GOE 08 - Bound By Darkness

Chapter 2

Jaelyn was never taken by surprise.

Never.

She was a Hunter. A vigilant, razor-sharp warrior with such superior skills that she’d been taken by the Addonexus (the vampire equivalent of black ops) mere weeks after she’d been turned.

And even with her natural skills, she’d still been trained for years before being allowed to leave the secret compound.

Tracking, weapons, martial arts, psychological warfare, and the latest tech (including being able to hack into a military-grade computer system) had been drilled into her with brutal efficiency over the past fifty years.

But this damned Sylvermyst had kept her flat-footed and constantly one step behind him.

She wanted to believe it was some mystic fey crap.

After all, a vampire’s one vulnerability was magic, and since it was believed that the Sylvermyst had been banished along with their master, the Dark Lord, she’d never been taught what sort of nefarious tricks Ariyal might be hiding behind his too-pretty face.

It would explain how he’d managed to escape from an iron-lined cell after she’d captured him. And how he could catch her off guard to yank her through a portal and bring her to this godforsaken island.

And how he could claim her lips in a kiss that shut down her brain, as well as most of her higher motor skills.

His mouth was deliciously warm, demanding a response, and for a crazed moment she allowed the blinding pleasure to sear through her, the tips of her toes curling in her boots. It was only when she was actually swaying toward the hard temptation of his body that she was wrenched out of the strange spell.

Oh ... shit.

This wasn’t a spell.

It was good, old-fashioned lust that had sizzled between them since that first, jolting touch. Or perhaps it had been from the moment she’d caught his rich, earthy scent that was a combination of herbs and pure male power.

Not that the when or how mattered.

She might not have been trained to deal with dark fey magic, but she’d sure the hell been drilled in controlling her baser instincts.

Nothing like being skinned alive a few times to teach a young vampire to keep her mind on business.

With a low hiss, she jerked her head to the side, her fangs snapping toward his throat.

Ariyal cursed as he leaped backward, his stunning bronze eyes widening as he realized how easily she could have ripped open his flesh.

“ Damn.”

“Find someone else to play with, fairy,” she warned, eying him with a proud defiance despite the fact she was currently chained to the stupid wall. And oh yeah, that she had nearly melted into a puddle of need beneath his kiss. “I bite.”

“Sylvermyst,” he corrected, his gaze lingering on her swollen lips. “And I bite back.”

The thought of his perfect white teeth clamping onto her neck sent a dangerous thrill down her spine. Freaking fey. She clenched her hands at her sides, allowing her nails to slice into her palm. Pain was the swiftest means to regain command of her body.

“What do you intend to do with me?”

He smiled with wicked amusement at the ice edging her words.

“That depends on you.”

She narrowed her gaze. “You think I’ll barter for my freedom?”

He reached to run a slender finger down the curve of her neck.

“We’re about to discover, aren’t we?”

“Stop that,” she growled, baring her fangs.

“You don’t like to be touched?”

“I like it just fine.” She flicked a dismissive gaze over his indecently beautiful face. “Just not by you.”

“Lie,” he breathed, gently mocking her own ability to read the deceptions of others.

Her lips thinned. “Tell me what you want from me.” “What I want?” The bronze eyes darkened with raw desire. “I want that hard, sculpted body spread naked on my bed so I can taste every perfect inch.”

Her nails dug deeper, the blood running down her palm. “Never.”

“Fine.” His low voice brushed over her sensitive skin like a caress. “Then I’ll be naked and you can use those lovely lips to wrap around my ...”

“Is your bargain that I trade sex for my release?” she sharply interrupted.

His gaze briefly shifted down to the small curve of her breasts outlined by the tight spandex.

“Oh, I intend to give you release.” His gaze lifted to meet her frigid stare. “But you’ll have to earn your freedom.”

She snorted. “Do males of all species possess a juvenile need to use sexual innuendoes rather than rational conversation when they’re in the company of women?”

“Those weren’t innuendoes, poppet,” he drawled. “They were a promise.”

She forced herself to meet his taunting gaze with a cold indifference that she could only wish was genuine. Dammit, she was a Hunter, not a wilting virgin who was terrified of a man’s touch. Even if it did make her shiver with need.

Her duty was to use whatever method necessary to get free and complete her mission.

Period.

“I asked a specific question. Will you allow me to leave if I give you sex?”

He stilled, caught off guard by her blunt demand. “And if I say yes?”

“It’s against the rules. But ...”

“What rules?”

“Hunters aren’t permitted to be intimate with their prey.”

“Sensible, I suppose.” He folded his arms over his broad chest, acting like he was more curious than excited by her proposal. Rude, conceited fairy. “What if I weren’t your prey?”

“Intimacy is generally discouraged.”

His unnerving gaze searched her icy expression, as if sensing the dark, punishing memories that fluttered at the edge of her mind.

“Discouraged?”

“Sex is an unnecessary distraction at best and a lethal mistake at worse.”

He tilted his head to the side at her practiced words, the light from the candles glowing with a rich shade of chestnut in the loose strands of his hair. Jaelyn clenched her teeth, struck by a sharp need to run her fingers through the satin length.

His lip curled into a slow, wicked smile. “I can scent your hunger.”

“Of course you can. It’s been days since I fed.” Her arctic dismissal salved her pride, but it did nothing to disguise her body’s annoying response. “Although, I’m more likely to die of boredom than starvation if you don’t release me soon. Are we going to bargain or not?”

Ariyal chuckled, not deceived for a moment. Bastard.

“We are.”

“For sex?”

He shook his head, his gaze taking a slow, intimate survey of her rigid body.

“When I claim you as my lover, Jaelyn, you won’t be able to hide behind the pretense that it’s to fulfill some damned bargain.”

His silky warning slid through her like warm honey, melting another layer of her icy defenses. Ah, it would be so easy to close her eyes and imagine his slender fingers skimming over her naked skin, his muscled body pressing her into the nearby mattress as his mouth sought those erogenous spots she tried to pretend didn’t exist.

Worse, she couldn’t deny the realization that she was disappointed. . . disappointed ... that he didn’t intend to trade the use of her body in exchange for her freedom.

Lord, she needed to get away from this man.

The sooner the better.

“Then what do you want?”

His gaze returned to clash with her icy glare. “Your skills as a Hunter.”

“As a Hunter?”

He shrugged. “To be more specific, as a tracker.”

She wasn’t insulted.

What did she care if he was more interested in her warrior training than her female charms?

To be actually wanted as a woman ...

That was madness.

Insanity.

Yeah. That’s what it was.

“You want me to find Tearloch?” she demanded between clenched teeth.

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be some kind of prince?” she mocked.

A startling hint of pain briefly flared in the bronzed eyes.

“I am.”

“Then shouldn’t you have the skills to hunt down one of your own minions?”

With a restless shrug, Ariyal turned to pace across the mosaic tiled floor, his fluid grace a reminder that beneath his taunting manner was a lethal predator. One of the very few who could match her for strength and cunning.

He reached the priceless tapestry that covered the far wall, his gaze momentarily resting on the stitched vision of Morgana le Fey mounted on a horse as she led an army of fey into some long-forgotten war, before he turned to stab her with a frown.

“It wouldn’t be a problem if it was just Tearloch I had to worry about,” he muttered. “Unfortunately he’s the least of my problems.”

Jaelyn recalled the moments in the frozen cave before Ariyal’s tribesman had made his unexpected appearance.

At the time, Laylah (a Jinn mongrel) had been busy killing Marika (the psychotic vampire who intended to become mother or perhaps it had been a creepy queen consort to the Dark Lord once he was reborn), while Marika’s pet mage, Sergei, had been removing the stasis spell that had been wrapped around the child Laylah had discovered hidden between dimensions. His efforts had revealed that there wasn’t one babe, but two. A boy and girl.

It was no big surprise that in the middle of the confusion Tearloch would manage to capture the mage who had been clutching the female child and disappear with him through a portal before he could be stopped.

“You mean his companion?” she asked with a curl of her lip. She hated mages. Nasty vermin. “Vampires are incapable of sensing magic. If Sergei is hiding your tribesman I would be worse than useless in trying to track him.”

Ariyal waved a dismissive hand. “If they’re still together I know precisely where to find Sergei. I was with Marika long enough to become familiar with her devoted mage. He’s nothing if not predictable.”

Annoyance pricked her heart at the reminder that Ariyal had once offered his loyalty to the beautiful vampire who was infamous for her insatiable lust.

Had he offered anything beyond his loyalty?

And why the hell did it matter?

“Then what do you need from me?” she snapped.

“I’m a Sylvermyst.”

“Yeah, I got the memo.”

His brow arched at her foul temper. “Did the memo also include the fact that I’m not the most popular demon on the block?”

“I figured that out all on my own.” She bared her fangs. “Did you want me to kill you and put you out of your misery?”

He prowled back toward her, halting just out of reach.

Clever fairy.

“Actually, poppet, I want you to keep me alive.”

Ariyal watched as Jaelyn narrowed her eyes in genuine confusion.

“You said nothing could find us here,” she reminded him, her eyes closing as she no doubt used her Hunter senses to search through the vast, broken palace and across the large island. She muttered a curse, wrenching open her eyes, and Ariyal easily guessed that the swirling mists were screwing with her powers. They were a genuine pain in the ass. “Is there an enemy on the island?”

He sucked in a deep breath, his body instantly hardening at the biting scent of female power. A shudder raced through him. What was it about this female?

She had the tongue of a viper, the temper of a pregnant harpy, and worst of all, she was a damned leech.

But there was no denying that she set him on fire.

“No, we’re completely alone,” he said, reluctantly shoving aside the vivid fantasies that threatened to derail his plans for the day. “But as much as I might like to stay here and play, I have to find Tearloch before he can resurrect the Dark Lord. Once I leave the mists I’m going to be the target of every damned demon who wants to mount my head on their trophy wall.”

“I’m a Hunter, not a magician,” she mocked. “I can’t perform miracles.”

He heaved a sigh. Hell, he should have bargained for the sex.

“There’s only a handful of demons who would dare to try and challenge me, and most I can defeat even if I’m outnumbered.”

She made a sound of disgust. “Arrogant.”

“No, it’s the simple truth.” He met her gaze squarely. “And I’m willing to admit that I’m not invulnerable. I won’t allow pride to stop me from bartering for someone to guard my back while I’m busy stopping the apocalypse.”

“What makes you think I won’t plant a knife in your back instead of protecting it?”

Excellent question.

Not quite as excellent as questioning why the hell he had offered the dumb-ass bargain to begin with.

Granted, he was the equivalent of Kim Jong-il among the demon world, but he possessed the skill to travel without attracting unwanted attention. And he hadn’t boasted of his power to overcome all but a rare few enemies. With any luck at all he could retrieve Tearloch and the babe before anyone realized what was happening.

The last thing he needed was to drag along a feral vampire who distracted him on a cellular level.

But the thought of leaving without her, or worse, allowing her to simply walk away, was unacceptable.

“Because the good guys are so disgustingly concerned with their honor.” A self-derisive smile twisted his lips. “Once you give your word you won’t be able to break it.”

Her beautiful face was unreadable as she stood with that eerie stillness that only a vampire could achieve.

“You’ve forgotten one important point.”

“And that is?”

“I’ve already given my word to the Oracles and more importantly, the Addonexus has already been paid for my services. They own my loyalty.” The indigo eyes had frosted over, hiding the passion that burned beneath. That was fine. He knew it was there, just waiting for him. “At least until the job is done.”

He shook off the warning. The reason the rulers of the demon world had contributed the money and effort to hiring a Hunter to capture him was yet another thing he wasn’t going to burn any brain cells on.

If he didn’t intend to get caught, then what did it matter?

“The job ended the moment I pulled you through the portal,” he informed her, reaching to wrap a strand of her black hair around his finger. “I won and now you’re in my power.”

She jerked her head back, and Ariyal swallowed a groan at the feel of the cool silk of her hair moving against his skin. Just the thought of being naked with Jaelyn saddling his hips and that ebony mane brushing his chest was enough to make him painfully hard.

“You haven’t won until I’m dead,” she hissed.

“Now that would be a waste.” His brooding gaze lowered to the full lips that could send a man to paradise. “Accept my bargain, Jaelyn, and make both of us happy.”

If he hadn’t possessed the heightened senses of a powerful fey, he wouldn’t have caught the dilation of her eyes, or the faint flare of her nostrils as she reacted to the scent of his desire.

“ No.”

“Then you will remain my prisoner.”

“You can’t hold me captive forever.”

He couldn’t help but smile at her unmitigated arrogance. Typical leech.

No, not typical, a voice whispered in the back of his head.

Even among vampires she was ... astonishing. Special.

“You might manage to free yourself from the chains, but you can’t escape Avalon.” He nodded his head to the thick mists that were visible through the heavily shaded window. “And there’s something else you should know.”

“What?”

“Time moves differently within the mists.”

She frowned, easily sensing the truth of his warning. “How differently?”

“It’s never constant,” he admitted. It was his theory that the mists that Morgana had created were similar to the mists that ran between dimensions that the Jinn used to travel. It would explain why time ran differently from the outside world. “A few hours might have passed since we arrived on Avalon or it could be several weeks.”

“Then why did you bring us here?” she demanded in frustration. “For all you know Sergei has already resurrected the Dark Lord.”

He shuddered. This female was too young to have any memory of the Dark Lord or his loathsome hordes of minions. Otherwise she would never speak of his return as if it were nothing more than an inconvenience.

“We would know if the gates of hell had been opened,” he assured her dryly. “And it was the one place I could keep you hidden from your fellow leeches.”

Too late he realized just what he’d revealed.

“You risked the end of the world just to take me hostage?”

Abruptly turning to hide his discomfort, he paced to stare out the door that opened to the attached baths. He grimaced as he realized the shallow pools were still filled with the scented waters that Morgana had demanded her sex slaves use to wash in before coming to her bed.

“I told you, I need someone to watch my back,” he snapped, his voice suddenly harsh.

“Don’t you have a tribe roaming around nearby?”

“They attract precisely the sort of attention I’m hoping to avoid.”

“And?”

He turned to meet her disbelieving gaze. “There is no ‘ and. ’”

The chain rattled as she took an impatient step forward, clearly sensing he was not being entirely honest.

“Yes, there is.”

“Damn, that’s annoying,” he muttered.

“Then release me.”

Not a chance in hell.

His gaze skimmed over the hard lines of her body. She was like a sleek greyhound. All muscle and grace.

And his.

He shook off the disturbing thought, concentrating on a half-truth that would satisfy her freakish, insanely annoying talent.

“I’m not entirely certain that Tearloch’s madness is an isolated incident.”

She was thankfully distracted. “You think it’s infectious?”

“No, but the veils between the worlds are thinning, increasing the opportunity for the Dark Lord to touch the minds of others.” Regret that he hadn’t prevented the darkness attacking Tearloch sliced through his heart. Yeah, he was quite the prince, wasn’t he? “And unfortunately it’s impossible to detect his influence until too late.”

A strange emotion rippled over her exquisite face before she was abruptly turning to stare at the far tapestry.

Sympathy?

Not bloody likely.

Not from his cold-hearted Hunter.

“How do you know that I’m not under some Jedi mind control?” she mocked, proving her indifference.

“Vampires are impervious to such tricks,” he growled. “Not to mention the fact you’re too irritatingly stubborn for the Dark Lord to bother with.”

Her lips thinned. “No.”

“No, you’re not stubborn?”

“No, I don’t accept your bargain.”

He surged forward, ignoring the danger as he grasped her shoulders and forced her to meet his fierce glower.

“You’re willing to remain trapped here as my prisoner?”

Her chin tilted. “Yes.”

“Why?” He searched the indigo eyes. “Because I’m an evil Sylvermyst?”

“That’s one of many reasons.”

“And the others?”

“I refuse to stand aside while you slaughter an innocent child.”

His fingers dug into her flesh before he forced himself to ease his grip. Logically he understood she was an immortal vampire who could kick his ass given a chance, but towering above her slender form, he couldn’t ignore how fragile her bones felt beneath his hands.

And how screwed up was that?

“Not a child,” he gritted. “A vessel created by the Dark Lord.”

“That has yet to be determined.”

He growled. What did he have to do to convince the demon world that the babe had one purpose and one purpose only? Let Tearloch and Sergei destroy this dimension?

“Fine,” he rasped. “What if I promise merely to capture the babe and return it here where I can protect it?”

She refused to back down. Predictable.

“Even if I was foolish enough to trust you, which I’m not, I’m still bound by my contract with the Oracles.”

His hands traced the line of her shoulders and down the sleek muscles of her arms. His gut clenched at the cool slide of her creamy skin beneath his palm.

“I don’t believe you’ll turn me over to the Commission,” he said, his voice thickening.

She stiffened, but oddly she didn’t pull away from his lingering touch.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because you couldn’t bear to have me destroyed.”

She made a sound of disgust. “I can’t decide whether you’re just arrogant or suicidal.”

“Experienced.” A wicked smile curved his lips at her faint tremor. “I know enough about females to recognize when one is desperate for my touch.”

She took a sharp step away, her expression defiant. “Definitely suicidal.”

He pulled in a deep breath that did nothing to ease his throbbing erection; then with a muttered curse, he was headed toward the door.

To hell with it.

It was obvious that Jaelyn intended to remain an uncooperative pain in the ass.

“I don’t have time for this.”

“Where are you going?”

His steps never faltered. “Things to do, people to see.”

“When will you return?”

He headed out the door, refusing to give in to the impulse to glance over his shoulder. She would be there waiting for him when he was done with Tearloch.

“The question, poppet, is not when I’ll return,” he taunted, “but whether I’ll return.”

There was a rattle of chains followed by a low, wholly feminine hiss of fury.

“Damn you.”