"You think this pathetic half troll can harm me?" The Anasso demanded in arrogant disbelief.

Pulling the troll close to his knee like a leashed dog, the imp ran a hand over Evor's head.

"This is a very special troll. You see, he carries with him a curse. A curse that is about to kill your precious Shalott."

There was a shocked beat as the elder vampire at last realized the true depth of his danger. He had to have Shay's blood to survive, but no vampire could drink the blood of a corpse. Shay had to be alive to offer him his cure.

Expecting the furious vampire to launch toward the smirking imp, Shay gave a small scream when he instead turned and flowed directly toward her.

Clearly he hoped to drain enough blood before Evor could be killed.

Not a bad idea, except for the fact that he underestimated the vampire kneeling before her.

With a fluid motion Viper was on his feet, his sword slicing toward the vampire without hesitation. The Anasso was forced to jerk backward or be decapitated.

"Shay... get the troll," Viper rasped as he moved forward, the sword a mere blur of silver as he grimly pressed his advantage.

She wavered as the elder vampire lifted his hands and prepared to strike Viper with that crippling pain. She knew firsthand that such pain was impossible to fight. Viper would be completely at fee mercy of the ruthless vampire.

As if sensing her hesitation Viper performed another vast swing with the sword that the demon was forced to dodge.

"Shay, go or you'll get us both killed," he gritted, never taking his eyes from the gaunt figure in front of him.

Well, that was blunt enough.

And probably not far wrong.

By lingering her presence was more distracting than beneficial to Viper.

With a shake of her head she was turning to discover that the imp had lost no time. Already the imp had forced Evor onto the floor and he was lifting a knife over his heart.

Shit.

She instinctively leaped forward, but logic warned her that she could never reach him in time.

Evor was about to die.

And she was going to die with him.

Viper sensed when Shay left his side although he didn't spare a glance in her direction:

He didn't dare.

The Anasso might be weakened, but his power was still greater man Viper's own. His only hope was keeping the older vampire on defense long enough to land a lucky strike.

Not the best of battle plans but the only one he possessed at the moment.

Keeping the sword in constant movement he continued to inch forward. The vampire hissed at him in frustration, desperate to get past him. Once again the thin hand lifted to strike and Viper altered his swing to slice through the thin bones of his wrists.

A howl of pain ripped through the air as the hand fell to the floor and the Anasso clutched the bloody stump to his chest

"I am your master," he rasped. "You cannot allow me to die."

Viper ignored the command. He wouldn't allow his concentration to waver.

The one smart choice he made all night, as it turned out.

Cradling his wounded arm the Anasso tilted back his head and called on the forces that he had honed for a millennium. On cue the darkness began to form around him.

Viper didn't hesitate. With a fierce battle cry, he lunged forward.

He wouldn't survive another attack. His only hope was killing the elder vampire.

Now.

Stepping to one side he feigned a blow toward the vampire's heart. The Anasso easily dodged the strike and even the next blow that was aimed at his maimed arm. The darkness thickened and Viper began to feel the first prickles of pain.

His sword flashed through the air, swinging low in a well-known movement that would traditionally be followed by an upward slash. As he hoped the elder vampire instinctively arched back to avoid the blow.

Viper altered his swing in mid-motion to cut across the unprotected legs. It wasn't a killing blow, but it was enough to make the vampire stagger. The Anasso snarled as the blood flowed from a deep slice in his thigh.

The darkness briefly faltered and Viper was swift to take advantage. With a sharp turn he circled the frail form, his sword biting deep into the narrow back before his foe could follow his movement.

This time the Anasso fell to his knees.

Viper moved in for the kill.

Sensing his near demise the vampire turned his head to regard Viper with a desperate expression.

"I am the Anasso. The vampires cannot survive without me," he pleaded. "You condemn them all to death."

Viper paused with his sword held high. Almost surprisingly he felt nothing at ending the life of a once noble commander. Whatever the Anasso had once been he was now no more than a rabid animal.

"I condemn only you."

The sword arced downward with a flash of steel. The Anasso lifted his remaining hand as if to halt the blow but it was too late.

The years of decay had left him vulnerable and far too mortal.

With a smooth ease the razor edge slid through his neck and with a gurgling sigh the ancient warrior was dead.

Levet's nerves were scraped raw.

Not so surprising.

What three-foot gargoyle creeping through a maze of tunnels while trying to dodge a herd of hungry vampires wouldn't be a bit skittish?

But perhaps for the first time in his very, very long life he refused to allow his cowardly heart to overrule his fragile courage.

With every step he could sense himself drawing closer to Shay and he wouldn't waver. No matter how many damn vampires were lurking in the shadows.

Of course it did help that while he could detect the scent of over a dozen vampires, he had yet to actually run across one of the beasts.

Courage was always better when it wasn't directly tested.

Sniffing the air with a healthy dose of wariness Levet turned toward the richly decorated tunnels. He sensed they were coming to the lair of the Head Honcho, something that seemed better avoided, but there was no mistaking that Shay had come this way. And recently.

He inched forward until he at last reached the mouth of a vast cavern. There he stopped and sucked in a deep breath.

Predictably the woman trailing behind him managed to ram painfully into his wings and stomp on his tail before she realized he was no longer moving.

With a low hiss, he turned to glare into her petulant face.

"My wings are not your personal air bag," he muttered in low tones. "Could you please attempt to remember that?"

She sniffed, oblivious to his chastisement. "Why did you stop?"

"Shay is in there."

"What is it with this Shay? Is she your lover?"

"I have told you, she's my friend."

"Pooh." Bella ran her hands suggestively over her lush curves. "I could be a much better friend if only you would wish for me to be at your side always."

At his side always? Levet shuddered at the mere thought. He was male enough to appreciate a beautiful woman, but he would lop off his own head before being condemned to an eternity with the flighty sprite.

"What do you know of friendship?" he demanded as he turned back toward the opening.

He felt her fingers lightly trace the edge of his wings. "I could be whatever you want I could satisfy your deepest fantasies."

Levet gave a twitch of his wings to dislodge her hand. "I don't need a friend for that. Just enough money and a local brothel."

"I would do whatever you asked. No matter what it was. No matter how... difficult."

"That isn't what a friend does."

"Then what is a friend?"

He turned his head to stab her with an impatient glare.

"Someone who cares about you, even if you don't deserve to be cared about."

"That doesn't make any sense," she protested.

His annoyance faded as the memories of Shay rolled through his mind.

Shay stepping between him and the tormenting trolls. Shay threatening Evor with castration, and worse. Shay returning to the auction house to rescue him.

"No," he said softly. "And that's the beauty of it."

She opened her mouth to continue her ruthless badgering, but with a sharp motion of his hand Levet returned his attention to the cavern.

Shay was definitely close. But mere were also three vampires, the imp that Bella had warned lived in the caves, and...Evor.

"Damn." This was bad. Really, really bad. Reaching behind his back he grabbed the sprite's arm and pulled her to his side. "How long will this magic take?"

"You wish it and it happens," she grudgingly conceded.

"Good."

Levet sucked in a deep breath as she hurriedly pressed her fingers to his lips.

"Don't do this. Wish for me to be with you. I will rescue your stupid friend..."

"I wish I were the size of the King of Gargoyles," he growled.

He wasn't sure what he expected. A bit of tingling. A puff of smoke.

Fireworks and a Sousa band.

What he got instead was a sharp blow to the head as he was suddenly far too large for the tunnel.

"Ouch." He rubbed the rising lump and glanced down at his body that was three times the size it had been.

His wish had worked. He was now large enough to rescue Shay from anyone and anything that might stand in his way.