There was a pause, as if the vampire wanted nothing more than to disappear, then he heard her low curses. “The Sylvermyst escaped,” she at last confessed. “Damn.”
Tane slid from the bed, his gaze ruefully watching Laylah pull on a pair of jeans and stretchy T-shirt before looping the disguise amulet over her head.
The Sylvermyst bastard was going to pay for interrupting his mating night.
Once he had tugged on his shorts, he strapped the stolen sword to his back and tucked two daggers into his waistband. Then, tugging Laylah into his arms, he kissed her with a fierce promise of pleasures delayed.
She returned his kiss before pushing him away, chuckling at his undisguised frustration.
“Later,” she said softly.
He moved to pull open the door, reminding himself that the sooner they’d destroyed Marika and her happy band of misfits, the sooner he could have Laylah all to himself.
What better motivation?
“What happened?” he demanded as Jaelyn stepped into the room, still dressed in black spandex and carrying her favorite shotgun.
Her expression hardened. “That’s still under investigation.”
Tane’s brows snapped together. Was she evading his question?
“Did you let him out of the cell?”
She growled, her eyes glowing with fury. “Stupid questions piss me off.”
Moving a speed only an ancient vampire could follow, Tane had a dagger pressed beneath her chin, his expression grim.
“And petulant foundlings who have to constantly prove how tough they are piss me off.”
Jaelyn trembled, battling not to be stupid enough to provoke a vampire bigger, badder, and older than herself.
“I’m not a foundling,” she gritted.
Tane narrowed his eyes. “You’re barely out of the nursery and if you think …”
“Yeah, yeah,” Laylah abruptly interrupted, moving to stand at his side. “You’re both super scary.” She turned her attention to Jaelyn. “How did he escape?”
Something that might have been embarrassment rippled over the young vampire’s face before she was stepping away from Tane’s dagger and gathering her composure.
“The surveillance camera caught him just …” She grimaced. “Disappearing.” Laylah frowned. “A portal?”
“It shouldn’t be possible,” Jaelyn muttered. “The cell was lined with lead.”
Tane shrugged. “We don’t know what magic the Sylvermyst possess. Especially Ariyal.”
Jaelyn’s eyes flashed with blue fire. “He won’t get far.”
Tane lifted his brows. It was a Hunter’s cardinal rule to remain impervious to their prey. Any emotion, whether it was anger or hatred or attraction, would only cloud their considerable skills.
The Sylvermyst had clearly gotten under her skin.
“It doesn’t matter, the damage has been done,” he said.
Laylah sent him a startled glance. “What damage?”
“He knows where we are.”
She shivered. “Which means he’s going to tell my aunt.”
Tane wasn’t nearly so certain, but now wasn’t the time to discuss his suspicions of the Sylvermyst. Not when it was nothing more than a gut feeling.
“That’s certainly a risk,” he said.
Jaelyn stepped back, her shotgun resting against her shoulder.
“I’ll do my best to keep them off your trail.”
Tane dipped his head. “We’re in your debt.”
“Don’t worry, I have every intention of collecting.”
With a taunting smile, Jaelyn turned on her heel and jogged down the hall, swiftly disappearing from view.
Tane shook his head. How did so much bitch get into such a small package?
At his side, Laylah heaved a sigh. “Now that is a woman who can take care of herself.”
Tane glanced at her in shock. “You can’t be envious.”
“I am,” she said, her lips twisted in a wistful smile. “I’ve depended on others to protect me my entire life.”
He framed her face in his hands. “There are times when we all depend on others. That’s why there are clans and families and packs.” His thumb brushed the sensuous curve of her lower lip. “And mates.”
“But…”
“Laylah, you not only survived despite being hunted from the day you were born, but you’ve protected the world from a potential Armageddon.” He studied her beautiful face, wondering how she couldn’t realize just how astonishing she truly was. “Not bad.”
Her lips twitched into a rueful smile. “I suppose when you put it that way.”
He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Of course, I wouldn’t mind seeing you in that spandex.”
“Hmmm.” She nipped his throat, sending jolts of white-hot desire directly to his cock. “Only if you’re very, very good.”
“I prefer to be very, very bad,” he growled, barely resisting the urge to topple her back onto the bed. Oh, for another hour. Or ten. “Unfortunately we don’t have time. We have to get out of here.”
“My thoughts exactly,” an aggravatingly familiar voice said from behind. “Where are we going?”
He turned, regarding the tiny gargoyle with a steady gaze. “Levet, we need a distraction.”
Laylah grabbed his arm. “Why do we need a distraction?”
“If Ariyal is capable of forming portals then it won’t take him long to collect your aunt and return.”
She shook her head. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”
Tane sighed. He’d forgotten the side effects of the mating. He’d never be able to lie to Laylah again. Not always a good thing.
“I have a feeling that Ariyal was willing to use your aunt to track the child,” he confessed, “but now that he’s found you, he plans to take matters into his own hands.”
“What matters?”
“I don’t intend to find out.” He glanced toward the gargoyle. “But I need your help.”
Levet folded his arms over his narrow chest. “Ah, so I am to remain behind and become a martyr?”
“That’s what heroes do.”
The gargoyle hesitated, no doubt debating between his desire to remain with Laylah and his oddly quixotic nature.
“True,” he finally conceded, heaving a tragic sigh. “I am, after all, a Knight in Shining Armor.”
Laylah moved to kneel in front of the demon. “Just promise me you’ll be a knight who doesn’t take foolish chances.”
Levet glanced toward Tane with a sly grin before placing a kiss on Laylah’s cheek. “For you, I promise.”
Tane reached down to grab his mate’s arm, gently pulling her back to her feet.
Damned gargoyle.
“We must go,” he muttered.
Levet snapped his wings. “How will I find you?”
Tane parted his lips to inform the beast he could start his search in hell, when Laylah caught them both by surprise.
“We’ll be in Siberia.”
He flashed her a puzzled frown. “Why the hell are we going to Siberia?”
“Cassie told me, ‘to find the end you must return to the beginning.'”
Chapter 19
Just before dawn they found themselves in Styx’s lair.
Laylah hadn’t been pleased, but he’d convinced her they needed to share the information they’d learned with the Anasso, not to mention the fact that she could use another day of rest before trying to shadow walk with a baby and vampire as passengers.
Now she was settled in an upstairs bedroom and he had sought out his king in his private study so she could actually get some sleep.
Damn.
Just the thought of her stretched on the massive bed with satin gold sheets draped over her naked body was making him hard. She wouldn’t get any rest if he didn’t control his libido.
He leaned against the massive desk, watching Styx pace the floor as he processed Tane’s account of what had happened since they had last met in this room.
“Darcy’s sister is a prophet?” he at last muttered, tugging on the amulet that hung around his neck while the turquoise ornaments in his long braid filled the air with a musical tinkle. “Damn.”
Tane grinned. “You have interesting in-laws.”
“Tell me about it.” Styx came to a halt in the middle of the office, his arms folded across his massive chest. “We just had a visit from Darcy’s mother.”
Tane’s smile widened. Darcy’s mother was a pureblood Were who liked her sex rough and often. The more often the better. Styx usually had to give his Ravens an entire week off after a visit from his mother-in-law just to recover.
Then he recalled the date and he doubled over in laughter. “She visited during a full moon?”
Styx failed to find the humor. “She was … terrifying.”
Tane straightened, his amusement fading. “Speaking of mothers. Have you heard from Uriel?”
“Victor sent word that Uriel had located the tomb where the gypsy was being held, but there was some difficulty in the escape.”
That didn’t sound good.
“Difficulty?”
“He didn’t go into detail, but he did promise to send word once she’d been brought to his lair and he’d determined she wasn’t a threat to Laylah.”
“Good.” Tane nodded. If it was up to him the gypsy wouldn’t be allowed near Laylah until it was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was her mother. Unfortunately, he sensed his mate might have her own opinion. “She doesn’t need any unnecessary distractions. Not now.”
Styx studied him with a somber expression. “She is determined?”
“You have no idea.”
“Is that a joke?” Styx demanded in incredulous tones. “I’m a walking testament at having a mate who is determined to risk her neck at every opportunity in the name of truth.”
Tane grimaced. “Does it get any easier?”
“No.”
“Thanks.”
Styx shrugged. “Would you prefer I lie?”