Free Bound By Darkness by Alexandra Ivy

heed.”
    She lifted her hand to grasp the medallion around her neck. The gold metal inscribed with some ancient hieroglyphs began to glow, filling the room with a strange heat.
    Santiago instinctively lifted his sword. “What the hell are you doing?”
    â€œI am going to search for the female.”
    Despite his hatred toward the Immortals, and the very real possibility she might fry him if he tried to interfere in her dramatic departure, Santiago stepped forward, grasping the woman’s arm.
    â€œNot without me, you’re not.”
    She went rigid beneath the firm grip of his hand, her dark gaze studying his fierce expression.
    â€œI had forgotten,” she whispered.
    His fangs throbbed at the exotic scent of jasmine and pure female.
    â€œForgotten what?”
    â€œHow aggressive males tend to be in this world.”
    He leaned forward, allowing their lips to brush as he spoke his low warning.
    â€œ Querida , you haven’t seen aggressive yet.”

Chapter 5
    Jaelyn perched on the steeply slanted roof, her eyes narrowed as Ariyal easily tugged open the unlocked skylight.
    She shook her head, her unease intensifying as she shifted to crouch beside the Sylvermyst.
    â€œIt must be a trap.”
    â€œNo one ever thinks an attack will be coming from above. Especially vampires.” Ariyal shot her a taunting smile. “Not surprising considering the fact they spend the majority of their lives in the dank ground.”
    Jaelyn clenched her hands, silently condemning Siljar and the rest of the Oracles to the nearest hell.
    It had been bad enough to be stuck with the unpleasant duty of tracking down Ariyal and hauling him to the Commission. But now ...
    She was a Hunter, not a babysitter for an aggravating, pain-in-the-ass Sylvermyst.
    â€œWe aren’t dealing with a vampire,” she said between clenched teeth.
    He shrugged. “No, but this lair was built for one and Sergei spent most of his life in the company of a leech.”
    She allowed her frigid power to swirl through the air. “You’re pressing your luck, fairy .”
    He flashed a wicked smile before he was shifting to drop through the skylight with a liquid grace. He landed without a sound and tilted back his head to meet her jaundiced gaze.
    â€œAre you coming?” he softly demanded.
    â€œAs if I have a choice,” she muttered beneath her breath, refusing to acknowledge his astonishing beauty as a stray beam of moonlight played over his pale, perfect features and the fascinating shimmer of his bronze eyes. Instead she pushed forward and landed next to the fey in the narrow hallway, her senses sweeping through the townhouse. “The mage is below us.”
    â€œYes.” He paused, turning his head toward a closed door just down the hall that was paneled in a dark, glossy wood with gilt-framed paintings gathering dust. “But there’s a spell of protection through there.”
    She frowned. “The babe?”
    â€œOnly one way to find out.”
    â€œDon’t forget your promise,” she warned, muttering a curse as he ignored her to shove open the door and disappear into the room beyond. She was swiftly following behind him, stepping into the obvious nursery to find the annoying man standing near a wooden cradle. “Ariyal, did you hear me?”
    â€œPerhaps you should let me concentrate, poppet,” he commanded, his gaze focused on the crib, where she could see a tiny bundle she presumed was the child. “We’re surrounded by a spell.”
    She froze, glaring at her companion in smoldering frustration.
    Dammit. She hated taking orders almost as much as she hated magic.
    A double reason to feel the urge to rip off someone’s head.
    â€œI told you this was a trap,” she hissed.
    â€œIt’s not a trap.” He held up his slender hands, waving them above the crib as if trying to sense some unseen force field. “There’s a magical web to