She didn't know that anyone could actually survive such suffering. It seemed the sort of thing that should put a demon in her grave.
Or at least wish she was there.
Managing to force open her heavy lids she swiftly realized that she was no longer in the damp tunnels. In fact she was lying on a priceless Persian carpet that perfectly matched the rest of the gaudy room.
Arabian nights gone wild.
The next thing she realized was that Viper was close beside her, his large form kneeling on the carpet as he obviously fought some horrid, unseen attack.
Her breath lodged in her throat as she struggled to force her weakened body to move. She didn't have a clue what she could do to help the suffering vampire, but the need to touch him was overwhelming.
She managed to actually lift her head from the carpet when a sudden shadow fell across her and she stiffened in alarm.
There was no mistaking the dark evil that simmered in the air, or the prickle of revulsion that crawled over her skin.
The same evil she had felt in the auction house and again when Styx and his Ravens had hunted them through the streets of Chicago.
The Anasso.
It could be no other.
Slowly turning her head Shay couldn't halt the sharp gasp of shock at the thin, ravaged face poised just above her. He looked more like an extra from a bad horror flick than the most powerful vampire to walk the earth.
Looks, however, were far too often deceiving and Shay wasn't stupid enough to underestimate the demon that had caused her enough pain to wish herself dead.
Bracing herself for the inevitable attack Shay was caught off guard when he slowly knelt beside her and touched her cheek with a gentle hand.
"My Shalott." His voice was low and gravelly, but rich with a force that could no doubt enthrall demons and humans alike. "I knew you would come to me."
Shrugging aside the compulsion to fall into that voice Shay sucked in a deep breath.
"What have you done to Viper?"
An expression of profound sorrow touched the skeletal face. An expression that in no way matched the hectic glitter in the dark eyes.
"I had no choice. He refused to understand."
"Understand what?"
"That I must survive. That without me the vampires will return to nothing more than savages." His fangs glistened in the light of the flames. "I am the Anasso. I must be eternal."
"No matter how many of your own you must kill?"
His fingers tightened on her face making her wince in pain. "I stand above all,"
A flare of fury raced through Shay. This vampire had already taken her father, and now he threatened the man she loved. And all because of some delusional belief in his own glorious legend.
"You're a raving loon," she hissed.
He jerked her face sharply forward. So close she could feel his foul breath brushing her skin.
"So stubborn, just like your father."
"You bastard." Even knowing it was futile, she struggled against his grasp. "You murdered my father."
"He fulfilled his purpose in life, my dear. His blood was meant as a gift. A gift of healing for me. And now you shall be allowed to fulfill your own destiny."
She clutched at his thin wrist, squeezing with all of her strength.
"My only destiny is to watch you die."
He laughed at her feeble threat. "I fear not."
"Actually, the lovely lady is partially right," a new voice drawled from behind the looming vampire. "You will die, old master, and she will be here. Unfortunately, I'm not certain she will survive long enough to watch her destiny unfold."
Shay was released with an abruptness that nearly had her falling on her face. Catching herself with her hands she watched the vampire rise to his feet and turn toward the nearby opening.
Huddled on the floor Shay resisted die urge to crawl into a ball of fear. Instead she forced herself to regard the newest threat.
A flare of shock raced through her at the sight of the tail, golden-haired demon that stood in the entrance.
An imp?
What the devil would an imp be doing in a cave of vampires? And perhaps more importantly, what was on the end of that chain that disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel behind him?Clearly unhappy to have been interrupted during his dinner hour, the Anasso offered a low hiss in way of greeting.
"Damocles. I did not call for you."
"Yes, I know, and I must say I'm extremely wounded." The imp gave a toss of his golden curls. "How could you possibly have a party and not invite your most beloved servant?"
"Beloved?" The vampire gave another hiss. "Hardly that."
The imp smiled and Shay found herself instinctively inching closer to Viper. There was nothing pleasant in that smile.
"Tsk, tsk. After all I have done for you, my lord."
The Anasso thankfully appeared to forget the woman behind him as he stiffened in anger. Which suited Shay just fine. Especially when she felt Viper painfully lift his arm to wrap it around her waist.
She glanced toward him in fierce relief, but his stern expression warned her to do nothing that might attract attention.
Once again, that was fine by her.
"And what have you done for me, Damocles, beyond luring me to weakness?" The elder vampire was demanding. "I once allowed myself to be blinded by your lies, but no longer. You have brought nothing but ruin and betrayal in your wake."
The imp chuckled with delight. "Yes, and I did it so very well."
The Anasso seemed as startled as Shay by the blunt confession. "You admit your sins?"
"Of course. I want you to know just how simple it was to bring you to your knees." The imp allowed his faux smile to fade, revealing an expression of overwhelming hatred. "You call yourself the Anasso. You claim to be nothing less than a god for your people. But in truth you are a pathetic, cowardly fool who would condemn your entire race to the grave if it would save your worthless hide."
The Anasso took an unsteady step forward. "You came here to destroy me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
The imp touched the small medallion that hung about his neck. "I did tell you that you were not the first demon that I served. Once I proudly stood at the side of a truly great vampire."
"Who was this vampire?"
"You are not fit to speak his name. Not after you lied and deceived him so that you could bait him into your treacherous trap."
A charged silence descended as the two glared at each other. Shay felt Viper's arm tighten around her as the thick air swirled with danger. It was no longer a matter of whether there would be violence, only when it would strike.
The Anasso straightened to an arrogant pose. "I brought the clans together. I ended the tide of bloodshed. I brought peace to those who never had peace, I achieved what no other could. "
The imp sneered at the proud claims. "No, you devised the one sure method of rallying vampires to your cause so that you could kill those more ancient and worthy than yourself and take control of all. A clever plot, I'll admit. But never pretend to me that it was anything more man a greedy grasp for power."
At her side Viper sucked in a sharp breath at the accusation, but Shay didn't allow her gaze to stray from the gaunt form of the elder vampire.
He seemed the sort to take offense at being branded a power-hungry psycho.
Enough offense to get them all killed.
"You have no right to judge me, imp," the Anasso rasped harshly.
"Ah, but I am not the one to judge you, am I?" The imp waved a dramatic hand toward the unconscious Styx. "It is your own vampires who have at last smelled the stench of your corruption. Who have seen through your pretense of glory to reveal the spineless creature you truly are."
With a terrifying growl the Anasso lifted his clawlike hands and pointed them toward the imp. Viper gave a low curse before pushing Shay behind his kneeling body. The violence was about to explode.
"Brave words for a lesser demon. I will teach you to attempt to rise above your station," the vampire promised in an awful voice.
Astonishingly, the imp merely laughed. "Hardly a lesser demon. I single-handedly managed to bring the glorious Anasso to his knees."
"Lies and tricks," the vampire snarled. "Will you pit your strength against my own?"
"Oh, I don't think that will be necessary. It will be far more fun just to kill you."
The green eyes glittered with an insane amusement as the imp gave a firm tug on the chain. Still shielded behind Viper, Shay clutched at his back. There was a sudden, familiar scent in the air.
One she knew all too well.
"Evor," she breathed even as the troll stumbled into the room and fell to his knees.
Viper stiffened. "Devil's balls."
Shay silently echoed the sentiment. Even suspecting that the troll was in the caves the sight of him still made her heart squeeze with fear.
He looked terrible.
The thin, balding hair was matted to his skull, his face was pale and coated with dirt, and his thousand-dollar suit looked like something from the local garbage dump. Not at all the oily, elegant Evor she knew and hated.