"That the wearer must be a descendant of Hippolyte for it to work." Thorn's tone changed from the refined gentleman to a deep demon baritone. "You want Sam back...get her that girdle so that it can protect her and I'll let her go with you."
Oh yeah, this mission was going to be a doozie to rival the one his sister had asked him for when she'd wanted to pull Fang out of demon hell. "And where is this girdle?" No doubt someplace that stank, was hot, and more lethal than a cobra venom farm.
Thorn let out a sound of profound aggravation. "What? You want me to draw a map for you? Take you there and point it out like a bird dog?" He snapped his fingers. The wall to his left shimmered before a giant black resin clock appeared. Its face was that of a dragon with vibrant red eyes that oddly matched Thorn's. Its hands were the dragon's wings.
Dev's prickly host pointed to it. "You have one day, Bear. Twenty-four hours from this very second. Return with the girdle or Sam stays here...and so do you." He paused before he added the last condition. "Forever."
That was a long time to stay anywhere and Dev had a feeling that Thorn was not going to make his stay here a day at Disney World--unless one counted the torture part of the Pirates of the Ca rib be an. "If I refuse to play this game?"
His expression was stone-cold evil. "You're already playing it. You stop now and I throw you out and Sam stays here until hell freezes over. Maybe even a day or two after that."
Dev didn't like the proposed terms and he wanted to take Thorn down a notch. He knew he didn't scare the demon lord, but he knew one person who might. "Acheron will most likely have something to say about that."
Thorn arched one regal brow. "Are you going to cry to him like a baby with a broken toy and ask him to fix it?"
Dev took a step forward and would have attacked him for that comment had Fang not caught him and stopped his suicidal charge.
"Don't," Fang whispered.
Don't, my ass....
But it did click his common sense back into play. Dead, he couldn't help her at all. Couldn't do much for himself either.
And that common sense begged him to tell Thorn to shove it up a part of his body he was sure Thorn kept clenched tight enough to form a diamond.
His mind flashed on an image of Sam's beautiful face. She didn't like being around unfamiliar things. Most of all, she wouldn't want to be locked in a cage no matter how gilded the bars were, any more than he would.
"So what's it to be, Bear?"
Dev lifted his leg and gave a sarcastic slap to his thigh. "By golly, I'll take Door Number Two, Bob. You know the one that calls for straight suicide with a side of mutilation and pain? Sign my hairy ass up for that and don't be late."
Fang cursed while Cael laughed.
Cael attempted to sober, but couldn't. "Damn shame you're going to die, Bear. I really think we could have been friends."
There was amusement in Thorn's eyes, but the rest of him didn't so much as quirk a muscle. "You have four clues to find the location and--" He glanced to the clock. "--the hands are ticking."
"You going to give the clues, hoss? Or do I have to guess?"
Thorn patted him on the cheek like a teacher with an errant child. "In plain sight on the banks of the Champs-Elysees, the girdle lies hidden away. At the brink of the darkest night, the location fills your sight. To see what can never be found, look for the circle round. To reclaim that which the gods rescind, you must face mightiest Whirlwind."
Dev had a sudden urge to punch that smugness right out of him. "You know, the migraine from all of that really isn't going to help me locate it."
"You have your clues, Bear. Good luck."
Chapter 14
Sam watched as Dev was pulled out of Thorn's domain and returned to Peltier House so that he could prepare for his journey. A sob lodged in her throat. She couldn't believe what he was willing to do for her. The risk he was taking.
Just don't die. Please.
Not because of her. Especially not when she couldn't help him. What kind of torture was this?
Damn you, Thorn.
"Sam?"
She jerked around at the soft sound of Amaranda's voice. "What are you doing here?"
"Risking a lot more than we should. But we know the terror you feel and we can't let you suffer."
"We?"
"Me, Cael, and Fang." She gestured toward the bed. "If you lie down, Fang and I can pull your essence out and you'll be able to go with Dev."
"You can do that?"
"We think so."
"Think" was not a power word, especially the hesitant way Amaranda had said it. A chill washed over her. "What aren't you telling me?"
"There's a chance that you might not be able to come back...intact."
Oh yeah, that was bad. "Care to elaborate?"
Amaranda's eyes echoed her uncertainty. "I'm going to have to take you into a deep unconscious state--not something I've ever tried to do before. I might screw this up and it could leave you outside your body forever. Or you could be left in a perpetual coma."
Sam glanced back to the wall where Dev was writing down Thorn's riddle so that he could decipher it. He was risking his own freedom and his life for her.
Could she do anything less for him?
"I'll do it."