a singer. The Dark’s Mistress. Kitschy title.”
“Yeah, well, turns out she really is the Dark’s mistress.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Think of the darkest most vile creature who walks this realm—and other realms—and then multiply that image a thousandfold. That’s her boyfriend.”
“Must be a demon.” Dante considered it. “It can’t be. How do you know?”
“Because I met him earlier tonight. Kambriel is the freakin’ devil’s bitch, Dante.”
Johnny caught his head between his hands and squeezed against his skull. It sounded horrible to say it, and he wanted to run from it and forget he’d never met Kambriel.
And then all he wanted to do was steal her away from Himself and make her safe. Free.
Dante whistled. “Not cool. You have terrible luck with women, my friend.”
“Not always.”
“So the soul sucker you dated last winter was a prize?”
“I didn’t know she was a succubus until it was too late.”
And she’d sucked him dry of vitality. Those had been some hellacious weeks. Good thing Viviane had come to visit and had refused to leave until her grandson was up and out of bed and drinking blood like a good little vampire.
And thinking about Viviane; he needed to give Rhys a call and make sure G-ma was all right. What was up with his family lately? Grandma sneaking out at the beckon of the devil, and his father seeking illicit drugs he knew damn well could destroy him. Had Himself lured his G-ma to the club? For what reason other than if he knew Kam had been seeing him? And Vail had said something about dancing with the devil.
Really?
Johnny punched a fist into his palm.
“So I assume you’re done with this one,” Dante said, “and now you’re in the aftershocks and moping stage of the affair?”
“I don’t know, Dante. Am I done with her?”
“She’s screwing the devil. I’d say you’re done.”
“But she’s scared. She wants to get away from him and she needs my help to do that. And yet I’m going about it bass ackwards. I said the wrong thing to her.”
“Such as?”
“I said she should have told me she was screwing the devil. Although I used a much harsher word. I didn’t even see the slap coming. Then she told me she hated me and walked away in his arms.”
“Ah.”
“That ‘ah’ sounded too hopeful for this conversation.”
“It did, didn’t it?” Dante stepped around before Johnny and bowed grandly, sweeping out a lace-encircled wrist. “She’s thrown down the gauntlet, man.”
“What? You old vamps and your ancient words and ways screw with my brain, you know?”
“You know what a gauntlet is.”
“I do, but what the hell does it have to do with getting slapped by a chick?”
“If she has said she wants to be free, and you feel that she cares for you as much as you do her, then it sounds as if she has issued a challenge to you. Will you pick it up? Will you rescue her from the evil demon that holds her beguiled?”
“Beguiled,” Johnny whispered. “That’s it exactly. She’s under some kind of spell. She’s not with him because she wants to be.”
“I would assume nothing but. Himself is a powerful being. But do you believe anyone would knowingly hook up with such an asshole?”
“I would hope not. So you think she wants me to come after her? To prove myself to her? She did say something about me having to win her from him.”
Dante nodded. “Sounds horribly romantic. The knight rescuing the damsel.”
“Dude, come into the twenty-first century, will you?”
“My romantic mien has been working for me for almost two centuries.”
“Right. Nix that. But me? How does a guy fight the devil?”
“You really wish to?”
Johnny closed his eyes and the first image he saw was Kam, laughing as she turned to him from her position atop Nôtre Dame, the moon in the background, shining like pearls upon her skin. He
“Yeah, well, turns out she really is the Dark’s mistress.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Think of the darkest most vile creature who walks this realm—and other realms—and then multiply that image a thousandfold. That’s her boyfriend.”
“Must be a demon.” Dante considered it. “It can’t be. How do you know?”
“Because I met him earlier tonight. Kambriel is the freakin’ devil’s bitch, Dante.”
Johnny caught his head between his hands and squeezed against his skull. It sounded horrible to say it, and he wanted to run from it and forget he’d never met Kambriel.
And then all he wanted to do was steal her away from Himself and make her safe. Free.
Dante whistled. “Not cool. You have terrible luck with women, my friend.”
“Not always.”
“So the soul sucker you dated last winter was a prize?”
“I didn’t know she was a succubus until it was too late.”
And she’d sucked him dry of vitality. Those had been some hellacious weeks. Good thing Viviane had come to visit and had refused to leave until her grandson was up and out of bed and drinking blood like a good little vampire.
And thinking about Viviane; he needed to give Rhys a call and make sure G-ma was all right. What was up with his family lately? Grandma sneaking out at the beckon of the devil, and his father seeking illicit drugs he knew damn well could destroy him. Had Himself lured his G-ma to the club? For what reason other than if he knew Kam had been seeing him? And Vail had said something about dancing with the devil.
Really?
Johnny punched a fist into his palm.
“So I assume you’re done with this one,” Dante said, “and now you’re in the aftershocks and moping stage of the affair?”
“I don’t know, Dante. Am I done with her?”
“She’s screwing the devil. I’d say you’re done.”
“But she’s scared. She wants to get away from him and she needs my help to do that. And yet I’m going about it bass ackwards. I said the wrong thing to her.”
“Such as?”
“I said she should have told me she was screwing the devil. Although I used a much harsher word. I didn’t even see the slap coming. Then she told me she hated me and walked away in his arms.”
“Ah.”
“That ‘ah’ sounded too hopeful for this conversation.”
“It did, didn’t it?” Dante stepped around before Johnny and bowed grandly, sweeping out a lace-encircled wrist. “She’s thrown down the gauntlet, man.”
“What? You old vamps and your ancient words and ways screw with my brain, you know?”
“You know what a gauntlet is.”
“I do, but what the hell does it have to do with getting slapped by a chick?”
“If she has said she wants to be free, and you feel that she cares for you as much as you do her, then it sounds as if she has issued a challenge to you. Will you pick it up? Will you rescue her from the evil demon that holds her beguiled?”
“Beguiled,” Johnny whispered. “That’s it exactly. She’s under some kind of spell. She’s not with him because she wants to be.”
“I would assume nothing but. Himself is a powerful being. But do you believe anyone would knowingly hook up with such an asshole?”
“I would hope not. So you think she wants me to come after her? To prove myself to her? She did say something about me having to win her from him.”
Dante nodded. “Sounds horribly romantic. The knight rescuing the damsel.”
“Dude, come into the twenty-first century, will you?”
“My romantic mien has been working for me for almost two centuries.”
“Right. Nix that. But me? How does a guy fight the devil?”
“You really wish to?”
Johnny closed his eyes and the first image he saw was Kam, laughing as she turned to him from her position atop Nôtre Dame, the moon in the background, shining like pearls upon her skin. He
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