And of course there was his outfit.

What sort of man wore heavy robes and a medallion that looked as if it had been ripped off some sports car?

Even as the aimless thoughts floated through her mind the thing reached up to stroke a finger down her cheek. Abby gagged at the clammy feel of his touch, desperately wondering where Dante was.

He had to be near, she told herself. Perhaps even now plotting her rescue.

She didn't for a moment consider the fact he might be injured. Or, God forbid, dead.

That path only led to stark, raving madness.

Instead she glared at the man who was regarding her as though she were a bug pinned beneath a microscope. An apt description considering she was tied so tightly to the pole she could barely even blink.

"Such power," he purred in an oddly mesmeriz-

Ing tone. "She hums with it. It seems almost a pity to have her slain."

Slain? Abby groaned through the rag stuffed in her mouth. She didn't think she was tied up for a surprise birthday party, but slain?

Damn Selena and those witches. She was obviously here to be served up like a Thanksgiving turkey for the Prince.

Hurry, Dante, she silently willed. Please, God, hurry.

Another face suddenly popped into view. This one belonged to a woman not much older than Abby with a pale, pointed face and a dark cloud of hair. She might have been attractive if it hadn't been for the unnatural glitter in her brown eyes,

"She doesn't look all that dangerous," the woman scoffed.

The man shot her a condemning glance. "Because, like most, you see only with your eyes, Kayla. A weakness that I have warned you of more than once."

"It hardly matters. She'll soon enough be dead."

Abby didn't like the woman's flippant tone. She made it sound as if they were taking out the trash rather than committing cold-blooded murder. With a flare of anger, she wondered if she could fry the bitch like she had those zombies.

"Yes, soon." The hairless stranger glanced toward the burning fire. "The summoning of the dark lord has begun."

"Shall I call for Amil and the vampire?"

Dante. Abby briefly closed her eyes as relief surged through her. He was near. And any moment he was going to charge through the door to kick some serious ass.

Unaware of his danger, the man allowed a peculiar smile to tug at his lips.

"Not just yet. I am waiting for the appropriate moment to… reward my loyal acolyte."

Something in the oily tone caught Abby's attention, stirring the hairs on the nape of her neck. The young woman, however, merely smiled.

"You have honored me by requesting my presence."

"I assure you that your presence is essential."

The dark eyes smoldered with a hectic fire. "We shall be blessed above all others."

"Yes, indeed."

There was a sound across the chamber, and Abby shifted her gaze to discover two shadowed forms standing near the corner. They were shrouded from head to foot in heavy robes. No doubt a good thing. Abby didn't hope for a moment they were actually human.

The woman seemed no more impressed than Abby, and her lips curled as she waved a hand toward the silent witnesses.

"Shouldn't you be sending away those… pests? You surely don't want them around when his lordship returns?"

"They are essential as well."

"Why?"

'You will discover soon enough."

The woman gave a harsh sound of annoyance. "I hate this waiting."

"Patience possesses its own rewards." Still studying Abby, the man seemed to stiffen, his head swiveling toward an opening near the servants.

The woman frowned. "What is it, master?"

"I sense a… disturbance. Return to Amil."

"Now? What if the Pr—"

A cold chill abruptly filled the air. "I said return to Amil."

Both Abby and the strange female blanched at the frozen edge in his voice. It was the voice of a man who would kill without thought or hesitation.

"Of course," she babbled as she gave a deep bow and hurried from the room.

Seemingly having forgotten Abby for the moment, the man studied the flickering flames.

"Nothing can stop me. Not now."

Chapter 13

Dante was waiting for the woman. She passed his shadowed form without noticing, and then it was far too late as he swiftly moved to sink his teeth deep into her throat. He was incapable of drinking human blood, thanks to the witches, but it didn't halt him from ripping out her throat.

Without even glancing down, he dropped her lifeless form to the ground and returned to the shadows to watch his arrogant partner in crime stride into the large chamber before them.

It had been child's play to convince Amil to release him from his chains. Evil always turned on itself, and the ambitious pup wasn't entirely stupid. He knew quite well his master wouldn't hesitate to feed him to the coming Prince. It was precisely what he would do given the chance.

And thankfully his puffed-up pride made him believe he could control a mere vampire.

A mistake Dante was quite willing to encourage. At least as long as he dutifully distracted the mysterious master and allowed Dante to slip away with Abby undeterred.

Should he stand in the way, Dante would ensure he made an early trip to hell.

Moving with a silence no human could match, Dante slipped behind Amil as he crossed to stand before a thin, older man draped in heavy robes. The master. Dante narrowed his gaze as he sensed the power that shimmered about the wizard.

Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

Dante slipped deep into the shadows that surrounded the cavern. He had no desire to confront the magician directly. Not when there was a danger he might be killed before freeing Abby.

The thought of Abby made his gaze instinctively move to where she was tied to the post. He had deliberately avoided regarding her too closely. It was enough to know she was alive and seemingly unharmed. To dwell upon her obvious distress would only distract him at a time when he desperately needed to keep his mind focused.

Clenching his teeth with a cold fury, he continued through the shadows, moving toward the two robed servants who stood only a few feet away.

Across the chamber, Amil at last confronted the dark wizard. "Master."

An icy tingle of power scoured the air, making even Dante shiver.

"Why are you here?" he charged. "Where is Kayla?"

Too stupid or too arrogant to realize just how overmatched he was, the younger wizard gave a low chuckle.

"The last I saw, she was being ripped into shreds by a very angry vampire."

There was a furious pause. 'You allowed the beast to escape?"

"In a manner of speaking," Amil drawled.

Stepping directly behind the servants, who had not yet noticed Ms presence, Dante reached out to wrap his arms about their throats. With one smooth motion, he twisted both their necks until they cracked, and he lowered them to the floor.

They had never seen death coming, and he was one step closer to freedom.

There was a sharp hiss from the master. "You fool. You stupid, greedy fool."

"No, not a fool," Amil denied. "At least not fool enough to allow myself to become mere fodder so you can wallow in your own glory."

There was a startled beat, as if the master hadn't expected his student to realize his ultimate fate.

"Ah, perhaps not such a fool after all," he whispered in cold tones. "Tell me, Amil, what do you intend to do?"

"What I should have done to begin with. Kill you and offer the Phoenix to the dark lord myself."

Not surprisingly, the proud boast brought only a laugh from the older man. "Kill me? You?"

'You are weak from your battle with the witches," Amil boasted, causing Dante to pause in the shadows.

So, the wizard was responsible for the carnage at the coven. Bloody hell. The sooner he could get Abby out of this cavern the better.

Sinking back into the shadows, Dante began to inch his way behind the wizard.

'You can barely conjure enough power for a summoning spell," Amil continued his taunting.

What might have been a smile curved the thin lips as the wizard grasped the medallion about his neck.

"Not so weak as you believe." Pointing toward the younger man, the wizard struck.

Abby was well aware there was some mystical battle brewing between the two robed men. It would be hard to miss when the younger of the two abruptly slammed against the far wall only to scramble to his feet and lunge toward the older man.

Her attention, however, was not on the dueling wizards.

She had sensed Dante the moment he had entered the room. Fierce, near-heart-stopping joy had rushed through her as she had at last spotted him creeping through the shadows.

He was alive and free and on his way to sweep her away from this horrible place.

Then her joy had faltered when the light had flickered and she had seen the wet crimson that stained his shirt. Vaguely she recalled the young man in robes claiming a vampire was ripping the woman Kayla to shreds, but somehow she had not connected it to Dante. Not until she watched as he slipped from the shadows to dispatch the servants with swift and lethal ease.