Chloe fought it. “Put me down. I’m fine.” He didn’t and she fought harder, pushing

against his chest, which he ignored and walked her over to Rayn. “Come on, I was doing great there. I could have taken him. Okay, in all honesty, I appreciate you helping me out there but I hate you. So put me down.” He still ignored her, so she did something completely crazy, and that logic would later argue was driven by adrenaline—and kissed him.

She felt the shock in his body, the stiffening. But then his grip changed, moved, became soft and encouraging as his tongue slid easily into her mouth. God, did this vampire know how to kiss . He pulled back and her lips went searching after his. The pain from her fight—didn’t feel it.

The liquid arousal flooding her sex—totally felt.

He turned his cheek and spoke quickly to Rayn. She didn’t bother to listen, was too captivated by the strong muscle flexing at his neck. She followed it, tasting it with the flat of her tongue.

“Mmm,” she moaned. “You taste good, Tyrian.” His arms tightened around her and she

loved it. Suddenly another pair of arms was around her and she lifted her head to glare at Rayn.

“Hey, no sharing here. He’s mine.”

Okay, maybe she was delirious, or maybe it was the adrenaline, or the fact that her vampire boyfriend was holding her. Had even kissed her hard and sweet. Was she really so fickle to go back to calling him her boyfriend after a single kiss? Yes.

Her body tingled all over her, she had only a second to glare at Rayn for doing this to her when the room around them flickered, disappearing again like magic, then a new place appeared.

Somewhere she didn’t recognize.

From the looks of it, they were just outside a major city. Skyscrapers, extravagant hotels, and posh apartments lit up the night sky to draw in wanderers and thrill seekers. Only it was dark as night here. Chloe peeked at Tyrian and Rayn and wondered just what kind of powers these vampires had.

“Someone better explain to me what the hell’s going on.” Rayn smiled at her, and then the warrior was gone in the next blink. “How does he do that?”

Tyrian set her on her feet. “Rayn is half-demon. He carries some of their powers with him including the ability to teleport.” Chloe stared at him.

“He’s half-demon. Demon as in those guys you’ve been fighting to keep back in the rift for a thousand years.” There were different species of demons. The idummi like the one she just fought were considered the bottom rung of the demons. They lived a layer beneath the rift and feasted upon living flesh for sustenance. A shiver wracked through her.

Then there were the normal demons. The “non-cannibal” demons that she’d heard looked just like anyone else but were strong like shapeshifters, fast like vampires, and had magical powers that no other being on earth had. It made them powerful foes.

“Yes,” he said simply.

“How does that even make sense? I thought you hated demons. But you’re okay with

little half-demons so long as they work for you or something? Sounds kind of exploitative, Tyrian.”

Tyrian’s face was back to the normal, passive, nothing-bothers-me face that she both liked and hated. “I do not hate demons, Chloe. Someone must lead the Atal Warriors and keep the demons in the rift. I am just the vampire who does that. I do hate some demons, but they are specific people whom I hope to meet again someday.” Chloe felt the death threat in his words and wondered what the demons did to deserve such hate. She had an idea but she hoped she was wrong.

“Where are we?”

“We are outside of Atlanta, Georgia.”

Chloe waited for him to elaborate, when he didn’t she ground her teeth together and said,

“And why is that?” He looked down at her as if surprised by her question.

“There is an unusual demon after you. It is no longer safe at the castle. Obviously it can track you, something I had not foreseen. I must figure out how to return the demonic creature before it completes its task and kills you.” He said it so casually that she just stared at him.

“And we can figure this out in Atlanta?”

A nod, and then he cupped her elbow and started walking her towards the bright city lights. “I have connections in Atlanta, powerful people who owe me a favor. They will help us, if necessary. One man in particular.” Chloe pulled her arm out of his touch and wrapped it around her middle. She couldn’t think when he touched her. Memories of naked skin, flushed faces, and heavy breathing entered her mind.

“You’re going to call in favors from important people just to help me?”

“Of course. I am your Protector.”

Chloe sighed with disappointment. Of course that was why. What was she expecting

really?

“Well, where are we going first? I hate not knowing.”

He was silent for a minute then he said, “Telal Demuzi.”

Chloe stumbled a step and stared up at him in shock. “Telal Demuzi? The freaking only demon to be allowed to live outside of the rift because he’s so powerful? Oh my God.” As an afterthought, she added, “That’s the man Lily is supposed to be given to.”

Tyrian looked at her but didn’t slow his pace. “Francis listed Telal as your sister’s Protector? That is interesting.”

Her stomach rolled. “Why’s that?”

“I wouldn’t worry for your sister. Telal may be a demon, but he fought on our side to push the demons back at The Great War. He’s been most beneficial to our cause.”

“Yes, that’s neat and all but why is that interesting?”

He shook his head the barest of movements. Was he exasperated? “From what I know,

your father Francis allied with Telal for demon’s rights. They were both trying to open the rift so that the demons can cross over and live among us.”

Chloe knew that Papa believed in the rights of demons. Though she’d never known he’d fought against the demons in The Great War. Maybe he realized his mistake years later and wanted to make amends. She was learning there was a lot more about her Papa than she ever knew.

Deciding to test the waters a little, she reached out her hand for Tyrian’s, twining their fingers together. His arm jerked, but he didn’t pull back. She took that as a good sign and smiled.

“Why am I not surprised Tyrian left you in charge? Shall I bow, King Henry?” Draven’s laughter was almost contagious.

Henry shook his head. Now was not the time for laughter. Commander Tyrian left him in charge while he got Chloe out of danger. The battle was dying outside. The demons had already killed two of his men, but the Atal Warriors were stronger, faster, better trained. Only one demon kept Henry’s attention. The big gray bastard in the back, standing like some general behind his army.

When most of the idummi demons fell into bloody heaps on the snow, the demon roared like some beast, then slipped back into the cavernous hole it’d crawled from. Dirt and snow piled over the hole, covering it like a hill. What the hell was that thing? Every arrow and bullet shot at it, it’d deflected with some kind of magical wall around him. Most demons didn’t have that kind of power.

“Report,” Henry ordered. Rayn stepped forward, breathing hard from a fight he’d just had.

“Six left. The big gray one just disappeared. I have no idea how he does that, by the way.

We’re securing the gate.”

“Good, burn the dead when it’s done.” Rayn nodded and sped off into the fray. Henry loved this. The smell of blood and sweat, the sounds of clanking metal and the grunts of pain.

They were things he was all too familiar with. They all were.

He strode into the castle. He needed to send a report to the commander about the gray demon disappearing. If it could track Chloe, then it’d probably be on its way to her now. That they hadn’t been able to kill it was unacceptable.