Broken Heart 06 Come Hell or High Water (8 page)

"TMI?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said. "Way TMI."

"Sorry. Connor says I need to learn" - she crooked her fingers into air quotes - "boundaries."

Another light show erupted and then I was looking at a man in his fifties wearing an Armani suit and a corporate sneer. I tried to comprehend calling this guy Jennifer. Was this being... well, okay demon... female or male or both? Or neither?

"The others are waiting," he said.

"Others?"

"Hmmm. Perhaps Connor would prefer you to stay here until he returns."

"From where?"

His gaze shuttered. "From... downstairs. He must really like you to barter again with Nera."

"The creepy lizard lady?"

She - er, he - nodded.

I remembered that Connor had mentioned Nera before, when all hell (hah) broke loose with Lilith.

"Maybe someone should go get him."

Corporate Dude, aka Demon Jennifer, looked at me askance. "I don't think he'd like that. I mean, he's gotta stay there about a day or so to heal."

"Heal?" I shot off the bed. "Heal what?"

Had he gotten the Taint, too? You'd think if demons started the damned disease, they'd suffer from it as well, but maybe... maybe... I sat down heavily. Why was I so worried about him? I was supposed to be angry.

But I was having a hard time working up my fury.

"Oh, don't worry. It's just his eyes." Jennifer sat next to me. "Sure, it hurts when they're scooped out. But Nera's careful. Not to be nice, mind you. She doesn't want them to liquefy."

I stared at him. Her. Whatever! "What are you talking about?"

A panicked look crossed his features. "Oh. Was I not supposed to say?" His brows slammed down. "Connor doesn't usually ask me to keep secrets, 'cause he knows I'm not good at it."

"Nera took his eyes," I said carefully. "Why?"

"Payment. For curing you." He patted me on the shoulder. "He's immortal. So they'll grow back. In a day or two."

Connor agreed to give up his eyes. To go blind while they regenerated to make sure I survived the Taint. The least I could do was repay his kindness. "Jennifer, I want you to take me to Connor."

He slanted me a look. "You sure? The first level isn't bad. But my place is much nicer. I have mastered making chocolatinis. Ever had one?"

"No," I said. I didn't point out that as a vampire, I couldn't drink anything but blood. Unless I was in Broken Heart, of course. "I'm... um, Connor 's wife. And I should be where he is."

He considered this piece of logic for a much longer time than I thought necessary.

"Weeeeeeell." His hand clamped over my shoulder. "Okay!"

Then the world went dark and twisty.

I arrived in a cave.

Above me, the ceiling writhed with hundreds of shifting red shapes. Okay. What the hell was that stuff? I shivered at the idea of snakes or worms. The vermilion glow did little to illuminate the gloom of the cavern. Not even my vampire eyes could penetrate the thick darkness. The whole place smelled vaguely of rotten eggs. Or was that me?

I heard the
plink-plink
of dripping water. I realized that not only did I have the clothes I'd casually thrown on yesterday (was it only yesterday? I couldn't remember); I had no shoes (and no bra, sigh), but also I had no weapons.

One day, I'd really like to be prepared for a situation rather than just jumping into it. I guess I could always hope for a personality transplant.

"Connor?"

It was almost as if the sound of my voice were swallowed by the darkness. I examined the ceiling. The red squirmy things pulsed and wriggled. Red light drifted down enough for me to make out the craggy rock wall behind me, the gritty floor, and about five feet of the cavern in front of me.

Then I heard:
Tiptiptiptip.

What was that?

The sounds got louder.

Tiptiptiptiptiptip.

"Connor?" I screeched.

The noise stopped, then started again. Louder. It was coming in my direction. Gawd. Connor? Demons? Elves? What was it?

I could sorta make out a small form coming toward me. It was on four legs. I backed against the wall, knowing my demon powers and vampire skills were weak. I could still throw a punch and kick, but my strength wouldn't keep up through an extended fight.

I was so screwed.

The tiny figure finally emerged from the thick shadows and came right up to the pallet. It sat down, cocked its head, and stared at me.

"A Chihuahua?" I blinked down at it, unable to comprehend something so mundane. It was a mixture of white, black, and brown. He had big brown eyes, a tiny snout, and stick legs. He weighed maybe all of three pounds. "You're a dog."

His ears twitched, and he cocked his head the other way.

I couldn't be sure he really was a Chihuahua.

A wave of rotten-egg stench rolled over me. "Are you a demon or is that just gas? Ugh! Dude, you're disgusting."

The dog straightened, looking offended. Then he got to all fours, whirled around, and started barking.

He was fierce, but those little yips weren't scarin' nobody. However, the creature slithering out of the darkness was another matter.

It sorta looked like a fat python with legs. It was black and scaly, and much, much bigger than the Chihuahua. It slithered and slithered, coiling its seemingly endless body until it rose a good three feet into the air. Its front legs kicked, and it hissed at the dog.

"Hey!" I yelled. "Dude! C'mere!"

If my heart could beat, it would be hammering out of my chest. Unnerved by the demon, I clutched at the wall, my fingernails scraping against pocked stone.

The damned mutt kept barking.

The demon opened its maw, showing sharp, slimy teeth, and, with its red gaze on the Chihuahua, it struck.

The Chihuahua ate the demon.

He.

Ate.

The.

Demon.

I watched in fascinated horror as the tiny dog opened its itty-bitty mouth and slurped that demon in as if it were a bowl full of delicious spaghetti.

When he was finished, he offered a small burp. Then he turned toward me and wagged his tail.

We stared at each other a moment while relief shuddered through me.

"Good dog!" I cried. He galloped to me, so I squatted down and petted him. "What a good boy! Yes, you are. Yes, you are. Who's the badass? That's right. You are."

He licked me right on the mouth, and I could taste the sulfur.
Yech.
Well, hell. I couldn't deny the demon-eating Chihuahua a few kisses after he'd saved me.

"Scrymgeour!" Connor's voice! He was out there in the freaking abyss. "Here, lad."

The Chihuahua flipped around and ran into the shadows.

Sheesh. I'd been worried about Connor. I was ashamed at how much relief I actually felt. Because I couldn't rectify my own feelings, I handily blamed the mating bond.

"Connor?"

"Lass! What're you doin' down here?"

"Your sister... um, zapped me."

"I'll send you back. You need to rest."

"I know what you did," I blurted. "I'm not going back without you."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Tiptiptiptip.

Scrymgeour arrived first. Then Connor appeared at the edge of the shadowy domain I was - let's be honest - afraid to even approach. He held a long, gnarled staff, using it to test the ground in front of him.

A strip of stained cloth covered his eyes.

"Oh, Connor!" I couldn't keep the horror out of my tone.

He grimaced, but said nothing, continuing his slow progress toward the wall at my backside. His clothes were just as grimy as mine, his hair lanky, and his cheek sported Lilith's deep scratches, though they'd begun to heal.

Worry fluttered inside me. He was blind, I was weak, and all we had to help us was the Chihuahua. How many demons could he eat? His digestive system was, like, four inches long.

"Dinnae worry, Phoebe." He knelt down, holding on to the staff, and put out his hand. "Did you watch over our lady, Scrymgeour?"

The Chihuahua yipped and rubbed his back under Connor 's outstretched palm.

"He slurped down a demon like it was a milk shake," I said, still astonished by the feat.

"Scrymgeour's a hellhound. He eats demons for breakfast. Don't you?" The dog wagged his tail and barked. Then he got on his belly and crawled toward Connor. He yipped, then whined. "Oh, now, lad. Dinnae worry. I'm sorry I left you so long, but I willna do it again." The Chihuahua popped up and jumped onto Connor 's knee. "Go do a perimeter check, you little rat."

Scrymgeour barked, then sped off to do Connor 's bidding.

"You have a Chihuahua hellhound for a pet?"

"Hellhounds choose their forms and their masters. I dinnae know why he settled for a Chihuahua or for me, but I'm glad to have him." He reached out and touched the wall, then settled himself against it. "I imagine you're starvin'."

"No donors," I lamented. I sat next to Connor. I couldn't keep my gaze from the ratty bandage covering his injured eyes.

"Your sister said something about others waiting for us. You gonna tell me what's going on?"

"I'll tell you about it," he said, "after you eat." He tapped his neck.

"Uh, no."

His brows rose, which looked weird with the strip of cloth around his eyes. I reached out, though I wasn't sure if I really wanted to take off the bandage or not.

"No, lass. Dinnae." Connor unerringly caught my wrist. "I'm the only meal around. If you insist on staying here while I heal, then it's me or nothing."

"Uh, no."

"Then how about a kiss?"

"Now? Because I need some Crest, dude. Bad." I crinkled my nose. "And no offense, but so do you."

He laughed. "I'd kiss you anytime, anywhere, Phoebe."

I realized I was supposed to be mad at him, only I wasn't. Just because my anger had taken a backseat to the obvious problem of Lilith did not mean I wanted to stay hitched to a hottie half-demon.

"C'mon, lass." He tilted his neck. "Dinnae be stubborn."

Hunger scrabbled in my belly. A vampire appetite wasn't assuaged as easily as, say, a human skipping lunch and honking down a midafternoon cheeseburger to stop her belly growls. This kind of craving had an edge of need so sharp, it cut at your morals. Sliced away inhibitions. A pint was enough to keep a vampire going, but it offered minimal satisfaction.

I straddled him and he sucked in a sharp breath. It was the easiest position for me to feed in (yeah, and it so wasn't because I wanted to sit on his awesome lap). His eyes might be injured, but nothing else about the man was experiencing malfunction. Whew, baby.

I pressed my fingers against the strong pulse of his carotid artery. Somehow, I knew he was thinking about my mouth, and I tingled with the need to lay one on him. Because of the bond. Because of the memory of when he kissed me BB (Before Betrayal). He had such wonderful lips, their contours fitting against mine so sweetly.

Oh, dear Lord. I did not just think about...

I swallowed hard. A phantom blush heated my cheeks and I was glad he couldn't see me. I didn't want him to guess what I'd been thinking.

"Phoebe." Connor 's voice was strained.

His hands lightly gripped my waist. My fangs emerged. Survival meant blood, and I had no problem taking sustenance.