Wicked Road to Hel (League of Guardians 1)

Ana. What the fuck? She was at the Soul Sucker. Wasn’t she?

Quickly he darted between the shadows and he flicked his hand, charming the cool mist up his body. It enveloped his tall form, effectively hiding him in plain sight.

His power lay coiled in his chest and he tapped into some of that juice, welcoming the familiar wave of energy that rippled over his skin.

He smiled savagely. His magick was free. He could spell and charm as much as he wanted. Lilith had no dominion over that part of him anymore.

His heart slowed, his mind cleared as he carefully slid around the largest of the dunes. Ahead, he saw shapes moving slowly, in a predatory manner. They were large animals, their growls unmistakable. Definitely hellhounds

Declan watched the shadowy figures, eyes narrowed, body primed to attack. They stalked a prize, and as Ana’s familiar scent hung in the air, he swallowed the fear inside.

He knew how fucked up things were down here. How easy it was to fall victim to the mind crap that was everywhere. Rarely was anything as it seemed. There was no need to panic just yet.

Declan threw his hand forward, the edges of his fingers glowing as they emitted a luminescent light that swept before him. It enabled him to see clearly.

There were five hellhounds at play, their large bodies trembling with excitement as they growled and whined.

Yet it was the small form amongst them, the petite woman who drew his attention. He hissed sharply as his newly formed fangs erupted, and the growl that fell from his lips was anything but happy.

The hellhounds whirled around, their tongues lolling, their mouths agape. His eyes connected with Ana’s and he glared at her.

Ana held a dagger in front of her, which she took the time to wave at him. “I am so going to kick your ass when this is all over, O’Hara.”

Declan arched a brow, didn’t trust himself to speak; instead he threw an energy bolt into the pack, killing one of the hounds instantly. Howls erupted from within. The beasts snarled and all hell broke loose. He saw Ana whip her small body into the air, and she landed upon the largest of all of them. A hellhound with two heads. The leader.

He squared his shoulders and methodically picked off the remaining animals. His energy was red hot and he easily sliced three of them in half as they rushed toward him. Declan ignored the bits that flew at him and walked with purpose toward his woman.

Her hair was a wild mess, streaming behind her as the wind took it. She cursed an impressive blue streak as she sank the dagger into the neck of the larger of the two heads—all the while trying to avoid the fire-breathing second.

The hellhound bucked madly and Ana nearly fell off, barely able to keep her balance as she pushed the dagger in deeper.

Declan watched the entire scene, and though his anger was still at the fore, he couldn’t help but feel admiration for the woman.

She was magnificent. Fierce.

She was also knee-deep in his shit and he wanted her gone. There was no way in hell Lilith was getting anywhere near the vampire. It was a sobering thought and one that fed the urgency of the situation.

Ana glanced up and shouted, “What the hell are you waiting for? Blast this thing!”

The animal bucked madly as it tried to unseat the vampire. He thrust one massive grade A energy bolt at the hellhound. The damn thing exploded and Declan smiled harshly as Ana shrieked and went flying, followed by gory bits of beast.

She landed hard, rolled over. And then was still.

Declan arched an eyebrow. What game was she playing now?

He glanced around, aware that they were out in the open, deep in the heart of the dunes.

“Get up, Ana.” His voice was curt and a muscle wor

ked its way across his cheek. “We need to get our asses in gear because I’ve got to get you back to the hotel. I’m not taking you down with me so forget it.”

The air shifted with traces of something powerful. Declan cursed and dropped all pretence as he jogged to the vampire. His annoyance vanished when he reached for her.

Blood was spattered along her throat, a macabre splash of crimson against the ivory of her skin. Her eyes were closed. She looked like a broken doll.

Panic hit and he fell to his knees, his hands running up her body until he cupped her face. “Ana, for Christ sakes, answer me!”

His anger abated as fear took its place. What had he done? His fingers trembled as he traced her lips, her cheeks.