Nice, she thought, until something hissed at her. She yelped, twisting to discover the source.

A pair of narrowed red eyes glowed from the round head of a snake, forked tongue dancing over sharp, dripping fangs.

She opened her mouth to scream, but a tide of dizziness slammed through her and only a moan escaped.

Somehow she remained on her feet. "N-nice snakey snake," she whispered, palms rising to proclaim her innocence.

The creature launched at her neck. Not nice. Her reflexes were too slow to save her.

Amun's thick, corded arm whipped out, fingers wrapping just below that open, waiting mouth, wrist twisting, snapping head from scaled body. When he opened his fist, the reptile floated lifelessly to the ground.

"Th-thank you," she rasped. The dizziness hadn't left her, and now her heart felt distorted in her chest, a smashed organ hammering against her spine rather than her ribs.

Welcome. Now I've saved your a.s.s. His gaze never shifted to her, nor did he ma.s.sage her neck in comfort, as she suddenly craved.

"We're not even close to even, big boy."

I didn't say we were. Let's keep moving. I don't like this area.

They started forward again, and this time, Haidee kept one hand wrapped around the waist of his pants, afraid to let go. He didn't chastise her, and she was grateful. She hated snakes. Hated, hated, hated.

Maybe because a Hydrophis Belcheri had kil ed her once, its poison spurting acid straight into her veins, making her writhe and beg for mercy she had never found. Not even in death.

"Hurry," she said. "I don't like this area, either."

Then you're real y not going to like what my demon just told me.

"Oh, G.o.d. What?"

We've just entered the Realm of Snakes, Amun said grimly.

Sweet heaven above. "Please tel me the Realm of Snakes refers to the sweet little garden variety, and that we'l only encounter one or two of them."

The Realm of Snakes refers to the sweet little garden variety, and we'l only encounter one or two of them.

Though she knew he was lying, his dry baritone caused her lips to twitch and some of her fear to fade.

"Good, that's good. So what else did Secrets tel you?" Fingers crossed she didn't have a panic attack after his next words.

That we shouldn't look directly into their eyes because they can hypnotize us into believing we actual y want them to bite us.

The fear returned ful -force, but at least the dizziness now made sense. Hypnosis. s.h.i.t. Control was one of her most prized possessions. Too wel did she know the horror of being without a choice. For days, weeks, whatever, she'd been Strider's prisoner, al owed to do only what he wanted her to do. Before that, every time she'd died, losing pieces of her memories when she final y returned to life, she had known only consuming hate and a driving need to destroy.

And long before that, she'd been a puppet of the evil one, then the Bad Man, then the Greeks who had enslaved her.

"I'm not sure I can do this," she whispered.

Just pretend the snakes are demon-possessed warriors.

I'm sure you'l do fine.

Ouch. He'd struck more sharply than the snake. Tears momentarily burned her eyes, but she blinked them back.

No weakness. Especial y when she deserved such a stinging remark. Once, she might have even been proud to hear it. Once, but not today.

"And why don't you pretend they're innocent humans?" she said softly. He, too, deserved to be cut down, and she couldn't let herself forget.

Another bout of silence thickened the air between them.

Until he sighed and admitted, I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry. Again.

The second apology, offered far more poignantly than the first, was so unexpected she was shocked-and softened.

"I'm sorry, too. And I understand why you did," she admitted.

"I took something from you. Something you loved."

Yes. And we took something from you?

"Yes."

He waited for her to elaborate, but she never did. She'd already told him she wouldn't discuss the past with him, and she'd meant it. There was nothing he could say to ease the hurt, and a mil ion things he could say to increase it.

I won't let anything happen to you while we're here, Haidee.

You have my word.

Again he shocked her. Sil y thing was, she believed him, and not just because he needed her. He may not like her, but he'd taken responsibility for her welfare. No matter the circ.u.mstances, his responsibilities were clearly important to him.

Something else to like about him.

The deeper they walked, the more lush the vines became, until there was no gap between leaf and limb, tree and cave wal . There was only mile after mile of what seemed to be a tranquil forest.

How many snakes lurked nearby? Waiting? Hungry?

Oh, G.o.d. Bile, rising again...

Soon steam was wafting from the leafy greens, limiting their range of vision. She inhaled deeply, scented sulfur and something else, something sweet. The conflicting aromas left her gagging and swaying with another bout of dizziness.

Was she being hypnotized again and just didn't know it?

"Help," she managed to whisper, hating that she was already losing control of herself. Her knees were knocking, about to give out. "Amun."

In the next instant, he had turned, his arm winding around her waist and holding her up. What's wrong?

Her lashes fluttered shut, suddenly too heavy for her to keep open. "Don't know. Head...spinning..."

He was so stil against her, she couldn't even feel his heartbeat or the rise and fal of his chest. Couldn't feel his heat, that amazing heat.

There's ambrosia in the air, a substance very harmful to humans, but you aren't...

"Human. Yes. I am."

I don't understand. You died. Now you're alive. You can't be human.

The dizziness intensified, pul ing her under a dark, dark wave. No matter how hard she fought, she couldn't swim to the top. "Amun..."

Haidee. Listen to my voice. Stay with me.

"Can't," she wanted to tel him. No sound emerged.

If you pa.s.s out, I'l strip you and touch you again. Do you hear me? I'l view it as an invitation to take you.

Before she could tel him the invitation wouldn't have an expiration date, that his "consequences" were not a threat but a delightful prospect, the darkness swal owed her completely.

d.a.m.n THIS. Amun hefted Haidee over his shoulder, barely registering her slight weight. He did, however, register the fact that her b.r.e.a.s.t.s were smashed into his back. Because of her unusual y cool body temperature, her nipples were already pebbled.

She'd been behind him for what seemed an eternity, touching him fleetingly yet awakening every nerve ending he possessed. Despite the danger, he'd almost stopped a dozen times, desperate to taste her again, to hear her moan his name. His, and no other.

When she'd confessed that she had only dated that b.a.s.t.a.r.d Micah because she'd mistaken him for Amun, she'd almost found herself pressed against the cave wal , her jeans and panties ripped away, his shaft pounding its way home.

Control had been maintained through a wish and a prayer only.

Confounding baggage. How was he supposed to cal ously use her and work her from his system when she treated him with such...sweetness? When she responded to his barbs with hurt rather than venom?

Secrets stil couldn't read her mind, but the demon had begun to sense the absolute conviction in her every word.

She believed everything she said. Of course, the demon also retreated every time Haidee touched him.

The coolness that so delighted Amun terrified his companion.

Al of his companions. Since leaving the fortress, the other demons had yet to try to influence him in any way. Why?

d.a.m.n this, he thought again, striding forward. Didn't matter why. He needed this woman.

A little dizzy himself, he shouldered his way through the foliage. He'd whisk Haidee to safety if it kil ed him. And it just might. If he was affected by the ambrosia in the air, how much damage would the substance do to her?

Through Maddox, Amun had learned that humans simply couldn't tolerate ambrosia, a drug meant only for immortals.

They were better off being injected with tainted heroin.

Haidee hadn't ingested the substance, had only breathed in the fumes, so Amun told himself she would be okay.

Was she human, though? She truly believed she was and could very wel be, despite the fact that she'd risen from the dead. But surely she was more than she realized. That unnatural coolness, her mental connection to Amun, the way she corral ed his demons, each bespoke something beyond mortality.

Stil . To be safe, he wanted to get her out of this forest as quickly as possible. Al he had to do was find the entrance to the next realm. Which, if he wasn't mistaken, would be the Realm of Shadows. So far, al he could see were trees.

Trees, trees, trees. They surrounded him so completely they were like a second layer of clothing.

Soon he was panting from exertion. His dizziness increased, and he tightened his hold on Haidee. They didn't touch skin to skin, merely cloth to cloth. Perhaps if he slid his hands up the hem of her pants and gripped her thigh properly, her temperature would stave off the dizziness the same way it staved off the demons.

Fol ow your own advice and stay alert. No touching the girl.

A single touch, and he'd become lost to the l.u.s.t again.

Branches slapped at him, slicing his cheeks. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. The action must have roused Secrets. Instantly agitated, the demon prowled through his skul , hatred for this place wel ing up.

Voices suddenly wafted to Amun's ears.

Come closer, warrior...

Welcome to our home...

We won't hurt you...much...

Thoughts soon fol owed, fil ing his mind.

They'l taste so good.

Maybe she'l scream just the way I like...

The snakes were closing in, ready to strike. To kil . He couldn't fight them with Haidee dangling so precariously over his shoulder. She would take the brunt of the action, her body acting as his shield, and that he wouldn't al ow.

Not knowing what else to do, he stopped and eased her to the ground-no sudden movements-then fit the backpack she stil carried around her neck, shielding the sensitive area as best he could. As he slowly, so slowly straightened, he withdrew two of his blades, metal whistling against leather.

That must have been the starting bel for the snakes.

Dozens of crimson eyes leveled on him... Fangs flashed bright white.

He tensed.

The snakes launched forward.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

NOW THIS IS THE s.h.i.t, Strider thought with a slow grin.

A few hours ago, Lucien had flashed him and Wil iam to Paris. The guy, not the city. Though the evening had only just begun, Paris had been wel on his way to ambrosia intoxication, already laughing like a loon.

So rather than cart him off and start hunting Gil y's parents to play a little game of slice and dice, as planned, and rather than leaving him behind in such a vulnerable condition, Strider and Wil iam had decided to take care of Paris-aka down a little ambrosia themselves-and head out as a unit in the morning.