Darkness Eternal (Guardians of Eternity)

“Don’t. Touch. Her.”


Big surprise, the Jinn simply laughed.

“Did you not learn your lesson on the last occasion our paths crossed?”

Without warning Kata stepped between the bristling males. “Please.”

The Jinn gave an obedient nod of his head, obviously devoted to the beautiful gypsy.

“Regretfully, I don’t intend him harm.” He flicked a disdainful glance in Uriel’s direction. “He has served his purpose.”

Uriel frowned. “My purpose?”

“The most powerful of Jinns are given the talent for premonition. I knew that Kata would need a protector and that it could not be me.” His lips curled into a sneer. “You were chosen.”

“That’s why you bound me?”

“It was the only means to give you the power you needed to keep Kata safe.”

“And?” Uriel prompted, unwilling to believe that the Jinn could be so selfless. Not when he vividly recalled the creatures words of warning during their last encounter.

You shall be ‘the instrument of his revenge . . .’

The lavender eyes warmed with an evil amusement. “And I needed you to live long enough to lure Marika into my lair.”

Uriel shook his head in disgust.

He’d been so determined never to become the Jinn’s puppet, and yet, he’d been dancing to his tune all along.

Far less conflicted by the Jinn’s machinations, Kata stepped forward to lightly touch his cheek.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

Uriel growled deep in his throat, but Kata was swiftly moving back to his side, leaning against him as he placed a possessive arm around her shoulders.

“Now what happens?” he demanded.

“Now you return Kata to the world where she belongs.” The Jinn lifted his hand and Uriel felt a wrenching pain as his connection to the demon was severed. “Treat her well.”

All the fury and frustration and ruthless dread that had plagued him for the past two hundred years was forgotten as Uriel gathered Kata in his arms.

He didn’t care why he’d been chosen to be Kata’s savior. Or what had happened between the two of them in the past.

The future was all that mattered.

“I intend to devote my life to her happiness.”

“If you fail . . .” The lavender eyes glowed with an unmistakable warning. “I will be waiting.”

Seemingly convinced that his commands would be obeyed, the Jinn waved his hand and the air next to Uriel was split open.

Uriel didn’t allow himself to question whether this was yet another trap. What did it matter? It couldn’t be any worse than where they were.

As they stepped through the gateway, the sound of Marika’s screams were still ringing in his ears.





It took nearly a week before Kata was fully recovered from her adventures through the underworld.

After falling through the gateway, they’d discovered themselves face first in the center of Stonehenge.

Thankfully there hadn’t been any pits of fire or monstrous worms or demented zombie vampires lurking nearby, and with a mutual breath of relief, Uriel had taken them directly to Victor’s lair near London.

Since then she’d been cosseted and fussed over as if she were a princess rather than a common gypsy.

Victor had arrived with news that her daughter Laylah was safely in the hands of her vampire mate. Victor’s beautiful fey mate, Juliet, had visited with the rare herbs to keep her from aging.

And even Yannah had made an unexpected visit, smugly expecting Kata’s gratitude for having led her straight into the Jinn’s lair, claiming it was the only means to break the bond between her and Marika. Once satisfied that Kata was sufficiently impressed, she’d claimed she was off to America to offer her assistance to the Child of Chaos.

Whatever that meant.

And then there was Uriel . . .

No man could have been more attentive, more devoted to making certain she was fully recovered.

With a smile, Kata snuggled closer to the delicious vampire as he led her back to his private lair, deep beneath the elegant estate.

Tonight he had surprised her with all the trappings of a traditional gypsy wedding.

There had been a magnificent feast followed by festive dancing. He’d offered a bride price to be given to a human charity that assisted with abandoned children, and given her a necklace made of golden coins. Then they’d stood together before a dozen guests and proclaimed they were man and wife.

It had been everything she’d dreamed of as a young, dewy-eyed girl, but now she was ready to be alone with her man.

More than ready, she acknowledged as a sensual heat swirled through the pit of her stomach.

Impatiently waiting for Uriel to open the heavy steel door that was protected by a dozen different locks, alarms, spells, and hexes, Kata at last stepped into the large bedroom, only to give a startled gasp.