Free Immortal Dynasty by Lynda Haviland Page A

suddenly tackled him to the floor.
    “What is it with these things?” He fanned the air in front of his nose. “What the hell do you feed your pets, Therion?”
    “You’re still on my playground, Darius.”
    He mentally dared Therion to come a little bit closer, but the man just smirked from a distance. Oh the hell with it!
    Scrambling from underneath the demon, Darius flipped it into the boat display. Dusty, splintered planks collapsed around it. A second demon grunted loudly as it launched itself from the shadows across the room. Flicking a quick release button on the belt buckle, Darius slipped a small throwing knife into his palm. Spinning, he used the momentum to toss the shiny blade at this newest attacker. It hummed through the air and sliced easily into the demon’s forehead.
    “And I see you still let others do your dirty work for you.” The demon writhed on the floor, a silent scream frozen on its lips. Bursting into a blue flame, it slowly disappeared. Darius aimed a second knife right between Therion’s eyes. In his other hand, he held up the handwritten note. “Would that include your mother?”
    Finally, he’d struck a nerve. Black eyes flared at him with angry defiance. Even the fancy suit couldn’t conceal the flexing of muscles as Therion’s body tensed. Darius lowered the knife, but kept his body loose and ready.
    “You know, Therion, every bully has a weakness. What’s yours?” A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Hmmm. You know I’ll find it. That’s what I do. I find things…and I always find what I’m looking for.”

    * * *

    “Well, well, well. What a divine example of human masculinity.” Lilith Troy stood at the bottom of the spiral staircase, posed as seductively as she did on every poster of her around the world.
    Innocent did not seem to be the look she was striving for. Black silk crisscrossed over her chest to hang sleekly over her shoulders. More black silk clung to her hips and flared down to the floor. A gold leaf diadem pushed her hair back away from her face, but she’d pulled half of the blonde waves forward over her body. The ends curled around her bare midriff.
    Darius suddenly felt like prey, locked by an intense tawny gaze. He’d heard that she had that effect on men. He’d discounted it…until now. She looked divine and dangerous.
    He couldn’t help but think of the statue of Mark Antony in the other room. Men rarely stood a chance when faced with a woman who understood the power of her own beauty. He knew instantly that Lilith Troy would be exactly that type of woman. A type he would be wise to avoid.
    Feeling Therion move in his direction, Darius re-aimed his knife. He would not be caught off guard again.
    “Enough!” A display case next to Therion shattered. Tiny pieces of glass skittered across the bare floor. The big man halted mid-step and turned his glare toward his mother.
    That was the second time Darius watched glass explode along with Lilith’s temper. “You must go through a lot of glass.” Therion momentarily gave him a you-have-no-idea look , before moving slowly toward the golden beauty.
      “Thank you for welcoming our guest.” Lilith kissed her son on the cheek, but her voice dripped with sarcasm. “Leave us. You have things to do.” She moved past him dismissively. Darius did not miss the contempt that momentarily passed across Therion’s face before he left the room.
    “It was you.” Lilith nodded her head toward the empty platform. “Your energy is unmistakable to me now. Such angry, masculine energy, Darius Alexander.” Closing her eyes, she drew in a deep breath as if savoring the aroma of a fine wine.
    He was surprised to see his first knife floating in the air, gliding gently back to him from across the room. She was demonstrating more of her power. He slid both knives back into his belt buckle.
    The sound of them coldly clicking back into place seemed to snap her out of her reverie. “Come with