"Maybe we should be thinking about getting out of here," she muttered.
His lips twitched. "There are times when I despair of you, pet, I truly do." He brushed a soft kiss over her brow. "But on this occasion you're right. We need to get out of here. The sooner the better."
Chapter Twenty-Two
Viper was grumpy.
There was really no better way to describe his mood.
Oh, it wasn't that he wasn't grateful. He didn't enjoy being tortured any better than the next vampire. Probably less than most. And he wasn't indifferent to the knowledge that Shay had revealed the secrets of her heart that she wasn't yet prepared to confess. No woman followed a man for hours and risked her life out of simple loyalty. Not even his stubborn, utterly obstinate Shalott. And certainly they did not offer up their precious blood without possessing some feelings.
But as much as the display of her affection warmed his cold heart, he couldn't put aside the maddening knowledge that he had failed. Failed to realize the truth of who was hunting Shay. Failed to capture the damnable Evor and put an end to the curse. Failed to keep Shay from rushing headlong into danger.
It had pretty much been one big stinking heap of failure.
Dammit all.
Behind him Shay remained thankfully oblivious to his silent self-flagellation.
Not surprising.
To her the tunnels were a spider web of inky blackness. Even holding tightly onto his hand she was stumbling over the uneven ground as he led her away from the occupied caves.
"Ow." she muttered, nearly going to her knees as she tripped over a stray rock.
Coming to a halt he turned to study her pale face. "Are you all right?"
"No, I'm not all right" She reached down to rub her toe. "I can't see a damn thing in this dark."
"Don't worry there's really not much to see. Some dirt, some rocks, a few spiders," he said dryly.
She straightened. The better to glare at him. "That is so not funny."
"Neither is the fact that you risked yourself to come here," he retorted, his voice edged with his smoldering frustration. "How did you even find me?"
She shrugged. "When I escaped from the warehouse I ran across Levet. He was already following you."
"The gargoyle?" He gave a lift of his brows. "I didn't know he cared."
"He thought that I was with you."
"Ah." Viper frowned. "What of Dante?"
"He is gathering your clan. Once the sun sets Levet will return to Chicago and lead them here."
He cupped her chin in his hand. "And it never occurred to you to wait for Dante?"
Her eyes narrowed. Never a good sign. "You might very well have been dead."
"But you would have been safe," he growled. "Dammit, Shay, I will not have you risking yourself—"
"No." She jerked her chin from his grasp. "You might hold my amulet, but you have promised that I am not your slave."
He gave a hiss of exasperation. "Of course you're not."
"Then I'm free to make my own decisions. And if that means coming here to rescue you then that's exactly what I'll do."
It was without a doubt the most ridiculous argument that Viper had ever heard. And he had heard a lot of them over the centuries.
He gave a disbelieving shake of his head. "Even if it means being captured and drained?" he demanded harshly. "That's exactly what will happen if we're caught. You should have returned to Abby. You would have been safe there."
Indifferent to his dangerous mood she boldly poked him in the chest. Poked him. One of the most feared predators in all of Chicago. No. In all the world.
"No, I would not have been safe." she said.
He took a step back. The poking didn't hurt, but it did little to help his wounded pride.
"Shay, not even Styx and the Ravens would dare attack the Phoenix. That's exactly why he lured us out of her house in the first place."
"He might not attack the Phoenix, but it doesn't matter how many goddesses I surround myself with if they decide to kill Evor."
Viper's muscles tensed. "Evor? You know where he is?"
"I think he's here."
"No." Viper gave an adamant shake of his head. "Styx said that they never managed to get their hands on the troll."
Shay gave a short, humorless laugh. "And you believed him after he captured and tortured you? Did he also have some swampland to buy?"
His lips thinned. He fully intended to deal with his old friend. But not now.
"Styx might torture me, he might even kill me, but he would never lie. Not intentionally."
"Charming."
Realizing that it would be impossible to explain Styx's complex morals, he turned his attention to her startling claim.
"Why do you believe he holds Evor?"
"Because I smelled troll when I came through the caves."
A cold chill arrowed down his spine. "You're certain?"
Her eyes narrowed. She didn't call him thick-skulled, but it was implied.
"It's a fairly unique odor."
And one Shay would be all too familiar with.
Viper clenched his fists as he paced across the narrow tunnel. He couldn't begin to guess how Evor could be close by without Styx knowing, but he had to at least search for the rotten troll.
"Damn."
"What is it?" she demanded.
"Where's Levet?"
She regarded him suspiciously. "Playing statue in a cave that leads out of the bluffs. Why?"
"I don't suppose I can convince you to join him while I go in search of this mysterious troll?"
"No."
"Shay..."
"No, no, no." She moved to stand directly in front of him, although there was thankfully no more poking. "I'm not some helpless idiot that has to be shooed out of the way whenever there happens to be a bit of danger."
"A bit of danger?" He deliberately flashed his fangs. "These caves are crawling with the most dangerous vampires to walk the earth."
"And for now they are all safely tucked in their coffins."
"You want to risk your life on that?" he rasped.
"It's my life to risk. Not yours."
He closed his eyes and battled back the urge to howl in frustration. Devil's balls, but the woman was destined to drive him to his grave.
"The Ravens should take lessons from you, pet. They're amateurs when it comes to torturing a man."
"Are you going to sulk or are we going to find Evor?" she demanded as she marched blindly down the tunnel.