Shades of Darkness

by Alexandra Ivy

  Gingerly she reached to take the basket, pulling off the red and white checkered towel to peer inside.

  “Is that chicken pot pie?” She blinked. “And waffles?”

  “It was the only sweet thing I could buy.” He sounded defensive. “There’s not much demand for cakes and pies in this bulla.”

  She glanced up, studying his pale features with his stark features and extraordinary eyes. She’d never been the sort of girl who was infatuated with bad boys. Who wanted a lover who treated them like crap?

  But when she met Basq, she told herself that nice guys were bores. Over and over she tried to pretend that she found his unwavering loyalty, his devotion to duty, and his refusal to compromise his morals something to be mocked.

  And all because… Because he was battering against the barriers that she wasn’t ready to have breached.

  “It’s perfect,” she breathed.

  In silence she settled back on the floor and set the basket in her lap. Then, with the pleasure of someone who’d been denied food for countless centuries, she consumed the pot pies in huge bites. Next, she demolished the waffles and licked the sticky syrup off her fingers.

  Mmm. Ambrosia.

  Once she’d eaten every bite and chugged the bottle of wine that was hidden in the bottom of the basket, Chaaya glanced toward Basq, who was seated beside her.

  He looked the same as always, although she thought she could detect the faintest flush on his cheeks. As if he’d just fed. A strange sensation clenched her heart.

  Jealousy?

  She tried to squash the stupid thought, but that didn’t keep the question from spilling from her lips.

  “What about you?”

  He frowned in confusion. “What about me?”

  “Did you eat?”

  He reached into his pocket to pull out a glass flask that was half filled with a ruby liquid. Blood.

  “I’m reserving some in case I need it later.”

  Relief as sharp as a dagger sliced through Chaaya, and with a muttered curse she rose to her feet. She was going to start acting as flighty as a dew fairy if she wasn’t careful.

  “We need to return to the hunt. Eventually Brigette is going to realize we followed her.” She tossed aside the cloth wrapped around her shoulders, another reminder of Basq’s honorable nature. “Next time we might not get lucky enough to be close when she jumps into a portal.”

  “I have information that a strange gray creature with fairy wings was spotted entering the sewers,” he smoothly informed her.

  “Seriously?” Chaaya jerked in surprise. How long had the male been gone while she was snoozing? And just what had he been doing? “Where did you get your information?”

  He shrugged. “I bought it.”

  “I thought you had only a few coins…” Her words trailed away as he instinctively reached up to touch the gold chain around his neck. Only it was missing something. “Oh no. Basq, where’s your amulet?”

  He abruptly dropped his hand, his expression chagrined as he realized he’d given away more than he intended.

  “I bartered it.”

  His tone was clipped, his expression guarded. He didn’t want to talk about the cost.

  Chaaya stepped forward, a hard lump of emotion stuck in her throat. “No. You shouldn’t have done that.”

  He waved aside her protest. “We needed food and information. We have both.”

  “Who gave you the amulet?”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Tell me.” She pressed her hand against his chest, over the precise spot the amulet had once rested. “Please.”

  There was a long, painful pause. “Tarak,” he finally admitted. “He gave it to me when I joined his clan. He said it was a promise that we would always be family.”

  The simple words crushed down on Chaaya, as if she was suddenly carrying an unbearable weight.

  “Why would you give it up?”

  He glanced away, his features set in stoic lines. “We need to find Brigette.”

  Her hand slid up his chest, wrapping around the back of his neck. “Why, Basq?”

  Icy power thundered through the air as Basq’s eyes sizzled with the same awareness that zipped and zapped through her. Like an electric shock caught in a loop.

  “You sacrificed your life. The least I could do was sacrifice a small bit of metal,” he reluctantly confessed.

  “It was more than a small bit of metal,” she muttered. Then, without giving herself time to consider her impulsive need for more, Chaaya slid her fingers into his dark hair and yanked his head down.

  Basq made a sound of surprise, but before he could demand to know what she was doing, Chaaya was on her tiptoes so she could claim his mouth in a fierce kiss.

  With quicksilver speed, Basq’s arms were wrapped around her, hauling her tight against his body. As if her kiss had triggered a response so deeply ingrained inside him that he reacted on pure instinct. Chaaya parted her lips, savoring the sharp press of his fangs. She’d heard rumors that a vampire’s bite could cause an orgasm.

  She twined her arms around his neck, arching her back to press against his hard muscles. Weeks ago she’d seen him leaving the spa area of the casino. He’d been wearing a loose pair of jogging shorts and nothing else. She’d nearly drooled at the sight of his broad chest and sculpted six-pack. At the time she’d been overwhelmed with the desire to know if his rich, creamy white skin was as silky smooth as it looked.

  About to appease her curiosity, Chaaya was distracted when Basq lifted his head, studying her upturned face with a brooding gaze.

  “You don’t owe me anything, Chaaya.”

  It took her a second to realize what he was implying. “Is that why you think I kissed you?” she demanded in a dangerous voice.

  “Isn’t it?”

  She narrowed her gaze. “I don’t pay my debts with my body, leech,” she snapped. “If I kiss someone it’s because I want to taste their lips.” Her gaze moved to his chiseled mouth. “And feel their body. And—”

  She had plenty more to say, but her words were cut short as he swooped his head down and kissed her with an earth-shattering urgency. His arms tightened until they would have crushed her if she’d still been human. She gripped his hair, hanging on tight as the maelstrom of sensations battered through her.

  Heat seared through her body, clashing against the sharp chill in the air. The contrast was deliciously erotic, spreading a rash of pleasurable goose bumps over her skin. A moan rumbled in her throat, the taste of his lips as heady and addictive as any drug.

  This was what she’d sensed was waiting for her. And why she’d gone to such an effort to keep him at arm’s length. She’d spent most of her life trapped in a hell dimension—did she really want to become a prisoner of her emotions? Even if this male was the most extraordinary creature she’d ever encountered.

  The unnerving thought was just penetrating the desire that clouded her mind when Basq moved his mouth to nuzzle along the line of her jaw before he scraped his fangs down the curve of her neck.

  Chaaya gasped, tilting her head back to offer him complete access. Oh yes. She shivered in anticipation. Was she about to discover if a vampire bite really could cause an orgasm? She was 99 percent certain that the answer was yes.

  Lost in the dreamy-steamy pleasure cascading through her, Chaaya nearly missed the faint click from overhead. But even as she pressed against the hardening length of his erection, she froze. That was the sound of a door opening.

  And a new smell had filtered through the air.

  Orc.

  “Wait,” she breathed.

  “I heard.” The white center of his eyes expanded. Was he using his power to determine how many demons were above them?

  “Is there any other way out of here?” she asked.

  “No.”

&n
bsp; Chaaya stepped out of his arms and grabbed her spear. “Then we fight.”

  His face was grim. “No, Chaaya.”

  She twirled her spear, sending him a warning frown. “We’re both in charge, remember? If you think you’re going to leave me behind while you…”

  “Hush.” He brushed his fingers over her closely trimmed hair. It was an oddly affectionate gesture. “I’m trying to tell you that there’s no need to fight. Once we get to the top of the stairs, I’ll use my darkness. Head for the window.”

  “Oh.” She smiled wryly. “Okay.”

  He stepped back, his face still grim. “Don’t you dare die again.”

  She held his gaze. “I can say the same to you.”

  “Let’s go.”

  * * * *

  Troy at last tracked down Rimm in the throne room. The tall, slender man was wearing the traditional scale armor with a trident belted at his waist. His long, blue tinted hair was held back by a leather strap, and the medallion around his neck revealed his status as the Captain of the Royal Guards.

  At the moment he was standing near the dais, watching Inga as she paced from side to side. The queen had changed into a new muumuu, this one in a violent shade of yellow with red poinsettias splotched across the cheap fabric. Her tufts of hair were standing straight up and her eyes were more crimson than blue, a sure indication she was upset.

  At Troy’s entrance the guard’s handsome features pinched into a sour expression.

  “We’re in conference. You can return to speak with the queen later,” he announced in stiff tones.

  Troy sashayed forward, halting directly in front of the male. “I’m not here to see the queen. I have some questions for you.”

  Rimm scowled. “I don’t answer to you, imp.”

  Inga came to an abrupt halt, sending her captain an impatient frown. “I’ve asked the prince.” She emphasized Troy’s title, although she rarely remembered that Troy had royal blood running through his veins. He rarely remembered it himself. His pedigree was worth less than the thigh-high leather boots he was wearing to complement his lime green spandex pants and sheer white shirt. “He’s going to assist in my search for the truth.”

  Rimm stiffened, looking as if someone had rammed a stick up his ass. “If Your Majesty believes I’m incapable of performing my duties—”

  “Stop,” Inga interrupted. “This has nothing to do with your lack of competence, Rimm.”

  The male sniffed. “If you say so.”

  Troy snapped. For the past months he’d obeyed Inga’s command to bite his tongue when she endured the various slights, snubs, and outright insults from her people. She was convinced she could win them over with her hard work and diligence.

  Troy wasn’t nearly so certain. And right now he wasn’t in the mood to put up with the shit.

  “She’s telling you the truth.” Rimm parted his lips to make a snide comment only to snap them shut when Troy pulled a hidden dagger from his boot and pointed it in the male’s face. “Just keep your mouth shut and listen, fish,” Troy commanded. “There isn’t a mer-folk in this castle who would have blamed Inga for tossing you in the dungeon after Riven was removed from the throne. Or even killing you as a traitor.”

  Inga made a strangled sound of protest. “Troy.”

  Troy kept his gaze locked on the captain of the guards. “But she didn’t because she believed in you. And your loyalty to the throne.”

  His jaw clenched. “I am loyal.”

  Troy ignored the male’s protest. “And despite the warnings from me and the King of Vampires and dozens of others, she trusted you more than any other demon she could have brought in as the head of her Royal Guard.”

  “Enough, Troy,” Inga pleaded.

  “No, this is way overdue.” He kept the dagger in the male’s face, his voice sharp with frustrated anger. “I want him to acknowledge the faith you placed in him, despite his obvious lack of gratitude.”

  The scent of salt was suddenly thick in the air, and Troy braced for a fight. He wasn’t scared of the merman, but he sure the hell wasn’t going to get caught flat footed. Not when that trident could shoot out nasty projectiles.

  But Rimm didn’t attack. Instead he abruptly whirled toward Inga and fell to his knees.

  “He’s right, Your Majesty.” He bent his head in apology. “I have neglected to offer you my deep appreciation for allowing me to maintain my position.”

  Inga flushed, looking as uncomfortable as an ice sprite in the middle of the Sahara Desert.

  “That’s not necessary.”

  “It is. I would have been…” Rimm tilted back his head to reveal his pale face, which had lost its arrogant expression. “Broken if you would have chosen to remove me. And it’s only my shame at having failed you once again that makes me resent having the imp’s help.”

  Inga impatiently waved for the merman to rise to his feet. “I promise you, Rimm, we’re all on the same side.”

  Rimm nodded, flowing upright and turning toward Troy. “Ask your questions.”

  Satisfied that a temporary cease-fire had been called, Troy slid his dagger back into his boot.

  “What can you tell me about Jord?”

  “Jord?” Rimm looked puzzled. “You need to be more specific.”

  “Do you trust him?”

  Rimm hesitated, as if considering how to answer. “He’s dependable.”

  “I hear a ‘but’ in there,” Troy said.

  “But he was Riven’s most devoted soldier,” Rimm admitted. “And he’s made no secret that he resents having an ogress holding the Tryshu.”

  Troy shared a glance with Inga. “Interesting.”

  “Why are you asking?” Rimm demanded.

  Troy returned his attention to the captain. “Jord was the one I overheard trying to stop Riza from warning the queen that there was something strange going on with Brigette. He was also the first one to burst into the throne room shouting that the prisoner had escaped.”

  Rimm’s puzzlement only deepened. “I thought the evil spirit had released the Were?”

  “That’s one possibility, although we’ve found no trace of the darkness,” Troy told him. “The other possibility is that one or more of the mer-folk are responsible.”

  Rimm jerked, the teeth he’d filed to sharp points snapping together. But even as he clearly ached to deny that any mer-folk could be a traitor, he bit back the denial.

  “And you suspect Jord?”

  “He’s the most likely culprit.”

  Rimm didn’t argue. Instead he asked the obvious question. “Why would he release the prisoner?”

  Troy shrugged. “My guess would be that he wanted to undermine the queen’s authority. Not only among her people, but among the vampires and Weres who trusted her to keep Brigette locked away from the world.”

  “I suppose that’s possible,” Rimm slowly agreed. “He was always eager to take on the dirtiest jobs for Riven. He was ambitious for more power and willing to do anything to get it.”

  “Or maybe Brigette was able to manipulate him into helping her,” Troy continued, unwilling to close his mind to the other possibilities. “She destroyed her entire pack to gain power. She’s obviously capable of evil even without the power of the dark beast.”

  Rimm frowned, as if considering the various implications of an inside job. “Jord would no doubt be eager to humiliate the queen,” he slowly admitted. “And he’s capable of creating a portal—” His words broke off as he gave a sharp shake of his head. “No, wait. I don’t think it’s possible.”

  “Why?”

  “I was at the entrance to the royal quarters when I saw Jord race past,” Rimm explained. “I followed him as he headed down the corridor.”

  Troy shrugged. “He could have put Brigette in the secret passage and then made his way to the royal quarters to ma
ke sure you saw him.”

  Rimm turned to point where the hidden panel was located. “The entrance is on the other side of the castle. He would have to travel down four flights of stairs to return to the main corridors and then circle back to the entrance where I was standing. It would have taken several minutes. By then the other guards would have been awake and sounding the alarm.”

  Troy scowled, trying to picture in his mind the route the male would have to take. At last he heaved a frustrated sigh. The captain was right. The throne room consumed the entire floor in this section of the castle. The only way to get from one side to the other was to go down the stairs and then back up. Even for a merman with considerable speed, it would take time.

  Still, he wasn’t ready to give up.

  “He could have told Brigette where to find the hidden passage,” he suggested.

  This time it was Inga who shot down his theory. “No, the doors to the passages are protected by my grandfather’s magic. They can’t be opened by anyone but a mer-folk.”

  “Damn,” Troy muttered.

  Chapter 11

  Chaaya was prepared as they reached the top of the stairs and Basq spread his darkness through the room. There were shouts of alarm from the gathered demons, but Chaaya ignored them. She had the position of the window firmly fixed in her mind as she sprinted across the wooden floor.

  For all her preparation, however, it was disconcerting to be utterly blind. Even when she was in her hell dimension there was an ambient light that allowed her to see what was around her. Now she had to trust her other senses as she plowed forward.

  Next to her, she could feel the pulse of Basq’s icy power and hear the soft thump of his footsteps. That was how she knew the precise moment he leaped through the air. Trusting she wasn’t about to slam her head into the wall, she jumped behind him, thankfully flying through the opening to land on the hard cobblestone lane.

  For a hopeful second she thought they might actually have escaped. Then Basq’s agonized shout was followed by the collapse of his protective darkness.