Pride of the Lion: Hades' Carnival, Book 3

by N. J. Walters

  She shifted position and her bag scraped against the floor. It seemed overly loud in the open area. About half the lot was empty, but there were still plenty of vehicles for someone to hide behind, which was why her car was parked near the entrance. As a single woman, she always had to be aware of such things, and she didn’t like parking garages even in the middle of the day. They gave her the willies.

  She reached out and lightly touched Leander’s arm. He barely glanced her way before returning his attention to the far end of the platform. “I’m parked right here.” She kept her voice at a whisper and pointed to a spot only about twenty feet away, not wanting to alert anyone else who might be nearby. She reached into her purse and dug out her keys.

  “Move slow and stay behind me,” he ordered. She was more than willing to comply. It would be stupid not to stay behind the big, strong warrior wielding a four-foot sword. And if there was one thing she wasn’t, it was stupid.

  Leander eased forward, carefully placing one foot in front of the other. In order to stay as quiet as possible, Araminta picked up her suitcase and followed him, not wanting the wheels of the bag to scrape against the pitted concrete.

  So far, so good. Araminta was beginning to wonder if Leander wasn’t just imagining things. Doubts began to creep in once more. Maybe he was making everything up and she was just gullible? But what would he have to gain from that? She’d already slept with him, and she wasn’t exactly rolling in money.

  They reached her reliable Honda, but he stopped her before she could shove her key in the lock. “Let me.” He held out his hand and she reluctantly handed over her key. Honestly, this whole caution thing was getting out of hand.

  Still, she recognized stubborn when she saw it, and the thinning of Leander’s lips and imperious lift of one brow let her know he wasn’t going to let her unlock her own door. For the sake of expediency, she surrendered her car keys.

  He sidled around to the end of the car and put the key in the lock. It had never occurred to her that someone might hide in the trunk. Obviously, he was better versed at dealing with this kind of thing than she was. She wasn’t used to having to be so suspicious and overly cautious.

  He flung the trunk hood up and peered into the empty space. “Put your suitcase in.” His voice was low, but she could hear the strain. He really expected something to happen.

  Araminta set her tote bag and suitcase in and carefully closed it. She kept her purse slung over her shoulder. No way was she putting it in the trunk. It had her money and her cell phone. If she had to make a run for it, she wanted both items with her.

  “Get in the driver’s seat and start the car.” He handed her the keys after he checked the backseat.

  Leander was starting to freak her out, but she did as he asked. She was sliding into the driver’s seat when she caught a whisper of footsteps coming toward them. “Leander?”

  “I hear them. Lock the door, and if it looks as though I might lose the fight, leave me behind. Drive as far as you can. Keep driving and don’t stop until you find a heavily populated area.” He closed his eyes as though he was thinking. “A bazaar or marketplace. No, you call them shopping malls. Yes, a shopping mall with lots of people. Preferably in another city.”

  He couldn’t be serious. “I can’t leave you.”

  He glared at her. “You can and you will.” He shut the door and she fought the urge to stick out her tongue at him. Honestly, the man did love to give her orders.

  She hit the lock, started the car and was reaching for her seatbelt when the demons attacked. From out of the darkness sprang four creatures the likes of which she’d never seen in her life. Each one was about six feet tall with a massive chest and shoulders, overly long arms and leathery dark skin. Their facial features were pronounced, their eyes bulging, their ears pointed. Two of them had horns protruding from the tops of their heads. Their feet were long and bare and they wore nothing but pants. All of them held extremely lethal-looking swords.

  She was aware of her harsh breathing and tried to regulate it. The last thing she wanted to do was to start hyperventilating and pass out. Still, she could barely believe her eyes. Demons really existed. Either that or four guys had just broken out of a movie special-effects studio. And really, how likely was that in the middle of the night in downtown Fargo, North Dakota?

  The demon in the lead of the attack, one of the really ugly ones with the horns, gave an unearthly roar that echoed through the cavernous space as he rushed at Leander. She screamed and immediately slapped her hand over her mouth to muffle the sound. She didn’t want to distract Leander at this crucial moment, nor did she want to attract their attackers’ attention her way. She had to be smart if she was going to be any help.

  Leander met the creature about five feet in front of the car. With his sword raised, he gave a mighty roar that sent chills racing down her spine. Then he struck. Sparks flew as metal scraped against metal.

  In a huge feat of strength, Leander threw the creature back. The ugly beast flew about ten feet before crashing to the floor and sliding several more feet. The demon was going to have a bad road rash on his back.

  When their leader went down, the other three demons attacked simultaneously, making it three against one. Araminta wanted to close her eyes, to shut out the macabre scene unfolding before her, but she couldn’t look away, couldn’t not know what was happening to Leander.

  He moved like the hero in some science-fiction movie, his body fluid as he avoided the sharp edges of his enemies’ blades. He ducked and weaved, his sword finding openings beneath the demons’ guard. None of them were killing blows, but the creatures were losing blood, or at least she thought it was blood. The thick, dark liquid oozed from their wounds and pooled around their feet on the concrete floor of the parking garage.

  Her breathing grew louder and she realized it was getting too fast again. “Get a grip,” she admonished herself. She had to help him, had to do something. The downed demon was on his feet once again, making it one against four—not good odds for anyone.

  She sucked in a breath and held it as long as she could. Then she did it again. Sweat had her shirt plastered to her skin, but she quickly got her breathing under control.

  Araminta grabbed the seatbelt and snapped it shut after only two fumbling attempts. As if he could hear it, one of the creatures looked her way and smiled. Oh God. It actually had two rows of sharp teeth on top and bottom and its gums were positively black. All the better to eat her with, she thought. Saliva dripped down its chin. Not an attractive look.

  A burst of hysterical laughter escaped her and she clamped her mouth shut.

  The horrid beast took one step toward her and suddenly stopped. Araminta glimpsed a flash of light and then the creature’s head rolled from his shoulders and tumbled to the ground in front of the car. Blood splattered across the hood and some of the droplets began to sizzle, peeling the paint from her car before her very eyes. Better to look at her car than the dead demon just beyond it.

  Leander’s gold eyes were fierce as he turned toward her and yelled. “Get out! Go!”

  Another creature attacked him, but he jumped to the left and brought his sword up, driving the demon back. He was fighting the remaining three, keeping his body between them and her car. He was protecting her with his life.

  He could have run and left her there alone with the demons. No doubt some of them would have stayed to harm her. That would have evened the odds for Leander and allowed him to easily escape and evade their attackers.

  He really was a man of honor. He’d told her he would protect her.

  The demon that had been decapitated suddenly turned to ash and totally disintegrated. Even the blood spatters on her car disappeared and the paint stopped bubbling. Araminta leaned forward and the thought that went through her head was that at least they didn’t have to worry about disposing of the bodies.

  She laughed again, high and nervous. Her world had certainly changed in a short time if her major concern was di
sposing of dead demon bodies.

  She clutched the steering wheel, her fingers white from the continued pressure. Leander was breathtaking to watch as he wielded his sword. Muscles bunched in his thick arms and broad shoulders as he fought, but he was light on his feet for such a large man, quick and clever. He slipped past the guard of one of the ugly horned demons and pierced the creature’s heart. It bent over but didn’t fall. If anything, it looked pissed off. The second it raised its head to glare at Leander, he lopped the creature’s head off.

  Araminta jerked back as a spray of black blood hit the windshield and impaired her view. She automatically hit the windshield wash, wondering if it would work against demon blood. The wipers seemed to do nothing but spread the blood around. Not good if she wanted to see.

  Araminta felt as though she was in a bubble. The sounds outside the vehicle were muted from inside the car. It all seemed so surreal. Like watching a 3D horror movie with the sound turned down low. All that was missing was the popcorn and a soda. The smeared blood seemed to disintegrate a few seconds later and she heaved a sigh of relief when the windshield cleared.

  Leander was down to two demons now. One of them engaged him in a fierce fight while the other one tried to sneak behind him. Not on her watch.

  Anger spurred her to action, breaking her out of the paralyzing fear that held her captive. Araminta put the car in gear, turned the wheel toward the demon and hit the gas.

  Leander was furious with Araminta for not leaving the moment he’d commanded her to. She should have gone to safety as he’d ordered her. But at least she was inside the car and away from the fight. That was something.

  He was quickly learning that Araminta might appear to be meek and mild, but she was really a lioness in disguise. She was stubborn and didn’t take orders well. He only hoped that trait didn’t get her killed. They were in a fight for their lives and it was his duty to protect her.

  The demon fighting him wasn’t the smartest one he’d ever come across, but it was incredibly strong, its dense body made for wielding weapons and destroying weaker foes. He knew the other remaining demon was creeping around behind him. Leander also knew he had to kill both demons quickly. With Araminta still here, he was handcuffed. He couldn’t move away from the car for fear one of the demons would go after her. He had no idea what their orders were from Hades.

  He struck hard and low, literally slicing the demon’s legs out from under it. His sharp blade sliced through bone, muscle and sinew as though it were water. Leander gave thanks that he had enough of his power to conjure both clothing and weapons. He wasn’t nearly at full strength, but he had more than enough power and sheer brute strength to protect himself and Araminta.

  The creature fell to the hard concrete but didn’t stop fighting, and wouldn’t until it was dead. Demons were tough bastards. Leander aimed his sword at the demon’s neck just as he heard the screeching tires of a car. He finished off the demon with one final thrust and whirled around in time to see the remaining demon flying over the hood of the car before going airborne. Araminta had struck the creature with the car.

  Leander didn’t pause to think about everything that could have gone wrong, how the demon might have been able to punch out the glass of the windshield and skewer Araminta with his sword. Leander launched himself into the air and landed behind the demon, swinging his sharp blade with all his might. The creature sensed him at the last minute, but it was far too late. Leander hit the demon with his sword and a blast of power. The demon lost its head and its remains burst into dust, scattering in the breeze.

  Breathing hard, Leander stalked toward the car. He didn’t know if he wanted to hug Araminta or toss her over his knee and beat her. As he approached, she unlocked and shoved the passenger door open. “Get in.”

  He willed his sword away and climbed into the metal vehicle. It was a tight fit as the space was small and he was not. He’d barely gotten the door shut when she took off. The tires squealed, rubber burned and then they were on the road.

  He braced his arms and legs to keep from flying forward when she suddenly braked. He knew what a car was, but being in one was a totally different experience. He and his brethren had been moved around in the closed back of a truck for many years, but this was different, more real.

  She sped off again, and the speed at which they moved thrilled him. It was faster than any horse could ever go.

  “What the hell was that?” Her knuckles were white against the steering wheel and her arms were stiff with tension.

  “You should have left when I told you to.” He clenched his hands into fists to keep from reaching for her.

  “No shit, Sherlock.” She shot him a glare and immediately looked back at the road, but not before he caught the hint of tears in her eyes. “I couldn’t leave you behind. Not to face those creatures alone.”

  Something inside him crumbled and his heart began to ache. Leander studied Araminta as she guided the car through the traffic, weaving in and out of lanes. No one but his fellow warriors had ever stood beside him. She was human and easily killed, yet she hadn’t run from the demons, but had protected his back instead. Her courage humbled him but did little to quench the fury flooding his veins.

  “I can handle a few demons. But I was at a disadvantage because I had to protect you as well.” He took a deep breath and tried to rein in his temper, knowing full well he’d never do anything to hurt her. He needed an outlet for his anger. If he couldn’t beat her, he could always fuck her until they were both too tired to walk.

  His cock stirred and he growled. Right now, he couldn’t take either action. All he could do was replay the fight in the garage and think of all the things that could have gone wrong.

  Araminta pulled over to the right, the sudden move shoving him against the car door. “Get out.” A car horn blared behind them, and a car pulled around them and sped off.

  He studied her pale face in the streetlights. What was wrong with her? They needed to get far away from here. “What are you talking about? We don’t have time to stop. We need to keep going.”

  Her glare got even fiercer. Wisps of hair had escaped her braid. Her bottom lip was red and damp and he knew she must have bitten it more than once during the fight.

  She pointed to the door and he caught the fine quiver in her fingers. “Get out.”

  Goddess, she was magnificent. He really wanted to kiss her, to take her down onto the seat and fuck her until they were both lost in mindless pleasure.

  “If you don’t want to have to worry about me get your ass out of my car. I can take care of myself.”

  She was kicking him out. Trying to get rid of him. Anger and fear warred for supremacy within him. “Hades will send demons to kill you.” They had to stay together. It had nothing to do with the way she felt in his arms and had everything to do with his honor. He needed to protect her.

  “Then that’s my problem, isn’t it?”

  Leander raked his hands through his hair and his elbow hit the window. He started to swear but swallowed the foul language, not wanting to upset Araminta any more than she already was. He was jammed in here so tight he wasn’t certain he’d be able to get out. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm.

  What was it about Araminta that made him crazy? His lion roared inside him, a sharp reminder of what he knew to be true. She made him nuts, scared him to death, because she belonged to him.

  Never in his tens of thousands of years of living had he had something to lose. He and his fellow warriors were friends, brothers even. But they were all battle-hardened warriors and knew they might fall one day in the service of the Lady. This was different. Araminta belonged to him. And he belonged to her.

  He reached out and touched the side of her face. His fingers were rough against her petal-soft skin. She shuddered and briefly closed her eyes before glaring at him again. She truly was a worthy mate for him. Suddenly, he wanted to smile and laugh but refrained because she truly looked angry with him.

&nb
sp; He leaned forward and brushed his mouth over hers. Her lips tasted sweet, but they also tasted of remembered fear. Her skin was salty and musky with the remnants of terror. She’d faced four demons and hadn’t run, hadn’t left him.

  “You scared me.” It was the closest he could come to an apology because he still believed she should have left him behind to fight on his own. Her safety was everything to him. It was a stark realization to come to, that this human’s well-being meant more to him than anything else. More than freeing his goddess, more than his fellow warriors, more than his own safety.

  “I don’t understand you.” The anger seemed to drain out of her, leaving only fatigue and wariness behind.

  “I know.” He brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. He could lose himself in her beautiful misty-gray eyes.

  “You don’t look very comfortable. There’s a lever under the front of your seat. Just pull it up and push and your seat will shift back.”

  He did as she told him and the seat slid, giving him more legroom. He still couldn’t say he was comfortable, but at least he didn’t feel quite so hemmed in.

  He faced her, knowing he had to be fully honest with her. “The next day is going to be harder than anything you’ve ever experienced. The demons back at the garage were only the beginning.”

  She took a deep breath and slowly released it. “What were they?”

  “They are Arrocks, vicious fighting demons. Not too smart but built for endurance.”

  Araminta drew back and rested her head against her seat. “I don’t understand. Why doesn’t Hades simply attack and kill us? He has the power.”

  Leander frowned. “I thought you knew the story of the Lady and the curse.”

  “I dreamed it and wrote about it, but I have no idea what’s fact and what’s fiction.” She turned her head and faced him once more. “So Hades doesn’t want to attract the attention of his brothers or the other gods and goddesses. And his being in this realm for too long or sending too many of his minions to one spot would do that.”