Shades of Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #16) - Alexandra Ivy Page 0,36

ready to give up.

“He could have told Brigette where to find the hidden passage,” he suggested.

This time it was Inga who shot down his theory. “No, the doors to the passages are protected by my grandfather’s magic. They can’t be opened by anyone but a mer-folk.”

“Damn,” Troy muttered.

Chapter 11

Chaaya was prepared as they reached the top of the stairs and Basq spread his darkness through the room. There were shouts of alarm from the gathered demons, but Chaaya ignored them. She had the position of the window firmly fixed in her mind as she sprinted across the wooden floor.

For all her preparation, however, it was disconcerting to be utterly blind. Even when she was in her hell dimension there was an ambient light that allowed her to see what was around her. Now she had to trust her other senses as she plowed forward.

Next to her, she could feel the pulse of Basq’s icy power and hear the soft thump of his footsteps. That was how she knew the precise moment he leaped through the air. Trusting she wasn’t about to slam her head into the wall, she jumped behind him, thankfully flying through the opening to land on the hard cobblestone lane.

For a hopeful second she thought they might actually have escaped. Then Basq’s agonized shout was followed by the collapse of his protective darkness.

It was still dark, but it was the shadows of night, not magic.

Chaaya tensed, her narrowed gaze taking in the circle of demons that surrounded them. They were a motley collection of mongrels, but they wore matching maroon and gold uniforms.

The city guard?

Dammit.

She didn’t know how they’d found them, and right now it didn’t matter. The only question was how they could escape.

Chaaya glanced to the side, discovering Basq on his knees wrapped in a net made of silver. It was easy to see the pain etched on his face and the way his shoulders hunched, as if his strength was being drained away. And it probably was.

A tall, slender male with long, golden hair approached. He had the features of a fairy but the tusks of an orc. As he neared, he pulled a sword from the scabbard at his side and waved it in Basq’s direction.

“Come along like a nice girl, and we won’t have to slice open the leech and eat his heart.”

Chaaya narrowed her gaze. “I don’t do nice.”

“Hmm. Spunky.” The male smiled, revealing his pointed teeth. “I’m going to have some fun once the chieftain is finished with you.” He glanced toward the gathered guards. “Bring him.”

Chaaya’s hand strayed toward her spear, but out of the corner of her eye she could see Basq shaking his head. He was warning her not to do anything stupid.

Stepping aside as two of the guards grabbed Basq and started to drag him down the lane, Chaaya muttered a string of curses she’d perfected over the long centuries. She didn’t have time for this. Not when she had no idea where Brigette was or if the female had a way to travel out of the bulla.

More importantly, she was terrified that the silver was going to permanently damage Basq if she didn’t find a way to get him out of the net.

They walked to the very center of the city where a large, lavish palace dominated several blocks. Chaaya lifted her brows in surprise. Unlike the rest of the city, which was built with gray bricks and mortar, this structure was created out of stone and covered with a white stucco. The large windows held brilliant stained glass, and four turrets soared toward the star-speckled sky.

It looked as if it’d been plucked out of the sun-drenched deserts of Morocco and plopped in the middle of this drab city.

Bemused, Chaaya passed beneath the arched gateway and watched the heavy double doors of the palace swing open. As a group they moved forward, climbing a sweeping staircase that led to the second floor. They were met by another set of double doors.

Coming to an abrupt halt, the fey mongrel guard held out an imperious hand. “Weapon.”

Chaaya arched a brow. “No.”

The male snapped his fingers. “Give me your weapon or I’ll take it.”

Chaaya spread her arms wide. “Take it.”

The guard lost his arrogance as he glanced down at the spear. “Is it cursed?”

“Touch it and find out.” Chaaya flashed a wide smile. “I double-dog dare you.”

The male jutted his tusks, clearly torn between caution and pride. Did he risk a nasty curse to save his street cred?