There was a moment of silence. In the gloom, Dante could sense the fragility of her control. She was near shattering, and he could only hope that her impending collapse could be held off long enough to get to safety.
At last she swallowed heavily and gave a grudging nod of her head. "Yes."
He gazed deep into her eyes, startled by the stir of something that might have been warmth.
'Then let's go."
Taking her hand, he helped her climb through the narrow window, waiting until she was standing upon the metal fire escape before following her into the darkness. He paused just a moment, peering down at the littered alley below. His instincts warned that demons lurked nearby. Unfortunately, to remain would mean being trapped and surrounded. They had no choice but to go forward.
Or in this case, down.
Grimly Dante gave a tilt of his head toward the nearby ladder. With reluctant steps, Abby moved across the platform and forced herself to climb down the rungs. He waited until she had reached the bottom before stepping off the edge and landing next to her shivering form.
As she opened her lips to speak, he reached out to press a finger to her mouth, giving a sharp shake of his head. Danger prickled over his skin. Something was near. Very near. Turning toward a large Dumpster, he took a slow step forward.
"Show yourself," he commanded.
There was a rustle in the shadows followed by a sharp scrape of claws upon the pavement before a large, hulking form slowly appeared. At first glance, it would be simple to dismiss the intruder as an awkward, brainless beast. With thick, leathery skin, seeping boils, and a misshapen head that sported three eyes, he was the poster child for the monster beneath the bed. But Dante was all too familiar with this particular demon and knew that beneath all the ugly was a cunning intelligence that was more deadly than any muscle.
"Halford." Dante offered a mocking bow.
"Ah, Dante." The deep, rumbling voice possessed a polished, elegant accent that would have been right at home in a posh boarding school. A ludicrous contrast to his brutish appearance. "I just knew you would be dropping in once you caught whiff of those hellhounds. I've tried for centuries to train them with a bit of discretion, but they must always rush in when stealth would serve best."
Ensuring that he stood squarely between Abby and the demon, Dante offered a faint shrug.
"Hellhounds have never been renowned for their intelligence."
"No. A pity, really. Still, they do have their uses. Such as flushing out prey so that I needn't muck about in such filth." Halford cast a disdainful glance toward the dilapidated hotel. "I must say, Dante, I had always believed you to possess better taste."
"What better place to hide from the scum than beneath their very noses?"
Halford loosed a rumbling laugh that echoed eerily down the alley. "A clever ploy except for the fact that every brother in the city can smell your beauty from a mile away. I fear there's no hiding."
Dante silently cursed. Although Abby carried the Phoenix, she had not yet fully acquired its powers or any knowledge of how to control those powers. Until she did, she would be a beacon to every demon in the area.
'You underestimate my skill," he drawled in silky tones.
"Oh no, I would never be so stupid as to underestimate you, Dante." The demon stepped forward, his claws grinding the pavement to dust. "Unlike many in the brotherhood, I can easily sense the power that you have been forced to keep leashed all these tedious years. Which is why I'm quite prepared to allow you to walk away. I have no wish to kill you."
Dante gave a lift of his brow. 'You will allow me to walk away?"
"Of course. I have never taken pleasure in killing my fellow demons." Halford gave what vaguely passed as a smile, considering his triple rows of teeth. "Leave the girl and I can promise that you'll never be troubled again."
Ah. Dante abruptly grasped the truth. Halford was alone. And not at all certain he could best a vampire. At least not before the other gathering demons could arrive and complicate matters.
"A rather generous offer," Dante murmured.
"I think so."
"Still, I think that handing over such a priceless treasure should be worth something more tangible. After all, if you are forced to battle me for the wench, you might discover yourself having to share the glory with any number of demons rushing in this direction."
A sudden blow to the center of his back assured Dante that Abby had heard his taunting words. And naturally had jumped to the predictable conclusion. He was an evil vampire, after all.
Reaching back, he grasped one slender wrist in a tight grip. He could not risk having her bolt.
Halford narrowed Ms eyes. All three of them. "What could be more tangible than your life?"
Dante shrugged. There's little point in living an eternity if I must be reduced to wallowing among the wretched. As you said, I'm accustomed to a rather more luxurious lifestyle that is about to come to an end without Selena."
"Why you…" With a low growl, Abby frantically struggled against his grasp, kicking him with a savagery that would have sent a mortal to his knees.
"Hush, lover," he commanded without ever turning his head. "Halford and I are about to start negotiations."
Tig. Monster. Beast."
Dante ignored the kicks that punctuated each word as he met Halford's amused gaze.
"A spirited thing," the demon rasped.
"A character flaw that could be easily corrected."
Halford flexed his bulging muscles. "Quite easily. Now let us be done with this. What is your price?"
Dante made a show of considering. "A ready supply of blood, of course. In this day and age, it really is far too dangerous to be out hunting among the riffraff."
"Simple enough."
"And perhaps a few Shantong to keep my lair warm at night," he murmured, deliberately choosing demons notorious for their insatiable sexual appetite.
"Ah, a vampire with exquisite taste. Is that all?"
Noting the triumph glittering in Halford's eyes, Dante at last judged the moment ripe. The demon was consumed with thoughts of the glory as he offered the Phoenix to his dark Prince.
"Actually, no. I shall also need this." Loosening his hold upon Abby, he bent downward and with one smooth movement grasped the daggers hidden in his boots. In the same motion, he was rolling forward, the daggers already leaving his hands as he came back up to his feet.
For a moment Haiford merely stood silent in the darkness. It was almost as if he hadn't yet noticed the dagger deeply planted in his middle eye or the other that stuck in his lower stomach. But whether he was in shock or indifferent to the danger, the deadly missiles had done their duty; with a rasping moan, he collapsed onto the vile rubbish that littered the alley.