Tavis started toward the crowd of people, flanked by Ronan, Duncan, Shane, and Lachlan. The crowd was thick, and Tavis’s eyes skimmed the people, noting that they were all watching with interest. The women wore bold looks of appreciation, even invitation, looks he’d only seen on the faces of whores. The men looked wary, other than a few who looked as interested as the women. One woman asked if they were members of a rock band. Whatever that was.

“Back of the line,” the big man said as they approached.

“We’re expected,” Ronan said.

The big man looked them over and frowned. “Names?”

Lachlan spoke up. “We’re extra security.”

“He didn’t tell me,” the man said. “Let me make a call.” He reached for his little box. His cell phone.

“That’s not necessary,” Tavis said. “Lance is with us. He’s in the car.”

“Lance.” The guard cursed. “Nobody ever tells me what’s going on. Where is he?”

“I’ll get him,” Duncan said. He walked back to the car and opened the door. The car rocked around in a manner that made Tavis wonder if Duncan was bouncing Lance off the seats, and then Lance exited the car, unshackled. Duncan walked close to Lance as they approached the door. Tavis suspected Duncan was holding him up. It was surprising he could even walk after just having the shackles removed. Duncan leaned down and whispered something to Lance just before they got there, and Lance’s face got pale.

“Steve,” Lance said as he approached the guard. He sounded and looked like he was drunk.

“They’re with you?” the man asked.

Lance’s head bobbed on his neck. “Yesss,” he slurred.

The man frowned and lifted a cord, and they walked inside. The room was filled with people and noise and lights. Tavis capped his hands over his years and yelled, “What’s that sound?”

“Music,” Ronan yelled back.

Music? That thumping noise? The crowd moved together in unison. When his own body started swaying, he realized they were dancing. If one could call it dancing. Women and men, paired in all manner of shapes and genders, were grinding their hips together. “Damnation,” he said, but the noise drowned him out.

In one corner, away from the bumping and grinding bodies, was a tavern or a pub. People were sitting on stools holding drinks. Tavis was glad Duncan led them in that direction because the music was frighteningly hypnotic.

Behind the bar, a thick man with short hair was serving drinks. He looked up and nodded his head at Lance. Duncan said something to Lance, and he pointed toward the back. The man behind the bar watched as they walked to a set of steps. The music became a muffled roar as they moved farther away. Tavis turned to Lance. “Where is she?”

Lance looked frightened. “On the top floor. There’s an elevator.”

Lachlan reached under his coat and pulled a pistol from his belt. He walked over and pushed a button on the wall, and a metal door slid open. Holding the pistol in front of him, he looked inside and nodded. “It’s OK.”

They all stepped inside, but Tavis held back. The room was tiny, not large enough for all of them to stand comfortably.

“It’s an elevator,” Duncan said. “Like stairs, without steps.”

Tavis stepped inside, and Shane pushed a button. The floor began to move. Tavis grabbed the wall, and the others grinned. He felt the little room moving, and in a moment, the doors opened. Shane, the closest to the door, looked out, checked both directions, and motioned for them to come on. This was different than the first floor with all the people and the noise. This had fancy stone floors and walls.

“Which way?” Duncan asked Lance.

“End of hall,” Lance said. He was still moving like a rag doll, but he looked more frightened than ever.

“Is there another way in?” Ronan asked.

“Just the balcony, but it’s a long climb,” Lance said.

“So you know where he’s keeping Anna?” Lachlan asked. “A bedroom, bathroom, closet?”

“I’m not sure. Don’t you think you need to have your guns and swords ready in case he’s here?”

“You said he wasn’t here,” Shane said.

“In case…I’m wrong.” Lance looked so scared now that he was trembling. “I’ll wait near the elevator. I don’t want to get in the way.”

“I think he’s lying about Anna—” Ronan didn’t finish his sentence. The door at the end of the hall burst open, and Anna ran out. A roar of angry voices sounded behind her.

Everyone looked like statues for a moment, and then they went into action.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Rescuing you,” Ronan said. “What the hell are you wearing?”

“Who said I needed rescuing?”

“He did,” Ronan said, nodding toward Tavis, who was very confused. Because Anna didn’t look like she needed rescuing. Even though she wore the same indecent dress she’d worn when they escaped from the fortress, she looked strong and fierce. Her beautiful eyes widened when she saw him. “They found you.”

“He crashed his own funeral,” Ronan said. “But there’s time for that later.”

“Lance said Voltar had taken you,” Tavis said.

“No,” Anna said.

“He must have lied so I would kill Voltar. Are you all right?”

She nodded. “I see you’re healing?”

“Thanks to you.”

She glanced away.

“We can all stand here feeling awkward,” Ronan said, “or we can get the hell out. Whatever’s in there doesn’t sound friendly.”

“Tristol and Voltar,” Anna said. “It’s a long story.” She glanced back at the door. “We’d better leave now. They’re both pissed. And Voltar ordered more demons.” She looked down the hall where Lance waited. “Is that Lance?” Anna’s shoulders squared, and a fierce look transformed her face.

Lance turned and started running, though it was more like an awkward lurch, since he was still shackled.

“Stop him,” Tavis called.

Anna pulled out her talisman and said, “Cover your eyes.”

“No,” Tavis yelled, but it was too late. The air sizzled and hummed, and Anna’s talisman light flashed. Lance vanished in mid stride. “Why did you do that? We needed him to tell us what’s going on with Voltar and Tristol.”

“He wouldn’t tell us anything. He’s only looking out for himself. We’d better get out before they realize we’re here.” She started moving, and they all followed her. “Stairs,” she said, shoving open a door. They pounded down the stairs and came face-to-face with a dozen men holding swords. Not men, demons. The stench was almost painful. Tavis reached for Anna to pull her behind him. She pulled away and kicked the closest demon in the stomach. He fell back against two of his companions.

The fighting was too close to use a talisman here, and there wasn’t time for the warriors to retreat to safety. Tavis pulled his dagger out of his boot and stabbed the demon rushing at him.

“I’ve got the fat one,” Lachlan said, dispatching the demon the moment his sword expanded.

Shane never spoke, he just swung, left, right, blade moving so fast Tavis could barely see it. He almost got scratched by a demon because he was so busy watching. In less than two minutes, the demons had been destroyed.

“We need to hurry,” Anna said. “If Tristol and Voltar don’t kill each other, they’ll be headed this way.”

“We’re parked out front,” Duncan said. “Where are you?”

“I don’t have a car.”

“How did you get here?” Ronan asked.

“With Tristol.”

“Funny,” Ronan said.

“Not really.” Anna didn’t smile.

“How’d you get here?” Duncan said, scowling.

“Seriously, Tristol brought me.”

Duncan frowned, and Tavis was shocked again at how strong the resemblance was to himself and Faelan. “We’re talking about the same Tristol, right? The ancient demon, hell’s favorite son and all that?”

“Yes.” She looked nonchalant, but her shiver gave her away.

Ronan grabbed Anna’s shoulders and put his face close to hers. “Explain.”

Pounding feet sounded on the stairs above them, blending with the thumping music coming from the club. “Later.” She opened a door and stepped into the room where everyone was dancing. “Blend,” she yelled over the music.

Tavis stared at the mass of flesh.

“That means dance your way out of here,” Ronan said.

“I can’t do this.”

“It’s like having sex standing up,” Ronan said, pushing Tavis toward Anna.
Ronan inserted himself between two dancing women, who laughed and started doing things to Ronan that people just didn’t do in public.

Tavis looked at Anna. He had no idea how to do this. It wasn’t any kind of dancing he’d known. She glanced at the door, where four men appeared, searching the crowd. They looked human, but they were big. Probably demons in disguise. Anna slid her arms around his waist and pressed her body closer to his. Bollocks. She started swaying her hips, and he moved with her. Ronan was right. It was kind of like having sex standing up. He could feel her skin against his, smell her hair. He started to understand the appeal of the dance.

Over Anna’s head, Tavis saw the other warriors dancing their way to the entrance. Lachlan was with a woman who resembled a vampire more than some of the vampires in Tristol’s fortress. Duncan was moving swiftly from one partner to the next, barely pretending to dance, and was already near the door. Shane and a woman with short blond hair were pressed together. Shane spun her, and when she circled around, he had moved several feet away near Duncan.

“Hurry,” Anna whispered. “The demons are getting closer.” Tavis and Anna kept moving, pretending to dance, but pushing through the crowd until they reached the other warriors.