Darkness Eternal (Guardians of Eternity)

Dammit. He needed to be rid of the thing before Marika could catch up with them.

He was busy debating whether he could lure the creature toward the nearby river of fire when Kata moved to stand at his side, her brow furrowed with concentration and her arm lifted to point the dagger at the worm’s head.

Uriel swore. Did she think that tiny dagger was going to cause any damage?

About to tug her back behind him, Uriel was halted as she muttered a harsh word and her curse blasted through the air, hitting the worm with shocking force.

There was a spine chilling cry from the worm, then it suddenly froze, as if it had been incased in ice.

“You might want to step back,” Kata warned, easing away from the towering beast.

Uriel was swift to obey her warning.

He didn’t understand magic, but he was smart enough to stay out of its path.

For long minutes nothing happened. Shifting uneasily, he was beginning to assume that the show was over when there was an odd sound of a crack echoing through the air. Was the surrounding rock being shattered?

But it wasn’t the rock.

No. Even as Uriel took another step backward the towering worm began to crumble, the once spongy flesh now as brittle as chalk.

Flakes of the creature floated through the air as the heavy body crashed onto the path, causing a mini earthquake. Uriel’s attention, however, had shifted to Kata who was clearly on the brink of collapse.

Angling his sword so the blade was pointed backward, Uriel scooped her into his arms and with one mighty shove was leaping over the decaying body of the worm.

“Damn,” he muttered, his heart clenching with fear that she’d perilously drained herself as he gazed down at her too-pale face. “You’re a dangerous woman.”

A weary smile touched her lips. “Don’t you forget it.”

“Never,” he swore, tucking her tightly against his chest as he followed Yannah’s fading scent down the pathway.

Bloody hell, he had to get her out of here.

So far shit-ass luck had kept them alive.

It was bound to run out eventually.

On perfect cue a wave of Marika’s frigid power stirred the toxic air.

“Oh Kata, I smell you,” she cooed.

Crazy bitch.

In his arms Kata giggled, her eyes half-closed as if she weren’t entirely with the program.

“Fee, fie, fo, fum,” she sang.

“Stay with me, Kata,” he muttered, charging down the center of the pathway with reckless speed.

On each side of him the rivers of fire offered liquid death and behind him was a psychotic vampire he couldn’t destroy. If there was another danger looming in front of them then they were screwed.

“I’m never going to leave you,” she softly murmured.

“No.” He bent his head to press his lips to the top of her head, accepting that whatever the future held, Kata would always be in his heart. “You’re never going to leave me.”

Running through the crimson shadows, Uriel could feel his strength waning. Since leaving Victor’s lair he’d spent a large chunk of time in one battle after another. He needed to rest.

And more importantly he needed to feed.

A damned shame he wasn’t going to get either of those things any time soon.

He kept up his punishing pace until it became obvious that he wasn’t going to outrun Marika and that a magical door wasn’t going to open to lead them to safety.

Soon he would be too weak to offer Kata any protection.

It was obviously now or never.

Bending downward, he gently settled Kata on the ground, arranging her so as to lean her back against a rock that jutted from the pathway.

She frowned, clutching at his arm in confusion. “Uriel?”

“I love you,” he husked, brushing a tender kiss over her lips.

“Such a smart vampire.”

“It might take me awhile, but you’ll discover I’m trainable.”

Her wicked smile pierced his heart. “Which is why I adore you.”

With a groan, he forced himself to straighten. Then turning, he moved down the path to block the approaching vampire.

Unable to pass, Marika was forced to come to a halt directly before him, a mocking smile curving her lips.

“Get out of my way and I might let you live long enough to pleasure me,” she drawled.?

Uriel didn’t bother to hide his shudder as his gaze skimmed her from head to toe.

Christ, she was once again perfect.

Even her gown was spotless.

As if she’d never had her head chopped off her body.

It was creepy as hell.

“I’d rather die, you nasty freak,” he rasped with an unmistakable sincerity.

Marika hissed, exposing her fangs in female fury. “That can be arranged.”

With one fluid motion, Uriel had his sword pointed toward the bitch and was braced for yet another skirmish.

One he couldn’t win.

He grimly dismissed the voice of doom.

If he was going out, he was going out fighting.

Dammit.

Preparing to attack, Marika stroked her tongue down the length of her fang.

“So pretty, it’s a shame you won’t be a good boy for me,” she drawled. “Still, there’s always Kata to keep me entertained.”