brother,â she hissed.
Elijah stepped forward, his power lashing through the air with enough force to make the large gargoyles shiver in pain.
âNot only is it over, I will warn you that if you dare to harm Levet while he is in my territory I will make certain that the entire Guild is punished,â he said, his voice sending a hidden dew fairy fleeing in fear. âDo I make myself clear?â
âBut . . .â
â Oui ,â Ian interrupted Claudineâs whining, tugging her to the center of the garden. âIt is very clear.â
â Bon . Now leave,â Elijah commanded.
With a flap of their leathery wings, the two large demons were in the air and disappearing among the tiled rooftops.
Levet smiled. It had been years since heâd been forced to leave this city he so dearly loved.
Now he realized heâd allowed fear to keep him away. Not fear of his family, although thatâs what heâd always told himself, but fear of his own inadequacies.
He wouldnât allow them to keep him away again.
Realizing that Elijah had returned Valla to his arms and was studying her with blatant lust, Levet hid a smile.
âI believe that is my cue to leave as well,â he murmured.
The two separated so Elijah could give a regal bow of his head.
âI am in your debt, gargoyle.â
Levet gave a lift of his hands. âAll in a dayâs work for a knight in shining armor.â
Valla stepped forward, the lingering wounds in her blue eyes replaced by a sparkle of hope.
âI hope you find who youâre searching for,â she said softly.
âSometimes a man simply has to enjoy the chase,â he murmured, offering a low bow. â Au revoir .â
With a smile, Levet spread his wings and flew toward the stars.
Please turn the page for an exciting sneak peek of
DARKNESS AVENGED
the newest installment in Alexandra Ivyâs
Guardians of Eternity series
coming in June 2013!
PROLOGUE
THE LEGEND OF THE VEIL
Â
Â
The myths surrounding the creation of the Veil were a dime a dozen, and worth even less.
Some said it was the work of angels who had become lost in the mists of time.
Others said that it was a rip in space made during the big bang.
The current favorite was that Nefri, an ancient vampire with a mystical medallion, created the Veil to provide a little slice of paradise for her clan, the Immortal Ones. According to this particular rumor, it was whispered that on the other side there was no hunger, no bloodlust and no passion. Only an endless peace.
It was a myth that Nefri, as well as the Oracles that sat on the Commission (rulers of the demon-world), were happy to encourage.
The truth of the Veil was far less romantic.
It was nothing more or less than a prison.
A creation of the Oracles to contain an ancient mistake that could destroy them all . . .
CHAPTER 1
Viperâs vampire club
On the banks of the Mississippi River south of
Chicago
Â
The music throbbed with a heavy, death-metal bass that would have toppled the nearby buildings if the demon club hadnât been wrapped in spells of protection. The imp magic not only made the large building appear to be an abandoned warehouse to the local humans of the small Midwest town, but it captured any sound.
A damned good thing since the blasting music wasnât the only noise that would freak out the mortal neighbors.
Granted, the first floor looked normal enough. The vast lobby was decorated in a neoclassical style with floors made of polished wood, and walls painted a pale green with silver engravings. Even the ceiling was covered with some fancy-assed painting of Apollo on his chariot dashing through the clouds.
Upstairs was the same. The private apartments were elegantly appointed and designed with comfort in mind for those guests willing to pay the exorbitant fees for a few hours of privacy.
But once one was admitted past the heavy double doors that led to the lower levels,
Elijah stepped forward, his power lashing through the air with enough force to make the large gargoyles shiver in pain.
âNot only is it over, I will warn you that if you dare to harm Levet while he is in my territory I will make certain that the entire Guild is punished,â he said, his voice sending a hidden dew fairy fleeing in fear. âDo I make myself clear?â
âBut . . .â
â Oui ,â Ian interrupted Claudineâs whining, tugging her to the center of the garden. âIt is very clear.â
â Bon . Now leave,â Elijah commanded.
With a flap of their leathery wings, the two large demons were in the air and disappearing among the tiled rooftops.
Levet smiled. It had been years since heâd been forced to leave this city he so dearly loved.
Now he realized heâd allowed fear to keep him away. Not fear of his family, although thatâs what heâd always told himself, but fear of his own inadequacies.
He wouldnât allow them to keep him away again.
Realizing that Elijah had returned Valla to his arms and was studying her with blatant lust, Levet hid a smile.
âI believe that is my cue to leave as well,â he murmured.
The two separated so Elijah could give a regal bow of his head.
âI am in your debt, gargoyle.â
Levet gave a lift of his hands. âAll in a dayâs work for a knight in shining armor.â
Valla stepped forward, the lingering wounds in her blue eyes replaced by a sparkle of hope.
âI hope you find who youâre searching for,â she said softly.
âSometimes a man simply has to enjoy the chase,â he murmured, offering a low bow. â Au revoir .â
With a smile, Levet spread his wings and flew toward the stars.
Please turn the page for an exciting sneak peek of
DARKNESS AVENGED
the newest installment in Alexandra Ivyâs
Guardians of Eternity series
coming in June 2013!
PROLOGUE
THE LEGEND OF THE VEIL
Â
Â
The myths surrounding the creation of the Veil were a dime a dozen, and worth even less.
Some said it was the work of angels who had become lost in the mists of time.
Others said that it was a rip in space made during the big bang.
The current favorite was that Nefri, an ancient vampire with a mystical medallion, created the Veil to provide a little slice of paradise for her clan, the Immortal Ones. According to this particular rumor, it was whispered that on the other side there was no hunger, no bloodlust and no passion. Only an endless peace.
It was a myth that Nefri, as well as the Oracles that sat on the Commission (rulers of the demon-world), were happy to encourage.
The truth of the Veil was far less romantic.
It was nothing more or less than a prison.
A creation of the Oracles to contain an ancient mistake that could destroy them all . . .
CHAPTER 1
Viperâs vampire club
On the banks of the Mississippi River south of
Chicago
Â
The music throbbed with a heavy, death-metal bass that would have toppled the nearby buildings if the demon club hadnât been wrapped in spells of protection. The imp magic not only made the large building appear to be an abandoned warehouse to the local humans of the small Midwest town, but it captured any sound.
A damned good thing since the blasting music wasnât the only noise that would freak out the mortal neighbors.
Granted, the first floor looked normal enough. The vast lobby was decorated in a neoclassical style with floors made of polished wood, and walls painted a pale green with silver engravings. Even the ceiling was covered with some fancy-assed painting of Apollo on his chariot dashing through the clouds.
Upstairs was the same. The private apartments were elegantly appointed and designed with comfort in mind for those guests willing to pay the exorbitant fees for a few hours of privacy.
But once one was admitted past the heavy double doors that led to the lower levels,
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