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Declan indicated they head to the left, the opposite direction from the rest of the team.
Julian called the shadows to his body as he slipped into the darkness. The charm that hung from his neck was powerful, full of Declan’s mojo. A little extra protection wouldn’t hurt. He was confident no one could see them.
At least not the humans.
They slid through the crowd, with none the wiser, and adrenaline pumped through his body as they neared the stage area. It was a rush that he welcomed.
The music that pounded into the air was dark, seductive, and wrong. He glanced into the faces of the humans he passed and frowned at the rapt look in their eyes, as if they were in a trance.
He knew there
was dark magick blended between the notes, he felt them, and the pull was strong. Sorry bastards. They were so vulnerable to the forces of the dark. If the demon realm did manage to break through, they’d be screwed. It would be a bloodbath.
His eyes scanned the room and rested on the two large men who stood stage left. They blocked the path to the door and were definitely otherworld. Even without the smell that drifted from them, the pimped-out clothes would have been a dead giveaway.
A smile cracked his face as a growl hung low in his belly.
Silently, he and Declan approached them. The band was in a frenzy, pounding out notes as the singer wailed into the microphone. The sound echoed around the room, a cacophony of noise.
It somehow was appropriate and fed the rage that built inside him. Darkness preyed on darkness, and, in this instance, he was working it.
His animal burned beneath his skin, and the power of his jaguar flooded his veins. Both men were vampires, and he withdrew the deadly dagger from beneath his jacket.
Their presence wasn’t felt until they were almost upon the two men. By then, it was too late.
To the observer, a lone human whose attention might have been drawn from the music, all that was seen was a blur, a slight whisper in the air as if the shadows had moved.
They blitzed the vamps, Declan throwing two sharp and penetrating energy bursts at them, while Julian followed up with clean and precise swipes to the neck.
He watched dispassionately as their heads separated from their bodies, then grabbed the lifeless forms, dragging the remains along behind him. The entire attack lasted less than five seconds, and as he slipped through the door, he turned, his eye quickly scanning the immediate area.
No one had witnessed their advance.
Declan was just ahead and put a finger to his mouth, indicating there was more filth to deal with. The frenetic, heavy chugging of the guitars was somewhat muffled in here, yet the aggressive nature of the music fed his mind, excited his jaguar.
Julian sensed a third body several feet away. This one was different and he held back a snarl as its demon scent slowly drifted toward them. The large man was tapping his foot, moving his neck to the rhythm, totally digging the music.
Declan cleared his throat and smiled as the demon turned toward them. Its eyes were blood red and glowed eerily in the dark.
“Damn, you need to invest in some shades, boy, your freaky laser eyes are fucking ugly.”
The demon snarled at Declan and immediately began making a series of clicking noises from deep in his throat. Julian clenched his hands together. He knew the demon was calling on his true form, and it wouldn’t take long for it to transform.
He’d been itching to hit something for a while now. He might as well start with a nasty-ass demon from hell.
He took a step forward. Declan held a hand out, and he stopped. “This one’s mine,” he whispered. The air shimmered around him as Declan slowly walked toward the demon.
A loud hiss escaped from between its teeth, followed by a moan that was abruptly cut short as Declan came to within an inch of it. He twisted his hand in a gentle arc, yet the dark energy that flowed from him to the demon was anything but. It was a harsh, grinding burst of power, and the demon sank to his knees as it fought for air.
Julian stood back, watched closely, and though he might be mistaken, it looked as if energy was flowing both ways. As if Declan was feeding on the filth that lived inside the demon.
Several long moments passed, the demon’s eyes dimming as it eventually lost the battle. Declan grunted from the effort it took but held firm and relaxed as the demon fell to the floor.
Julian was surprised. He held the dagger loosely at his side and stared down at the corpse. It had been much too easy for Declan to destroy the demon.
The sorcerer ran his hands across the back of his neck and loosened his shoulders. A long, shuddering breath fell from between his lips. When he turned to Julian, the smile that hung there seemed out of place.
No matter. He knew they were both riding way too close to the edge, and the crevice that separated them from the filth of the underworld was getting smaller as time marched on.
