Free When Darkness Ends by Alexandra Ivy Page B

about the intruder.”
    â€œI can take you to him.”
    Tonya shifted to the side to watch Styx deliberately pull out the large sword he had strapped to his back.
    As if the King of Vampires needed a weapon to make him scary.
    â€œThis had better not be a trick, fairy,” he growled.
    Surprisingly Magnus didn’t even flinch as he met Styx’s narrowed glare. “I am Chatri royalty, not a common fairy.”
    â€œWhatever.” Styx pointed the sword at the prince’s throat. “Don’t screw with me.”
    With a sharp shake of his head, Magnus was headed toward the door. “This is a madhouse.”
    Styx glanced toward Tonya, his expression pensive.
    â€œBe careful, imp,” he at last murmured. “There’s more to this prince than he wants us to believe.”
    Tonya grimaced as she watched the men leave.
    Yeah. She didn’t need to be told that Magnus was hiding all sorts of unexpected surprises.
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    Styx followed the Chatri out of the house and into the vast grounds that were covered in a thick frost. Thankfully he was impervious to the brutally cold wind that whipped off Lake Michigan, but the fairy in front of him gave a sharp shiver, his steps slowing as he reacted to the frigid temperature.
    Styx touched his sword to the center of the prince’s back. “Stay in front of me.”
    Magnus picked up his speed even as he glared over his shoulder. “If I wanted to hurt you, that sword wouldn’t halt me.”
    â€œYou’d be surprised what this sword can do.”
    â€œVampires.” Giving a shake of his head, the prince returned his gaze back to the shadowed garden, a golden glow abruptly surrounding his slender body.
    Styx hissed, feeling the heat that the fairy was able to produce to keep himself warm. He’d never fought a Chatri, but he knew they could create a burst of energy that could destroy any number of demons.
    Perhaps even a vampire.
    Something to keep in mind.
    They’d exited through a gate at the edge of his estate when Magnus came to an abrupt halt, holding up his hand.
    â€œHold.”
    â€œWhat now?” Styx growled.
    He’d barely crawled out of bed when he’d received the text from Tonya. He was supposed to be spending the early hours of his evening on the phone with Darcy, not following a damned fairy on a wild-goose chase.
    Magnus pointed toward the north. “The creature is hidden behind the large oak tree on the far side of the lake.”
    With a frown Styx moved to stand at the man’s side, at last catching the faint scent of strawberries.
    Imp.
    Styx felt a newfound respect for the prince. There was no way in hell his own senses were acute enough to have picked up the fey from such a distance.
    â€œAre you a tracker?”
    Magnus gave a stiff nod. “I am.”
    â€œImpressive.”
    â€œYes.”
    Styx rolled his eyes. “Wait here.”
    Moving forward, Styx gave a lift of one hand. The gesture would signal his Ravens to circle the intruder, but to wait far enough away not to spook the creature until Styx had time to speak with him.
    Then, moving with a silent speed that made him little more than a blur, he’d rounded the lake and approached the imp from behind.
    Once close enough, he pressed the tip of his sword against the back of the creature’s head.
    â€œDon’t twitch a muscle.”
    There was a squeak of terror, but the imp wisely froze as Styx slowly circled to study the overly pretty demon with pale green eyes and gold hair.
    â€œStyx?” The imp drew in an unsteady breath, his fear drenching the air with the scent of strawberries. “It’s me. Keeley.”
    Styx bared his fangs as a tidal wave of fury cascaded through him.
    Keeley had been one of the bastards responsible for destroying the previous Anasso.
    Leaning down, he grabbed the imp by his hair, lifting him off the ground and glancing toward his nearest Raven.
    â€œTake