Free Fear the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity) by Alexandra Ivy

that revealed a foretelling. Or dragging him halfway across the country.
    All he could do was keep her from hurting herself. He entered the sitting room only to find it empty with the door standing open. With a curse he jogged into the hallway, at last catching up with her as she stepped into an empty elevator.
    “Hold on, baby, I’m with you,” he muttered, entering the small cubicle at the same moment she hit the button for the lobby.
    She stared straight ahead, her face blank even when he tucked her into the robe and tied the belt. He grimaced. At least the hotel was nearly silent. Well, if one didn’t count the hideous music being pumped into the elevator.
    It was that strange hour just before dawn.
    The window of time when even the most hardened of gamblers had returned to their beds and the early morning workers were still gulping down their first cup of coffee. He and Cassie wouldn’t be bothered by unwelcomed gawkers, and more importantly, there would be no crowds an enemy could use to disguise their approach.
    The elevator at last gave a subtle shudder as it slowed, the metal doors sliding open. Without hesitation Cassie stepped into the lobby, her feet moving at a measured pace across the tiled floor and out the glass doors to the street.
    Staying at her side, Caine shook his head at the uniformed driver who was leaning against his limo in the off chance of a fare, and captured Cassie’s arm as she started to step off the curb, directly in the path of an oncoming taxi.
    “Wait,” he commanded, refusing to release her until he was certain the coast was clear.
    She stood passively beneath his touch, waiting in silence for him to at last release his grip so she could continue across the road and toward the edge of town at a swift jog.
    Caine sighed as he followed behind. If the whole knight protector gig crapped out he might just have a career as a crossing guard. Something to consider.
    Focusing on the absurd thoughts to keep from panicking as Cassie remained locked deep in her vision, Caine nevertheless was on full guard as they circled the edge of the airport and headed into the desert.
    Not that there was much to guard against. A few coyotes, lizards, snakes . . . Nothing that could harm a pureblooded Were. Thank the gods.
    Eventually, the perpetual glow of the city was left behind and all signs of civilization were lost to the barren desert. Still, Cassie continued forward, indifferent to the cool breeze and the thick silence.
    Where the hell were they going?
    It took another half hour before the question was answered, and even then it didn’t make any sense.
    Halting in the middle of a flat basin, Cassie stood at rigid attention, her pale hair floating on the breeze. Then, as if she were possessed by a sudden madness, she dropped to her knees. Caine cursed, leaping to the side as she grabbed a sharp stone and began to feverishly draw symbols in the arid ground.
    Gritting his teeth, Caine tried to leash his primal instincts that demanded he scoop Cassie off the filthy ground and return her to the safety of the hotel room. He even succeeded for several torturous minutes. But when the scent of Cassie’s blood hit his nose, his good intentions were blasted into a million pieces.
    Her knees were scraped raw and her hands cut more than once by the stone. Enough was enough.
    “Cassie.” He managed to take a step forward when a soft voice floated on the air.
    “Do not interfere, Were.”
    The sudden sound combined with the scent of brimstone had him spinning around, the Glock in his hand.
    His eyes narrowed at the sight of the small creature standing directly behind him. Shit. How had she managed to sneak up on him?
    Not that she looked like much of a threat. She was barely over three feet tall with a tiny body currently covered by a white robe that shimmered in the moonlight. Her heart-shaped face appeared almost childlike, with delicate features that gave the illusion of innocence.
    At least until one