Viper straightened as Shay reached for the delicately carved wooden box. He didn't miss the fine tremor of her hand, or the tightening of her features.
Instinctively he stepped forward, longing to pull her into his arms and add his strength to her own. Only the knowledge that, she would detest him revealing that she was anything but utterly confident kept him rooted to his spot.
The very air seemed to still as Shay slowly lifted the lid and pulled out a crumpled envelope.
"It's addressed to me," she whispered in the thick silence. Lifting her head she glanced around the room, sucking in a deep breath. "If you'll excuse me, I think I should read this in private."
She turned and headed for the door. Without thought Viper was on her heels. He didn't want her alone. Not when they didn't yet know what was in the letter. It was Dante's hand on his arm that brought him to an abrupt halt.
"Viper, I think you should respect her wishes," his friend murmured in tones only Viper could hear. "She won't thank you for intruding when she wants to be alone."
"It's too dangerous for—"
"She is safe enough here. The house is well warded against demons, and there are alarms for the more human intruders."
Viper gave a low hiss. "I don't like feeling helpless."
Dante gave a wry chuckle. "Get used to it, old friend. Women have a tendency to do that to a man."
Viper narrowed his gaze. "You're not helping."
"Just give her a few moments. Nothing will happen to her while she's in this house."
"Fine, but only a few."
Pulling from the vampire's grasp he paced across the vast library. Damn Dante and his annoying logic. He didn't want to be sensible. He didn't want to give Shay the privacy she desired.
Hell, he might as well be honest. He didn't want her out of his sight for even a moment. He gave an unconscious shake of his head. Devil's balls. He was a fool. A stark, raving fool.
Unable to hold still, he continued his pacing as time slowly crawled past. He was distantly aware that Dante had left to take the witch back to her coven, and that Abby had brought a tray of warmed blood and silently placed it on the desk, but they had no ability to intrude into his dark brooding.
Where the devil was Shay?
Why hadn't she returned?
There had to be something wrong. He felt it in the very depths of his soul.
After an hour he had had enough. Bursting from the library in a flurry of power, he swept through the mansion in search of his missing Shalott. In truth he hadn't expected it to be much of a search. The two obvious places were her rooms or the solarium. Where else could she be assured of relative privacy?
It took only moments to discover she was in neither.
Bloody hell.
And another handful of moments to discover that she was nowhere else in the house.
Thoroughly alarmed Viper returned to his own rooms and withdrew the tiny amulet from his pocket. He didn't doubt for a moment Shay would be furious to be called to him like a dog on a leash. He would be furious in her place. But for now Viper was content to deal with her anger. As long as she was near, and he was convinced she was safe, she could rant and rave all she liked.
Closing his fingers about the amulet he felt it grow warm against his skin. Ten minutes later Shay stormed through the door, her expression defiant but her eyes swollen and red from crying.
"Damn you, Viper," she hissed. "Let me go."
"No." Pocketing the amulet Viper moved forward to regard her with open concern. "It's too dangerous for you to be running off."
She wrapped her arms about herself. "I'm not stupid. I have no intention of running off while there is still someone out there hunting me. I just want to be alone."
"Talk to me, pet," he urged. "Tell me what was in the letter." There was a long moment when Viper feared she would refuse to answer him. She had been alone for so long. Too long. She no longer knew how to trust others, "It's from my father,"
Chapter Sixteen
Shay had every intention of being furious with Viper. For all his promises not to treat her as a slave he had been swift enough to use the leash that held her to him.
He was no better than the witches, she had told herself.
She had wanted to be alone. She had wanted to battle through her maze of raw emotions before she was forced to face him. He had no right to yank her to his side against her will. And yet the moment she was standing before him she found her anger melting. In fact, she discovered herself longing to lean against that hard body, as if being in his arms would make everything better.
Dammit. The knowledge should be terrifying. Unfortunately she was simply too overwhelmed at the moment to conjure the proper horror. Instead she wrapped her own arms about herself and watched as the inevitable shock rippled over his pale face.
"Your... father?"
"Yes."
He seemed to carefully consider his response, as if he were dealing with a nut. And maybe he was.
"Surely that should please you?"
She swallowed past the thick lump lodged in her throat. "He had the curse placed upon me."
He reached up to cup her face, his cool touch ridiculously easing a portion of the pain clutching at her heart.
"You cannot be certain, Shay. This could be a trick."
"No. It's no trick. The letter says that he did it to protect me."
His fingers tightened to a near painful level. "What?"
"He knew that he was being stalked, although he didn't know who or what was chasing him. He says that the curse is intended to hide me from his enemies."
"Hide you?"
"The curse was like a barrier that kept me shielded from most demons."
He considered for a long moment. "Yes, I suppose it has managed to do that. There hasn't been even the whisper of a Shalott in over a century. Still, it was a rattier dangerous and desperate gamble. He left you at the mercy of Evor."
Shay pulled from his touch. Just having him so near was distraction enough.
"He never intended to leave me at the mercy of anyone" she said. More to convince herself than Viper. "Once the danger was passed the witch was pledged to break the curse and reveal the truth to me."
His beautiful features were unreadable. "But she was killed before she could do so?"
"Yes."
A beat passed. A beat where Shay had no idea what was going through his mind. A vampire was a master at hiding his emotions when he wanted to.
"He was only attempting to protect you, Shay," he at last said softly.
The stupid tears she had been stemming for the past hour burned hot in her eyes as she abruptly turned to hide her distress.