Sacrifice of Darkness: A Guardians of Eternity Novella

even darker shade of puce.
Hmm. Pucier?
The rombo desperately gestured toward the large demon, who stumbled to a puzzled halt. Javad turned back to Rupert.
“Now, one last time. Tell me where I can find the fight club.”
“It’s out in the desert someplace,” the male choked out, gasping for air.
“Be more specific.”
Dark eyes flared with crimson flames. “I can’t. It’s always moving. Plus, it’s hidden behind layers of illusion.”
“Who runs it?”
“I don’t know.”
Javad lifted the demon until his feet dangled off the floor. Behind them, the troll growled in fury, but he wasn’t stupid enough to try and interfere.
“You never learn, do you?” Javad smiled. “Give me a name before I start ripping off body parts. Starting with that lump of flesh between your legs.”
That did it. Males were males, no matter what their species. Start threatening the family jewels, and they would betray their own mother.
“A vampire called Vynom.” Rupert coughed, his breath wheezing through his crushed throat. “And before you ask, I’ve never talked to the male, he’s never visited this club, and I’ve never been to the pits.”
Javad allowed the creature to dangle off the floor for another minute, then he dropped him with a flick of his wrist. For the moment, he would accept that Rupert was telling the truth. If he discovered he was lying, he could always kill him later.
“Who has been to the pits?”
Rupert regained his balance, glancing toward the crowd of rowdy demons. Javad suspected that he was more interested in hiding the crimson flames in his eyes than checking out his customers. Those eyes would reveal his heritage and stir up awkward questions.
“None of these losers,” the bar owner muttered. “Only the most elite fighters are invited.”
Javad abruptly turned and headed toward the door. The name Vynom had hit him with stunning force. He didn’t want anyone to detect his unwelcomed sense of vulnerability. All demons were predators. They would strike the second they suspected any sort of weakness.
Besides, he’d just caught a familiar scent. One that he hadn’t expected in this seedy establishment.
Keeping his pace slow and steady, Javad retraced his steps out of the club, pretending to ignore the numerous demons who watched him leave with speculative gazes. Then, following the surprising scent, he rounded the side of the low building to glare at the vampire leaning against the crumbling stucco.
Viper. Clan chief of Chicago. And Javad’s current master.
The male had long, silver hair as pale as the moonlight and dark eyes that held a mocking amusement. His face was lean and far too perfect to be anything but a vampire. And while he wasn’t as tall as Javad, he was equally slender. Tonight, he was dressed like a Regency dandy, in a dark green velvet coat and silk pants, with a lacy white shirt. He should have looked ridiculous. Instead, he was as regal as any king.
Javad folded his arms over his chest. “What are you doing here?”
Viper arched a brow. “Hello, Javad. Wonderful to see you. How are you? Good, I hope. And me? Why I am in excellent health.” He ran a slender hand down the emerald pile of his coat. “Is that a new jacket? Why yes, it is. A gift from Shay. Thanks for noticing.”
Javad rolled his eyes. Viper’s sense of humor was almost as peculiar as his choice in fashion. Of course, when you were eternal, you had the luxury of dressing however the hell you wanted. Trends and fads had no meaning. “Since when do you care about manners?”
Viper pretended to be shocked. “You wound me, old friend. I am infamous for my exquisite charm.”
“Only when it earns you money.”
“Shay has been trying to civilize me.”
Shay was Viper’s mate. Javad had met her on several occasions and genuinely liked the Shallot demon. But while she might have many fine qualities, he doubted anyone’s ability to civilize Viper.
“Have you told her that it’s a wasted effort?”
Viper smiled, his long fangs shimmering in the light of the flashing neon sign above the building.
“She lives in eternal hope.”
“Why are you here?” Javad repeated his question. As much as he enjoyed the company of his master, he was anxious to start his hunt.
Viper shrugged. “I wanted to check on the club.”
Javad believed that Viper had traveled to Vegas to visit the Viper’s Nest. The male liked to keep his finger on the pulse of all his businesses, even those that were wildly successful. But that didn’t explain why he was standing outside the Diablo.
“Your GPS must be malfunctioning. The Viper’s Nest is across town.”
“My GPS is just fine. Candace told me you were here. And why.”
Damn. Javad was going to have strong words with his second in command. The female vampire was usually loyal to the point of fanaticism. Although, to be fair, Viper was her ultimate master.
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Do I look like a babysitter?”
Javad grimaced. His master might possess a glossy sophistication that fooled the humans, but just below the surface was a ruthless demon that had survived endless challenges to his position as clan chief. Only a fool would assume he was anything but a lethal predator.
A soon-to-be dead fool.
“Viper—”
“How about a friend?” Viper interrupted. “Could you use a friend?”
Javad hesitated. His brutal past made it difficult to lower his barriers. Viper was one of the few who’d managed to earn his trust. And that had taken several centuries.
He gave a slow nod. “Yeah. I could use a friend.”
“I could only hear a portion of your conversation with the rompo demon. There’s a fighting pit in town?”
A familiar fury blasted through Javad. When he’d finally walked away from the pits, he’d sworn that he would do everything in his power to make sure no other demon suffered as he had.
“In the desert.”
“And you’re going to close it down?” Viper demanded.
“I made the law that fighting pits are forbidden in my territory. If I don’t take action, it will make me look weak.”
Viper eyed him with a grim expression. “And it has nothing to do