Page 119 of Samhain Savior
Beneath it all, another sound threaded through, so low it was almost imagined: a deep, rumbling growl.
The tall windows along the ballroom wall rattled in their frames. Every vampire’s head snapped toward them at once. A second shudder cracked one of the panes,spiderwebbing the glass. The smell of sulfur rolled in, acrid and undeniable, burning the back of my throat.
The third impact shattered the window entirely, shards exploding inward as something massive and snarling launched into the room.
A hell hound.
Chapter fifty-six
Delilah
I stared at the beast, its curled lip revealing long teeth that looked wickedly sharp. It stared around the ballroom, red eyes glowing as it took in the crowd of angry vampires, and for a moment, it appeared as if the whole room held a collective breath.
And in the next instant, the world around us shattered.
Without warning, a bolt of lightning blasted through the window, colliding into the chandelier that hung over the dance floor. Sparks flew as the huge piece of brass and crystal crashed to the floor, vampires darting out of the way with their preternatural speed.
“Fuck,” hissed Archer, stepping in front of me in an attempt to keep the shards from striking me.
In the confusion that followed, more hounds poured through the shattered window, followed by creatures thatcould only be lesser demons, their twisted, deformed bodies the stuff of nightmares.
Ushering me with his body, Archer guided me against a wall, his shadows rising in an attempt to shield us from view.
“That’s it. I’m getting you out of here.”
Before I could protest, he had opened a shadow gate, once again showing the interior of the mountain chalet. Through the large windows, I could see the sun rising over the horizon, the time difference between New Orleans and the Swiss Alps meaning it was already well into the next day.
“Go!” Archer insisted, reaching for me. “I’ll be along as soon as I have the diamond.”
“Absolutely not!”
“Delilah, for once in your fucking life will you just do as you’re told?” Around us, chaos reigned, the darkened ballroom now loud with the snarling of several more hell hounds, a few lesser demons, and the loud and obvious sounds of fighting.
“Genevieve has disappeared,” I insisted, standing firm. “But I can still sense the diamond! I can lead you to her.” It was true; inside my chest, the pull of Lust and Pride tugged mercilessly, as though my soul was connected to the relic that Genevieve wore around her neck. Even the fact thatArcher had just given me the most delicious orgasm hadn’t abated the desire that burned within me, only tempered it. “I’m the only one who can do this, Archer!”
I needed to prove that I wasn’t helpless; my pride wouldn’t allow for anything less.
“We don’t have time for you to be stubborn, witch!” he barked, and I stared at him, seeing a hint of panic in his eyes.
It was then that I realized the truth.
Archer wasn’t trying to cage me; he was truly frightened for me.
“My love.” Lowering my voice, I stepped close, feeling Vine and Mex move in as cover while Archer and I settled the matter between us. “Phips knew what he was doing when he left me that letter.” He blinked at me, looking younger than I’d ever seen him. His dark eyes were wide and wet, his normally olive-toned skin pale and a bit clammy. Under my hand, his heart raced, and his fear coursed through the bond, chilling my blood with its intensity.
“We found each other for a reason,” I insisted, trying to send him some calm, even as my own fear lingered. “We are meant to do this. Together.”
“Together,” he breathed, his hands cupping my face.
“Yeah, yeah,” Vine droned over his shoulder. “You’re in love. We get it. But if you two could make up yourmind about staying or going, that’d be great. Because shit is seriously starting to hit the fan here.”
Glancing past Archer’s wide body, I could see that Vine was right. Vampires were battling in every corner of the ballroom, some with sharp objects like knives or even broken bottles, but most with nothing but their fangs and bare hands. The hell hounds were holding their own, their large bodies able to take much more damage than I would have anticipated.
All around us was blood and violence, and I knew this would be the fight of our lives.
“We just need to get to the diamond,” I said, taking one of the stakes that Vine offered. It felt awkward in my hand, the wood rough against my sweaty palm, but I gripped it tight, not wanting either of the guys to think I was anything but prepared. “Genevieve can’t run forever.”
“We move as a unit,” Archer instructed reluctantly, eyeing Mex. “No one goes off alone, understood?”
