A Very Levet Christmas (Guardians of Eternity)

His fuzzy brain tried to imagine what Sera and Levet could have hoped to gain by the elaborate charade.

At last he heaved a sigh of resignation.

If someone wanted to take the medallion from him, there were a thousand easier ways. Right now he had little choice but to trust the strange demon.

With an effort, he held out his hand, loosening his fingers to reveal the medallion that glowed with an evil light in the darkness.

“Here.”

Sera held his gaze, a hint of sympathy on her face, as if she could sense the agony that continued to sear through his body.

“You give it freely?”

Damon scowled. Why didn’t she just take the damned thing?

Then he abruptly realized that it had been bound to him by his blood. He had to consciously offer her the artifact for the bond to be broken.

“Sì.”

The word had barely left his lips when the angel snatched the medallion from his hand. She flinched, but Damon suspected that it wasn’t the heat that bothered her. The vile magic that clung to the medallion pulsed in the air, making all of them shudder in horror.

With a low, musical chant, the angel bent down to place the medallion on the ground. Instantly snow began to coat the golden surface, hissing as it hit the hot metal. Damon watched in fascination as the snow began to swirl faster and faster, dimming the sickly glow that had surrounded the medallion until the filthy thing was completely coated in white.

There was a long, breathless moment, almost as if the world were standing still, before there was a strange pop and abruptly the snow stopped falling and the moonlight returned.

Damon had no idea if the medallion was buried beneath the ice or if the magical snow had destroyed it, but there was no mistaking the sudden sense of relief that managed to override the flames still blazing through his body.

God almighty, he’d had no idea just how heavy a burden the medallion had become. Or the stain of darkness it had etched onto his soul.

Not until it was gone.

Now he sucked in a shuddering breath, deeply thankful that the taint had been removed, even if it was seconds before his death.

Lost in his pious sense of sacrifice, Damon was unprepared for the feel of a tiny hand slapping the back of his head.

“Really, Damon, what are you doing?” Sera demanded. “If you don’t stop you’ll hurt yourself.”

Damon blinked in confusion, belatedly realizing that there was no longer a need for his destruction.

The inner flames began to recede as he met Sera’s chiding gaze. “It’s over?”

She offered a sweet smile. “Unless you’re devoted to the thought of martyrdom.”

He gave a slow shake of his head, turning his gaze toward Gia who remained kneeling beside him.

“There’s only one thing I want,” he breathed. “My mate.”

Gia wiped away the tears that streamed down her pale face. “Damon.”

“Gia.” Releasing the last of the lethal heat, Damon weakly reached to wrap his arms around the female he’d loved for as long as he could remember. “My beautiful Gia.”

She threw her arms around his neck, burying her face against his shoulder. “Come home with me.”

“Home,” he breathed, for the first time in years able to think of a future filled with happiness. “Sì. Our home . . . together.”





Levet covertly dabbed his eyes as he watched the two Weres embrace, their love for one another blatantly obvious.

Ah. L’amour.

“Perhaps we should give these two some privacy,” Sera murmured at his side.

Levet parted his lips to protest, his gaze focused on Damon as the male Were efficiently began to strip away Gia’s thick layer of clothes. It was just getting interesting.

But before he could say a word, Sera reached to grasp his hand, and he found himself being magically whisked from the snowy field to a small, cozy cabin.

Giving a sharp snap of his wings, Levet struggled to maintain his balance at the abrupt teleportation.

Sacrebleu.

What was it with females and the need to jerk him from one place to another?

It was just rude.

With a sniff, Levet glanced around the cabin, discovering a portion of his annoyance fading as he took in the festive beauty.

The room was rustic with wooden floors and paneled walls. Along one side of the room was a vast stone fireplace that burned brightly to dispel the chill in the air. There was a long mantel above it that was decorated with several red stockings and strands of evergreen and holly draped along the top.

In one corner a huge Christmas tree was decorated with big red bows and silver bell-shaped ornaments. And in the center of the floor was a round table with a large crystal bowl filled with eggnog.

It was . . . magical.

“Where are we?” he breathed.

Sera moved to stand directly in front of him, her beauty shown to advantage in the firelight.

“My private lair.”

Levet abruptly cleared his throat, aware of the angel in a way that had nothing to do with her good deeds.