“You don’t want to know.”
“But—”
He put his hand on her forearm. “Trust me on this and leave it alone.” He nodded toward the palace. “We’re damn lucky Lilith is having one of her parties, it will make it easier to get inside.”
They’d just passed the pond, and the black swans paid them no mind as they crept closer to a large garden. It was picture-perfect. A slice of English summer with a border of rosebushes and a lush green maze set out before them. Overhead, the robin egg sky warmed his face.
He ignored it all. He knew it was nothing more than an illusion, a fake skin to cover the truest of evils.
“This way.” Declan pointed toward the maze. “We’ll go through the maze. It’s the only way to remain unseen from those attending Lilith’s garden party.”
They slipped inside and immediately there was a drop in temperature. The lush boxwood was nearly eight feet in height and afforded the best cover possible. But it was dangerous. This he knew from personal experience.
“Stay close and don’t—”
“I know, touch anything. For fuck sakes, O’Hara, you sound like a broken record.”
He blew a hot breath but didn’t bother replying. Instead he concentrated, drawing upon the well of power that sat in his gut. The energy was hot, licked at his insides with hunger.
He held his fingers loose. He was ready.
Swiftly they maneuvered down the narrow path, his feet sure, his gait steady. He’d run through them before, wet, cold, out of his head in pain, and it felt like yesterday.
Sweat broke out along his brow and he wiped it away impatiently. They came upon a break in the path, a fork that led to two possibilities. Without hesitation Declan turned to the right and came to an abrupt halt.
A large animal sat on its haunches, sides heaving, mouth frothing. It was a hellhound and its eyes burned crimson as it flashed an impressive set of canines and growled.
“Shit,” Ana said. “That does not look like a friendly. Can’t we go the other way?”
He rolled his shoulders and shook out his arms. “Nope.”
“That’s what I thought you were going to say.”
She cracked a smile, and in spite of the gravity of the situation, there was a hint of laughter in her voice. For a second, his here-and-now faded to nothing but her eyes. They were like liquid cobalt and reflected the deepest parts of her soul. Her fierce loyalty, her passion . . . her love.
He knew he’d never find another woman like her, no matter what realm his ass happened to be parked in. He reached for her and claimed her lips, eating her surprise as he opened wide. Declan kissed hard and fast and when he wrenched his mouth from hers, he whispered, “I’ll do whatever it takes to get us out of here, to make a life with you.” He stared into her eyes, aware the hellhound was now on its feet, panting heavily twenty feet from them.
“Okay,” she whispered, “you might want to start with the fire-breathing fur ball.”
The hellhound snarled and took off, its long legs gathering speed as it gunned straight toward them. Declan whirled around, his arms going wide as the power inside erupted. He pushed Ana back and sank to one knee, smiling into the dead eyes coming at him.
The power inside spiked hard, like an electric shock of energy. He grunted, relishing the feel of it as it rushed through his body. He cocked his head to the side, felt it burn through his mind, and kept his eyes trained on the animal. When it jumped up at him, his hand shot out and clamped around the hellhound’s neck. He held the beast firm and bared his teeth as he forced the animal to the ground.
He could have killed it. Easily.
Slowly he stood and let go. The hellhound was trembling and fell to the ground. It rolled onto its back, tail between its legs, and began to cry.
“What a pussy,” Ana murmured. “How’d you do that?”
“I TiVo The Dog Whisperer every week.”
He pulled her past the hellhound, smiled as she snorted. “You’re full of crap.”
“Yeah, I am.”
Silently they cut through the maze without incident and in no time stood near the exit. Ten feet away was a terrace and beyond that garden doors.
The haunting sounds of the harp still echoed around them, the notes wrapped around laughter and pain.