Embrace the Darkness (30 page)

Viper ignored the command. He wouldn't allow his concentration to waver.

The one smart choice he made all night, as it turned out.

Cradling his wounded arm the Anasso tilted back his head and called on the forces that he had honed for a millennium. On cue the darkness began to form around him.

Viper didn't hesitate. With a fierce battle cry, he lunged forward.

He wouldn't survive another attack. His only hope was killing the elder vampire.

Now.

Stepping to one side he feigned a blow toward the vampire's heart. The Anasso easily dodged the strike and even the next blow that was aimed at his maimed arm. The darkness thickened and Viper began to feel the first prickles of pain.

His sword flashed through the air, swinging low in a well-known movement that would traditionally be followed by an upward slash. As he hoped the elder vampire instinctively arched back to avoid the blow.

Viper altered his swing in mid-motion to cut across the unprotected legs. It wasn't a killing blow, but it was enough to make the vampire stagger. The Anasso snarled as the blood flowed from a deep slice in his thigh.

The darkness briefly faltered and Viper was swift to take advantage. With a sharp turn he circled the frail form, his sword biting deep into the narrow back before his foe could follow his movement.

This time the Anasso fell to his knees.

Viper moved in for the kill.

Sensing his near demise the vampire turned his head to regard Viper with a desperate expression.

“I am the Anasso. The vampires cannot survive without me,” he pleaded. “You condemn them all to death.”

Viper paused with his sword held high. Almost surprisingly he felt nothing at ending the life of a once noble commander. Whatever the Anasso had once been he was now no more than a rabid animal.

“I condemn only you.”

The sword arced downward with a flash of steel. The Anasso lifted his remaining hand as if to halt the blow but it was too late.

The years of decay had left him vulnerable and far too mortal.

With a smooth ease the razor edge slid through his neck and with a gurgling sigh the ancient warrior was dead.

 

Levet's nerves were scraped raw.

Not so surprising.

What three-foot gargoyle creeping through a maze of tunnels while trying to dodge a herd of hungry vampires wouldn't be a bit skittish?

But perhaps for the first time in his very, very long life he refused to allow his cowardly heart to overrule his fragile courage.

With every step he could sense himself drawing closer to Shay and he wouldn't waver. No matter how many damn vampires were lurking in the shadows.

Of course it did help that while he could detect the scent of over a dozen vampires, he had yet to actually run across one of the beasts.

Courage was always better when it wasn't directly tested.

Sniffing the air with a healthy dose of wariness Levet turned toward the richly decorated tunnels. He sensed they were coming to the lair of the Head Honcho, something that seemed better avoided, but there was no mistaking that Shay had come this way. And recently.

He inched forward until he at last reached the mouth of a vast cavern. There he stopped and sucked in a deep breath.

Predictably the woman trailing behind him managed to ram painfully into his wings and stomp on his tail before she realized he was no longer moving.

With a low hiss, he turned to glare into her petulant face.

“My wings are not your personal air bag,” he muttered in low tones. “Could you please attempt to remember that?”

She sniffed, oblivious to his chastisement. “Why did you stop?”

“Shay is in there.”

“What is it with this Shay? Is she your lover?”

“I have told you, she's my friend.”

“Pooh.” Bella ran her hands suggestively over her lush curves. “I could be a much better friend if only you would wish for me to be at your side always.”

At his side always? Levet shuddered at the mere thought. He was male enough to appreciate a beautiful woman, but he would lop off his own head before being condemned to an eternity with the flighty sprite.

“What do you know of friendship?” he demanded as he turned back toward the opening.

He felt her fingers lightly trace the edge of his wings. “I could be whatever you want. I could satisfy your deepest fantasies.”

Levet gave a twitch of his wings to dislodge her hand. “I don't need a friend for that. Just enough money and a local brothel.”

“I would do whatever you asked. No matter what it was. No matter how…difficult.”

“That isn't what a friend does.”

“Then what is a friend?”

He turned his head to stab her with an impatient glare.

“Someone who cares about you, even if you don't deserve to be cared about.”

“That doesn't make any sense,” she protested.

His annoyance faded as the memories of Shay rolled through his mind.

Shay stepping between him and the tormenting trolls. Shay threatening Evor with castration, and worse. Shay returning to the auction house to rescue him.

“No,” he said softly. “And that's the beauty of it.”

She opened her mouth to continue her ruthless badgering, but with a sharp motion of his hand Levet returned his attention to the cavern.

Shay was definitely close. But there were also three vampires, the imp that Bella had warned lived in the caves, and…Evor.

“Damn.” This was bad. Really, really bad. Reaching behind his back he grabbed the sprite's arm and pulled her to his side. “How long will this magic take?”

“You wish it and it happens,” she grudgingly conceded.

“Good.”

Levet sucked in a deep breath as she hurriedly pressed her fingers to his lips.

“Don't do this. Wish for me to be with you. I will rescue your stupid friend…”

“I wish I were the size of the King of Gargoyles,” he growled.

He wasn't sure what he expected. A bit of tingling. A puff of smoke.

Fireworks and a Sousa band.

What he got instead was a sharp blow to the head as he was suddenly far too large for the tunnel.

“Ouch.” He rubbed the rising lump and glanced down at his body that was three times the size it had been.

His wish had worked. He was now large enough to rescue Shay from anyone and anything that might stand in his way.

A fortunate thing considering he had barely blinked when the sound of a high, piercing scream abruptly shattered the air.

“
Sacrebleu.
Shay.”

It was like one of those horrible nightmares that used to plague her. The one where she was trying to flee from the witches, but her feet were relentlessly sinking into a thick mud. No matter how hard she tried to flee she just kept going slower and slower.

She could see Damocles with his dagger gleaming in the light. She could see Evor struggling as his life flashed before his eyes. She could see the short distance she had to cross to halt the relentless blow.

But no matter how fast she traveled she couldn't reach the imp before the dagger was plunged into the troll's treacherous heart.

A scream of fury and fear was wrenched from her throat.

Evor wasn't the only one to see his life passing before his eyes, and it was all so brutally unfair.

For so many years she had taken her life for granted. She had even cursed the miserable existence given to her. Certainly she had never wakened with a fierce desire to leap from her bed and discover what the day might bring.

Now she at last had that. She had Viper. And the thought of dying now filled her with unbearable despair.

Continuing to run despite the futility of it all, Shay abruptly felt the earth buckle beneath her feet. She fell to her knees even as the stone around the entrance burst inward to shower her in a cloud of pebbles.

Not at all certain what had happened, she cleared her eyes and peered through the cloud of dust.

What she saw was a very large, very terrifying gargoyle. A gargoyle who reached out to bat the imp across the room.

With a sickening thud the imp hit the far wall and crumpled onto the floor. Even from a distance it was easy to detect the unnatural angle of his neck and the wide eyes that were blank with death.

Holy freaking cow.

Too stunned to even appreciate the fact that Damocles had miraculously been killed, Shay began to scoot backward as the looming demon reached down to pluck the screaming Evor off the floor and hold him in his claws.

She was alive for the moment, but the gargoyle that now held the troll didn't look in any mood to hear her pleas. In fact, he looked large and fierce and entirely capable of swallowing them all whole.

The gargoyle took a step forward and she gave a small shriek. To hell with courage. This thing was scaring the crap out of her.

The demon halted, and then shockingly he held up his free hand in a motion of peace.

“Shay, it is I,” he rumbled. Then, as she continued to regard him with open horror, he gave a click of his tongue. “It is Levet.”

“Levet?” Shay slowly rose to her feet, her gaze belatedly taking in the beautiful wings that were now as large as a small car. “What…what have you done?”

He smiled revealing teeth that could snap her in two. “It appears that I have rescued you once again from your own foolishness.”

Rescued. Blessed saints. She was rescued. The relief flooded through her. Or at least it started to flare through her. It hadn't gone very far when it was replaced by a flare of fear.

Viper.

Spinning about she turned just in time to watch the beautiful, silver-haired vampire take the head off the Anasso.

This time the relief went unchecked. It was over. Truly, truly over.

She took a step forward to rush to Viper's side. She wanted to throw herself in his arms and shout for joy. She wanted to run her hands through his hair and kiss him until they both could forget the horror of the past hours.

Her steps halted, however, as Viper slowly slid to his knees and an expression of deep sorrow touched his face.

He had just been forced to kill a leader he had obviously respected for centuries. He deserved a few moments to reconcile himself to the painful death.

With an effort she slowly turned back to the waiting demon behind her. He didn't look at all like her beloved Levet. Well, except for the eyes. They could never change.

A shaky smile touched her lips. “I didn't know you could alter your shape.”

Levet shrugged. “Oh, we all have our little secrets…”

“He didn't do it. I did,” a female voice firmly interrupted.

Shay's eyes widened as a curvaceous woman attired in a sheer bit of cloth stepped from behind the looming demon.

“A water sprite?” Shay regarded the gargoyle with a lift of her brows. “Good grief, Levet, you have been a busy boy.”

“It looks as if you've been a little busy yourself. That one is still alive.” He pointed a claw toward Styx who was beginning to stir on the floor. “Do you want me to squash him?”

Before Shay could answer she felt a comforting arm slip around her shoulder. Her heart gave a small leap as she glanced into the pale face of the vampire at her side.

“Viper?” she questioned softly. This man had just lost his leader. She wouldn't pressure him to also lose a friend.

“No,” Viper retorted, his voice firm. “He was only doing what he thought was right. He risked his life to save us.”

“Yes, he did,” she said softly, her gaze returning to Levet. “No squashing.”

“What of this animal?” Levet gave the troll a vicious shake. “Can I kill him?”

Shay lifted a hand. “Not yet. He still holds my curse.”

Levet heaved a sigh. “Well, damn. I can't kill the vampire. I can't kill the troll. I hate to waste a good wish. Maybe I should go pillage a nearby village. The local maidens would no doubt appreciate my new, very manly, physique.”

Viper chuckled softly. It was one of the best sounds that Shay had ever heard.

“Surely after all these centuries you must know that size doesn't matter to a woman?” he drawled.

“Ha. Easy to say for a six-foot vampire,” Levet grumbled.

Reluctantly, Shay left Viper's side to gently take Levet's huge hand and pressed it to her face. She understood just how difficult it must have been for the demon to force himself to charge to her rescue.

“Levet, it isn't the size of the demon that matters, but the size of his heart. And there is no gargoyle in all the world who possesses a heart as large as yours.” Her lips touched his rough skin. “You saved my life.”

“
Oui, oui.
There is no need to blubber over me.” Levet pulled back, a blush staining his gray cheeks. To cover his embarrassment he held out the squirming Evor and gave him another shake. “What do you want me to do with this creature?”

“Put him here.” Viper pointed at a spot directly before him.

Holding his arm outward Levet simply allowed the troll to drop from his hand. Evor managed to crumble to the floor before Viper had him by the neck and he was once again on his feet. His eyes bulged and his round face turned red as Viper's fingers dug into his spongy flesh.

“You can't kill me,” the troll squeaked. “Not without killing the Shalott.”

With a casual motion Viper slapped Evor with enough force to make his head snap back.

“The Shalott has a name.”

“Shay,” Evor gasped. “Lady Shay.”

Viper regarded him as if he were a bug he discovered stuck to the bottom of his shoe. “What do you want to do with him, pet? We could take him home and have him nailed to the wall as a trophy.”

Shay shuddered. “And have to look at that ghastly face every day?”

“Good point. I do have several creatively themed dungeons he might enjoy.”

“Creatively themed?”

Viper gave a small shrug. “Traditional torture, ancient torture, high-tech torture…”

“No, no. Please.” Evor rolled his head toward Shay, his expression desperate. It was an expression she decided she liked on that ugly mug. “I'll do whatever you want.”

She stepped closer to the troll, her expression hard. “I want answers.”

“Of course.” He nervously licked his lips. “What answers?”

“How did you get my curse?”

“I…”

Viper's fingers abruptly tightened. “Don't even think of lying to the lady. I can make you pray for death.”

“I went to Morgana for a…potion,” Evor gasped.

“Morgana?” Shay demanded.

“The witch.”

“Oh.” Shay frowned. She hadn't known that trolls used magical potions. “What sort of potion?”

“It was personal.”

“Personal? What does that mean?”

“Trust me, pet, you don't want any more specifics,” Viper interrupted.

She grimaced. Viper was no doubt right. The mere thought of what the nasty demon might do in private was enough to give her nightmares.

“Fine. You went to the witch for a potion. How did you end up with my curse?”

“When I arrived the store was closed so I…let myself in.”

“Meaning you broke into the store,” Shay accused.

“I wanted that potion,” Evor said in tones that revealed breaking and entering was a common part of his moral code. “I thought the place was empty, but there was a hidden door that had been left open and I could hear voices. One of them was Morgana speaking to a younger witch. Her protégée, I suppose.”

Shay frowned, recalling the door that led to the dirt cellar beneath the store.

“What does that have to do with the curse?”

“She was instructing the younger witch on her duties of protecting a young Shalott who was in dire danger. She said that once the curse was passed that she must always be on guard for those who would harm the half demon.”

“She was going to pass the curse to another witch?” Shay demanded.

“Yes. Morgana was concerned that she was growing too old to be an adequate guardian.”

“Oh.” Shay slowly absorbed the words. Perhaps ridiculously she felt a spark of warmth at the witch's concern. Her father had obviously chosen her guardian carefully. It reassured her that he had truly loved her as much as she had once believed. “So she wanted to protect me?”

Evor shrugged. “I suppose.”

Always sensitive to her every emotion Viper tightened his grasp on the troll's throat. He would realize just how much she needed to know she hadn't been abandoned by those who claimed to love her.

“And you heard the word Shalott and immediately realized how much she would be worth,” he accused in a lethal voice.

Evor squawked, his eyes wide with terror. “I'm a businessman. What would you have me do?”

“You're slime,” Shay corrected. “How did you get the curse?”

“I…” Evor licked his lips, his eyes warily darting from Viper to Shay. “I slipped down the stairs and waited for the proper moment. Once the curse was being passed I leaped forward to kill the young witch and the spell landed on me.”

“Then you murdered Morgana?”

“Yes.” A hint of confusion touched the ugly face. “I intended to burn her body, but she seemed to disappear into thin air.”

Shay remembered finding the skeleton and small box hidden behind the enchanted circle. Morgana had used her last breath to keep the truth safe for Shay.

“You despicable, coldhearted bastard,” she breathed, clutching her hands at her sides to keep from reaching out and throttling the horrid troll.

The creature had made her life a living hell. He had bound her, abused her, and sold her like an animal.

If not for him…

If not for him she would never have met Viper, an unwelcome voice whispered in the back of her mind.

The trembling fury slowly faded, and quite unexpectedly she sank to her knees and began to cry.

She wasn't sure why she sobbed.

The utterly senseless loss of her father, perhaps. The horror of her stolen childhood. The years of slavery.

The knowledge that, but for a fluke, she would never have been in the power of Evor.

Or maybe she was simply purging the last of her bitterness so she could put it in the past where it belonged.

Whatever the cause it didn't take long for Viper to be kneeling at her side, his arms wrapped tightly around her.

“Shay, please, my love,” he whispered into her hair. “You are breaking my heart.”

She sniffed, burrowing into the strength of his chest. “It's over?”

His lips brushed her face, kissing away the wetness of her tears. “It's over. Truly over. We can go home.”

“What about Evor?”

“He will go with us. I have enough connections to find us a witch powerful enough to break the curse. After that…well, that will be completely up to you, pet.”

She tilted her head up to meet the troubled silver eyes. “When we bring an end to the curse, I won't be your slave any longer.”

A slow, perfect smile curved his lips. “Maybe not my slave, but you'll soon be my mate. Which means you're stuck with me for an eternity.”

“I haven't said yes, yet,” she reminded him softly.