Chapter 13
Dante was waiting for the woman. She passed his shadowed form without noticing, and then it was far too late as he swiftly moved to sink his teeth deep into her throat. He was incapable of drinking human blood, thanks to the witches, but it didn't halt him from ripping out her throat.
Without even glancing down, he dropped her lifeless form to the ground and returned to the shadows to watch his arrogant partner in crime stride into the large chamber before them.
It had been child's play to convince Amil to release him from his chains. Evil always turned on itself, and the ambitious pup wasn't entirely stupid. He knew quite well his master wouldn't hesitate to feed him to the coming Prince. It was precisely what he would do given the chance.
And thankfully his puffed-up pride made him believe he could control a mere vampire.
A mistake Dante was quite willing to encourage. At least as long as he dutifully distracted the mysterious master and allowed Dante to slip away with Abby undeterred.
Should he stand in the way, Dante would ensure he made an early trip to hell.
Moving with a silence no human could match, Dante slipped behind Amil as he crossed to stand before a thin, older man draped in heavy robes. The master. Dante narrowed his gaze as he sensed the power that shimmered about the wizard.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Dante slipped deep into the shadows that surrounded the cavern. He had no desire to confront the magician directly. Not when there was a danger he might be killed before freeing Abby.
The thought of Abby made his gaze instinctively move to where she was tied to the post. He had deliberately avoided regarding her too closely. It was enough to know she was alive and seemingly unharmed. To dwell upon her obvious distress would only distract him at a time when he desperately needed to keep his mind focused.
Clenching his teeth with a cold fury, he continued through the shadows, moving toward the two robed servants who stood only a few feet away.
Across the chamber, Amil at last confronted the dark wizard. "Master."
An icy tingle of power scoured the air, making even Dante shiver.
"Why are you here?" he charged. "Where is Kayla?"
Too stupid or too arrogant to realize just how overmatched he was, the younger wizard gave a low chuckle.
"The last I saw, she was being ripped into shreds by a very angry vampire."
There was a furious pause. 'You allowed the beast to escape?"
"In a manner of speaking," Amil drawled.
Stepping directly behind the servants, who had not yet noticed Ms presence, Dante reached out to wrap his arms about their throats. With one smooth motion, he twisted both their necks until they cracked, and he lowered them to the floor.
They had never seen death coming, and he was one step closer to freedom.
There was a sharp hiss from the master. "You fool. You stupid, greedy fool."
"No, not a fool," Amil denied. "At least not fool enough to allow myself to become mere fodder so you can wallow in your own glory."
There was a startled beat, as if the master hadn't expected his student to realize his ultimate fate.
"Ah, perhaps not such a fool after all," he whispered in cold tones. "Tell me, Amil, what do you intend to do?"
"What I should have done to begin with. Kill you and offer the Phoenix to the dark lord myself."
Not surprisingly, the proud boast brought only a laugh from the older man. "Kill me? You?"
'You are weak from your battle with the witches," Amil boasted, causing Dante to pause in the shadows.
So, the wizard was responsible for the carnage at the coven. Bloody hell. The sooner he could get Abby out of this cavern the better.
Sinking back into the shadows, Dante began to inch his way behind the wizard.
'You can barely conjure enough power for a summoning spell," Amil continued his taunting.
What might have been a smile curved the thin lips as the wizard grasped the medallion about his neck.
"Not so weak as you believe." Pointing toward the younger man, the wizard struck.
Abby was well aware there was some mystical battle brewing between the two robed men. It would be hard to miss when the younger of the two abruptly slammed against the far wall only to scramble to his feet and lunge toward the older man.
Her attention, however, was not on the dueling wizards.
She had sensed Dante the moment he had entered the room. Fierce, near-heart-stopping joy had rushed through her as she had at last spotted him creeping through the shadows.
He was alive and free and on his way to sweep her away from this horrible place.
Then her joy had faltered when the light had flickered and she had seen the wet crimson that stained his shirt. Vaguely she recalled the young man in robes claiming a vampire was ripping the woman Kayla to shreds, but somehow she had not connected it to Dante. Not until she watched as he slipped from the shadows to dispatch the servants with swift and lethal ease.
He was silent, gliding death. A ruthless killer who stalked his prey without mercy.
A chill shot down her spine as she studied the alabaster features set in a pitiless mask and the eyes that glittered with a frozen silver fire.
This was the vampire he had warned her of.
The demon who lurked beneath the image of a man.
Another chill shot through her.
But not out of physical fear. Perhaps it was ridiculously naive, but she didn't believe he would harm her. Or at least not intentionally.
It was more the knowledge that she had come to think of Dante as… what?
Her boyfriend?
Her lover?
God, she didn't know.
And now was not the time to consider such idiotic thoughts, she told herself with a mental slap.
For God's sake, if Dante didn't get her untied and out of the cavern, she was about to become a midnight munchie for some evil spirit. Surely that was more important than her love life?
There was a furious screech and sounds of scuffling from the two men battling in the middle of the chamber and a prickling feel of electricity in the air, but Abby refused to take her gaze from the ever-approaching vampire.
As long as she kept Dante within sight, she knew she was safe.
A ridiculous certainty perhaps, but what was a terrified, soon-to-be-sacrificed woman to do?
Unable to even whimper with the gag stuck in her mouth, Abby watched Dante move closer. His silver gaze held her own, as if compelling her not to panic.
Yeah, right.
Only the ropes binding her to the post kept her from crumpling onto the ground so she could babble in terror.
Abby Barlow, savior of the world.
Careful to avoid the raging battle in the center of the chamber, Dante flowed through the shadows.