"No, he has dealt with the traitor and now has returned to his lair," the man said, his tone as flat as his expression. "He wishes us to accompany you so that you may join him there."
Darcy frowned. It wasn't like Styx to send others to do his bidding. Especially when it came to her. If he wanted her near then he came to her; he didn't send someone to fetch her like she was a dog.
"Why didn't he just come back and get me himself?" she demanded.
The Viking appeared momentarily baffled. As if the question was too much for his poor brain to process.
With a smooth ease the female stepped into the awkward breech.
"I fear he was... injured during the battle," she said.
"Injured?"
Darcy's knees went weak as a dark wave of panic threatened to cloud her mind. Styx, hurt? No. Oh lord, no. She couldn't bear it.
She had to ...
In the midst of trying to clear her mind and consider precisely what she needed to do, her panic was pierced by an odd sensation. The feeling that this couldn't be right. That she would know with absolute certainty if Styx was hurt.
When she thought of Styx, what she experienced was a ... vibration. Like the hum of an angry bee.
Styx was flat-out furious. She could sense nothing of physical pain.
A rough hand touched her arm and she glanced down into Levet's concerned eyes.
"Are you all right, Darcy?" he demanded.
"Yes ... I ..." She gave a shake of her head and forced her attention back to the waiting vampires. "How badly is he injured?"
The woman gave a lift of her slender hand. "I cannot say. I only know that he wishes you to be with him."
Levet's fingers squeezed on Darcy's arm. "Don't worry, cherie. I will go with you."
"No."
Darcy blinked at the Viking's abrupt refusal. "Why not?"
"The master said nothing of bringing the gargoyle. You must come alone."
Okay, her shitmeter was starting to tilt.
None of this made sense.
If Styx was hurt why wouldn't he have come back here? Not only was Dante here, but there was an honest to goodness goddess in the house. Where could he possibly go that would be better protected?
And even if he was at some other lair, why would he send these two vampires to bring her to him?
He had five Ravens whom she knew and trusted to escort her.
She covertly inched back, her hand gripping the door. "Where are Shay and Abby?"
There was a beat before the woman gave a slow blink. They are below attending to Viper."
"He was injured as well?"
The Viking gave a low growl. "We must be on our way. Dawn will all too soon be approaching."
Darcy inched another step back, her gaze on the woman. "How did he contact you?"
Blink, blink, blink. "I beg your pardon?"
"Styx. How did he contact you?"
"He sent a messenger."
"I want to speak with this messenger."
"Enough," the Viking growled, his fangs flashing. "Take her."
The words were still leaving his lips when Darcy slammed the door shut and snapped the lock in place.
With a squeak of surprise, Levet looked at her as if she had lost her mind.
"Darcy?"
"Something's not right," she breathed, pressing her hands against the door as the vampires on the other side struggled to break through.
"No shit," Levet muttered, moving to add his own strength to the shivering door. "You must run. This door won't last long."
"No way."
He gave a low curse. "Martyrs are tedious creatures, Darcy. Get the hell out of here."
Darcy gritted her teeth and dug in her heels as she battled next to Levet to hold the door shut. She didn't think for a minute that she could face off against two vampires and survive. Hell, she didn't think she could manage to land a good punch. But she wasn't about to run off and leave Levet.
"I don't bail on my friends," she muttered as the wood shuddered beneath her hands. Soon enough the door would shatter and then the fun would begin.
With his arms bulging beneath the strain, the demon glared into her determined expression.
"Sane bleu, vampires cannot hurt me if I shift. Not even their fangs are sharp enough to chew through stone."
He had a point. A damn good point, but Darcy was nothing if not stubborn.
"I won't leave you."
"You're only in my way." Levet gave a grunt as a hinge popped from the door and flew a mere inch from his face. "I have several spectacular spells I have been longing to cast, but I can hardly perform them while you are standing here watching me."
"Why not?"
He sent her a glance filled with grim warning. "Performance issues. Just go."
A subtle glow began to surround the small gray form and Darcy forced herself to back away. She still had vivid memories of the spectacular explosion that had ripped through the air when she had been sneaking into the estate. If Levet had anything of that sort of magic in mind, then she had to agree that she didn't want to be anywhere near when things started shaking.
And in all honesty, if she was gone, then Levet would be free to turn into statue form. As he had pointed out, not even vampires could harm him once he shifted to stone.
Ignoring the sharp pang of guilt, Darcy turned on her heel and headed for the window. With the door blocked by rabid vampires, the window was the only exit. Besides, what quicker method of getting downstairs to alert Abby that her home was harboring traitors.
Crossing her arms over her head, Darcy hit the window with a burst of speed that launched her through the glass and into the frigid night air. She grunted as jagged shards ripped through her skin, but her attention was far more focused on the hard ground that was rapidly rising up to meet her. Cuts and bruises, no matter how deep, she could heal in a matter of hours. A broken neck .. . not so much.
Flailing her limbs as if she could fly—not a talent generally associated with werewolves—Darcy did manage to twist enough in the air so that she ended up landing on her back, rather than her head. A small comfort, though, since the landing punched the air from her lungs and sent a shock of pain through her body.
Gripes.
With a moan she forced herself to rise to her feet. It was a surprise to discover she could actually accomplish the task. She was bleeding from a dozen wounds, bruised beyond bearing, and her head was pounding, but she didn't seem to have one broken bone or busted internal organ.
The night was looking up.
Glancing toward the house, she was on the point of deciding where the nearest door might be when there was the faintest sound behind her.