“Damn,” Tane muttered, his dagger slicing into the dark-haired vampire who looked like an extra out of a Tim Burton movie. “Like I don’t have enough troubles.”
Laylah frowned. “I thought he was on your side?”
“Can we save the discussion for later?” Tane grunted as the second vampire slammed into him from behind. “I could use some help here.”
She clenched her hands, ignoring the ridiculous urge to wade into the battle.
“Why should I help the man who intends to turn me over to the Oracles? I don’t care if you get killed.” She tilted her chin. She didn’t care. She didn’t. Dammit. “In fact it’ll save me from having to do it myself.”
Slipping past the smack down Tane was delivering, the tiny gargoyle halted next to Laylah, his gray eyes sparkling with amusement.
“Ah, a belle femme after my own heart,” he murmured with a thick French accent, sinking into a small bow. “Allow me to introduce myself. Levet, Defender of Damsels in Distress, Prince Charming, and overall Knight in Shining Armor, at your service.”
Laylah blinked. She’d knocked out the gargoyle with a bolt of lightning during their first encounter. She had no idea he was so … hmmm. Flamboyant?
“Good God,” she breathed.
He waved a dismissive hand. “Non, non. It is a common mistake, but I am not a deity. Well, not unless you consider being a sex god as …” His eyes abruptly narrowed, his head tilted back as he sniffed the air. “Sacrebleu. You are the Jinn.”
Tane swore, pinning one vamp to the ground with his knee while he tried to dislodge the other that was latched onto his back.
“Levet, either make yourself useful or get the hell out of here.”
The gargoyle ignored Tane’s command, turning about to reveal the imprint of her hand that she had scorched onto his ass just before she’d dropped him in the tunnels.
“Look what you have done.”
“It was an accident.”
“An accident?” Levet turned back, his wings twitching. “You have marred perfection. It is like desecrating the Mona Lisa.”
In spite of herself, Laylah found her lips twitching. Levet was unlike any creature she’d ever met before.
“I truly didn’t mean to hurt you,” she said with genuine sincerity. “Please forgive me.”
He pursed his lips. “Well, I suppose I could consider a measure of forgiveness. I am, after all, renowned for the generosity of my heart.” He sent a raspberry toward Tane as the vampire muttered his opinion of worthless gargoyles. “And our introduction was not under the best of circumstances.”
“No.” She cleared her throat. “I suppose that Caine’s been captured and his lair overrun with Weres?”
The tiny demon snorted. “The last I saw of Salvatore he had rescued Harley and they were fleeing from Caine while his mangy minions were in pursuit.”
Laylah sucked in a sharp breath, her heart slamming against her ribs. So Caine was away from his lair and obviously distracted.
She would never have a better opportunity.
“Can we save the reminiscing?” Tane abruptly intruded into their conversation. “Levet, get over here.”
They turned to watch as Tane decapitated one of the vampires just as the one he had knocked out earlier came to his senses and rose to his feet to barrel across the cave.
“Surely the mighty Charon does not need assistance to deal with three scrawny vampires?” Levet demanded.
Tane managed to yank the vampire clinging to his back over his head, stabbing his dagger deep into the attacker’s chest.
“Not if they’re busy draining a mouthy gargoyle,” he muttered.
“As if I would allow such nasty creatures to touch me.” Levet wrinkled his snout. “Mon Dieu, they smell like they just crawled from their graves.”
Tane flashed his fangs at the tiny gargoyle. “Then do something to help put them back in.”
“Well, I do have a magnificent fireball spell,” Levet offered. “Although there was the teeniest trouble the last time I used it.”
“What trouble?”
“There might have been a minor cave-in.” Tane yanked the dagger from the vampire’s chest and pointed it toward Levet. “No fireballs.”
“There is no need to bellow.” Levet sniffed in offense. “Either you want my help or you do not, please make up your mind.”
Laylah forced her attention away from Tane as he cut out the heart of the nearest vamp. Although he was injured from dozens of wounds, it was obvious he would soon be done with his attackers.
“Thank you, Levet.” She patted him between the horns. “I really am sorry for your … injury. Now, I really must run.”
Tane growled low in his throat, grasping the remaining vampire by the throat and lifting him off the ground as he turned his attention to Laylah.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Leaving.”
“Now?” “Yes.”
“You intend to abandon me in the middle of a battle?”
She glanced toward the two disintegrating vampires on the ground and the third who was all but dead, again, struggling to escape Tane’s crushing grip.
“Do you think I’m stupid enough to wait around so you can force me to the Commission?”
Something that perilously close to amusement shimmered in the honey eyes.
“I brought you chocolate cake.” His black brows lifted. “It was homemade.”
It had been delicious. German chocolate with fresh coconut and pecans …
She shook her head, moving toward the entrance to the tunnel. “I don’t care if the cake was orgasmic, it’s not worth being exterminated.”
A wicked smile curved his lips. “If it’s orgasmic you want, my sweet …”
“Goodbye, Tane.” She gave him a finger wave, pretending she didn’t notice the sizzle of heat that raced through her blood. Stupid vampire smiles. “I can’t say it’s been a pleasure.”
“Laylah.”
Ignoring Tane’s bellow and Levet’s flurry of French protests, Laylah charged through the darkness, knowing she was wasting her energy unless she came up with a plan for escape.
She had to get out of the tunnel.
And she had to do it before Tane finished off the last of the boneheads who’d been stupid enough to attack him.
Rounding a curve, she skidded to an abrupt halt. What was that? A breeze? Her hand lifted to her cheek. Yes, definitely a breeze. And the air was fresh. Which meant there had to be an opening nearby.