"of course she can. she's a goddess, isn't she?"

"think, levet," she commanded. "they have viper."

"are you drunk? i know they have viper. i just told you that."

her teeth gritted as she resisted the urge to give him a good shake. "they have viper and i'm viper's slave. he holds my amulet."

"and... oh." the gray face managed to become downright white. "oh. no, you truly must be drunk if you think viper will deliberately call you into the hands of your enemies. i might think him an arrogant pain in the ass, but he would never allow you to be harmed."

this time her shiver was not from the cold. "not intentionally."

levet frowned. "shay?"

she hunched her shoulders as old memories rose up like nasty bile.

"levet, we have both been at the mercy of enemies. we know what it is to be tortured," she said in raw tones. "all that blathering about glorious honor and loyalty is for fairy tales, not reality. in truth a person can be forced to do anything. even if it goes against everything they hold dear."

he flinched, as his hand instinctively lifted to touch the scars that marred his chest. the trolls had found it loads of fun to use a miniature gargoyle as target practice. at least until shay had arrived and threatened to cut off their manhood. amazing how that threat managed to transcend race, culture, and species.

"no." levet gave a shake of his head. "not viper. the amulet must be freely given and he will never do that."

it was what she feared the most, she abruptly realized. not that he would break beneath the torture, but that he wouldn't. viper was just stubborn enough to allow himself to die before he would call her to his side.

it was a sacrifice that would break her as nothing else could.

"then they will kill him and i will still be at their mercy," she rasped.

levet lifted his hands to rub his temples. "you are giving me a headache. what do you mean?"

"if they hold evor then killing viper will still force me into their clutches. i cannot escape the curse."

levet muttered a string of french curses as he at last understood her head was directly beneath the guillotine.

"sacrebleu, when you tumble into a quagmire you really tumble, don't you?"

that was one way of putting it.

"we have to rescue him, levet. and we have to do it now."

chapter twenty

viper decided that the black limo could hardly compare to his own.

although suitably large and boasting soft leather seats, it offered few other luxuries. no soothing music, no plasma tv, no champagne cooling on ice.

of course, he had to concede, his own limo didn't have any silver shackles hanging from the ceiling that could conveniently hold even the most furious vampire captive. an oversight he would have corrected if he ever managed to get out of this damnable mess.

ignoring the silver that burned into his wrists, he gave another futile tug on the chains that bound him. anything was better than brooding on the traitor who sat on the seat opposite him, or worse, the knowledge that shay was out there alone.

with a click of his tongue, styx pulled off his cape to reveal the black leather pants and thick sweater that covered his large form.

"your struggles are futile and will only hurt you, viper," he said.

lowering his gaze viper glared at the man who had once stood at his side. whatever their friendship in the past he would never forgive styx for this.

and never was a very long time for immortals.

"you think i will go to, my death without some struggle, no matter how futile?" he demanded.

the cold features never altered. "i am trying very hard to ensure that you do not face death."

"not face death?" viper gave a humorless laugh, as furious with himself as the man across from him. devil's balls, but he had been an idiot. "i've been chased across chicago by dark wizards, hellhounds, and now trolls."

"merely distractions."

"and the lu?" viper demanded. "i assure you he was more than a mere distraction. he damn well nearly took off my head."

astonishingly, something that might have been unease rippled over the bronzed features. it wasn't much but it was enough to give viper a faint hope that the man possessed some regret.

"that was ... not of my doing."

"your master?" viper carefully probed.

"you know better man to ask," styx chided, his arms folded over his chest. "tell me of the shalott."

viper gritted his teeth. "she is about five foot seven, one hundred and twenty pounds, which is shocking considering she eats like a horse..."

styx gave an impatient hiss. "now is not the time for levity, viper. if i am to save you, i must have your cooperation."

viper wanted to tell him what he could do with his cooperation. he would put a stake in his own heart before he would help them harm shay.

thankfully, he came to his senses enough to realize that for the moment he was helpless to attempt an escape. perhaps if he could encourage styx to talk he might reveal something of what lay ahead.

"and what does this cooperation involve?"

"for the moment i wish to know of your relationship with the demon."

viper met his gaze squarely. "she is my slave."

"more than that, i think. you have risked your life over and over to save her. why?"

"you know why."

the dark eyes studied him for a long moment. "you have feelings for her?"

viper shrugged. it wouldn't help to try and deny his feelings for shay. they were obvious enough for even a simpleton to notice.

"yes."

"a dangerous luxury for a vampire," styx murmured, the dark shadows playing over his face. "and even more dangerous for a clan chief."

viper gave an unconscious yank on the chains. "what is your interest in my relationship with shay?"

styx was silent so long that viper feared he might refuse to answer. then slowly leaning forward the elder vampire stabbed him with a fierce gaze.

"it would be best if you cut your connections to the demon and walk away. give me the power over the amulet that binds her to you, and i will halt the car and not trouble you again."

viper was wise enough not to laugh at the ridiculous suggestion.

"and if i don't?"

"eventually you will be convinced to do as you're told, and i very much fear that you will not enjoy the process."

viper narrowed his eyes. "torture has been forbidden, even for the anasso," he said, referring to the leader of all vampires. the master that styx and the ravens served as personal guards.

"necessity at times demands unpleasant sacrifices."

"me being the sacrifice?" viper demanded.

"i very much hope not."

viper gave a slow shake of his head. "this is not like you, styx. for all of your battles you have always held your honor most dear."

with a smooth motion styx was leaning back in his seat, but viper didn't miss the small flinch at his sharp accusation.

"and my duty even more dear," he retorted, his voice carefully bland. as if he feared revealing more than he desired.

viper studied the features that had once been so familiar to him. he had not aged, of course. in fact his features were precisely the same as they had been centuries ago. but there was no mistaking the hint of tension that tightened his body. or the bleak somberness that dulled his eyes. as if the years had stolen something precious from him.

"duty to the anasso?"

"duty to all vampires. our very existence depends upon this."

viper gave a lift of his brows. "you're being very melodramatic for a vampire who has chosen the existence of a monk. what could possibly be so dire?"

"can you not simply trust me?"

"no."

styx lifted a slender hand to touch the small medallion that hung about his neck. it was an ancient aztec symbol that he was never without.

"you are making this far more difficult than it need be."

viper made a rude noise. "i have hardly been the one making this difficult, styx. i was perfectly content to remain peacefully in my lair with shay, not bothering a soul. you were the one to drag me into this mess "

the coldness deepened around styx. "the anasso has spoken. that is all that matters."

the hell it did.

viper stirred impatiently on the seat, biting back a curse as the silver dug into his flesh. the pain was reaching a level where it was nearly impossible to ignore.

"did you capture the troll who holds shay's curse?"

"no, he has managed to elude us."

viper frowned. styx might evade or simply refuse to answer a question, but he wouldn't lie. so where the hell was evor?

devil's balls.

viper struggled to make sense of the past few days. all he knew was that it had been the anasso who had been determined to get his hands on shay from the beginning. which was worth a whole lot of nothing.

"what do you want of shay? is it her blood?"

styx turned to gaze out the window. "her blood is life."