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of her, the wind knocked out of her. In the next instant, a sharp blade, shimmering in the flickering light from the candles and the moon, pierced the demon’s body, not more than an inch from her shoulder. The demon disintegrated and Cass hit the hard floor, the weight of the other body still on her.
    It took a moment for her to recognize her rescuer. Marcus leaped to his feet and Cass watched in her hazy state as he flung the pirate across the room, rendering him unconscious. Then he attacked the other demons with lightning-quick speed that made Cass’ eyes blur even more. All the colors, sights and sounds seemed to merge together so that she couldn’t make out a single figure or object. The pounding in her head worsened. She closed her eyes, certain there was no way out of this mess she’d gotten herself into.
    She heard noises around her, bodies crashing into things, metal and glass rattling and breaking, male grunts and groans.
    Perhaps this was her chance to escape!
    Gathering what little strength she had left, Cass opened her eyes, forced herself onto all fours and crawled toward the open doorway. She barely made it to the middle of the room when strong hands clasped her around the waist. She was hoisted to her feet, losing the other shoe in the process. At first she thought the pirate had her and she opened her mouth to scream again, but then she realized it wasn’t the pirate at all who’d tucked her against his hard body. It was Marcus. He wrapped an arm around her waist and stalked out into the hallway.
    No one paid them much notice as Marcus whisked them out a back door. Cass’ feet never even touched the ground. Once outside, he lifted her into his arms. She tried to hold on, but her arms only flapped at her sides. Her body had finally gone numb from head to toe.
    “Close your eyes,” he told her. “You’ll have to sleep it off.”
    “You knew,” she whispered as her heavy eyelids closed.
    “I suspected. Tried to warn you. It’s not my place to interfere with rituals. Demon politics are tricky and I don’t need the hassle.”
    “But you intervened anyway.”
    “Yes.” His voice was tight and strained. She doubted it was from the physical exertion of carrying her Lord only knew where he intended to take her. The tense evening made him wary. Did that mean she was still in danger from the demons?
    Her fear returned, but it was no match for her exhaustion. Nestled in the vampire’s arms, she couldn’t keep herself from succumbing to the drug coursing through her.

Chapter Three
     
    Cass felt something slither along her leg, coiling around it. A snake? A second one coiled around her other leg. Panic seized her. She felt more slithering snakes, all over her body. Wrapping around her arms and her neck, pinning her down, restraining her. Long, thick snakes covered her body, their heads inching toward her face. She felt their tongues dart out and taste her skin, heard their collective hisses, growing louder and louder.
    She couldn’t move, couldn’t push them off her or scramble out of the way. There were dozens of them, multiplying by the second. She was paralyzed with fear, unable to pull in a full breath. As the hissing noise she’d heard in the club echoed in her ears, bringing back memories of the hellish night she’d managed to live through—though it clearly wasn’t over—she cried out.
    Cass’ own scream woke her from her nightmare. She attempted to sit upright, but only made it part of the way as she smacked her forehead on something hard. She yelped in pain as she fell back against a plump pillow. She lifted her hands from her sides, because they actually weren’t restrained. There were no snakes—she’d only dreamed of them. But she did feel the confines of walls all around her, lined with a cool, satiny fabric. Horror returned to her. Kicking and screaming, she tried to find a way out, but it seemed she was trapped in a box.
    A box!
    Oh my God! I’ve been buried alive!
    How