"Why didn't he send someone to try and stop me?"
"I told him not to."
Her gaze snapped back to regard him with open suspicion. "Why?"
"I knew I could easily track you."
"You wanted to spy on me."
"I will admit to some curiosity, but more than that I wanted to prove to you that you are a foot to try and escape."
Her expression abruptly hardened. "I know I can't escape. You don't need a guard. You have only to use the amulet and I will be forced to return."
"That's not the point."
"Then what is?"
His hands shifted to cup her face, his eyes narrowed. "There is a powerful force that has tried to capture you more than once. Until we discover what it is you will not be allowed to travel on your own."
He was prepared for her anger. Slave or not she was not the sort of demon to mildly accept any sort of restrictions. Even those meant to keep her safe.
Astonishingly, however, he could read nothing but a flare of concern in her beautiful eyes.
"You believe I'm still in danger?"
"Don't you?"
She chewed on her bottom lip before at last heaving a sigh. "Okay, point made. I was an idiot to take off on my own. You can let me up now."
Pleased that she seemed capable of allowing logic to overrule her fiercely independent nature, Viper slowly smiled.
"It seems a pity." His hands brushed down to the tempting curve of her throat. "I've thought about having you in this position for a long time. Of course, my fantasies didn't include either of us in clothes, or a hovering gargoyle."
"I told you to—"
Her heated words were brought to an abrupt halt as a soft breeze rippled through the air and Viper was swiftly on his feet pushing Shay behind him.
"Master," Santiago called from the shadows.
"Yes, Santiago, I smell it."
He felt Shay grasp the back of his silk shirt. "Smell what?"
"Blood. Fresh blood."
"Crap."
A shiver raced down Shay's spine as Viper slowly turned to face her. Until the past few moments she had managed to forget the hovering evil that seemed intent on capturing her. She had been so intent on how she could manage to rescue Levet from Evor that she had forgotten she possessed yet another enemy.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
And embarrassing that Viper had remembered when she had not.
"Did you kill Evor and his trolls?" he demanded.
His tone was merely curious. As if he didn't give a bloody hell if she had slaughtered the trolls.
And probably he didn't.
"No, I didn't even catch sight of them."
"So you saw no one? Heard nothing?"
"No."
His head tilted to one side. "And you did not think that unusual?"
Shay shrugged, thinking back to her swift trip through the auction house. "They rarely enter the auction house before dark. Besides, I used the back entrance and went straight to the dungeons. You think they were attacked?"
"Something was." He glanced back toward the silent building. "Wait here."
Shay watched as Viper collected his vamp and they moved through the darkness. Within a heartbeat they had melded into the shadows, and not even her enhanced vision could make out their silhouettes.
She wrapped the cloak tight about her oddly chilled body as Levet fluttered onto the ground beside her.
"Maybe we should just leave," she muttered.
"Do you think?" Levet slapped his hands on his hips and regarded her with a narrowed gaze. "Oh, wait. Why would we leave when we can linger in the backyard of our enemies and play suck face with whatever vampire happens by? And after that we can douse ourselves with gasoline and play with matches. The fun, as they say, never ends."
Shay felt a ridiculous blush touch her cheeks. She had not played suck face. Well, at least not on purpose.
"Don't push it, Levet."
"Or what? You'll hold me down and kiss me to death?"
"You can be returned to your cell, you know," she growled.
"Sur le corps."
Over his dead body? Shay gave a lift of her brows. "That could be arranged as well."
Perhaps sensing he had touched her last nerve Levet lifted his hands in a purely continental gesture.
"Now, now, ma cherie. There is no need to be testy."
Unconsciously, Shay glanced toward the last spot she had seen Viper. "Actually there seems to be any number of reasons," she muttered.
"Yes, I suppose there is," he murmured softly. "Your new master is an oh-so-hated vampire."
"So it would seem."
"A clan chief."
Shay's attention sharply returned to the gargoyle at her side. "How can you tell?"
"I can smell the mark of CuChuIainn upon him."
Shay licked her suddenly dry lips. She had never attended the gladiator games. Few demons were considered worthy to attend the most elite of competitions. And even fewer allowed to participate.
Those who walked out alive were feared and respected by all.
They were warriors worthy of the title master.
"He has gone through the Battle of Durotriges?"
"And lived to tell the tale. Quite impressive." Level regarded her with a knowing expression. "A wise demon would not wish to anger such a champion."
The very fact he was right only deepened Shay's frown. Even if she were a pure blood Shalott she could never hope to best a clan chief.
Somehow the knowledge annoyed the hell out of her.
"Thanks, Levet."
He blew her a kiss. "Anything to be of service for you, ma cherie."
She rolled her eyes. "Remind me why I bothered to rescue you."
The tiny, oddly lumped face became somber. "Because you cannot bear to see another hurt. Even if it means sacrificing yourself."
Shay shifted with a flare of discomfort. She wasn't a saint. Far from it.
The simple fact was that she had precious few friends. Demons considered her blood tainted and humans considered her some sort of freak. When she did find someone willing to accept her for whom and what she was, she would do a lot more than risk Evor's fury to keep them safe.
Uncertain how to break the uneasy silence, Shay was almost relieved when she felt the cold chill that proceeded Viper's silent return.
Of course, that didn't halt her treacherous heart from giving a lustful leap as the moonlight spilled over his silver hair and perfect profile.
Vamp beauty.
It was a damn pain in the ass.
Giving an unconscious shake of her head she cleared her ridiculous thoughts.
"Did you find Evor?"
His expression was oddly guarded. "Not precisely."
"What do you mean?"
"I think you should see this. Perhaps you can shed some light on what has happened."
Shay hesitated only a moment before following his tall form toward the auction house. She didn't doubt there was something horrible awaiting her. Something that might very well give her nightmares.
But even as she forced her feet forward she couldn't deny a ridiculous flare of warmth. Dammit, she was Viper's slave. His possession. But at every turn he made her feel as if she were something more. Something... worthy.
Deep within her she understood that the sensations he stirred were far more dangerous than if he locked her in a cell and beat her every day.
Turning her head to ensure that Levet was safely following behind them, Shay allowed Viper to lead her into the dark auction house and up the stairs to Evor's private quarters. As he threw open the door, she nearly gagged at the overwhelming stench of blood and gruesome death.
She had expected bad, but this went way beyond bad.
Her hand clamped over her mouth as she struggled not to hurl up what was left in her stomach.
The once elegant room was now splattered with bits and pieces of trolls. Blood, limbs, and body parts that should never be seen, were so mixed together it was impossible to even know how many had died in the attack.
Forcing herself to study the nightmare, her disbelieving gaze at last halted on the black marble mantle and the head of the mountain troll that had been stuck there like a trophy.
The red eyes were open and a snarl revealing his open teem, as if he were damning the soul of his killer.
Whatever he had been doing it hadn't saved him or the other bodyguards. They had been butchered with violent ease.
The nausea rolled through her stomach once again.
"Blessed saints. This is impossible."
Taking her arm Viper gently pulled her from the room and closed the door. Then, as if sensing her weakness, he pressed her into a chair and crouched down before her.
"There are few things that can kill trolls with such savagery, but there is no doubt they have been well and truly slaughtered." He studied her face with a searching gaze. "Do you sense anything that might give a clue to what or who was responsible?"
With an effort, she battled back her crawling horror and forced herself to think with what logic she could muster.
"It wasn't a human. They wouldn't have the strength to rip apart a troll with their bare hands."