Chapter 3
Rage flowed through Duncan’s veins. A demon had Ava pinned to the concrete floor. Long auburn waves fanned out around her head while enormous green eyes stared absently at her attacker. Under the demon’s influence, the pretty goddess didn’t stand a chance.
Disgust ripped through him as he recognized the demon. If he didn’t act quickly, she would become his sex toy. As little as he cared for most Celestials, he could not leave her to that fate. Soon, Deritus would be one dead demon—again.
The demon he killed last week had been resurrected, and that was a matter of grave concern for Duncan. What good did it do to eliminate Deritus only to have to do battle with him a few days later?
Determination to rescue Ava compelled him into immediate action. He must destroy the demon and worry about his revival later.
~ ~ ~
“Deritus, you’ve got balls showing up here. Too bad you’ll be losing them shortly.” The low, rumbling words barely registered in Ava’s fading consciousness, but the thrall on her mind lessened and the force holding her down relaxed.
Thank the Goddess.
“Let. Her. Go.” The voice, a seismic wave in a concrete ocean, thundered from the doorway.
Her ability to reason returned to her in tiny increments. The demon stood above her, his face mottled with rage, nostrils flaring with eyes glowing blood-red.
“Who are you?” Deritus snarled. “Who dares to threaten the Sentient King?” His demonic gaze searched the doorway for the source of the voice.
She detected a hint of panic in his tone.
Good. Let him see how it feels to be vulnerable.
A crackling blue energy bolt shot through the air, making contact with the demon, sending him sailing across the room. The incubus hissed and rubbed his head, eyes widening as recognition dawned on his face.
A massive form stepped from the shadows. The sound of the stranger’s boots reverberated like a death knell as he made his way across the room. When the demon tried to rise, the intruder shoved him back down, placing his heel on the demon’s chest.
“Duncan! I didn’t know you were back in town.” Sweat beaded on the demon’s brow, his breath coming in ragged bursts as he struggled to free himself. The bloody glow of his eyes intensified.
Ava breathed a sigh of relief. As a guardian, Duncan was duty-sworn to destroy demons in the Mortal Realm. The battle was no longer hers.
“Didn’t I send you to Hell already? The Dark Lord’s hellhounds should have feasted on your sorry bones days ago.” The fury in Duncan’s deep voice sent shivers down her spine.
Her heart leapt to her throat at the mention of the hellhounds, guardians to the gate of the Dark Realm. If the big man had the ability to send demons to another realm, his powers far surpassed any she possessed on her best day.
“You made a mistake coming here, Deritus. A fatal one.” Cold, emotionless, and lethal, Duncan’s words had her synapses snapping to attention.
Self-preservation dictated her actions as she crawled toward the door, careful not to make a sound. She planned on being long gone before this confrontation ended.
“Look, Guardian, I’m just having a little fun. You can have her.” Deritus raised his palms in surrender. “No harm done.”
“The Celestial doesn’t look like she’s having fun.” In a flash, Duncan had Deritus by the throat, the demon’s feet dangling inches off the floor. “Your days of preying on women in this realm are over.”
The demon continued to struggle, his feet kicked frantically in a dance of terror, and his lips moved but no sound emerged. Duncan let go and Deritus dropped to the floor. Ava saw the look of resignation in his eyes. Deritus would die again and he knew it.
In the span of a heartbeat, the demon vanished, but she could still see the outline of his form. A second set of sharp ebony horns erupted from his head. He charged at Duncan, but the warrior twisted aside, gracefully avoiding the blow. In a single fluid movement, Duncan unsheathed a gilded sword, its blade glowing an unearthly blue hue. One swift arc and the blade cleaved the demon’s head from his shoulders. It rolled dangerously close to where she attempted to remain inconspicuous.
“Lucky the bastard’s so damn predictable and I can kill him without seeing him,” Duncan grumbled. He turned, staring down at her still huddled on the floor.
“Thanks for the rescue. You don’t know how grateful I am.” She smiled at him, and tendrils of nervous energy tightened around her spine. She wasn’t exactly keeping the low profile she agreed to. Once again, she felt the immediate pull of energy. Her skin heated as she gazed into his piercing blue eyes.
“Are you okay?” He held out his hand, easily pulling her to her feet.
“Fine, thanks to you. If you hadn’t shown up when you did, I’d be turning tricks for Deritus by now.” Uncomfortable under his scrutiny, she adjusted her skimpy skirt and smoothed her hair.
“There are some young women that Deritus had in his thrall. Maybe you should look for them before something bad happens.” She hoped her suggestion would redirect the big man’s attention.
No such luck.
“Now that Deritus is dead, the thrall he had on the girls is gone.” Duncan leaned against the door frame, stone faced and statue still.
“Didn’t I tell you to stay out of trouble?” His crystal blue eyes glistened with concern.
She met his curious gaze. “No. You told me to not cause any trouble and to harm no humans. Deritus attacked me. I’m blameless here.”
“I suppose that’s true, but I’m not convinced you can stay out of trouble either.” A hint of amusement laced his words.
Duncan grazed a finger along her injured lip. The warmth of his soothing touch sent gentle waves of healing pulsing through his fingertip. She lifted her fingers to her wound. The cut had vanished, replaced by a warm, tingling sensation. Her initial attraction to him fired up to the next level.
She internally chided herself for letting her lusty thoughts run rampant. A sex goddess should always be in control of her desires. Duncan should be drawn to her, not the other way around. Warring thoughts collided in her mind at the role reversal. Her inability to remain focused on her goals could have dire consequences—like starving or having to sleep on the street.
“You need a safe place to stay, and to learn how to get by in this realm.” His comforting voice warmed her spirit. He waved his hand and a portal appeared. “I’m sure our paths will cross soon.” A spark of desire flashed in his eyes. “Until we meet again, Goddess.”
The swirling mist of colors brought back unpleasant memories of her earlier journey, causing Ava to step back.
“There is no way in hell I’m going to . . .”
“Ask for sanctuary,” he said. A gentle push on the small of her back guided her into the passage.
Before she could resist, she was sucked into the mist and deposited in front of a massive wooden door. Finding herself alone, she wondered where in the Mortal Realm she was now.
~ ~ ~
What the hell just happened? Duncan’s fingers still throbbed from the contact with Ava’s lip.
Jolts of sexual energy coursed throughout his body. Confused and suffering from the aftershocks of his encounter with the seductive goddess, he took a deep breath, hoping to regain control of his emotions.
One more second with Ava and his scales would have erupted. The dragons on Duncan’s skin slithered erratically over his torso, leaving a burning path in their wake.
He wondered if the sexy goddess had cast a spell on him. Most Celestials were not to be trusted. From his past encounters, he found them to be manipulative and self-serving, always looking out for number one. Still, the exiles living in Las Vegas had done no harm, keeping mostly to themselves, and his gut instinct told him that she could be trusted.
While he couldn’t deny his attraction to the Celestial beauty, he couldn’t afford to be distracted right now with the ongoing demon invasion. He resolved to put her out of his thoughts, get on with his duties as a guardian, and leave Ava in the hands of the other exiled Celestials. In the recesses of his mind, a little voice warned him this was a resolution that he would be unable to keep.