Shades of Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #16) - Alexandra Ivy Page 0,42

the door and rip out the imp’s heart, but he leashed the impulse. No use wasting his energy. Not when it’d been his own fault for trusting the imp in the first place. No need to compound his stupidity.

Plus, there was the sudden sound of a door being pulled open.

“Uh-oh. I think the guards are finished with their dice game,” Chaaya warned.

“I’ll deal with them,” Basq assured her.

“You go ahead.”

Basq sent her a curious glance. “What about you?”

“I have a small task to take care of. I’ll join you before you reach Dabbler.” Her lips twisted as he arched a brow. “That’s the idiotic name of the chieftain.” She nodded toward the far end of the dungeon. “Go.”

Confident that Chaaya could take care of herself, Basq wrapped himself in darkness and silently moved through the door that had been opened. He found two mongrel goblins roaming around the cramped guard chamber, their heavy steps shaking the ground as they grunted in annoyance.

Basq was momentarily puzzled. What the hell were they doing? A second later realization hit.

They were searching for the keys that Chaaya had stolen.

He smiled in anticipation. Time for some fun.

Invisible to his enemies, Basq flowed into the chamber and grabbed the first guard.

The battle was short, brutal, and not nearly satisfying enough.

Within a minute both mongrels were sprawled on the stone floor, their unseeing gazes staring at the low ceiling.

Basq stepped over the dead demons and through the door on the other side of the chamber. He discovered a roughly carved tunnel that wound upward, taking him to the main floor of the palace.

He paused in a shadowed corner, releasing his power as he allowed his senses to flow through the massive building.

There were dozens of demons spread through the various rooms, mostly mongrels or fey creatures. No vampires or Weres. Good. He concentrated specifically on the smell of brownie that scented the air. That had to be the chieftain.

Once he got the trail, he moved across the marble floor and headed toward the narrow opening to the nearest turret. He didn’t bother to use his powers of concealment as he raced up the narrow steps. He would be a blur to anyone except the most powerful demons.

The stone stairs spiraled upward, at last ending with a heavy wooden door that was defended by two large uniformed guards.

Basq halted just out of sight. Chaaya would never forgive him if he destroyed the chieftain before she could join him. A second later she appeared from around the bend in the staircase.

“Here,” she murmured, tucking something in his hand.

Basq glanced down, catching sight of the amulet that was still warm from her skin. The strange sensation in the middle of his chest returned as the metal glinted in the moonlight that slanted through the narrow slots in the stone walls.

When Tarak had offered him the hammered eagle, he’d been honored. It not only sealed their relationship as clansmen, but it’d revealed the older vampire’s trust in Basq.

Now the amulet was even more precious. Chaaya had obviously sensed how much it meant to him and had gone into the imp’s cell to get it back. It proved that she cared more than she wanted to admit.

Of course, he wasn’t stupid enough to embarrass her by making a big deal out of her thoughtful gesture. She liked the reputation of being a badass loner who didn’t need anyone or anything.

He slipped it back on the gold chain that lay against his chest. He could barely sense its weight, but he realized that he missed the feel of it. As if he’d lost a piece of himself.

“Is the imp dead?” he asked, his voice pitched too low to carry.

“No.” She shrugged. “I thought I would leave him to rot in his cell. It allowed me the pleasure of savoring his screams of despair as I left the dungeon.”

He brushed his fingers over the amulet. “Thank you.”

Another shrug. “We all need our good luck charms.”

“What’s yours?”

She kissed the copper blade of the spear she held in her hand. “This.”

He nodded, then pointed above his head. “The chieftain has two guards on duty outside his private lair.”

“I can take care of them.”

He nodded. “I’ll surround us in darkness. We’ll be on them before they know we’re there.”

She flashed a smile. “You’re just a handy-dandy dude to have around, aren’t you?”

He sent her a dry smile. “Just stay close and don’t make a sound.”

“Got it.”

Releasing his powers, Basq wrapped them in a small cocoon of darkness