Pausing only long enough to trail a finger over her soft cheek Viper moved toward the back of the house and the small study. He had not forgotten that there was something out there intent on stealing his Shalott.
That was unacceptable.
He intended to do whatever was necessary to track down the mysterious enemy and put a swift, end to the danger.
Chapter Four
The house built on the bluffs of die mighty Mississippi was pleasant enough.
Like most farmhouses in the Midwest it was a plain, two-story structure, with a wraparound porch and sharply angled roof, to, places the white paint was peeling and the gutters drooping, but; some might claim it only added to the rustic charm.
Surrounding the house, the gently rolling yard held a handful of outbuildings. And, of course, the land was well populated with a number of ancient ash and oak and dogwood trees.
At a glance it offered the simple warmth of most houses in the area. The sense that a stranger passing by would be welcomed with a smile and a warm meal.
But only at a glance.
Any strangers unfortunate enough to pass close to the farm would find no smiles awaiting them, and the only warm meal would be themselves.
Thankfully, it was isolated enough to prevent most stray sightseers, and the locals had long ago learned to cut a wide path around the place. It was rare the heavy silence was disturbed by more than birds.
The location of the house was no accident. Beneath the rolling hills were hidden a series of caves that stretched for miles. There were a hundred local legends connected to the caves. Some claimed that they had been used by the Under-Ground Railroad. Some said that they had been the hideout of Jesse James. And others still that they had been used by smugglers who preferred the river to transport their ill-gotten goods.
None of the stories were true, of course. The caves had been home to demons since long before the first settlers had ever arrived.
In the deepest of the caves a slender imp with a cascade of golden curls peered into the scrying pool.
He appeared out of place among the bleak rock. With his satin green robe the color of spring moss that matched his eyes, and the delicate gold leaves that he had weaved through his curls he shimmered with an unearthly beauty.
An imp meant to rule a summer glade not the dark bowels of the earth.
Still, for the moment the darkness served him well enough.
He waved a slender hand over the pool to bring an end to the visions it revealed. Above him the shadow filled the cave with a fierce, choking anger.
"Your wizard has failed," the shadow rasped the obvious.
"So it would seem, my lord." Rising to his feet Damocles carefully brushed the dirt from his robe. "I did warn you that Joseph was not at all reliable."
"He was a fool and a lickspittle, but the fault was not entirely his own, was it?" The shadow seemed to thicken. "If I were a suspicious man I would wonder why you did not send my envoy with sufficient funds to bid on the Shalott."
A faint smile touched the imp's handsome features. It was not that he was indifferent to the pulsing danger in the air. Only a fool would believe that the shadow could not reach out and strike him dead. Or worse. But he had spent nearly a century becoming indispensable to his current master. For the moment he was secure enough.
"You wound me, sir," he protested, his fingers toying with the delicate chain that hung about his neck. "I could hardly have known that the vampire would make such an outrageous bid. Besides, would you truly have me hand over half a million dollars in cash to any servant? For all of Josephs pledge of loyalty I do not believe even he could have withstood the temptation to... what do they say... take the money and run?"
The angry hiss scraped against Damocles delicate ears.
"He knew that if he ran I would have killed him"
"Of course, but greed is rarely logical."
"So now we do not have the Shalott and worse she is in the hands of a vampire."
The imp gave an innocent lift of his brows. "Surely that is goodnews? You have considerable power among the clans. Can you not simply demand that this Viper hand the demon over to you?"
"Not" An unseen hand struck Damocles across the face. "I cannot reveal my interest in this. It would only cause the sort of speculation and questions I have sought to avoid. There must be no hint I am connected to the Shalott until I am healed. If my enemies knew how weakened I have become..."
Damocles felt blood running down his cheek but he did not so much as flinch. "That shall never happen, my lord. Not so long as I am at your side."