Embrace The Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #2)(18)

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 hot 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."