"A harsh accusation, my son."

"What would you call it?"

A thin, gnarled hand lifted in a helpless motion. "An unfortunate sacrifice for the greater cause."

Styx gave a shake of his head. "Pretty words do not make it any less despicable."

"Do you think I have no regrets, my son? That I would not alter the past if possible? I hold myself entirely to blame for the circumstances we find ourselves in."

As well he should, Styx acknowledged. It had been his weakness that had led to this moment. His lust for the forbidden that might very well kill a noble vampire.

"I am aware of that, my lord."

Easily hearing the distaste in his tone the Anasso offered a faint frown.

"Perhaps you believe I should allow Viper and the Shalott to walk away? Without her I am certain to die."

"There must be some other means."

"I have sought every means possible, even taking those vile concoctions that the imp is forever thrusting upon me." The elder vampire sharply interrupted. "There is nothing to halt the disease but the blood of the Shalott."

"Shay," Styx said softly.

"What?"

"The Shalott's name is Shay."

"Yes, of course." There was a long pause as the elder vampire studied him in thoughtful silence. "Styx?"

"Yes, my lord?"

"If you have changed your mind, I understand. I have put you in an untenable position and for that I am deeply sorry." He weakly reached up to touch Styx's arm. "You must know that your faith and loyalty mean more to me than life itself."

A tightness clutched at Styx's chest. "You are very kind, my lord."

"Not kind." A faint smile touched the decaying lips. "Do you recall when we first met?"

"I was battling a pack of werewolves, as I recall."

A soft chuckle disturbed the thick air. "You informed me that I would have to wait for my turn to be killed."

Styx grimaced. "I was still young and brash."

"Do you remember what I said?"

Styx slowly turned to watch the blazing flames in the marble fireplace. He was not entirely stupid. He realized that the Anasso was deliberately reminding him of the day he had offered his pledge. And perhaps, just as importantly, reminding him of the cause that had bound them together.

A cause that went beyond either of them.

"You said that you intended to stop the flow of blood," he said in an empty voice. "To write the destiny of the vampire race in the stars. To band us together and meld greatness out of chaos. And then you asked me to walk at your side."

"At my side, Styx. Never behind." There was a strategic pause. "I want this to be your decision, my son. If you believe it is best to release Viper and allow the Shalott to roam free then that is what we will do."

"No, my lord." Turning Styx regarded the frail man with a sharp pang of horror. "I cannot—"

The vampire lifted his hand to halt his refusal. "Think upon it, Styx, but think quickly. We do not have much time left "

Chapter Twenty-One

Dawn was hovering just over the horizon as Levet scoured the sharply carved bluffs. Below them the charming farmhouse was nestled in a shadowed slumber while the mighty Mississippi River slid by in silent grandeur.

Hardly the setting for a band of dark vampires intent on murder, mayhem, and good old-fashioned bloodletting. Of course, it might have been a bit difficult to hide a gothic castle complete with bats and creepy servants in the middle of the heartland. That was the sort of thing people tended to notice.

Leaning against a tree as the gargoyle pulled aside bushes and fallen rocks Shay absently rubbed the muscles of her legs. She had run full out for over six hours as she had tracked the limo through the back roads of Illinois. There had been no means of keeping pace with the automobile, but the scent of so many vampires had been enough for her and Levet to follow.

And follow, and follow, and follow...

Her stamina was well beyond a human's but that didn't keep her muscles from cramping into knots the size of Mount Rush-more. Or her feet from feeling as if they had been put through a meat grinder more than once.

At least the pang in her side had stopped throbbing and her breathing was almost back to normal. And even more importantly she had managed to make a short detour to a nearby farmhouse so she could borrow a thick flannel shirt that protected her from the crisp night air. Borrowing sounded so much nicer than stealing.

Glancing toward the sky she cleared her throat. "Levet, the clock is ticking."

"I know, I know" he muttered, pulling and tugging at a pile of thick brush. "It is here. I smell it." There were a few more grunts and then the gargoyle was abruptly straightening. "Voila."

"Voila? What the heck is that supposed to mean?" she demanded as she moved forward to study the narrow crack in the rock.

Levet gave a sniff as he squeezed through the opening. "It is a crime against nature that not all people are French. Are you coming?"

She sucked in a deep breath as her palms began to sweat. Saint's blood. Another dark and dank hole. She had sworn that once she was free of the witch's coven she would never enter another one.

You won't ever be alone in the dark again.

Viper's voice seemed to whisper through the back of her mind, easing the flare of fear that had threatened to overwhelm her. She was not alone. She had Levet at her side, and Viper waiting for her to rescue him.

"I'm coming," she said in firm tones, pushing herself through the opening and into the wide tunnel beyond. Wide but not tall she discovered as she banged her head on the low hanging ceiling. "Ouch. Dammit, Levet. You could have warned me."

"You should not be so tall," Levet muttered from the dark. "We need light."

"No." Shay reached out blindly, desperate to halt her friend from creating disaster. Amazingly, however, there were no explosions, no sudden ash in the air. Just a small ball of light hovering over Level's grinning face. She breathed out a shaky sigh as she rubbed her throbbing head. "Shit, Levet, you could have blown us both to tiny bits."

Levet stuck out his tongue. "Bah."

Returning her attention to more important matters Shay glanced about the tunnel, sniffing the musty air that held no trace of humans or demons.

"No one has passed through this tunnel for years," she murmured.

Levet pointed toward the large crack that ran along the wall. "It's unsteady."

A chill inched down her spine. "How unsteady?"

The gargoyle gave a small shrug. "It is sound enough for the moment, although I would suggest that you avoid setting off a stick of dynamite."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Smiling gently at her forced attempt at humor Levet moved to take her hand in his own. "The sun comes and I would have your promise before I am forced to slumber."

She gave his fingers a gentle squeeze. "What promise is that?"

"I can't stop you from going in search of Viper, but I want your word that you won't do anything stupid."

Shay rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Why do people keep saying that to me?"

"Because you are rash, and impulsive, and you let your heart lead your path. Just be careful."

"I will, I promise."

She bent down to give his cheek a kiss just as the cave was lit with the first glow of dawn. By the time she had straightened, or had straightened as much as she could without smacking her head, the gargoyle had turned to stone.

With a last pat on Levet's head she turned and walked deeper into the tunnel.

Although immortality had a number of benefits, there were a handful of downsides to living forever. The endless tedium of the Dark Ages. The ghastly fashions of the sixties. The annoyance of learning new technology. And, worst of all, surviving even the most brutal torture.

And surviving, and surviving, and surviving.

Viper had long since lost track of how much time had passed since he had been hauled down to the dank cavern. Somehow hanging from the ceiling by silver chains and having his flesh sliced open by whips was proving a helluva distraction.

He did know that it was long enough that far too much of his blood had pooled onto the rough stone floor. And that it was increasingly difficult to hold up his head.

With a brutal rhythm the whips cracked through the air, never pausing, never quickening, never altering. A slow, steady rhythm that was ruthlessly shredding his back and legs. The end came without warning. One moment the whip was biting deep into his back and the next the silent Ravens were filing from the shadowed cavern.

He might have groaned his relief if he hadn't sensed Styx step into the room and cross to stand directly before him. He would chug holy water before he would allow his captor to witness any hint of weakness.

Easily able to read his dark thoughts the tall vampire made an impatient sound even as his hand reached out to gently touch one of the gashes that ribboned Viper's back.

"Why must you be so stubborn, Viper? It serves you nothing. All you need do is call the Shalott and you will be released and healed."