Free Hot Decadent Rising (Breath of Darkness) by Candice Stauffer

all have evil within each of our souls.”
    “I don’t have any reason to listen to
you. What about Brianna? You refuse to be bound to your own mate because she’s
human?”
    “I would destroy her. I refuse to bind
her soul to mine, but it has nothing to do with her being human. She’s perfect.
She deserves a kinder, brighter fate than to be shackled to a ten thousand year
old demon. She’s under my care and protection until the day she takes her last
breath. I will follow her.”
    “Do you plan to allow her to enjoy life
and have children with a human husband? Will you watch over him as well?”
    “She would never want or need another
male.” Nikolas stopped and then, staring at the wall, he seemed to be studying
it, looking for something.
    “What are you doing?" Eli knew
better than to argue with the demon. He was growing impatient to get out of the
tunnels, but he didn’t miss the importance of what the demon had stated. 
    “You’re free to leave at any time, if
being here is too much for you to handle. I don’t need your help. To be honest,
you’re beginning to annoy me.”
    Eli smiled. “The past is past. The
future is all that matters now. I’m not leaving until we figure out where the
hell they’re hiding Zack.”
    “This way.” Nikolas gestured for him to
follow.
    “You see the brick wall,
right?” Some demons weren’t thrilled when Eli chose to get involved, but they
didn’t reject his help. It was a time to band together for the good of all.
    “Where you see a wall I see
an open door.”
    “To what?”
    Eli stopped. “Wait. It sounds like we
have company in the tunnels above us.”
    Waving him off Nikolas kept walking.
“It’s a group of tourists on a ghost hunting excursion. They won’t be a
problem.”
    “Not for you. I don’t have the ability
to poof away or make myself invisible.”
    “If it comes down to a confrontation you
can always poof into a dog, tuck your tail between your legs and run like
hell.”
    “Will you ever get bored with the dog
jokes?” Eli asked.
    Nikolas shrugged. “Probably not. The
group that leads the tours hasn’t discovered this series of tunnels. I doubt
they ever will. Most humans will never see beyond the spell concealing the
entrance.”
    “I’ve never actually seen a human ghost.
I don’t believe anyone I know has for that matter. You’re older than dirt. Have
you ever encountered an apparition?”
    Nikolas stopped and stared at Eli for a
few seconds as if seriously pondering the question. “Do you mean like the cagey
looking one sneaking up on you from behind?”
    Eli spun around and stared down the
seemingly empty brick corridor. Nikolas laughed. Realizing he’d been duped, Eli
faced the demon. “Ha. Ha. You’re too funny.”
     “Don’t be afraid, pup.” Raising
his arms and making a show of flexing his muscles, Nikolas smiled. “I promise
this incredibly strong, ready and able to kick ass, older than dirt demon will
protect you from all the scary spooks down here.” 
    “That’s wonderful news.” Eli shoved past
Nikolas, but he only took a few steps before he caught Zack’s scent mixed with
vampires. He stopped. “We must be getting closer to locating him.”
    Nikolas pointed to the left. “In there.”
Removing iron bars from the entrance with a wave of his hand, he walked into a large
jail cell.
    Eli followed. “He has been here
recently. His scent is still strong.” 
    “He’s still here.” Gesturing toward the
center of a dark, musty cell used in the mid eighteen hundreds to the early
nineteen hundreds by human traffickers, Nikolas shook his head.
    “He isn’t here.” Just in case the demon
saw something he didn’t Eli studied the area for a few seconds. Nothing. He
didn’t see or sense anything.
    “Look again.” With a wave of his hand Nikolas
opened the door into what appeared to be another dimension. Zack’s form
shimmered. He looked like a ghost before his image truly solidified, but it was
obvious by