Embrace the Darkness Read online

  There was a moment of hesitation before he was striding forward. Before Shay knew what was about to occur, she felt herself being tossed onto the center of the soft bed.

  Her eyes flew open as she landed, but not in time to prevent him from following her downward and covering her body with his much heavier frame.

  “Very well.” His head angled downward until his lips were pressed to her throat and the silken silver hair brushed her face. “I want you in my bed beneath me, screaming out my name as you come in pleasure “ he murmured, his mouth moving against her skin to send a thousand tingles of delight through her body. “I want to drink deeply of your blood and bathe in your heat. I want to wrap myself in you until I can get you to stop haunting my dreams. Is that what you wanted to know?”

  Her eyes slid shut as she battled the urge to wrap her legs around his waist and beg to be taken exactly as he described.

  He wasn’t the only one haunted.

  “Not really,” she rasped.

  “Don’t worry, pet. I don’t force myself on women. We have an eternity to sate my hungers.” His mouth shifted so she could feel the sharpness of his fangs. “Both our hungers.”

  She shivered even as she shook her head in denial. “You know nothing of my hungers.”

  “I intend to learn.”

  A sharp, poignant sadness swept through her, helping to dispel the seductive madness that this vampire could infect with such terrifying ease.

  “What I desire you can’t offer.”

  Easily sensing her withdrawal Viper pulled back to regard her with a fierce expression.

  “Never doubt me, Shay. I am a vampire of amazing skills.” He kissed her with a swift, but shocking intimacy before he was pressing himself fluidly to his feet. A smile touched his lips as he regarded her sprawled on the soft quilt, as if the sight of her lying there somehow pleased him. “Rest well.”

  Unbelievably, he turned and walked out of the room.

  He hadn’t chained her to the bed.

  He hadn’t locked her in the closet.

  He hadn’t even closed the door.

  Cautiously pressing herself upright Shay gave a shake of her head.

  What the hell was going on?

  —

  Viper made his way through the dark house to his private study. It was close to dawn but he still had a few details to tidy up before seeking his bed.

  A pity one of those details wasn’t the beautiful Shalott alone in her room, he acknowledged with a rueful sigh. His body still ached with the effort it had taken to leave her alone on that bed.

  His mind might assure him that she would soon enough be offering herself without hesitation, but his frustrated desire insisted that it couldn’t possibly be soon enough.

  Five minutes from now couldn’t be soon enough.

  Entering the book-lined room he moved straight to the door hidden behind the walnut paneling. Pressing the lever that would let him into the security room beyond, Viper stepped inside and regarded the bank of monitors with a faint sense of pride.

  Unlike many of his kind he had never shied from embracing the latest technology. It went beyond arrogant to downright stupid to ignore the ever-changing world.

  Besides, if he were perfectly honest, he would admit that he was like any man. He had to have the coolest, the shiniest, most expensive toys with which to play.

  At his entrance a small, redheaded vampire watching the monitors was on his feet with his fangs fully extended.

  Viper raised a calming hand. “Be at ease.”

  Realizing who had snuck up on him, the vampire offered a deep bow. “Master.”

  “Have there been any disturbances?”

  “No. It has been very quiet.” The green eyes narrowed. “Are you expecting trouble?”

  “There is the possibility that I was followed tonight,” Viper said. “I want the guards doubled and everyone on full alert.”

  “Of course, master.”

  Viper smiled at the swift obedience. No questions. No arguments. No lethal glares.

  His employees were far better trained than his new slave.

  “Who is on duty after you?”

  The vampire glanced toward the list that was set by one of the monitors. “Santiago.”

  “Good.” Viper gave a nod. Santiago was still a young vampire, but he was well-trained and capable of thinking on his feet. Nothing would be allowed to slip past him. “I want you to warn him to keep a close watch on the grounds.”

  The redheaded vampire regarded him with a curious expression. “Should he keep a close watch for anything in particular?”

  “I have a guest staying with me,” Viper confessed with a smile that refused to go away. “A very special guest. I fear she might decide to wander off while I sleep.”

  “Ah. You want to have her captured and returned?”

  Viper gave a slow shake of his head. “No. If she is seen trying to leave, I am to be awakened immediately.”

  The vampire gave a surprised lift of his brows. “You don’t want her halted?”

  “Not unless Santiago suspects there might be something dangerous lurking nearby.” Viper glanced toward the monitors.

  “I think it might be interesting to discover just where my guest decides to go.”

  —

  It shouldn’t have been surprising that Shay overslept.

  She had paced the floor of her bedroom for over an hour before she had at last accepted Viper was not coming back. That there wasn’t going to be any torture, or tormenting, or rape.

  At least not yet.

  She wasn’t nearly ready to believe that it wasn’t in her future.

  Still it was a shock when she at last awakened and realized that it was already past five in the afternoon.

  Good God. She had not only slept, but her sleep had been deep and utterly free of nightmares.

  It was unheard of.

  It had to be the soft, feather mattress. Or the silence that drenched the estate, she reassured herself as she muttered a few choice curses and scrambled to the bathroom to toss water on her face. It certainly couldn’t be that she felt at peace in the home of a vampire.

  That would be beyond ridiculous.

  She managed to find a new toothbrush and toothpaste in the attached bathroom, as well as a hairbrush that she used to smooth her long hair before she braided it and hurried down to the kitchen.

  With no change of clothing, she was forced to remain in the harem pants and glittering top, but as she moved toward the back door she noticed the heavy velvet cloak that Viper had tossed aside the evening before.

  She was not as sensitive to the brisk fall air as a normal human, but she didn’t possess the ability of a true Shalott to ignore the elements.

  Neither one nor the other.

  A mongrel.

  The story of her life.

  Gathering the soft material around her Shay ignored the tantalizing scent that was so uniquely Viper. She had a promise to keep, and no time to allow herself to be distracted. Especially not by her annoying reaction to a damn vampire.

  Leaving the house with a silence that few could match she managed to elude the guards that Viper had mentioned patrolled the grounds. Once at the high gates that protected the estate she paused to toss the cloak over before easily climbing the smooth bricks and landing on the other side.

  It was her last barrier and gathering the cloak about her she took off at a steady run that would lead her back to the city and the auction house.

  Settling into a swift trot she could maintain for hours if necessary, she headed south. In the distance she could see the looming skyline of Chicago and she kept her gaze fixed on the Sears Tower as she crossed the rural fields that lay well outside the sprawling city.

  She did take one detour to collect the bag she had hidden when she had first felt the compulsion to return to Evor. She hadn’t known then what she might need, she had only wanted to have a few surprises tucked away in case she would have the opportunity to use
them.

  Now was the perfect opportunity.

  Dusk had painted a canvas of pinks and pale violet across the sky when she neared the auction house. Had she been free of the curse, she would have crawled atop one of the towering buildings to watch the wash of color spread over Lake Michigan. There was nothing quite so soothing as being near the water and allowing its power to spread through her.

  Her steps never halted, however, and it was still early enough that most of the trolls would be sleeping when she arrived at the auction house.

  Unfortunately, more than just trolls and vamps waited for full dark before rising and silently sneaking to the lower basement she discovered Levet still in statue form.

  “Levet, wake up,” she hissed, silently praying it was long enough past sunset for him to hear her. “Dammit, wake up.”

  For long moments there was nothing but the scrambling of mice to break the thick silence. Then, there was the faintest crack of rock and the thick stone encasing the gargoyle began to crumble away.

  The sight never failed to amaze Shay as the tiny statue shed its skin tike a snake molting to reveal the demon beneath.

  A shower of dust briefly blinded the small gargoyle and Shay moved closer to the iron bars.

  “Levet.”

  “Eeek.” With a loud shriek, Levet scurried to the dark corner of the cell.

  “For God’s sake, be quiet,” Shay hissed.

  “Shay?”

  “Yes, it’s Shay.”

  Levet slowly crept from the shadows, as if half expecting her to be a figment of his imagination.

  “What are you doing here? Mon dieu, have you been returned already?”

  Shay reluctantly smiled. She didn’t blame the gargoyle for jumping to the conclusion her newest master had kicked her out after only a few hours.

  She was not exactly slave material.

  She hated taking orders. She was short-tempered. Overly proud. Skilled in the most deadly arts. And inclined to battle against fate rather than accept it with grace.

  There might be worse slaves than herself.

  But not many.

  “I told you that I would come back for you. I don’t make promises I don’t intend to keep.”

  Levet stilled. As if he had returned to his statue form. “You came back? For… me?”

  “Yes.”

  He slowly sank to his knees, his flippant manner lost in a surge of bone-deep relief.

  “Oh, thank God.” His voice echoed through the empty cavern. “Thank God.”

  “Sssh.” Shay gave an anxious wave of her hand as she glanced toward the nearby stairs. “We have to get you out of here before Evor awakens.”

  “How? You can’t touch the bars and I’m not strong enough to bend them.”

  Shay reached beneath her cloak to pull out the small ceramic pot. With great care, she pulled out the stopper.

  “Stand back.”

  Levet rose to his feet and slowly backed away. “What are you going to do?”

  The smoke was already beginning to rise from the pot. Never a good sign.

  “Dammit, Levet, just get in the corner.”

  With a flap of his gossamer wings, he was scurrying to the back of the cell even as Shay tossed the pot directly at the iron bars.

  There was an evil hiss and an acrid cloud of mist as the liquid from the pot rapidly ate its way through the metal.

  “Sacrebleu, What is that stuff?” Levet breathed in shock.

  “A potion I stole from the witches.”

  “You stole it?”

  “Yes.”

  The gargoyle delicately inched his way forward. “Um, Shay?”

  “What?”

  “Next time you want to rescue me could you just steal the key?” He deliberately regarded the large, dripping hole in the center of the bars before his gaze lowered to the stones that were being slowly eaten away. “I’m not really certain you should be allowed to have potions.”

  Shay slammed her hands on her hips. She had been saving that particular potion for Evor. One day he would push her too far and she fully intended to enjoy watching him melt into a troll-puddle. Even if it did mean her own death.

  “Are you going to stand there and criticize my jail-breaking techniques or are you coming with me?”

  “I’m coming, I’m coming.” Using his wings to carry him over the dangerous vitriol still pooled on the ground, he darted through the hole and landed beside her.

  Shay caught her breath at the beauty of those gossamer wings he always kept so closely guarded against his body. Even in the shadows she could detect the shimmering reds and blues veined with pure gold. Had he been a wood sprite he would have displayed those wings with all the pride of a strutting peacock. As it was they were nothing more than a source of embarrassment.

  Shifting her gaze to keep from staring at the beautiful wings and ruffling Levet’s tender pride, Shay gathered the cloak closer about her.

  “I can’t sense the trolls near but we must hurry. It won’t be long until they are preparing for the night.”

  “Wait.” Levet caught her arm even as she turned toward the stairs and pointed toward a small opening at the back of the dungeons. “This way.”

  “That only takes us deeper into the dungeons,” she protested with a shudder. She didn’t want to know what Evor hid in those damp chambers.

  “There is a hidden door.”

  “A hidden door? “ Shay frowned. “How do you know?”

  “I can feel the night.” Levet leaned back his head to sniff the air, a faint shiver rippling over his gray skin. “It speaks to me.”

  Shay wasn’t about to argue with a gargoyle who could smell the night. She might be stubborn, but she wasn’t entirely stupid.

  “Fine, you lead the way.”

  Without a backward glance the small demon was hurrying into the narrow opening. Shay swallowed a sigh as she followed closely behind him.

  As she had expected the walls were lined with heavy iron doors that hid rooms where the most powerful of demons could be caged. Without windows in the doors it was impossible to determine what was locked in the dark, but she could catch a musty, snake scent of a reptilian demon followed by the spicy, almost herbal scent of a powerful imp. There were other smells that were fainter, as if the demons were beginning to fade behind those thick, ruthless doors.

  She battled the urge to pound her fists against the thick iron. No matter what sort of demons might be lurking behind the doors none of them deserved to be in Evor’s power.

  The sound of her companion’s hurried steps brought her back to her senses.

  No. She could do nothing tonight.

  Not without risking Levet.

  The remaining demons were a worry for another night.

  They traveled in silence through the spiderweb of tunnels. Levet never hesitated as he angled through me various passageways. Shay found herself having to bend nearly double more than once, but at last the gargoyle turned and began to climb a narrow set of stairs carved into the stone.

  As they made their way upward even Shay could begin to sense the brush of fresh, air. Within minutes they were squeezing through the narrowest of openings and were standing on the vast grounds that surrounded the auction house.

  She blew out a breath she hadn’t even known she was holding.

  Holy crap, they had made it.

  Even when she had been plotting to rescue Levet she hadn’t truly thought she could pull it off.

  Not with Evor and his merry band of trolls so close at hand.

  On the point of sharing her rush of joy at their success Shay abruptly froze. A cold prickling was creeping over her skin.

  A cold that could only belong to one creature.

  “Levet, fly,” she commanded as she bent low and prepared for an attack.

  She had barely lifted her hands when there was a streak of blackness and she found herself flat on her back with a silver-haired vampire perched on top of her.

  “Well, well, pet. Fancy
meeting you here.”

  Her breath had been knocked from her lungs, but not from the swift tackle. Viper had made certain his arms encircling her body had taken the impact.

  No. It was nothing so mundane.

  Cloaked in his rich scent and surrounded by the cloud of his silver hair she could barely think, let alone breathe. He surrounded her. His body pressing against her a shockingly familiar weight.

  Even worse his face was so close their noses were nearly touching. So close that she had only to tilt her chin to press her lips to his.

  The very fact that the mere thought brushed through her mind sent a thrill of panic racing through her heart.

  “Get off me,” she gritted.

  His low chuckle brushed against her cheek. “Make me.”

  She reacted more out of the fear of her response than to his soft challenge.

  Smacking her fists into his wide chest she pretended to fight as most women would be expected to fight. He instinctively leaned heavier into her arms, which gave her just enough room to move her leg. Before he could suspect her intention she hooked her leg around his waist and with a fierce motion she had rolled him onto his back.

  Just for a moment she was perched on top of him, her legs straddling his waist and a smug smile curving her lips.

  His beautiful features were briefly startled, and then a smile curved his own lips.

  She braced her legs, expecting him to attempt to roll her back beneath him. Men always preferred to use their greater size to overcome an opponent, not realizing their own strength could be used against them. Once he began to roll she would use his own momentum to end up on top again.

  Unfortunately, Viper was a vampire not a man.

  His smile widened as he simply lifted her upward, his arms wrapping about her as he flowed to his feet. Shay gritted her teeth as she abruptly bowed backward, throwing her arms over her head and wrapping her legs about his waist.

  As she hoped her movement threw him off balance. He stepped forward and she grabbed him around his knees, her flexible back easily able to bend in an impossible curve. Her head turned to sink her teeth into his thigh.

  “Oh no, my beauty.”

  With a soft hiss, Viper once again did the unexpected. Following her movement forward he placed his hands on the ground and with a smooth motion rolled until he was again on his back. This time her legs were trapped beneath him and he was able to reach down and grasp her with enough strength to jerk her up to his chest. His arms lashed about her, pressing her arms to her side so that she was well and truly caught.