Embrace the Darkness Read online

  “That’s hardly something I take comfort in.”

  Viper bit back his impatience. “You think humans are superior? They have a reputation for violence and wars, not to mention outright genocide on occasion. At least Shalotts never kill their own. It is their most sacred law.”

  A hint of grudging curiosity glinted in her eyes. “Never?”

  “Never.” He held her gaze. “They believe that to shed the blood of another Shalott is to condemn themselves and all of their family to the fury of their gods. It is a sin that cannot be redeemed. I could only wish vampires possessed the same belief.”

  Her gaze dropped as she absently toyed with her glass of wine. “Have you known many Shalotts?”

  “A few. And before you ask, I did not drain them, enslave them, nor were any of them my lovers.”

  “Don’t tell me they were some sort of demon buddies?” she demanded in disbelief.

  His fangs snapped together. If she were deliberately attempting to goad him, she was doing a hell of a job.

  Of course, it was more likely that her jabs were self-preservation. If she pretended she didn’t care, then nothing could hurt her.

  “I happen to have many demons as friends, but the Shalotts were more… associates. A clan chief has many enemies.”

  Her gaze abruptly lifted. “You hired them as assassins?”

  “Actually I hired them to train me,” he clarified.

  “Train you for what?”

  “Most Shalott’s are thoroughly skilled in the arts of combat and, more importantly, possess intimate knowledge of weapons.” He gave a lift of his brows. “Surely your father did?”

  The pride she could not completely hide flickered over her face. “Of course.”

  Viper hid his sudden smile. He wasn’t entirely stupid.

  “And you?”

  “I have some experience with swords and daggers, but my father died before I could be fully trained,” she confessed in cautious tones. No doubt she worried she was handing information to the enemy.

  “Well, I cannot possibly claim the talent of your father, but if you would like we could train together.”

  Silence.

  The sort of thick silence that assured him that Shay was trying to decide if he were scheming some horrid plot, or simply out of his mind.

  Maybe when she figured it out she would tell him.

  “Train together?” she repeated with a frown. “Are you joking?”

  He shrugged. “Why not? I haven’t had a decent sparring partner in years.”

  “Most owners aren’t anxious to teach their slaves how to kill them,” she said dryly.

  “Do you intend to kill me?”

  “It’s not a decision I’ve made one way or another.”

  He gave a short, startled laugh. “You’ll let me know when you do decide?”

  “Perhaps.”

  “Not quite the reassurance I hoped for,” he murmured, his gaze brushing over her beautiful features. Now this was a sparring partner that a vampire could truly sink his teeth into. “Well?”

  “Well what?”

  He reached out to touch her fingers. “Do you wish to train with me?”

  She studied him with a guarded expression, but before she could answer the peaceful night was abruptly shattered.

  In the distance an unmistakable bay echoed through the air.

  They both froze. It could have been a coyote or even a stray dog howling at the fading night, but they both knew it wasn’t. No mere animal could make the air shudder in fear.

  “Hellhounds,” she whispered.

  Viper was on his feet and reaching out with his mind to his servants.

  “The guards are under attack.”

  “Why would hellhounds attack your guards? They are no match for vampires.”

  He gave a sharp shake of his head, distantly sensing the battle occurring near the gates to his estate. At the moment Santiago and his crew were holding their own, but there were far too many hellhounds to kill at once. They were taking wounds that would need the healing of deep earth.

  “I don’t know.” Reaching out he tugged her to her feet “Come.”

  Of course she couldn’t simply follow his lead. Digging in her feet she regarded him with a worried gaze. “Where are we going?”

  “There are tunnels in the basement. They will take us to the garage.”

  “Surely we are safer here than the garage?”

  “There are cars in the garage.”

  Her eyes widened. “No.”

  Viper heaved an exasperated sigh. “What is it?”

  “For God’s sake, Viper, it is almost dawn,” she gritted, as if he were almost too stupid to bear. “You can’t be traveling around in a car.”

  “I cannot travel, but you can.”

  “You want me to leave?” She flashed him a fierce frown. “Alone?”

  “I will stay here and make sure that you aren’t followed.”

  “No. We both stay and fight.”

  It wasn’t often that Viper found himself caught off guard. It was difficult to surprise a centuries-old vampire. But he couldn’t deny a sense of astonishment.

  “Shay, this isn’t the time to argue.” He regarded her with a stern command. “The hellhounds might not be much of a threat, but I seriously doubt that they are out there alone. Something wants you. They want you bad enough to risk a direct attack. You have to leave now.”

  Without warning she moved to stand directly before him, her hands on her hips.

  “And what if that’s what they want?”

  He frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “What if the hellhounds are only a diversion to make me flee here without you? Whatever is out there might be waiting for me once we’re separated.”

  Viper growled deep in his throat. She was right. The demons might very well be attempting to separate them.

  “Dammit to hell. That would explain why they attacked so close to dawn.”

  “And why they sent the hellhounds first.”

  “Yes.”

  He shoved his hands impatiently through his hair. It was not that he feared a fight. Hell, it had been far too long since he had enjoyed a rousing battle. But for the first time in his long life he possessed someone besides himself to worry about.

  It was an unnerving sensation.

  And one that he wasn’t quite certain how to deal with.

  Glancing about the room Shay abruptly held a hand to her heart. “Where is Levet?”

  “Hunting.” Viper gave a distracted shrug. “After the arrival of the hellhounds he is no doubt halfway to Chicago by now.”

  “Or doing something totally stupid,” she muttered as she spun on her heel and headed toward the back door.

  It took Viper a beat to realize she actually intended to go out and find the gargoyle. With a blur of speed he was blocking her path, regarding her with disbelief.

  She could try the patience of a saint. A mere vampire didn’t have a shot in hell.

  “You can’t go out there,” he rasped.

  A dangerous spark flared to life in the golden eyes. “Viper—”

  “No. The demons have no interest in Levet. He is far safer than you are at this moment.”

  “We don’t know that for sure.” Her jaw stuck out in warning. “He’s my friend and I won’t leave him out there to die.”

  Viper briefly savored the image of tossing the aggravating woman over his shoulder and being done with it Oh, she wouldn’t go quietly. She was half Shalott and she would put up a furious fight. But he felt certain that in the end he could force her to his will. Unfortunately, such a simple solution was bound to create far more difficulties than it would solve. She was only half Shalott, but she was all woman.

  Cursing himself for a fool he gave an impatient shake of his head. “Go to the basement. I will retrieve your missing gargoyle.”

  As if waiting for the perfect cue, the door was thrust open and the tiny gargoyle waddled into the kitchen.

&nbs
p; “There will be no need for heroics, vampire,” he drawled. “I am here.”

  Viper frowned. “What of the hellhounds?”

  Levet didn’t even attempt to hide his shudder of distaste. “They have been driven off for now, but I do not doubt they will be back.”

  There was a movement behind the gargoyle and Viper locked gazes with the vampires that had been standing guard.

  He growled deep in his throat at the sight of the blood that covered their clothing and the wounds that marred their faces.

  He was clan chief. Whoever had sent the hellhounds would soon regret their fatal decision.

  “Santiago, gather the other guards and take them to your lair.”

  The tail vampire stiffened at the command. “We will not leave you.”

  Viper gave a shake of his head. His guards were still young and bound closely to the night. Once the sun rose they would be unable to protect themselves.

  “You are wounded and it is too close to dawn. There is nothing you can do.”

  Frustration shimmered through the air as the guards were forced to accept the truth of his words.

  “Your human servants will soon arrive,” Santiago at last muttered.

  “They are no match for the demon who hunts us. We must attempt to evade him if we can.” Viper laid a hand on Santiago’s shoulder. “You must take care of the others, my friend. Now go.”

  Trapped by Viper’s demand to protect the lesser vampires Santiago had little choice but to offer a grudging bow.

  “As you command.”

  He waited until they melted into the darkness, headed for the secret lair that Santiago had built when Viper had brought him here to guard the estate. They would be safe and covered by the healing earth. Which was more than he could say, he wryly acknowledged as the distant baying echoed eerily through the air.

  He turned to meet Shay’s troubled gaze. “The hellhounds return. We must go.”

  Chapter Nine

  On this occasion Shay didn’t protest when Viper grasped her hand and tugged her across the kitchen and through a narrow door that led to the basement.

  A small miracle, but at the moment she was far more concerned with whatever was creeping closer to the house than asserting her independence.

  With Levet clinging to the back of her robe, they moved in swift silence. She could vaguely make out the dark, secluded bedrooms they passed. No doubt spare bedrooms in the event Viper decided to have a sleepover.

  Viper would have a room for himself, but it would not be his lair. At least not his hidden lair.

  To prove her point the vampire halted before the paneling at the end of the hall. With a movement of his hand and a whispered word the paneling opened to reveal steps leading farther down into the ground.

  “Through here.” he whispered, waiting for them to pass so he could close the paneling behind them.

  Shay could sense the curses that bound the door. They were powerful, but they wouldn’t provide protection from the demon that hunted her. Not if it were truly determined to follow her.

  The smell of warm, rich earth surrounded Shay as she cautiously moved down the flight of steps and entered what she assumed was Viper’s lair. Once on solid ground she was forced to pause as complete darkness folded around her. Unlike Viper she didn’t possess the ability to see through the murky black.

  Perhaps sensing her troubles there was a sound in the dark and then the faint bloom of tight as Viper held a taper to the tall, silver candelabra.

  Shay’s eyes slowly adjusted as her breath caught in her throat.

  “Holy crap,” she breathed, her gaze traveling around the vast cavern that surrounded her. She had never seen so many weapons in one place. Long swords, short swords, daggers, ninja weapons, bows and arrows, handguns, and ancient armor were all carefully stored behind glass cases. There was even a case where she could feel the power of magically blessed weapons. “Where did these come from?”

  Taking a key Viper unlocked a case to retrieve an elegant sword that he strapped to his back. He handed a dagger to the oddly silent Levet, and a sword to Shay who held it with the confidence of a woman accustomed to wielding such a weapon.

  “It is part of my collection,” he answered as he moved to another case and chose a small handgun that he loaded with swift ease.

  Moving to stand beside him Shay shot him a glance of disbelief. “Part? Are you intending to invade Canada?”

  The midnight gaze lifted to reveal a feint hint of amusement. Shay’s breath disappeared at the sheer beauty of his face in the candlelight. It was almost indecent that a man should possess the face of an angel.

  The eyes darkened as he felt the fine tremor that ran through her body.

  “It’s not on the agenda,” he huffed, moving to stand far too close. “At least not for today.”

  There was a disgusted hiss from behind them as Levet gave a vicious tug on Shay’s robe.

  “I hate to interrupt such a touching scene but those hellhounds are not going to wait for you two to play kissey face. So, unless you intend to nail a chunk of roast beef to my butt and have me run around as a distraction, I would suggest we prepare for battle.”;

  The glare that Viper shot at the small gargoyle should have made Levet turn to stone, but he stepped back from Shay and waved them both toward the back of the room.

  “They shouldn’t have been capable of breeching my defenses,” he muttered. “There is something with them.”

  Levet gave a small flutter of his wings. “Something bad.”

  Shay sensed it as well. A dark, creeping dread that filled the air and made it difficult to breathe. It was not yet at the door, but it was close enough to make a shiver inch down her spine.

  Close enough to know that she didn’t want it any closer.

  She didn’t want it at all.

  Holding the sword in her hand she bent her knees and widened her stance. The robe had parted to reveal the long line of her legs but she barely even noticed.

  Modesty was the least of her concerns at this point.

  The howling of the hellhounds echoed through the air and she braced herself as they threw themselves at the door. There was a thick thud and then the sickening sound of frenzied eating as the hounds devoured one of their own that had obviously been injured.

  The sound of Levet’s breathing rasped beside her, but Viper was motionless. Absolutely still. Awaiting death.

  Shay wasn’t certain if the sight of him was comforting or terrifying.

  And in truth it didn’t matter as the howls returned and the door shuddered beneath the fresh assault. Wood splintered, cracked, and at last shattered beneath the writhing tide of hellhounds.

  There was a moment to prepare as the beasts tried to charge in as a group and became lodged in the narrow opening. For a moment there was nothing but a black knot and the sound of howling fury. Then the dam broke and the demons poured through the doorway with deadly intent.

  Bracing herself, Shay watched the first charging hellhound leap in her direction. They were fearsome creatures that stood as large as a pony with crimson eyes and fangs that dripped a corrosive acid. Thankfully, they were nearly as stupid as they were vicious and there was no strategy, no attempt to attack with a cohesive plan as they swarmed through the room.

  Holding the sword in two hands she waited for the first demon to impale itself on her weapon. Teeth snapped at her face and hot blood ran down her arms as she smoothly turned and used the beast’s own weight to fling it off her sword.

  The dead hellhound landed in the middle of the pack and was immediately ripped apart by the rabid animals, but Shay had only a glimpse of the ghastly feeding as she continued to spin. She dipped the sword, down and then up to take off the head of the nearest hound.

  Blood and the stench of dying hellhounds filled the air as Shay danced with deadly intent through the swarming mass. It had been years since she had been thrown into a full-fledged fight, but she had practiced her skills every day as she had sworn an o
ath to her father to do, and she found the sword moving with fluid ease through the attackers.

  In the distance she was aware of Levet’s grunts and fluent curses as he used his dagger to keep the demons at bay, and the swift precision as Viper waded through the room to leave behind a trail of dying hounds. Her concentration, however, had narrowed to the closest demons who charged without fear or hesitation.

  She used short, controlled swings of her sword, managing to keep the beasts from her with the force of her kicks and the deadly blade.

  The end came without warning.

  One moment she was slicing through the throat of a hound and the next a thick silence filled the lair.

  With a sigh, Shay leaned against the wall. She had a bite on the back of her calf and a deep scratch down her arm but she had survived. Never a bad thing.

  Her gaze moved to ensure that Levet was still standing before moving on to the tall vampire who was calmly cleaning his sword.

  Across the floor the dead and dying demons were beginning to decay to a layer of gray ash. Even the blood on Shay’s arms was flaking to drift through the air.

  Sliding the long sword in the sheath that was strapped to his back Viper moved to stand before her.

  “Are you harmed?” he demanded.

  She swallowed a weary laugh. She looked like she had been rolled through a dust pile and he stood there without a damn hair out of place.

  “Nothing that won’t heal,” she muttered, frowning as he knelt down to examine the wound on her leg. His cool fingers sent a flash of heat through her body as they brushed over her skin. She gritted her teeth as she glared down at the gleam of his silver hair. “I’m fine.”

  He glanced up, his expression unreadable. “Do you heal like a human or a Shalott?”

  “I don’t know about Shalotts, but I heal far faster than humans.”

  “Are yon immune to infections?”

  “Yes.”

  He returned his attention to the wound that had already stopped bleeding and was beginning to close over. Her inhuman strength wasn’t the only reason she had been called a freak over the years. With a faint nod, he rose to his feet.

  “Can you sense the demon approaching?”