Chapter 19
Portals from the Dark Realm opening and closing. Sentient incubi and blood wraiths roaming the street. Add one sex goddess determined to rescue every sexually unfulfilled woman in Las Vegas, and you have a recipe for an epic disaster.
On top of that, he’d turned into a love-sick fool, unable to concentrate for more than a few minutes without thinking of Ava.
As much as he would’ve liked to believe otherwise, he couldn’t help but feel as if her arrival, along with the intrusion of Dark Realm demons, had been no coincidence. His gut warned him that her life was in jeopardy. The nagging feeling of impending disaster loomed ever-present in the back of his mind.
How many times had he been seconds from death, barely snatching his life from the claws of some demon or other Dark Realm being. While thankful for her impressive battle skills against incubi, he still feared for Ava’s safety. The Dark Lord’s words echoed in his mind—the demon clearly gave Deritus the order to track her down. She must be kept safe, removed from the ugliness in his life, and he would do everything in his power to protect her.
Llion stalked out of the woods and into the parking lot where Duncan had been waiting for him. “Damned gargons! What I’d give to be able to kill them without getting body parts all over me.”
“That makes two of us. Let’s track another demon to a new portal. We’ll follow it back to the Dark Realm. If we’re lucky, maybe this time we’ll be able to stay long enough to find out who the Dark Lord is.” Duncan stroked the stubble on his chin as he paced back and forth.
“It’s risky. We can only stay twenty—maybe thirty—minutes max before our powers dwindle to the point where we can’t defend ourselves,” Llion said.
Duncan would willingly take that risk. Killing the Dark Lord and protecting Ava eclipsed the danger he would incur. “I’ll go on my own. You stay here and protect the mortals.”
“Fuck that, Dragon. You go—I go. And there’s no way in hell you’ll convince me otherwise.” The big man glared at him, challenge in his dark eyes. He understood the futility of trying to change Llion’s mind. As determined as a bloodhound tracking an escaped convict, his old friend wouldn’t give up until they found out what they needed to know.
“This will just be a fact-finding mission.” Duncan drew his sword, and Llion followed suit. As the two men continued through the dark side of the city, he spotted a blood wraith hiding behind a Porta Potty at an abandoned construction site. The creatures were easy to kill, but the sheer number stalking the streets had kept them busy for the last several days. The shape-shifting creatures preferred to travel alone, scattering the instant they reached the surface, making his job more difficult.
“Come out, Demon. I’ll send you back to hell where you belong,” Llion growled. His voice held the weariness of constant battle and fatigue, his inflection no different than if he were speaking with a clerk at the Mini Mart.
The wraith made a sound like gravel pouring onto sheet metal. Duncan could hear the creature shuffling behind the tiny building.
“What kind of demon hides behind a toilet?” He mocked the beast, hoping to provoke it into doing something stupid like attacking them.
He held his sword as the wraith emerged from behind his cover, claws extended. Duncan leveled his weapon and waited for the wraith to make the next move. It shrieked and charged, snapping its massive jaws filled with serrated teeth. He dove underneath the creature and thrust his sword upward, slicing deep through its leg. The wraith emitted an ear-splitting scream and ran, limping in the opposite direction.
“Well done, my friend.” Llion came up behind him and slapped him on the back.
“Thanks for your assistance.” His sarcasm-laced words caused Llion to grin. “You didn’t need the help, so why exert myself?”
“Right, I’ll remember that the next time you’re battling a wraith.”
They easily trailed the injured demon and watched as it dragged its body up the steps of a plain, ranch-style brick house. The beast yanked the door open and disappeared inside. A brilliant flash of light blinded Duncan for an instant. “That has to be one hell of a portal.”
“Let’s check it out,” Llion urged.
Duncan bounded up the steps and to the door. He placed his hand on the door knob as Llion readied his sword. At the instant he flung it open, a vortex pulled him into a gaping hole in the floor. Immersed in a white-hot swirling mist, he could do nothing but go along for the ride.
He landed on a rocky surface with a thud. Llion followed an instant later and swore profusely. Rolling to his feet, Duncan surveyed his surroundings. The large cavern walls reeked with the stench of death. Cries of pain and despair echoed in the air, drifting from a jagged opening directly in front of them.
“The wraith traveled through there, no doubt.” Llion pointed to the gap in the rocks. “I can smell its rotting flesh.”
“We’ll follow him as long as we can.” Duncan rushed through the passage.
They followed the path around a curve and came upon the River of Lost Souls. This time Duncan blocked out the cries of despair, his thoughts only on the mission ahead.
“Let’s follow the same path as last time. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find the Dark Lord holding court.” Duncan swiftly moved along the bank, keeping his gaze from the water. After several turns, he heard voices. Curiosity spurred him to move faster. The loudest voice sounded familiar, but he couldn’t recall where he had heard it before.
Scrambling over the rocks until he came upon a wide opening, he paused for a moment. A large hand clamped down on his shoulder and spun him around.
“Shit, Duncan. You’re making enough noise to raise the dead. And if you haven’t noticed, this place is filled with dead people.” The other guardian glared at him as a frown spread across his rugged face.
“We’re running out of time. I’m going to find out who or what we’re dealing with.”
“Fine, but show some restraint, man. If we don’t get out of here in one piece, mortals will be left unprotected.”
A vision of Ava surrounded by demons filled his brain, reminding him that her safety came hand in hand with their success—a fact he would do well not to forget.
When he inched up to the opening and peered inside, the air in his lungs rushed out in one big whoosh. “I’ll be damned, it’s . . .” He could hardly believe his eyes.
“No fucking way.” Llion snarled under his breath. “You killed that traitor centuries ago.”
Bitter memories arose in Duncan’s mind. An immortal guardian gone bad, Mider tortured and killed scores of innocent beings before Duncan dispatched him. Something had gone terribly wrong. Remnants of the rogue guardian should be riding the current in the river.
Stunned by the sight of Mider atop the throne of bones, Duncan shook his head in disbelief. Now, the Dark Lord’s order to kidnap Ava made sense. His old nemesis wanted revenge and would use his mate to get it. Fear for her gripped his soul.
“It’s Mider—the Dark Lord is Mider,” Duncan repeated.
“I can see that for myself, man. The question is what are we going to do about it?”
His response came without hesitation. “I’m going to kill him.” A sick feeling caused his gut to clench. Mider was a monster, a brutal, lethal sociopath who would stop at nothing to achieve his goal. Duncan placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, head pounding and blood boiling with rage. Llion’s voice broke through his fury-fueled haze.
“We’ll slay the bastard but do so when the time is right.” Llion turned to go back the way they came. “We must leave before we run out of steam.”
Duncan waited a few more seconds, just long enough to watch the room clear of demons and Mider push a panel behind the throne. Instantly, the Dark Lord disappeared through the opening. The panel closed as soon as he’d passed through. Duncan turned to leave, his feet pounding against the rocky floor in spite of the earlier warnings for quiet.
He could feel his power lessening by the second. As much as he’d wanted to charge the Dark Lord with his sword drawn, returning to the Mortal Realm remained his only option. He ran through the slim passage, satisfied that he now had valuable information that he could use to take Mider down.
Once they reached the cavern, Duncan looked for a clue about how to get out. Most demons were stupid as hell, so the way back would likely be pretty obvious. A circle on the floor marked where they should stand.
“Here,” Llion shouted as he grasped a lever protruding from the jagged rocks. He pulled it down and leapt into the circle, just as the searing white light enveloped them, shooting them upward at lightning speed.
~ ~ ~
Deritus marveled at how easily the snarky goddess succumbed to his influence. He found Carman on a break, sitting at the bar and looking bored. The unsuspecting dark-haired beauty gazed into his eyes a little too long when he struck up a conversation. Now she belonged to him, and he could use her however he pleased.
Power rippled through his veins. Draining Carman of her Celestial energy rocked his body with strength. Drunk on the excess energy, he beckoned for her to follow him. Carman trailed after him like a puppy begging for a treat. Satisfied with her compliance, he led her out of the bar and into the sticky night air.
The spunky goddess had a task to perform before he rewarded her with his attention. Using Carman as bait to entrap Ava relieved him from doing the hard work and kept the guardian out of the picture. Anticipation welled within him. With both goddesses under his thrall, his powers would rise to a level beyond any he had ever possessed.
Once outside and obscured by shadows, Deritus pulled Carman to him, grabbed a handful of her hair, and jerked her head back to meet his compelling gaze. Her hair slid like black silk between his fingers, and her eyes filled with lust for him.
Carman wrapped her arms around his neck, attempting to kiss him with those lush, scarlet lips. Her sweet, exotic scent clung to the breeze nearly driving him wild with anticipation. He resisted the temptation, deciding he preferred to have both goddesses at the same time. Delayed gratification would be so much sweeter.
He shoved her away. Disappointment and frustration flashed in her violet eyes. “You will not receive the pleasure of my company until Ava is with us.”
“As you wish, Master.” Carman stepped away and bowed her head in submission.
~ ~ ~
Startled by the sound of her cell phone ring tone, Ava bolted upright and fumbled for the switch to the lamp on the nightstand. She grabbed the irritating contraption and held it to her ear.
“I have Carman. If you’re not at the Westwood Casino in fifteen minutes, she dies.”
Ava recognized Deritus’s voice. A chill swept over her. The thought of her friend at the mercy of Deritus took her breath away. Panic swept over her as fear for Carman robbed the air from her lungs.
Her promise to wait for Duncan would have to be broken. Tearing a page from the notepad next to the phone, she wrote two words—Westwood Casino. She tossed the note on the pillow, threw her dress over her head, tugging it down as she raced toward the door. Leaving her heels behind, she punched the button repeatedly until the door opened.
Once in the elevator, she paced while it descended to the ground floor. Rushing through the crowded casino, she pushed people aside, oblivious to their curses. She burst through the entrance door, running out into the street and hailing a cab.
“Westwood Casino. Make it fast, and I’ll double your fare.”
“Lady, you don’t want to go there this time of night.”
Ava didn’t have time to argue. “I can take care of myself. Please! I’ll make it worth your while.”
“Okay, lady, you’re the boss.” The cabbie shook his head and gunned the engine of the beat-up yellow cab.
~ ~ ~
Bone weary and aching to hold Ava in his arms, Duncan emerged from the elevator, heading directly to the bedroom. With his powers still diminished from the journey to the Dark Realm, he needed comfort and time to recharge. Assuring the safety of his mate would do a great deal to speed his recovery.
A sick feeling came over him when he saw the empty bed.
“Ava?” No response. His voice rose. “Ava?” Silence ensued. His heart sank. She was gone, breaking her promise to wait for him. He stared at the bed, remembering what he and Ava were doing when he’d been called away. Once again, his duty as a guardian came between them.
His mate was out there somewhere amidst incubi and other Dark Realm demons, and he had abandoned her to her fate. Rubbing his tired eyes, a flash of yellow caught his attention. He retrieved the Post-it note and read it.
“What the hell?”
His eyes widened with realization. Duncan sailed through a portal to the Westwood Casino before the note could flutter to the floor.