Demon of Vengeance: Chronicles of the Fallen, Book 4 by Brenda Huber Page A

wouldn’t be any use to Phoebe if he was missing his head or he’d been turned inside out. Literally.
    A moment later, Asher appeared beside him. “Give her to me,” he instructed, holding out his arms.
    “She doesn’t go anywhere without me.” Sebastian made no effort to pass her over, or to hide the surge of possessiveness sweeping through him.
    “It’s like that, is it?” Asher asked, arching a brow. Sebastian narrowed his eyes. He didn’t like the way the edge of the mercenary’s mouth curled up, or the hint of interest that now gleamed in his chocolate brown eyes.
    “Droppin’ like flies,” Asher murmured, shaking his head. He turned and, as they stepped up to the thick wood set in even thicker stone, he waved a hand over the front door.
    A low rumbling mixture of syllables and sounds passed Asher’s lips. Something far older and far more sinister than Sebastian had ever heard. Sebastian’s skin crawled at the surge of energy emanating from the demon beside him, an energy he shouldn’t, by rights, even be able to detect. That was Gideon’s thing. But sense it he did. He felt the protective layers over the castle waver and change. Not gone completely, yet Sebastian was able to follow Asher inside without incurring physical injury.
    As soon as they cleared the doorway, Asher waved over the massive double doors, raising the protective barrier once more. Sebastian’s skin crawled.
    Dark magic. Very dark magic indeed.
    Extra enchantments that hadn’t been here the last time Sebastian had had cause to visit.
    As if reading his thoughts, Asher called over his shoulder, “New wards thanks to Xander.”
    Xander? Now Sebastian was truly puzzled. While Xander took precautions like the rest of them, he’d never been big into wards and enchantments. At least, not until Kyanna had come along. His Guardian mate gave a whole new meaning to the phrase packin’ heat.
    But these were definitely not angelic enchantments. Sebastian frowned. Did this have something to do with the day Xander had nearly died? The Fallen been engaged in an epic battle with angels as well as demons in a meadow near Xander’s cabin. Sebastian recalled that day clearly. It was the first and only time he’d ever suffered a broken wing. Excruciating. It had ranked right up there with a horn removal, and that didn’t bear remembering.
    Xander had disappeared with Kyanna, and some time later Asher had deposited a hysterical Kyanna on Sebastian’s doorstep. She’d been beside herself, going on and on about Xander dying and flaming swords and angels of death, so much so that Sebastian had been forced to ask Asher to use dark magic to bespell her into unconsciousness for fear she might hurt herself. Everything had turned out all right in the end. But that day in general had been a freak-show mess from the get go.
    “Follow me,” Asher instructed as he strode down one barren, drafty, stone hallway after another.
    Phoebe shivered in Sebastian’s arms. Her skin was clammy now. Her lips were blue again. She moaned and curled closer to his chest. Frowning, he glanced down. He didn’t want her fever to return, yet it didn’t feel right to let her freeze either. So he conjured a pair of those thick fleece lounge pants he’d seen Carly wearing once when she’d been under the weather, replaced the thin T-shirt with a long-sleeved thermal shirt, and put warm woolen socks on Phoebe’s feet.
    At the end of the last hallway, Asher stopped and opened a heavy oak door. He arched a dark eyebrow at Phoebe’s new apparel, but withheld comment.
    Wise demon.
    “Put her on the bed,” he instructed as Sebastian followed him inside.
    Sebastian glanced around. The room looked as if they’d stepped back in time. Straight into a fairytale. All they were missing was the sleeping princess.
    A luxurious, massive four poster bed dominated the room. Expensive, forest green bed curtains hung from the canopy, open to the room on three sides. Feminine, antique