So quickly did I move that I lost my guard, but I cared not. Blinded by my anger, only one thought prevailed-make the bastards who’d dared invade my home pay.

I screamed in rage when I felt Annabelle’s fragile flame of life snuff out. My fury pulsed in me, an almost visible power. I stalked into my own castle courtyard, noting with dispassionate eyes the strewn bloody corpses.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” I sang as I stood in the middle of my chosen battlefield-a graveyard of faces I’d once known. I raised my arms to the sky and threw my head back as I pulled on the power that coiled in me, my voice booming. “Come and meet your death you bastards.”

I sensed more than heard the thumps as several large bodies hit the ground, surrounding me. I counted an appalling eight daemons, a number to make even the most stalwart shiver. But I refused to give in to fear. And I would have my revenge, bad odds or not.

Facing me was a brute with rust colored skin. It leered at me with jagged teeth. “Sooo… this is the female who thinks to stop us.” His sibilant words slid across my ears discordantly.

However, he’d said something I found interesting. “Heard of me have you? Then you should know, I am a woman of my word.” I bared my own teeth at him.

The foul beast chuckled, a sound accompanied by the thuds of approaching footsteps. My men had finally caught up. Time to make them pay.

“Take care of her guards,” hissed the leader. “I want the woman for myself.” The daemon made an obscene thrust in my direction with its groin where a stubby erection poked forth.

I laughed. “You’ll need a bigger sword than that if you think you’re going to tame me.”

My taunting words made him roar, and I smiled even as I flashed him my middle finger. He probably didn’t understand the gesture, but I quite enjoyed it. As the sounds of my guard clashing with the daemons rose to flavor the night sky, I dove at the red skinned leader. Sour or not, I’d taste his blood.

The wily bastard met my charge, barely budging as he braced his cloven feet. I hit him hard then ducked away, evading its slashing claws. Thus did we dance, our music the scuffing of shuffling feet, the thumps of landing fists and the grunts of pain and exertion. I added my own deadly notes to the cacophony of sound with the whistling sound of my blades. The lead daemon proved fast, but I moved even faster. My silver daggers arced and flashed as they caught the feeble light from the moon. Each thrust leaving an oozing line on the beast’s skin. My pointed kicks driving the breath from it. My exhilarated laughter, tinged with a madness I’d succumbed to a long time ago, sending the daemon stumbling back, its eyes widening as I stalked him.

“How dare you touch what’s mine,” I growled, the power I’d absorbed over the centuries pulsing inside me.

The leader licked its blackened lips and skipped back out of my reach. “You are strong for a female. Instead of fighting us, you should join us. We could use some strong females to birth the next generation to inherit this place you call Earth.”

I gaped at the creature, stunned at its offer. “Like fuck. I’d rather die than allow your kind to touch me.”

The daemon stopped retreating and grinned with all his pointed teeth. “Then consider your wish granted.”

Too late did I notice that not only had the battlefield grown silent, but the link to my guards was severed, their deaths at the hands of the daemons leaving me alone with-I counted-the leader and three more to take on still.

They closed in, but I refused to let fear shake me even as I knew the end approached. Since my turning, I hated letting others make my decisions for me even when it came to my imminent demise. I dove sideways and went to greet death on my terms-fighting like a rabid bitch to the end.

I moved in a blur, tugging on my innate power to enhance my strength and thus increase the ferocity of my blows. I managed to take one, two, down, but even with my speed, I couldn’t hope to prevail against them all.

I slowed, my adrenaline ebbing as my power, sucked dry, sputtered and died. I now keenly felt each blow, kick and slash. I hit the ground hard on my knees, wavering as I struggled to remain conscious. My vision blurred and pain, that unforgiving mistress, gripped me, but I refused to cry out. I wouldn’t beg for mercy even as I fell flat on my face.

And then night turned to day, or so it seemed as a brilliant light enveloped the courtyard, and with my eyes squinting at the illumination, the blows raining upon me stopped. I sucked in a breath-bad mistake because it fucking hurt-and struggled to sit up. I failed miserably, but I did manage to roll over. I blinked my eyes, then blinked again.

I’d heard of avenging angels, but hearing and seeing? Two totally different things, especially when the really pissed angel was fighting for you. Like some kind of guardian angel, Rafe had arrived in all his glory-and damned if I wasn’t glad to see him.

His snowy white wings, which should have proven impractical, actually gave him an advantage as he leapt up into the air and then plummeted down behind the remaining daemons. He wielded as sword of pure white light-bright enough to make my eyes water-like he’d been born with it. Each move he made, deadly in its efficiency. His face was a grim mask of anger and his eyes blazed with blue light. Even injured, I couldn’t help the jolt of longing-the surge of love.

He’s fighting… for me.

I would have loved to have basked in the warmth of knowing how much his actions proved he cared. But almost immortal or not, I’d lost a lot of blood, and darkness grabbed me and snuffed my consciousness.

Chapter Eleven

I woke to burning pain, the kind that made me want to weep and cry like a human. Damned daemon claws. Breathtaking agony or not, though, I needed to get up and find out what had happened-is Rafe okay?

I winced as I sat up, only realizing belatedly I wasn’t alone. For a moment, fear gripped me as I wondered if I’d ended up the captive of the daemons. Then a familiar musk surrounded me as strong arms helped me sit up, and that answered one question at least. Rafe’s alive.

Relief flooded through me at the knowledge, and my heart raced as I tried to find words, some way of adequately expressing what his coming to my rescue meant to me. All I came up with was, “Thank you.” Lame, but how could I express how much I appreciated what Rafe had sacrificed? He’d forsaken his kind to rescue me. He’d possibly lost his place in Heaven to protect me. He’d given everything… for me. I was both humbled and overjoyed-and the teensiest bit terrified that he would regret his choice.

He propped me against some pillows, and then his hands slipped away as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Concern shone in his blue eyes and his lips curved into a bittersweet smile. “Don’t thank me for doing what I had to. Heavenly law or not, I couldn’t stand by and watch you die.” Okay, not exactly a declaration of undying love, but I’d lived long enough to read between the unsaid lines.

I wanted to say so much to him-Thanks for coming to my rescue. Thanks for forsaking your kind. Thank you for caring-but expressing my emotions had never come easily to me. The truth-I love you-stuck in my throat. All I managed to say with dropped eyes was, “How did you find me?”

“I told him where you were hiding.” My queen-the consummate meddler-swept into the bed chamber. Taking in my surroundings-stone walls, rich brocade tapestries and high ceilings-I realized I must have lain unconscious for quite some time because they’d brought me back to the castle in the Rockies. I remembered nothing of the trip, a disturbing realization which brought home just how vulnerable the attack had left me.

“My people?” I already knew the answer, my link to them a gaping spot in my mind. Lily’s sad shake of her head confirmed the worst.

I closed my eyes in order to compose myself. To my shame, I couldn’t prevent the tears that leaked from my closed lids as the faces of those who’d died in my service ran through my head like a macabre video. From human thralls to vampire progeny, almost thirty lives snuffed because I’d failed them all. My mental anguish hurt worse than my wounds. Never again would Annabelle tease then feed me. Never again would any of them fill my psyche with their comforting presence and loyalty. Sorrow enveloped me and wracked me with sobs, an overwhelming emotional overload like I hadn’t experienced since my turning.

Rafe stroked the back of my hand as I trembled, especially when I realized how easily he could have died, too. In coming to my rescue, he’d placed himself in danger. It chilled me to know a handful more daemons and he could have been lost, too. I was doing him no favors by making him choose me over the safety of Heaven. On the contrary, my selfish desires were putting him in harm’s way. Not for long.

“Go,” I whispered. “Go back to Heaven. You shouldn’t be here.”

“No.”

“Please,” I pled, my voice cracking.

“Leave us while I tend her wounds,” Lily said in a commanding tone.

“But-”

Rafe shut up and even though I didn’t hear Lily speak, I could imagine her face. She could convey a lot with a single look. Rafe didn’t stand a chance. The door to my room thudded shut and I sagged. My shoulders shook and the tears poured in hot rivulets as I broke even further, the humanity I’d locked away pushing forth and claiming me in its emotional grip.

“Shh.” Lily wrapped herself around me, rocking me like a child, offering me comfort which I, in my weakness, soaked up.

I cried my heart out, shedding tears for those I’d lost, for the one I needed to push away. Lily held me as I poured out all my pent up frustration and sorrow.