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Fury rippled over the pudgy features before the oily smile returned "Someday, my beauty, you’ll be happy to be spread beneathpoint Eventually you’ll reach yours"

"Not in this lifetiue flicked out in an obscenemy seed into you But not yet There is still money to behis hand he revealed the heavy iron shackles that he had hid behind his body "Will you put these on or do I need to call for the boys?"

Shay crossed her arht only be half Shalott, but she possessed all of the strength and agility of her ancestors They were not the favorite assassins of the demon world without cause

"After all these years you still think those goons can hurttheed before the bidding" Very deliberately his gaze shifted to where Levet was cowering behind her legs "I oyle gave a low moan "Shay?"

Shit

She battled back the instinctive urge to punch the pointed teeth down Evor’s throat It would only put her on the ground in agony Worse, it would leave Levet at thereat delight in torturing the poor gargoyle

As far as she knew their only pleasure was giving pain to others

Freaking trolls

"Fine" She held out her ar a wary eye on her, Evor pressed the shackles over her wrists and locked them shut "I knew you would understand the situation once it was properly explained"

Shay hissed as the iron bit into her skin She could feel her power draining and her flesh chaffing beneath the iron It was her one certain Achilles’ heel

"All I understand is that soave a jerk on the chain that draped between the shackles "Behave yourself, bitch, or your little friend pays the consequences Got it?"

Shay battled back the sickness that clutched at her stoe and sold to hest bidder She would be utterly at the er who could do whatever he pleased with her

And there wasn’t a daot it Let’s just get this over with"

Evor opened his mouth as if to make a sht sight of her expression Obviously he could sense she was close to the edge

Which only proved that he wasn’t quite as stupid as he looked

In silence they left the cell and clie Evor paused only long enough to lock her shackles to a pole anchored in the floor before h them to face the crowd

Alone in the darkness, Shay sucked in a deep breas of the crowd just beyond the curtain

Even without being able to see the potential bidders she could feel the presence of the gathering demons and humans She could s impatience Taste the depraved lust in the air

She abruptly frowned There was soh it all

A sense of decaying evil that sent a chill of horror over her skin

It was vague As if the being was not truly in the rooible presence An echo of foulness thatback her instinctive scream she closed her eyes and forced herself to take a deep, steadying breath In the distance she heard Evor loudly clear his throat to coentlemen, demons and fairies, dead and undead it is tirave;ce de résistance An iteolden token may remain," he dramatically announced "The rest may retire to our reception rooms where you will be offered your choice of refresh certainty she had just been brushed by soriht, however, he put even the cheesiest ringmaster to shas of bidders were forced to leave the rooolden ticket a person or demon had to carry at least 50,000 in cash on them The slave trade rarely accepted checks or credit cards Go figure "You will not wish to limpse of my precious treasure Do not fear, I have ensured that she is properly chained She will offer no danger No danger beyond her perilous charm She will not rip your heart from your chest, but I do not promise she will not steal it with her beauty"

"Shut your rowled

"You are ier He didn’t like his well-practiced act interrupted

"I don’t have all night Get on with it"

"Ah, a premature bidder, a pity Let us hope for your sake that it is not an affliction that taints your perfor to allow the roar of coarse laughter to fade "Nohere was I? Oh, yes My prize My houls, allow me to introduce you to Lady Shay the last Shalott to walk our world"