Hunt the Darkness

Chapter Fifteen

Sally crouched in the corner of the barren cell, her arms wrapped around her bent knees as she forced herself to breathe.

She didn’t know how long she’d been locked in the darkness that was so thick she couldn’t see beyond the tip of her nose. Or even how much time had passed since the large male vampire had left after using a whip to strip the flesh from her back.

It had to be several hours since her skin had grown back, although it remained tender to the touch, and she was so hungry her belly was beginning to cramp.

Where was Roke?

She knew he wasn’t dead. She could still feel their bond, although it was oddly muffled.

At first the knowledge he’d survived the journey from Canada to his lair had trumped her fear at being tossed into a cell at the bottom of an abandoned gold mine.

Then, as the hours had passed, and she’d been shackled to the wall and beaten like a piñata, her relief had altered to a confused fury.

Where the hell was her supposed mate?

And why was he allowing his people to treat her like an enemy?

Was it possible that he was too ill to insist she be freed?

Or even being held as a captive until the mating could be broken?

She tried to hold on to the belief that any second Roke was going to appear and release her from the prison. It was that or tumbling into madness.

She abruptly stiffened. Wait. Was that . . . roast beef she was smelling? Maybe she’d tumbled into madness after all.

The disjointed thoughts had barely passed through her mind when the candles set outside the cell flared to life and a tiny, golden-haired vampire appeared from a side tunnel.

Sally grimly rose to her feet, wrapping the blanket that she’d found on the narrow bed around her naked body.

Dyson had forced her to strip before beginning his whipping. It was a customary technique intended to amplify her humiliation.

It worked.

But as she watched the female vampire glide toward the cell, sliding a large tray of food underneath the door, she managed to gather the remnants of her tattered pride.

There was something so freaking annoying about the china blue eyes and too-pretty face.

It made Sally want to lob a spell that would splat all over that pale beauty.

Petty?

Yep. But who the hell cared?

“So soon?” she forced herself to drawl, ignoring the delicious scents wafting on the air. God. She wanted to fall on her hands and knees and devour the entire tray like an animal. “A trained torturer knows that you give your prey time to recover before resuming the pain. Otherwise it loses its effectiveness.”

“I’m not here to hurt you,” the female protested, pointing toward the tray. “I’ve brought you dinner.”

“Ah.” She managed a mocking smile. “It’s the good cop/bad cop routine.”

“I’m not a good enough actress to pull off the role,” the female protested, smiling to show a hint of fang. “If I had my preference, you’d be staked in the middle of the desert and left for the vultures to feed on. Unfortunately, Roke refuses to allow you to be put to death.”

Sally struggled not to react, her fingers digging into the rough wool of the blanket.

“He’s . . . awake?”

The vampire shrugged. “Our healers have managed to save his life, but he remains weak.”

Sally swallowed the lump in her throat, still caught between her fierce concern for Roke and the growing anger that he hadn’t rescued her yet.

“Then he must have told you that the mating was an accident,” she said.

“So he says.” The vampire couldn’t sound more bored. “He also insisted that you be fed and that a hot bath brought to you later.”

Sally blinked. Roke ordered that she be fed and bathed like a damned dog in a kennel?

“And that’s it?” she rasped.

“As far as you’re concerned.”

“I don’t believe you.” Sally pressed her back against the steel wall of her cell, the pain inflicted by Dyson’s whip nothing in comparison to the tidal wave of agony that threatened if she allowed herself to accept the female’s filthy lies. “He wouldn’t leave me trapped down here.”

“For now he’s occupied with his clan.” The blue eyes narrowed. “He does have duties, you know.”

“I have no intention of interfering in his duties.”

“But you already have,” the woman abruptly hissed.

Sally shivered as the temperature abruptly dropped. Christ, being around vampires was like being shoved in and out of a freezer.

“Not intentionally.”

The female made a sound of disgust. “Maybe not, but because of you he’s abandoned his people for weeks.”

“I told him that he didn’t have to stay with me.”

“He’s a vampire of honor. He unfortunately felt he had no choice but to offer you his protection.” The woman’s tone indicated just what she thought of Roke’s choice. “Now he—”

“What?”

The woman nibbled her lip with her fang, trying to appear as if she were debating whether to finish her thought or not.

Devious leech.

“I’m not sure Roke wants you to know.”

“Tell me.”

“The clan is concerned that his mating to you has divided his loyalties.”

“Concerned?” Sally frowned at the unexpected words. “Why?”

“He can’t be an effective chief if he’s devoting his time to tending to your constant needs.” Her voice was edged with an icy hatred. “We’ve endured an absent leader before and we won’t suffer through it again.”

Sally ignored the female’s unmistakable jealousy. It was obvious she wanted Roke for herself.

No big shocker.

“What does that mean?”

The vampire grabbed the bars of the cell, her frigid gaze pinning Sally in place.

“There are younger, stronger clansmen who have won the battles of Durotriges and are now prepared to challenge for their right to become chief.”

Oh. Sally’s stomach churned with a growing horror. Of all the various scenarios she’d envisioned for Roke’s return to his clan, this one had never even blipped on her radar.

“He’s going to be challenged?”

“If he can’t prove he’s willing to put you aside.”

“That’s not fair,” Sally whispered. “He didn’t create the mating, I did.”

“Then break it,” the leech abruptly hissed.

“I . . . can’t.”

The temperature dropped again, coating the bars in a layer of ice.

“Then you’re willing to sacrifice Roke?”

“No. Of course not.” She clutched the blanket tighter, shaking with a combination of cold and outright fear. How could Roke possibly fight after he’d nearly died? Weren’t there any rules about the battle being fair? “I don’t know how to undo the bond, but I’m going to discover how.”

“When?”

“Let me go,” Sally pleaded, unwittingly moving to stand next to the bars. Dammit. She had to convince this female to release her before Roke could be challenged. “I’ll find my father and—”

“There’s no time.” The vampire’s voice held a compulsion that was a tangible force. If Sally hadn’t been so powerful, she wouldn’t have stood a chance against it. “Soon he’ll be stepping into battle. He’s weakened, barely able to leave his bed. There’s no way he’ll survive unless you end this.”

Sally bit her lip, fear galloping through her. If something happened to Roke, it would be entirely her fault.

How could she live knowing what she’d done?

Oh hell, if something happened to Roke, she wouldn’t want to live.

“I can’t.”

“Only you can do it, Sally,” the female pressed. “Break the mating.”

“It’s impossible,” she cried.

The compulsion continued to beat at her for a silent minute, then, with a click of her tongue, the leech took a step back and smoothed her hands down her spandex pants.

“A pity.” The boredom returned to her tone, the ice on the bars melting. “Roke hoped you would do this the easy way.”

Sally blinked in confusion. “What?”

“He was . . .” The woman pretended to consider her words. “Displeased when he awoke to discover that we’d treated you so roughly. He was the one to suggest we try to touch your soft heart to convince you to break the bond. He said it would be far more effective than actual torture.”

“No.” Sally gave a violent shake of her head, but deep inside a shard of doubt pierced her heart. “He wouldn’t.”

The vampire’s laugh filled the air, grating against Sally’s exposed nerves.

“It doesn’t matter. If you won’t do it the easy way, there’s always the hard way. My personal favorite.” Blowing Sally a mocking kiss, the woman turned on her heel and headed back out the tunnel. “Enjoy your dinner.”

Feeling numb from the emotional beating, Sally sank to her knees and began demolishing the food. She didn’t know what she was putting in her mouth, and she didn’t care.

All that mattered was regaining her strength.

If the female vampire was telling the truth, then she had no one to depend on but herself to escape her latest prison.

Nothing new in that.

She’d been caged, beaten, and betrayed more than once over the years and managed to survive.

She would survive this.

Pretending she didn’t notice the tears streaming down her face or the tiny tremors that shook her body, Sally stoically polished off the roast beef, potatoes, bread, and large glass of milk.

She had to concentrate on regaining her strength and escaping.

Anything else would break her.

Shoving the tray away, Sally slowly rose to her feet, the faint scent of granite replacing the chilled stench of female vampire.

“Hello?” she called, jumping backward as a shape suddenly fell from a small hole in the ceiling. “Levet?”

With a violent shake, the tiny gargoyle sent a cloud of dust flying through the air. Then, with a flick of his wings, he was waddling forward, his expression concerned.

“Ma cherie? Are you hurt?”

“It doesn’t matter.” She grasped the bars of the cell, her heart pounding. “Get me out of here.”

“I intend to,” Levet assured her, studying the lock on the door with a growing frown. “But the security is formidable.”

Of course it was.

Trust Roke to have a prison that was as stubborn and tenacious as he was.

“Can you get me out?”

The gargoyle wrinkled his snout. “Not without assistance.”

“Shit.”

Reaching through the bars, Levet gave her leg a comforting pat.

“Do not give up. I will return with the chivalry.”

“Chivalry?” Sally frowned as the tiny gargoyle gave a flap of his wings and disappeared into the narrow opening in the ceiling. “Oh . . . the cavalry,” she muttered, moving to collapse on the edge of the bed.

She wasn’t going to depend on the gargoyle to rescue her.

She wasn’t going to depend on anyone. Ever again.

But, she had to have a few minutes for the food to kick her metabolism into gear.

After that . . . she was getting out of there.

Even if she had to use her magic to destroy everything around her.

Roke was having a nightmare.

He was trapped in his lair, unable to reach his mate who was in danger. And if that wasn’t bad enough, there was something banging against his cheek. It was driving him nuts.

“Wake up,” an insistent voice yelled in his ear, at last jerking him out of the clinging darkness.

With a groan he forced his eyes open, grimacing at the sight of the ugly little mug only inches from his face.

“Slap me one more time, gargoyle, and I’ll turn you into a bowling ball,” he growled.

“And how will you do that?” Levet taunted, ceasing his slaps although he remained far too close. “You are trussed up like a Christmas goose.” The gray eyes widened. “Sacrebleu. I said that right, did I not?”

“Get out of my face,” Roke growled, waiting for the creature to take a step away from the bed before he continued. “How did you get here?”

Levet sniffed, his wings glittering in the candlelight. “Once again I was poofed against my will.” He frowned, scratching a stunted horn. “Do you think that’s illegal? I should lodge a complaint. Of course, it was an Oracle—”

“Enough.” Roke cursed himself for even asking the question. Who the hell cared how he got there? Nothing mattered but getting to Sally. “Just get the chain off me.”

The gargoyle pointed a claw in his direction. “Only if you promise you will release Sally from that hideous cell.”

“You’ve seen her?” Roke rasped, desperate for information about his missing mate.

“Unfortunately.”

“What have they done to her?”

“There was blood in the cell so obviously she’s been beaten, but I believe it is her mental state that has taken the greatest damage.” Levet studied him as if he were something that had crawled out of the gutter. “How did you allow this to happen?”

Roke clenched his teeth against the agonizing thought of Sally scared and alone in a dark cell while his people tried their best to break her.

He would never, ever forgive himself.

Not that he was about to admit his seething guilt to the tiny gargoyle.

He had to remain in command if he was to rescue Sally.

“Clearly I didn’t allow anything,” he snapped.

Levet sniffed. “They are your clan members.”

“Trust me, I intend to deal with my people, but first we have to get to Sally,” he snarled. “Now release me.”

Waddling forward, the gargoyle easily unraveled the chain that had so effectively held Roke prisoner, scurrying backward as Roke surged off the bed and headed toward a heavy armoire at the back of the room.

Still weakened from the poison, not to mention being knocked out by his own clan brother, it took Roke two tries to wrench the heavy piece of furniture out of the way to reveal the opening behind it.

“A secret passage?” Levet muttered in surprise. “Why do you not simply go out and demand that your people release Sally? You are chief, are you not?”

Roke headed into the tunnel that was dug beneath the ground. No vampire was without a secret backdoor.

Usually more than one.

“My clansmen are convinced my mind has been clouded by a spell,” he grimly admitted. “I’m not going to waste time trying to convince them of my sanity when Sally needs me.”

The scent of granite followed behind him.

“Why did you bring her here if you could not protect her?” Levet accused.

Roke frowned, his mind trying to sort through his clouded memories as he headed away from the collection of lairs that had been wrapped in spells of illusion to resemble an abandoned mining town.

He remembered fighting the demon. And growing weaker with every passing second, although he hadn’t known at the time that the dart had contained a poison deliberately concocted to kill a vampire.

And then, as the world had started to go dark, he thought Sally had tossed her last potion at the demented bastard, but he’d been too far gone to know if it had been effective.

After that . . .

It was all a blur.

“I didn’t bring her here.”

“Then how did you get here?”

“I don’t know.”

“But—”

“Gargoyle, shut it,” Roke growled, pausing to allow his senses to flow through the vast expanse of tunnels that connected the gold mines.

Locking on Sally, he picked up his pace, hoping to leave the aggravating gargoyle behind.

Of course, his luck couldn’t be that good.

Dropping down an abandoned shaft, Levet floated down beside him, churning his tiny legs to keep up as Roke resumed his swift pace.

“It seems odd you wouldn’t know how you traveled from Canada to this place.” Levet refused to leave him in peace.

“I was unconscious.”

“Not very sensible of you,” the pest helpfully pointed out. “Especially when you had a young damsel depending on you.”

Roke bared his fangs in annoyance. Goddammit. Did the gargoyle think he’d deliberately left Sally vulnerable?

“It wasn’t a choice.”

“Still.”

With a flutter of his wings, the gargoyle thankfully shut his mouth, perhaps sensing Roke was close to the edge of snapping.

One more implication he’d intentionally failed his mate and he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions.

Slowing his pace as he caught the recent scent of vampires, Roke searched the darkness for any hidden guards.

He wasn’t surprised there were none.

Zoe’s downfall was always her arrogance.

She never considered that a creature as tiny as the gargoyle could sneak past her defenses to release Roke.

Just as he’d once underestimated a pretty witch who’d managed to turn his life upside down.

Convinced that there was nothing lurking in the shadows, Roke slipped into the bottom cavern and rushed toward the cell.

“Sally,” he husked, nearly going to his knees at the sight of the fragile figure wrapped in a blanket huddled on the bed.

Lifting her head, Sally revealed her pale, tear-streaked face and large, wounded eyes.

“Roke?”

“Christ,” he hissed, his hands shaking as he struggled to focus his power.

With her hair hanging in tangles and her slender body shaking with obvious fear, she looked dazed, as if she were struggling to simply hold herself together. He’d never seen her so . . . fragile.

Not when she’d been imprisoned by Styx. Or forced to fight the strange vampire spirit. Or even when they’d been attacked by the mysterious Miera demon.

She faced every new challenge with a courage that had been unnerving.

To think that he’d brought her to the point of defeat.

It was unforgivable.

“What are you doing here?” she hissed.

“I’m here to get you out,” he assured her, using a concentrated burst of power to destroy the lock.

“Why?” she muttered, her hand lifting as he entered the cell and rushed toward her. “No. Stay back.”

Coming to a grudging halt, Roke glanced over his shoulder. “Gargoyle.”

Levet eyed him from the door of the cell. “Oui?”

“Keep guard.”

The gargoyle turned to head toward the opening of the tunnel, his tail twitching.

“I hold you entirely responsible for this mess, bloodsucker.”

“So do I,” Roke muttered, returning his attention to the woman who regarded him with eyes too large for her pale face. Cautiously he crept forward, indifferent to the knowledge she could easily turn him into something nasty. He almost wished she would. He deserved to be a toad. “I’m not going to hurt you, my love. I only want to help.”

The wounded eyes abruptly flared with anger. “And that’s why you left me locked up?”

He grimaced, feeling her raw sense of betrayal through their mating bond.

“I would never have allowed you to be locked up.”

“That’s not what your girlfriend told me.”

He frowned. “Girlfriend?”

“Blond-haired, blue-eyed bitch who enjoys causing pain.”

“Zoe.” He perched on the edge of the bed, moving slowly enough not to startle her. He’d already done enough damage. “I’ll kill her.”

“Don’t blame your minions,” she snapped, her chin tilting. “They were only carrying out your orders.”

He hid his relief at her display of temper. He doubted she would appreciate knowing how horrified he’d been to see her with her spirit crushed.

“You don’t truly believe that,” he murmured softly, allowing his profound need to keep her safe to flow through their bond.

She bit her bottom lip, looking unbearably young. “Then why did you abandon me?”

“Abandon you?” His hands reached to frame her face. “Christ, Sally, I would quite literally walk through the pits of hell to be with you.”