Embrace the Darkness (26 page)

Shay turned firmly in the direction of the vampires and put all thoughts of Evor from her mind. All that mattered at the moment was finding Viper.

This tunnel was wider and obviously more often traveled, but oddly deserted. With her current string of ill luck she half expected to trip over vampires around every curve. Instead there was not a one to be found as she caught the distinctive scent of Viper.

“Viper?” she whispered softly. A frown touched her brow when there was no answer. No matter how soft her voice, he should hear it. Unless…no, no, no. She wouldn't even think it.

Swallowing the lump that remained valiantly lodged in her throat she paused long enough to grasp one of the burning torches from a bracket and forced her feet forward. Just ahead there was a narrow opening.

Viper.

He was there.

She could feel it in every beat of her heart.

Careful not to singe her hair, or any other significant part of her body, she squeezed through the narrow opening. Once in the small cavern she held the torch outward to battle the inky darkness. What she found made her heart clench with a sharp, wrenching pain.

Viper was there all right.

Strung by his wrists to the ceiling he had been whipped until his back and legs were sliced open to the bone in some places. Blood was everywhere, turning his silver hair a sickening shade of crimson, and marring the perfection of his ivory face.

“Viper…oh shit, what did they do to you?” she whimpered, freezing in horror. The torch dropped to the floor before she took command of her senses. Dammit, the last thing Viper needed was a hysterical fool flapping her hands and oh-my-mying. She claimed to be a warrior. It was damn well time she started acting like one.

She swallowed again and deliberately turned her trembling fear into a grim, determined fury. The vampires had chained, beaten, and tortured Viper as if he were no more than an animal. And for no better cause than to capture her.

She intended to see them in hell.

Just as soon as she managed to get Viper to safety.

It was a task that proved to be easier said than done as she moved to struggle with the heavy chain that held Viper swinging from the ceiling. At least it was silver and not iron, she acknowledged, although she doubted that Viper shared her relief.

She could smell the stench of the metal burning into his flesh, and she knew that it must be as painful as all the ghastly wounds put together.

Tugging, pulling, cussing, and wrenching she at last managed to free the chain from the clasp set in the wall of the cavern. Of course her success did come with a cost as Viper dropped heavily to the ground, the chain landing on top of him.

Shay rushed forward, sweeping the chains off his body before grasping the shackles and jerking them off Viper's wrists.

For years she had cursed the demon strength that set her apart from humans. She had been a freak. A creature to be mocked by children and feared by adults. Now for the first time she truly appreciated the gifts she had been given.

Cradling Viper's head in her lap, she wiped the blood from his face with a shaking hand.

“Viper. Viper, can you hear me?”

There was no response for a frightening beat, and then he stirred in her arms.

“Shay?”

She leaned over to whisper in his ear. “Don't move, I'm here.”

“Is this a dream?”

She choked back a hysterical laugh. “Surely you must have better dreams than this?”

“I have been dreaming of you for months. No, I've been dreaming of you for an eternity.” His hands reached up to weakly grasp her arms, his eyes opening with a painful effort. “I thought I would never find you, but I did. I couldn't let you go. Not when I needed you so desperately. I will never let you go.”

Her breath caught as ridiculous tears stung her eyes. He was no doubt delirious and completely out of his mind with pain. But no one had ever said anything that had touched her so deeply.

She was forced to clear her throat as she gently stroked his hair. “As if you could possibly get rid of me now. We're stuck together like…”

“Day-old rice?” he said.

“Refrigerated leftovers are not quite the romantic metaphor I was searching for.” A frown touched her brow as his eyes slid shut. “Viper.” She gave him a small shake. “Viper you must wake.”

With an obvious effort he struggled back to consciousness. “You shouldn't be here. It's dangerous.”

Dangerous? A cave full of vampires desperate to drain her blood? Nah.

“Don't worry, I'm leaving,” she soothed.

“Yes.” His hand squeezed her arm. “Leave now.”

“We're both leaving.” She gently freed her arm from his tight grasp to place her wrist against his lips. “But first you must drink.”

She could feel his entire body tighten at her words. “Shay, no. You don't want me taking your blood.”

She gave an impatient click of her tongue. Could the man do anything without an argument?

And he called her stubborn.

“We had a deal, Viper. Blood to heal you. Do you think a Shalott ever reneges on a deal?”

He gave a shake of his head. “Shay, go. They will kill you.”

She shrugged. “First they have to catch me.”

A weary smile touched his lips. “You aren't nearly so tough as you like to think you are.”

“I'm going to show you just how tough I am if you don't drink,” she warned, pressing her arm to his lips. “You have to do this now or we're both dead.”

His dark eyes searched her set expression for a long, silent moment.

“Stubborn,” he at last breathed.

“I learned from a master,” she muttered. “Now bite.”

He did.

Shay's eyes widened and her entire body shuddered in shock as his fangs slid easily through the skin of her wrist. It wasn't from pain. She almost wished it was. That would have been easy to battle. The saints above knew she had enough experience. But how did she battle the shocking flare of pleasure that raced through her body? Or the heat pooling in the pit of her stomach?

Flat out…she didn't.

Her teeth clenched as her lower body tightened with a familiar excitement. Oh, she knew where this was heading, she acknowledged as her breath came in shallow pants. With every tug of his mouth she could feel the pleasure mounting, as if he were deep inside her stroking her most intimate places.

Her eyes threatened to roll back in her head as her free hand clenched in his hair. In a tiny, very tiny, corner of her mind she recognized that Viper's strength was rapidly returning. It was obvious in the fierce sucking at her wrist, and the hand that clutched at her arm.

She was a little too preoccupied at the moment, however, to fully appreciate the knowledge her blood was working its magic.

Go figure.

The sweet pressure reached a critical mass and burying her face in Viper's hair Shay bit back her cry of fulfillment. Holy crap. She was dizzy and weak from the powerful release. And quite frankly more than a little embarrassed. It was hardly the time or place for such a private interlude. Not that her body seemed to mind. It was utterly content as Viper stirred to life and shifted so that he could sit upright and cradle her in his arms.

“Shay?” His hand smoothed back the hair that had strayed from her braid. “Shay, speak to me.”

“Yow,” she breathed, forcing herself to meet his worried gaze.

Not the most articulate response, but it was a step above a grunt.

Viper frowned. “Did I hurt you?”

“Not exactly.”

He searched her expression for a long moment before comprehension at last flared through the dark eyes.

“Are you blushing, pet?”

“I didn't…” She gave a shake of her head before she pulled back enough to study him with a worried gaze. “Do you feel well enough to get out of here?”

A smile curled his lips as he glanced down at his blood-soaked body.

“I'm healed. Completely healed,” he murmured in amazement. “It's little wonder that the Anasso is so anxious to get his hands upon you.”

Shay grimaced as she studied the pinprick fang marks still visible on her wrist. “Actually, I don't think it's his hands he wants to get on me.”

He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “Don't underestimate those pheromones of yours. They are potent enough to seduce any vampire.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” she demanded.

Viper rose smoothly to his feet with a soft chuckle. “No, I suppose it wouldn't.” With great care he set her on her feet and placed his hands on her shoulders. His expression settled into somber lines as his thumbs absently stroked the line of her collarbone. “Shay, you have given me a great gift. One that I will not forget.”

She shifted in discomfort. “A promise is a promise. I gave you the blood-debt, nothing more.”

He smiled ruefully. “Be quiet, pet. In just a moment I intend to tell you in no uncertain terms just how stupid it was to follow me and put yourself at risk. For now I simply want you to know that you bring honor to your Shalott ancestors. I have never met anyone, whether it's vampire, demon, or human, who possesses your courage or your loyalty. You are a warrior your father would have been proud of.”

A hot blush stained her cheeks. Dang it, she wasn't good at this mushy stuff. Give her a demon to fight, or a witch to outwit, and she was in her element. Give her a compliment and she floundered and fluttered as if she didn't have a lick of sense to her name.

“Maybe we should be thinking about getting out of here,” she muttered.

His lips twitched. “There are times when I despair of you, pet, I truly do.” He brushed a soft kiss over her brow. “But on this occasion you're right. We need to get out of here. The sooner the better.”

Viper was grumpy.

There was really no better way to describe his mood.

Oh, it wasn't that he wasn't grateful. He didn't enjoy being tortured any better than the next vampire. Probably less than most. And he wasn't indifferent to the knowledge that Shay had revealed the secrets of her heart that she wasn't yet prepared to confess. No woman followed a man for hours and risked her life out of simple loyalty. Not even his stubborn, utterly obstinate Shalott. And certainly they did not offer up their precious blood without possessing some feelings.

But as much as the display of her affection warmed his cold heart, he couldn't put aside the maddening knowledge that he had failed. Failed to realize the truth of who was hunting Shay. Failed to capture the damnable Evor and put an end to the curse. Failed to keep Shay from rushing headlong into danger.

It had pretty much been one big stinking heap of failure.

Dammit all.

Behind him Shay remained thankfully oblivious to his silent self-flagellation.

Not surprising.

To her the tunnels were a spiderweb of inky blackness. Even holding tightly onto his hand she was stumbling over the uneven ground as he led her away from the occupied caves.

“Ow,” she muttered, nearly going to her knees as she tripped over a stray rock.

Coming to a halt he turned to study her pale face. “Are you all right?”

“No, I'm not all right.” She reached down to rub her toe. “I can't see a damn thing in this dark.”

“Don't worry there's really not much to see. Some dirt, some rocks, a few spiders,” he said dryly.

She straightened. The better to glare at him. “That is so not funny.”

“Neither is the fact that you risked yourself to come here,” he retorted, his voice edged with his smoldering frustration. “How did you even find me?”

She shrugged. “When I escaped from the warehouse I ran across Levet. He was already following you.”

“The gargoyle?” He gave a lift of his brows. “I didn't know he cared.”

“He thought that I was with you.”

“Ah.” Viper frowned. “What of Dante?”

“He is gathering your clan. Once the sun sets Levet will return to Chicago and lead them here.”

He cupped her chin in his hand. “And it never occurred to you to wait for Dante?”

Her eyes narrowed. Never a good sign. “You might very well have been dead.”

“But you would have been safe,” he growled. “Dammit, Shay, I will not have you risking yourself—”

“No.” She jerked her chin from his grasp. “You might hold my amulet, but you have promised that I am not your slave.”

He gave a hiss of exasperation. “Of course you're not.”

“Then I'm free to make my own decisions. And if that means coming here to rescue you then that's exactly what I'll do.”

It was without a doubt the most ridiculous argument that Viper had ever heard. And he had heard a lot of them over the centuries.

He gave a disbelieving shake of his head. “Even if it means being captured and drained?” he demanded harshly. “That's exactly what will happen if we're caught. You should have returned to Abby. You would have been safe there.”

Indifferent to his dangerous mood she boldly poked him in the chest. Poked
him.
One of the most feared predators in all of Chicago. No. In all the world.

“No, I would not have been safe,” she said.

He took a step back. The poking didn't hurt, but it did little to help his wounded pride.

“Shay, not even Styx and the Ravens would dare attack the Phoenix. That's exactly why he lured us out of her house in the first place.”

“He might not attack the Phoenix, but it doesn't matter how many goddesses I surround myself with if they decide to kill Evor.”

Viper's muscles tensed. “Evor? You know where he is?”

“I think he's here.”

“No.” Viper gave an adamant shake of his head. “Styx said that they never managed to get their hands on the troll.”

Shay gave a short, humorless laugh. “And you believed him after he captured and tortured you? Did he also have some swampland to buy?”

His lips thinned. He fully intended to deal with his old friend. But not now.

“Styx might torture me, he might even kill me, but he would never lie. Not intentionally.”

“Charming.”

Realizing that it would be impossible to explain Styx's complex morals, he turned his attention to her startling claim.

“Why do you believe he holds Evor?”

“Because I smelled troll when I came through the caves.”

A cold chill arrowed down his spine. “You're certain?”

Her eyes narrowed. She didn't call him thick-skulled, but it was implied.

“It's a fairly unique odor.”

And one Shay would be all too familiar with.

Viper clenched his fists as he paced across the narrow tunnel. He couldn't begin to guess how Evor could be close by without Styx knowing, but he had to at least search for the rotten troll.

“Damn.”

“What is it?” she demanded.

“Where's Levet?”

She regarded him suspiciously. “Playing statue in a cave that leads out of the bluffs. Why?”

“I don't suppose I can convince you to join him while I go in search of this mysterious troll?”

“No.”

“Shay…”

“No, no, no.” She moved to stand directly in front of him, although there was thankfully no more poking. “I'm not some helpless idiot that has to be shooed out of the way whenever there happens to be a bit of danger.”

“A bit of danger?” He deliberately flashed his fangs. “These caves are crawling with the most dangerous vampires to walk the earth.”

“And for now they are all safely tucked in their coffins.”

“You want to risk your life on that?” he rasped.

“It's my life to risk. Not yours.”

He closed his eyes and battled back the urge to howl in frustration. Devil's balls, but the woman was destined to drive him to his grave.

“The Ravens should take lessons from you, pet. They're amateurs when it comes to torturing a man.”

“Are you going to sulk or are we going to find Evor?” she demanded as she marched blindly down the tunnel.

Viper was in swift pursuit. A fortunate thing as she suddenly halted and nearly fell to her knees.

With a blinding speed he moved forward to wrap her in his arms. “Shay?”

She gave a shake of her head. “I'm sorry. I just suddenly felt dizzy.”

Viper's brows snapped together in sharp concern. Even in the darkness he could detect her sudden pallor and the thin film of damp sweat that coated her skin. She was obviously ill. And just as obviously attempting to hide just how bad she was feeling. It took him a stupid moment before he realized what was plaguing the woman.

“Damn, I'm a fool,” he gritted as he plucked her off her feet and cradled her against his chest. Using his senses he searched for an empty cave nearby and headed down the tunnel.

She squirmed in his arms. “Viper.”

“Shh, hold still for a moment.”

“What are you doing?”

“We need someplace to rest.”

“We can't rest now,” she protested in shock.

His arms tightened. “We can and we will.”

Viper heard her breath rasp between clenched teeth. “You are annoyingly fond of handing out orders.”

“No, I'm annoyingly fond of you, pet, and I should be staked for not having realized how weak you must be.”

His blunt words momentarily stole her annoyance. A rare trick and Viper was swift to use the distraction to turn into a low, side tunnel. From the number of cobwebs brushing against his face he was confident that no one had been this way for years.

“I told you I'm just dizzy,” she at last managed to mutter although her voice had lost some of its sting.

“Shay, you've spent the night dodging demons, fighting trolls, and tracking me across half the state. Put on top of that donating a great deal of blood to a wounded vampire it's a wonder you're even on your feet.” He touched his lips to the top of her head. “Even the most powerful warriors must occasionally recover their strength.”

“But we have to get out of here.”

Viper ducked as the tunnel became even more cramped. “We have time. As you pointed out the vampires will be in their coffins, and I cannot leave the caves until the sun has set.”

There was a pause before she heaved a reluctant sigh. “Maybe we could find someplace to rest for a few minutes.”

“An excellent notion.”

She nudged him with her elbow. “Don't be patronizing.”

“Me?” His expression was pure innocence. “Patronizing?”

“Drop it.”

“Whatever you command, pet.” At last coming to the end of the tunnel Viper glanced about the small cave. It was rocky and damp and seemingly created for discomfort. But it had the benefit of being remote from the other caves with only one entrance. No one would be able to sneak up on them.

Setting her onto the hard ground Viper moved to settle beside her and pulled her into his arms.

“Close your eyes and rest, Shay,” he murmured. “I will keep watch.”

As a testament to just how weak she truly was Shay didn't even attempt an argument. Settling her head on his shoulder she gave a small sigh and promptly fell asleep.

 

Levet might not be hideously large, or blessed with the sort of frightening power of his ancestors, but he had more than his fair share of intelligence. Not a bad trade-off, all things considered. Which was why he wasn't particularly surprised when he awoke to discover Shay missing in action.

Whatever her pledge of being careful he had known quite well she wouldn't wait hours to rescue her oh-so-delectable vampire. What few wits she had once possessed were now evaporated to the mists of oblivion. She would happily charge into any danger to rescue Viper.

Gak.

It was enough to make any decent gargoyle want to hurl.

Still, he wasn't about to let her fall into the hands of evil vampires just because she was stupid enough to fall in love. He didn't have many friends. Okay, he'd never had
any
friends until Shay. He couldn't afford to lose her.

Shaking off the bits of stone that clung to his skin Levet carefully unfolded his wings and made his way to the nearby opening. He had to get into contact with Dante, and quickly. They hadn't expected Viper to be hauled so far from the city. Even if they left this moment it would take hours for the clan to make their way to the isolated farmhouse. He couldn't afford to lose time in trekking all the way back to Chicago to give directions.

Once out of the cave he crept along the line of the bluff, his tail twitching as he easily caught sight of the vampire standing guard in the shadows of the farmhouse. He had to get to the river, but he preferred to do it without having a herd of angry vampires on his heels.

Stealth for the moment trumped speed.

Remaining in the deepest shadows Levet moved with near painful slowness. Vampires were near perfect predators. They could use all of their senses to detect prey. It would take only one stray pebble being dislodged, or one wayward breeze blowing his scent the wrong direction and his head would be decorating the farmhouse wall.

Not the most pleasant fate.

He traveled almost a half mile from the vampires before angling his path toward the vast river. Even then he remained low to the ground and prepared to go into flight at the least hint of trouble.

His pace quickened as he crossed a narrow highway that meandered beside the river, and then down a sharp incline that was overgrown with thick brush and choking moss. He slipped and stumbled more than once, but thankfully his blundering was relatively silent.

At last he reached the edge of the river and knelt in the thick mud. Around him the world was alive. Insects, fish, curious raccoons, and wary opossums. But Levet ignored them as he peered into waves that lapped toward him.

Waiting until he could at last see his reflection in the murky water he waved a gnarled hand and spoke the harsh words of magic in a low voice. There was a shimmer of faint light before his reflection disappeared and a black emptiness took its place.

This, of course, was the tricky part.

Although he would rather have his tongue cut out than to admit the truth, his magic wasn't always as predictable as it could be. Okay, most of the time it was nothing more than a wing and a prayer that resulted in small fires, an occasional explosion, and once a painful nosebleed that had lasted for almost twenty years.