Yours for Eternity

by Alexandra Ivy

  Unfortunately, he also possessed the vampire habit of forbidding any mirrors to be brought into their lair.

  Brushing out her tangled curls, she awkwardly pulled her hair into a braid and tied it off with a thin strip of leather. No doubt she could have requested Victor to assist her, but she sensed that such an intimate act would soon have led them to the wide bed just behind her.

  It was not that she wasn’t eager to feel Victor’s arms around her. Or to experience the intoxicating pleasure of having him feed from her vein. Good lord, if she had a choice she would keep the delectable vampire in this private lair for the next century.

  Unfortunately, the same bonds that allowed her to sense Victor’s unwavering love and commitment for her also revealed his heavy sense of duty.

  He was clan chief. And that meant ridding London of the Jinn before the powerful demon could bring harm to Victor’s vampires.

  “Juliet.”

  The sound of Levet’s voice whispering through her head had Juliet on her feet, her heart slamming against her ribs in startled surprise.

  “Levet,” she breathed, ignoring his rude intrusion as a wave of relief rushed through her. “Oh, thank God. I have been so worried.”

  “Indeed?” the gargoyle said peevishly. “If you were so excessively worried then why have you not yet rescued me?”

  “You might have mentioned that your captor is a full-blooded Jinn,” she snapped, stung by his unfair accusation.

  “Ah...well, I...” He coughed in embarrassment. “Does it truly matter?”

  “Does it matter? I very nearly was skewered by a bolt of lightning. If it had not been for Victor I would not have survived to rescue you.”

  “Sacre bleu. Why would you tell the bloodsucker that I was captured?” Levet demanded in a horrified voice.

  “It was not as if I had a choice. He followed me to the docks.”

  “That is no excuse for revealing my very private business. I thought our trust was sacred.”

  “Do you wish to be rescued or not, Levet?”

  “Oui, but I do not desire to be made the source of mockery throughout London.”

  Juliet thrust aside her annoyance, reminding herself that the tiny gargoyle was inordinately sensitive when it came to his manly reputation.

  “I can promise you that Victor will tell no one you were captured by the Jinn,” she soothed.

  There was a moment of startled silence. “Since when do you speak for the vampires, ma belle?” Levet at last demanded.

  “Just be patient. I am coming for you,” she said, in no mood to endure her friend’s outrage when he discovered her recent mating.

  Levet detested vampires.

  “Please hurry,” he said, then without warning his scream of pain echoed through Juliet’s mind.

  “Levet?” She grasped her head, her ears ringing. “Levet?”

  “That bastard just destroyed my wing,” Levet panted, clearly in considerable agony. “When I get free I am going to turn him into a pile of steaming fairy dung. No...wait. Let us be reasonable”

  There was another scream and with an unpleasant wrench the sensation of the gargoyle was abruptly gone from her mind.

  “Levet?”

  She was distracted as the door to the lair was shoved open with enough force to make it snap off the heavy iron hinges, revealing Victor with his eyes glowing and his fangs fully extended.

  “What has happened?” he growled. “I felt your distress.”

  Juliet shivered, caught between a terrified awe at Victor’s power and a smug pleasure at the knowledge he would battle through the fires of hell to protect her.

  “Levet,” she said, forced to halt and clear her throat. “We have to find him.”

  Not surprisingly, Victor’s brows snapped together at the mention of the gargoyle.

  “I should have known the ridiculous creature would be troubling you the moment the sun set.”

  “He has been hurt.”

  He planted his fists on his hips, the long caped coat doing little to disguise the various swords and daggers strapped to his lean body. With his hair pulled back to reveal the elegant beauty of his pale face and the lethal shimmer in the silver eyes, he appeared to be an ancient god come to earth.

  “I do not care.”

  She lifted a warning brow. “Victor.”

  His jaw tightened, but with a muttered curse he turned to lead her down a narrow corridor to a door hidden by a cleverly woven enchantment.

  “The carriage is waiting for us.”

  Ignoring his cold disapproval, Juliet smiled wryly and followed him through the narrow tunnels that crisscrossed beneath the vast estate. Despite their intense connection, they were both strong-willed individuals who were destined to quarrel on occasion. And while she might not have much experience with being a mate, she did know that Victor’s natural arrogance would overwhelm a woman who did not have a stiff backbone.

  “Good,” she said. “I need to return to Justin’s house before we go to the docks.”

  “Why?”

  “Because there is an amulet that might be helpful to us.”

  He turned into another tunnel, this one with a flight of stairs at the end.

  “What is its power?”

  “It is capable of absorbing our scent.”

  He paused at the base of the stairs, glancing over his shoulder in puzzlement.

  “Forgive my ignorance, but how would that be helpful?”

  She shrugged. “It can be divided and left in several tunnels, ensuring our scents are in many places instead of just one.”

  The silver eyes flashed in appreciation. “Clever.”

  “We shall see.” She grimaced. “First I must find the means to take the amulet without alerting Justin. It is one of his more valuable possessions.”

  He turned to smoothly climb the carved stairs, pushing open the trapdoor at the top.

  “You have no need to fear Hawthorne.”

  Juliet gritted her teeth as she hurried to catch up with her aggravating mate, not surprised when she stepped directly into the stables. Vampires delighted in being able to travel from place to place without fear of sunlight.

  “Victor?”

  He inspected the sleek black carriage that was already attached to a pair of restless black steeds.

  “Yes, little one?”

  “You are feeling remarkably smug,” she accused. “What have you done to Justin?”

  He turned to meet her frown, casually leaning against the back of the carriage.

  “Hawthorne arrived at the front door demanding to see you.”

  She shook her head, not surprised by Justin’s brazen stupidity. Indeed, she had expected him to arrive hours ago. Not out of any love for her, but out of sheer greed. And, of course, a petty refusal to allow Victor to steal what he considered to be his personal property.

  “Is he...”

  “Dead? No, but he was foolish enough to threaten Uriel with a nasty spell.” A cruel smile touched his lips. “My servant decided the intruder was in need of a lesson in manners.”

  A chill inched down her spine. “I do not think I want to know.”

  “He will survive.” With a sudden motion, Victor straightened and opened the door to the carriage. “Which is more than he deserves.”

  Rolling her eyes, Juliet climbed into the carriage, waiting until Victor was settled at her side before offering her opinion on overly arrogant men.

  “I am not certain who are more annoying, vampires or mages.”

  He flashed a smile that would have been a great deal more reassuring if it had not revealed his massive fangs.

  “You shall have an eternity to decide, my love.”

  She settled back in the soft leather of the seat as she watched several vampires appear from the shadows, one climbing on the carriage to urge the horses into motion while the others ran silently at their side. It would be a waste of breath to continue the argument. Besides, Justin no doubt deserved a bit of punishment for bein
g idiotic enough to enter a vampire’s lair uninvited.

  Leaving the estate, the vampires once again disappeared, no doubt headed directly for the docks while the carriage turned toward Mayfair. Their pace slowed as the streets became flooded with vehicles rushing from one glittering society event to another. Juliet smiled as their frantic gaiety filled the night breeze with the sound of laughter, for once not feeling the least pang of envy.

  She at last had what she had always desired.

  A home with the man she loved beyond all reason.

  They halted just long enough for Juliet to dash into Justin’s townhouse and retrieve the amulet she had discovered during their travels through Spain. Then, returning to the carriage, she used the short time during the drive to the docks to activate the amulet with her and Victor’s scents before splitting it into several small pieces and handing half of them to Victor to spread through the tunnels.

  All too soon they had reached the docks, and not giving herself the opportunity to consider just how insane it was to deliberately enter the lair of a Jinn, she shoved open the door and climbed out of the carriage.

  In the blink of an eye, Victor was standing in front of her, his expression somber as he wrapped his arms around her in a protective motion.

  “Juliet.”

  She tilted back her head to meet the fierce emotions smoldering in his silver eyes.

  “Must we repeat the same arguments yet again?” she asked softly.

  “If you are harmed it will destroy me, little one.”

  Her heart melted at the stark simplicity of his words. Lifting her hand, she pressed her palm against the cool skin of his cheek.

  “I promise to take the greatest care.”

  “You free the gargoyle and leave the docks. Do you understand?”

  “Very well, but if you do not return to me”

  He bent down to cover her lips in an achingly sweet kiss. “I have sworn to be at your side for all eternity. I love you, Juliet.”

  With a last kiss, he was turning and disappearing with a speed her eyes could not follow.

  “I love you, Marquis DeRosa,” she breathed before reluctantly making her own way to the nearby warehouse.

  With none of Victor’s talent for tracking his prey, she was forced to retrace her path from last eve and simply hope she stumbled across Levet. Not the best plan, but the only one she possessed.

  Entering the warehouse, she crossed to the gaping hole in the floor and lightly dropped to the cavern beneath. Then, moving to the various openings that led to tunnels, she scattered the tiny pieces of the amulet before heading down the nearest passageway.

  Her heart was thundering in her chest and her palms were sweating, but she took pride in the realization that the stench of human fear that had been prevalent hours before was beginning to fade. They had at least managed to save a number of prisoners.

  She bypassed the tunnel where they had battled the Jinn, shivering at the memory. Victor had sensed Levet nearby....

  Juliet abruptly paused, tilting back her head. She might not possess Victor’s vampire senses, but she was certain she could catch the faintest scent of gargoyle.

  Hoping that she was on the track of Levet and not some other gargoyle, Juliet squeezed through a narrow opening, banging her head on the low ceiling as she struggled to follow the scent. Good lord, another inch on her backside and she would never fit.

  Her hands were scratched and her clothing was ripped in several places by the time she managed to reach the end of the tunnel, but her heart gave a leap at the sight of the entrance carved into the stone wall.

  Bending low, she wiggled through the opening, cursing as she sacrificed several strands of hair and a small part of her scalp to a low-hanging rock. But at last she was in a cavern large enough for her to stand upright and even to drag in a deep breath.

  Better yet, there was a tiny gargoyle only a few steps away, hung to the wall with silver manacles.

  With a muttered prayer of thanks, Juliet rushed to tug on the cuffs. Her witch blood gave her immunity to the silver, while her imp blood gave her enough strength to loosen the metal and allow Levet to squirm free.

  “At last,” the gargoyle muttered with a distinct lack of gratitude. “I thought you had decided to leave me to rot in this godforsaken cave.”

  Juliet futilely tried to knock the dirt from her pants. “It is a notion with growing appeal. Are you hurt?”

  “Of course I am hurt.” Levet turned, wiggling his one remaining gossamer wing. “Can you not see I am missing a wing?”

  She grimaced. “Are you able to walk on your own?”

  Levet sniffed. “Gargoyles are renowned for their ability to overcome pain and perform heroic feats that stun and amaze the demon world.”

  “Yes, well, the only heroic feat I desire is getting out of here.” She shivered. “As swiftly as possible.”

  “That is my specialty.”

  Expecting Levet to leave the same way she had entered, Juliet frowned as the gargoyle instead crawled between two large boulders and disappeared from sight.

  With a shake of her head, Juliet bent downward, discovering a small tunnel.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Following the night.”

  “But...”

  “Trust me.”

  Condemning the cramped tunnels and annoying gargoyles to the netherworld, Juliet crawled through the small space. Once she returned to Victor’s lair, she intended to spend hours soaking in a hot bath.

  At last reaching a connecting tunnel, Juliet straightened to find Levet waiting with an impatient expression.

  “This way,” he urged, waddling with surprising speed through the darkness.

  “You are certain?” she demanded, only to sigh in resignation as he continued on without so much as a backward glance. Following in his wake, she ruefully reminded herself that she had willingly chosen to rescue the aggravating gargoyle, even if at the moment she longed to give him a good shake. “You have not yet explained how you were captured by the Jinn.”

  “He—” Levet halted to clear his throat “caught me off guard.”

  “Hmmm. You are hiding something from me.”

  He hunched his shoulders, refusing to turn as he doggedly continued down the tunnel.

  “It was not my fault.”

  “What was not your fault?”

  “I thought there was a nest of pixies, so I decided to perform a bit of magic to impress them.”

  “Oh, lord,” Juliet muttered. She was familiar enough with Levet’s dubious magic to presume that it had been nothing less than a disaster. “What happened?”

  Levet paused, then turned down a side tunnel, his tail twitching behind him.

  “There might have been the smallest of explosions.”

  Juliet frowned. Although she suspected that Levet’s notion of a small explosion was a good deal more spectacular than her own, she knew there must be more to his tale than he was revealing.

  “Did you wound the Jinn?”

  “No, but a part of the tunnels were exposed.”

  “And?”

  “And it happened to be the part where the Jinn had stored his treasure.”

  “And?”

  Levet impatiently waved his stubby arms. “And I might have taken something he considered of value,” he grudgingly admitted.

  Ah. They at last were coming to the truth of the matter.

  “Then why do you not simply return it?”

  He turned into yet another tunnel. “I lost it trying to escape.”

  Juliet’s stomach clenched with dread. She knew very little about the Jinn, but she did know a great deal about demons in general and there was not one species that did not consider the theft of its treasure a suitable reason to maim, torture, and kill.

  “Maybe we should hurry,” she suggested.

  “My thoughts precisely,” Levet agreed, his remaining wing fluttering and his tiny legs churning.

  They rushed through the darkness i
n silence, both acutely aware of the heavy sense of dread that was beginning to crawl through the air. The Jinn was near.

  Too near.

  Intent on keeping pace with the gargoyle, Juliet nearly tumbled over the top of him when he came to an abrupt halt.

  “Mon Dieu. I smell it.”

  Juliet regained her balance and glared at her companion. “What is it?”

  “Continue north, ma belle. There is an opening less than a mile away.”

  “Levet?”

  She watched in disbelief as the miniature demon scrambled up the side of the wall, pushing his small body through a crack that hardly appeared large enough for a bat.

  Well.

  She did not expect Levet to grovel at her feet with gratitude at her heroic rescue, but to actually abandon her?

  She had thought they were friends.

  Thoroughly vexed by the unexpected betrayal, Juliet stomped down the tunnel, dangerously distracted by her flare of anger.

  Not that being on guard would have prevented the wall of the passageway from suddenly exploding inward as a body was thrown through it. Or her scream of fear as she recognized her mate lying in a pool of blood at her feet.

  Falling to her knees, she reached to brush the raven hair from Victor’s face, her heart contracting at the deep gash that marred the ivory skin of his forehead.

  “Victor?”

  His lashes slowly lifted to reveal remarkably clear silver eyes, his wounds already healing. She shook her head. Only a vampire could be shoved through four feet of pure rock and appear barely worse for the wear.

  “I thought I told you to rescue the gargoyle and leave,” he growled, flowing to his feet.

  She straightened, glancing toward the gaping hole in the wall. “And I thought you intended to rid us of the Jinn.”

  There was a cloud of foreboding, then the booming voice of the Jinn echoed through the tunnel.

  “Where is the gargoyle?”

  Victor stepped in front of her as the Jinn slammed his way through the wall, the air crackling with electricity.

  “If you have any other tricks, little one, now would be an appropriate moment to reveal them,” Victor rasped, pulling a large sword from the scabbard on his hip.