anasso’s vision for our future. But now?” He shook his head. “I’m afraid.”
“Of what?”
“That he might be consumed with the need for revenge. Or worse.”
She looked confused. “What could be worse?”
Chiron’s throat threatened to close shut. He didn’t want to speak the words that had been haunting him for years. As if he could avoid the worst-case scenario by simply pretending it couldn’t possibly happen. Now that he was on the point of actually finding a way to release his master, however, he couldn’t continue to stick his head in the sand.
“He could be completely mad when he comes out of his prison,” he forced himself to admit, his stomach clenching with dread. A crazed vampire was one of the most lethal creatures on earth. Tarak could massacre thousands of humans and demons before they could stop him. “Styx would have no choice but to destroy him either way.”
Lilah grimaced. “You still want him released?”
Chiron nodded without hesitation. “Yes. No one deserves to be caged.”
Sympathy flared through her eyes, making Chiron regret his choice of words. He was beginning to realize Lilah possessed her own painful frustration at the sense she was trapped. Her chains might not be as tangible as Tarak’s, but they were just as crushing.
“Then we’ll find the key and get him out,” she assured him, abruptly rolling to the side and slipping out of bed.
He frowned as he watched her quickly tug on her robe. “What are you doing?”
She turned back to face him. “Inga should be in her rooms by now. We can ask her what she knows about the mysterious key.”
Chiron wanted to argue. He’d barely taken the edge off his hunger for this female’s luscious body. But dawn was swiftly approaching, and if they were going to question Inga before he was forced to return to his wing of the hotel, they had to do it now.
“I’d rather stay here, but once Tarak is released, we can concentrate on our mating,” he said, speaking more to himself than Lilah as he crawled off the mattress and pulled on his clothes.
“Yes,” she breathed, the sweet scent of ambrosia lacing the air.
Chiron shuddered, his fangs fully extended as his instincts screamed for him to claim his female.
“Damn,” he muttered, wrapping his arm around Lilah’s shoulders and steering her toward the door. “Let’s go before I forget about everything but you.”
* * * *
Levet was fuming as he wiggled through the small cracks in the stone. Dogs were always ill-tempered beasts. And especially the purebloods. But Ulric was clearly sadistic as well.
How dare the hound leave him trapped in the wall? Not that he wouldn’t eventually escape, but that was not the point. Did Ulric not realize that Levet was a hero who had saved the world? More than once. The Were should have considered it an honor to be the one to assist Levet in his time of need.
Clearly, he needed to find a PR person. Perhaps if the word was spread about his heroics, demons would be properly impressed when they met him.
Digging another few inches, Levet froze when he heard the sound of pounding footsteps below him. Only one creature was heavy enough to shake the earth when she walked.
Poopy. Inga had returned.
Remaining as still as the stone around him, something gargoyles excelled at, Levet listened to the sound of something being dragged into the cell below him. Then there was a string of curses as the female realized her
prisoner was missing.
“Gargoyle!” Inga’s roar echoed through the cave, making Levet’s ears ring. “You can’t escape.”
Levet remained frozen in place. Then the thunder of rocks being pulverized by massive blows made his pulse race. She was battering her way toward his hiding spot.
“There is no one here,” he called out.
“Annoying creature,” she muttered.
A breeze swept through his cramped tunnel before he felt her fingers wrap around his ankle.
“Eek! Release me.” Levet kicked his feet, even knowing it was futile. The ogress was too big and too strong.
“Get back here.”
Inga’s fingers tightened until Levet feared she would crush his bones as she yanked him out of the tunnel. He sputtered in outrage. “There was no reason to be so rough, you oversize cow. My wings are very delicate.”
The female dangled him upside down, as if he was a sack of potatoes and not a powerful demon.
“I should have killed you and the vampire as soon as you arrived,” she snarled.
Levet frowned, debating whether to punish her with his awesome magic. He could turn her into a toad. That would teach her to treat him with a little respect. Unfortunately, his powers were not entirely stable, and there was the teeniest possibility he might bring the roof down on their heads.
He was forced to content himself with a stern glare. “I do not blame you for wanting to kill the leech. He is, after all, an arrogant pain in the derrière. But I have done nothing wrong.” He was suddenly distracted as he caught an unexpected scent. “Why do I smell dog?” Inga spun him around until he had a view of the large male sprawled on the ground. “Oh. That explains the dragging sound.”
Inga made a sound of disgust. “I caught sight of him in the gardens with your master.”
Levet flapped his wings. “Chiron is not my master,” he protested. “Indeed, I have no master. I am an independent contractor.”
The ogress ignored his chiding words. “It was obvious he was another troublemaker. As if I don’t have enough to deal with tonight.”
Levet pointed out the easy solution to her troubles. “Give us the key and we will leave you in peace.”
Darkness Returns Page 15
