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Neither one nor the other

Athe softscent that was so uniquely Viper She had a promise to keep, and no time to allow herself to be distracted Especially not by her annoying reaction to a da the house with a silence that few could uards that Viper had ates that protected the estate she paused to toss the cloak over before easily cli on the other side

It was her last barrier and gathering the cloak about her she took off at a steady run that would lead her back to the city and the auction house

Settling into a swift trot she could maintain for hours if necessary, she headed south In the distance she could see the looaze fixed on the Sears Tower as she crossed the rural fields that lay well outside the sprawling city

She did take one detour to collect the bag she had hidden when she had first felt the compulsion to return to Evor She hadn’t known then what she ht need, she had only wanted to have a few surprises tucked away in case she would have the opportunity to use them

Noas the perfect opportunity

Dusk had painted a canvas of pinks and pale violet across the sky when she neared the auction house Had she been free of the curse, she would have crawled atop one of the towering buildings to watch the wash of color spread over Lake Michigan There was nothing quite so soothing as being near the water and allowing its power to spread through her

Her steps never halted, however, and it was still early enough thatwhen she arrived at the auction house

Unfortunately, more than just trolls and va to the lower basement she discovered Levet still in statue for it was long enough past sunset for hiof mice to break the thick silence Then, there was the faintest crack of rock and the thick stone encasing the gargoyle began to cruht never failed to amaze Shay as the tiny statue shed its skin tike a snaketo reveal the deoyle and Shay moved closer to the iron bars

"Levet"

"Eeek" With a loud shriek, Levet scurried to the dark corner of the cell

"For God’s sake, be quiet," Shay hissed

"Shay?"

"Yes, it’s Shay"

Levet slowly crept fro here? Mon dieu, have you been returned already?"

Shay reluctantly s to the conclusion her newest master had kicked her out after only a few hours

She was not exactly slaveorders She was short-tempered Overly proud Skilled in the ainst fate rather than accept it with grace

There ht be worse slaves than herself

But not many

"I told you that I would come back for you I don’t make promises I don’t intend to keep"

Levet stilled As if he had returned to his statue form "You came back? For me?"

"Yes"

He slowly sank to his knees, his flippant e of bone-deep relief

"Oh, thank God" His voice echoed through the eave an anxious wave of her hand as she glanced toward the nearby stairs "We have to get you out of here before Evor awakens"

"How? You can’t touch the bars and I’h to bend them"

Shay reached beneath her cloak to pull out the sreat care, she pulled out the stopper

"Stand back"

Levet rose to his feet and slowly backed away "What are you going to do?"

The sood sign

"Daossa to the back of the cell even as Shay tossed the pot directly at the iron bars

There was an evil hiss and an acrid cloud of h the metal