Was she attempting to create a portal? Damn, he hoped so.
Vynom took another cautious step forward. “The only obvious thing is that you chose the wrong path. We could have ruled the world together.”
Javad rolled his eyes. He’d been with Vynom for centuries, and never once had the male treated him as more than an object to bring in the crowds. Certainly, he hadn’t considered him a partner.
“Yeah, thanks, but no thanks. I’m happy with my club in Vegas.”
A layer of ice suddenly coated the ground. “Perhaps you’re right,” Vynom spat. “I tried to believe that you were worthy to stand at my side, but you’re a small, pathetic demon who deserves to die in this barren cave.”
The older male held up his hand to reveal the wooden stake he had clutched in his fist.
Javad muttered a frustrated curse. His strength was returning, but not nearly fast enough.
“Terra, now might be a good time to think about getting out of here.”
She seemed oblivious to the approaching danger as she studied the wall. “Fairies.”
He arched his brows. “What?”
“And…a gargoyle.”
Javad’s confusion abruptly cleared. He didn’t know anything about fairies, but only one gargoyle could possibly be in the caverns.
“Levet.”
The scent of granite drifted through the air, along with shrill voices that sounded as if they were arguing. And was that…singing?
There was a brief second of chaos as the tribe of fairies swarmed out of the crevasse. Javad took swift advantage, unleashing a small burst of power that shook the cavern beneath Vynom’s feet. The male snarled as he leaped back, obviously assuming that the floor was about to crack open. Instead, the ceiling over his head shattered and showered him in jagged boulders.
Vynom crumpled to the ground, covered in stony rubble. He wasn’t dead, but he was knocked out. At least, for the moment.
“Oh, there you are.” Levet waddled forward, absently polishing the tip of his tail.
“Where have you been?” Javad demanded.
“Exploring.”
Javad scowled down at the miniature pest. “I was being held hostage, and you were on a tour?”
Levet blew a kiss. “Did you miss me?”
Javad shuddered. “Like a stake through the heart.”
Levet pursed his lips, leaning forward to sniff Javad’s arm. Javad scowled. What was wrong with the strange creature?
“Stop that,” he snapped.
“You’re mated!” the gargoyle exclaimed, glancing toward Terra, who watched him with a bemused expression. “I am Levet.” He offered a deep bow. “KISA. At your service.”
Terra blinked. “KISA?”
“Don’t ask,” Javad growled.
“Knight in shining armor,” Levet announced in proud tones.
“He truly is a knight in shining armor.” A tiny, pale-haired fairy appeared next to the gargoyle. “He rescued my people.”
“It is what I do.” Levet smiled smugly at Javad before introducing his companion. “This is Sparkle. She’s a frost fairy. Have you heard of them? They’re super rare.” Levet winced as shrill shouts came from the fairies across the cave. They had gathered in a circle to watch two males who were apparently wrestling over some small stone. “And loud. Really, really loud,” Levet muttered.
Javad clenched his fangs. Was he being punked? It was hard to believe there could be any creatures more annoying than the gargoyle.
“Can you get us out of here?” he demanded, raising his voice to be heard over the shouts.
Sparkle nodded, pointing toward a door on the other side of the cave. “There is a tunnel that will lead us to the surface,” she said.
Levet nodded. “We just need help digging it out.”
A flare of hope eased the knot in Javad’s stomach. Was it possible that they might get out of the caverns?
“Fine, lead us to it,” he commanded.
“Javad!” On cue, Vynom regained consciousness. Digging himself out of the rocks, he rose to his feet.
Javad braced himself for the attack. He wasn’t at full strength, but he was growing stronger every second.
Concentrating on his sire, Javad was only vaguely aware of the cries of alarm from behind him. He didn’t have time to worry about the fairies. It wasn’t until they ran screaming past him, holding long, pointed icicles that he realized they weren’t fleeing in horror. Nope, they were headed straight for Vynom.
“Monster,” Sparkle cried in her high voice, jabbing the icicle into Vynom’s lower stomach.
Vynom cursed, tossing aside the fairy, but ten others swarmed him like ants on honey. And each possessed a needle-sharp weapon they stabbed into him over and over. In the blink of an eye, he was leaking blood from a hundred wounds.
Roaring in fury, Vynom wind-milled his arms, trying to knock away the tiny attackers. But the creatures were surprisingly tenacious, returning to the battle even when it appeared they were grievously injured.
Standing next to the stunned Javad, Levet cleared his throat. “Is he a friend of yours?”
“He’s…” A smile curved Javad’s lips as Vynom dropped to the ground, dying by a million pinpricks. “He’s nobody.”
It was a fitting end.
* * * *
It took them less than an hour to dig through the tunnel thanks to Javad’s brute strength and Levet’s explosive fireballs. Then, leaving the gargoyle surrounded by the chattering frost fairies, who eagerly insisted that he return to their homeland as some sort of hero, he stepped into the portal that Terra formed.
Now, after a quick tour of the Viper’s Nest to give Terra a sense of where they would be staying, along with feeding his mate the finest ambrosia and nectar to be found in Vegas, they retired to his private apartments that were deep underground so they could each shower away the grime from Vynom’s caverns.
Javad paced through the long living room that was surprisingly cozy with wood-paneled walls, an open-beamed ceiling, and thick rugs on the floor. After endless centuries of Vynom’s gaudy taste, he craved simplicity. Even the furniture had been chosen for comfort and not style. The low, sturdy sofa and chairs had thick ivory cushions and matching pillows. The only decoration was the exquisite tapestry that
