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"The door--"

"We can’t allow ourselves to be trapped"

’Then we try to make a run for it?"

"I believe stealth will serve us better at this point"

Her eyes widened She was thinking that he had lost his ht

’You intend to sneak past them?"

"Yes"

"Great"

"Trust ro in her throat "One of these days"

’This way" He tightened his grip on her fingers and led her from the room In silence theythe wall, Dante bent down to reeway

No vaeway

Beside hiasp "A tunnel?"

"It will lead you beyond the gates," he explained, holding her gaze "Go two blocks north and wait on the corner behind the large oak Can you remember that?"

It took a moment for his words to sink in "No, Dante I will not leave you"

"If I don’t lay a false trail, then they will be upon us before we can reach safety Besides, I rounds"

She reached out to grip his arers brand through his shirt

The Phoenix would react to her emotions until she learned to control her powers

"You can’t--"

Gently he reers to his lips "Don’t fear, lover I’m far too swift for them to harm me"

He didn’t feel the need to explain that he intended to confront the aggravating wizard and put an end to his interference Full disclosure was for lawyers, not vampires

Not that most people seemed to think there was much difference between the two

One bloodsucker was ical trap?"

He cocked a brow "I’m not completely helpless This was once my home I have a few traps of my own"

"Dante"

He pressed a kiss to her palument"

She frowned at his stern tone "You’re far too fond of giving co the moment "You must do this for ot that" He bent beside the entrance to the tunnel and watched as she grudgingly crouched and stepped into the darkness He pressed the cell phone he pulled from his pocket into her hand "Don’t leave the tunnel if you sense someone is near Speed-dial Viper and he will colittered with frustration "Don’t you dare let anything happen to you or--"

"You’ll stake me someplace unpleasant?" he finished for her

’Yes"

He brushed her lips in a lingering kiss "I will take the greatest care"

Chapter 18

Rafael chanted a sih the shattered house It was frustrating to depend upon ic he hadn’t used since he was a fledgling acolyte But after the disaster of losing the Chalice when she ithin his grasp, he was not foolish enough to dare calling upon the dark lord’s powers

He hadn’t lived sostupid

The Prince possessed a nasty habit of punishing those who disappointed hi the upstairs hallway, he paused and spread his hands Giving a command, he studied the swirls of color that briefly appeared in the darkness

’They have been here," he said in satisfaction to the three disciples who stood behind him in respectful silence Or perhaps it was terrified silence Since the death of Aripped the faithful Which suited Rafael to perfection He far preferred to be feared than respected Fear only fed his power He watched as the colors began to fade "A vampire, a human and… ah, the witches’ whelp"

"The witches have the Chalice?" a thin voice demanded from behind him