Shades of Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #16) - Alexandra Ivy Page 0,56

escape.”

Brigette jerked her head down to study him with a startled expression, as if she couldn’t believe anyone would sacrifice themselves to save her.

“Are you insane?”

Levet blinked. What an odd question. “I am a hero.”

She scowled. Then, before Levet could assure her that he was indeed noble enough to martyr himself, she lifted her arm and shook it.

“Nice, but I think you forgot something.”

“Did I?” Levet was confused, but not necessarily surprised. “Unfortunately I have forgotten many things,” he confessed. “Styx, the King of Vampires, told me that I have a hole in my head. Or perhaps he said he intended to put a hole in my head. To be honest, I was not really listening. He babbles about the most uninteresting things. Like the night he was yakking about the importance of not selling his big sword on eBay, even though he never uses the thing and I needed the money to buy a new—”

“This!” Brigette rudely interrupted, giving her arm another shake.

Levet frowned. “I was supposed to remember your arm? How odd.”

Spitting out curse words, the female grabbed the glowing strand that held them together.

“This.”

“Oh. The tether?”

“I couldn’t escape even if you were able to distract the jinn,” she reminded him. “Not as long as we’re bound together.”

“Actually.” Levet cleared his throat. “It is possible I was not entirely honest with you.”

Brigette looked puzzled. “About what?”

“About the magic that has bound us together.” Levet whispered a soft word of magic and the leash disappeared.

Brigette’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she studied her arm in disbelief. At last she sent him a glittering glare.

“You lied?”

“Lied is such an ugly word,” he protested.

She took a step forward, the already hot air becoming an inferno as her anger lashed out in a physical wave of heat.

“Levet.”

“I did not wish you to do something you would later regret,” he protested.

She bared her white teeth. “Like eating you?”

“That would have been at the top of the list.”

The female snarled in fury, her muscles tensing as if she was preparing to leap on him.

“I’m going to—”

Whatever she was about to say was lost as the sand behind her began to spin. Faster and faster, the fine grains twirled in a whirlwind that grew over seven feet tall. Hastily, Levet backed away. He’d already felt the thunderous magic that beat inside the cyclone. This wasn’t good. It wasn’t good at all.

The wind battered at them as the cyclone drifted closer, then without warning, a tall form stepped out of the spinning sand.

Brigette gasped, her hand pressing against the center of her chest as she ogled the half-naked male who stood in front of her. Levet sniffed. The jinn was gorgeous, of course. They always were. And his stunning emerald eyes smoldered with a sensual promise. But still. There was no need to gape at him as if he were some sort of god.

Especially when the jinn was regarding them with an expression of extreme irritation.

“Enough of your squabbling,” the jinn chastised. “The two of you are giving me a headache.”

* * * *

Chaaya glanced around the black…nothingness that surrounded them. It was like they were trapped in outer space. Or maybe wedged somewhere between dimensions.

The thought should have terrified her. She had no ability to create portals to escape the strange void. Instead she was furious.

Whirling around, she glared at the male who was calmly investigating their surroundings. As if he hadn’t just ruined everything.

“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” she snapped.

The aggravating male arched a brow. “Excuse me?”

“Why did you grab me?”

He turned to face her, his arms folded over his chest. “The question is why did you ask the jinn to take you to the power controlling Brigette?”

“It’s what I do.” She waved her arms in a dramatic motion. She couldn’t help herself. She was a little…emotional. “It’s my duty.”

He stepped toward her, his own emotions tightly controlled. Well, not so tightly, she acknowledged as a savage shiver raced through her body. The temperature was coating her in a layer of ice.

“No. You sacrificed your life to halt the evil from entering the world,” he reminded her. As if she’d somehow forgotten. “You’ve done your duty.”

She wrapped her arms around her. It wasn’t that she was actually cold, but her mind told her that she should be.

“That’s not how it works.”

His eyes narrowed. “According to who?”

Chaaya snorted. It was a stupid question. So she gave him a stupid answer.

“Destiny.”

He didn’t roll his eyes, but he looked skeptical. Still, he