Scorched by Darkness

“Yes,” Rya readily agreed, her pride in her mother obvious.

  “It gives me time to repair the damage the creatures did,” she murmured, speaking to herself.

  Without warning, Rya was pulling out of his grasp and trying to stand. Instantly he was on his feet, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

  “Lean on me. You’re still weak,” he murmured, not mentioning the fact he had a fierce need to feel her warmth pressed against him.

  For a few terrible moments he’d thought they all might be killed by Blayze. He needed to reassure himself that she was alive and relatively unharmed.

  “What about moi?” the gargoyle intruded, shoving himself upright with a pout on his ugly face. “I was the trans-meter maid. Look.” He spun around, his tail twitching. “My wings are singed.”

  Torque scowled. He didn’t know what the creature was babbling about, and he didn’t care.

  His attention was locked on the dragon as she rose gracefully to her feet and held a hand in their direction.

  “You must go.”

  Torque parted his lips to agree. Rya, of course, had to argue.

  It was as predictable as the sun rising in the east.

  “No. My mother is still here,” she said. “I can’t leave without her.”

  Ravel glanced toward her sleeping daughter. “Once I have Blayze fully protected by my magic I will attempt to send her to you.”

  “But—”

  Torque overrode her protest. “Rya.”

  Ravel might not be as unstable as Torque had originally feared, but she was a full-blooded dragon with a volatile temperament. It wouldn’t take much for her to decide she’d had enough.

  Rya sent him a fierce glare. “My mother needs me.”

  He turned her to face him, gazing deep into her eyes. “I need you, Rya.”

  An elusive emotion rippled over her face, as if his words had touched her. Then she lifted her arm to place light fingers against his cheek.

  “Please,” she pleaded softly. “I can’t abandon her.”

  He reached up, covering her fingers with his larger hand.

  “Think, Rya. If your mother is as terrifying as the gargoyle seems to believe, she’ll have me castrated if she learns I didn’t take you to safety when I had the chance,” he said with a rueful smile.

  Her lips parted, but she couldn’t argue. Which only emphasized Torque’s belief he was going to have to walk on eggshells when he finally had the pleasure of meeting the formidable Kai.

  A worry for another day.

  A sudden heat rushed through the air, the swirling mist directly behind them parting to reveal a gaping portal.

  Dragon-magic.

  “I’ve opened a gateway,” Ravel said, her tone stern. “You must leave now.”

  “He is right, ma belle,” Levet murmured, for once not making Torque want to choke him. “It is time to go.”

  She heaved a sigh. As if she was about to concede defeat. Then, without warning, the opening in the mist abruptly widened and the smell of sulfur filled the air.

  “What’s happening?” Rya demanded.

  Ravel made a sound of impatience. “Did you interfere with the gateway?”

  Torque frowned at the accusation. “Rya can barely stand, let alone manipulate your magic.”

  “Someone is trying to…” Ravel hissed in shock, making Torque pull away from Rya. He wanted room to maneuver if they were about to be attacked.

  “What is it?” he rasped, allowing his flames to flicker over his body.

  Ravel abruptly dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around her daughter.

  “It’s Synge. He’s sensed the opening and he’s using his power to drag us out of here.”

  “Shit.” Torque smothered his flames and once again gathered Rya in his arms. “Stay close.”

  She shivered, her hair blowing back as a blast of searing energy wrapped around them.

  “I don’t think Father is very happy,” she muttered.

  He gave a sharp, humorless laugh, feeling as if his skin was about to be sucked off his body.

  “You, my love, are a master of understatement,” he managed between clenched teeth.

  The magic thickened until there was no way to battle against the force yanking them through the opening.

  A blinding heat seared over them, and still holding Rya tightly in his arms, he felt them cross from one dimension to another.

  Once again he was reminded that traveling from world to world wasn’t like a gentle stroll through the usual portal. No. It was like being roughly wrenched through the air by a giant hand.

  Prepared for the awkward landing, Torque managed to remain upright. Beside him, Rya grunted, grabbing him around the waist to keep her balance. Torque grimaced, the pain from his wounds raw enough to yank the air from his lungs. And worse, the burns had been caused by a dragon, so they would take longer than usual to heal.

  He had a brief second to glance around their new surroundings. A shudder of relief raced through him. He recognized the massive room that had golden tapestries hung on the walls that displayed violent battle scenes, and a crimson rug spread across the stone floor.

  At the far end was an elaborately carved throne set on a high dais and surrounded by a number of half-naked females sprawled on large pillows. More servants and guards were spread throughout the chamber. Some half-breed dragons, some fey, and even a few vampires, but no matter their species, they were all dressed in green and gold uniforms with the emblem of a lightning bolt on their upper chest.

  Synge.

  Torque’s gaze at last landed on Rya’s father, who was standing in the center of the room.

  The full-blooded dragon was a large, brutish man with black hair that was buzzed short, and eyes the color of polished silver. At the moment he was wearing leather pants and a matching vest that revealed the handful of tattoos that moved over his skin with a metallic beauty. They couldn’t compare to his son’s. Baine collected knowledge, while his father preferred a more tangible treasure.

  There was a low growl behind him, and Torque turned his head to see Ravel slowly lowering her unconscious daughter to the ground. She obviously wasn’t nearly as pleased as Torque was to be in the dragon’s lair.

  With a last glance to ensure her daughter hadn’t been wakened by the violent transport between dimensions, Ravel straightened and headed across the lush rug with determined strides, not halting until she was standing directly in front of Synge.

  Then, with what Torque could only assume was a death wish, she lifted a hand and slapped the male across the face.

  “How dare you?” she rasped. “You’ve ruined everything.”

  The entire room gasped in horror, a few of the guards stepping forward as a halo of fire surrounded Synge. But even as Torque prepared to toss Rya over his shoulder and make a run for it, the flames faltered. And the most astonishing thing happened.

  Synge’s cruel features softened and his hand shook as he reached out to lightly touch his attacker’s cheek.

  “Ravel?” he breathed. “Is it truly you?”

  Ravel’s lips flattened, but she made no effort to pull away from his touch. “Obviously.”

  “But…” Synge’s words trailed away as his gaze drifted toward the unconscious female who Ravel had laid on the floor. “Blayze?”

  Disbelief and something oddly vulnerable darkened the male’s silver eyes to smoke as Synge studied his daughter. But when he took an impulsive step toward the female, Ravel blocked his path.

  “Stop,” she commanded, her hand placed in the center of Synge’s broad chest. “I won’t let you hurt her.”

  With surprisingly gentle care, Synge grasped the female dragon by her shoulders and moved her out of his path. Then with measured steps he prowled to stand over his daughter.

  “The curse is gone,” he breathed in wonder, only to give a slow shake of his head, his brows drawing together. “No. It’s being contained by a Shinto spell.” His head turned as he glanced toward Rya for the firs
t time since their dramatic entrance. “Yours?”

  Rya shook her head. “No. Mother’s.”

  “Ah.” The male’s attention returned to Blayze as he crouched down beside her. He stretched out a hand to touch her hair that spilled over the carpet like a river of ebony. “Amazing.”

  Ravel made a sound of distress as she rushed forward. “No,” she cried in a harsh voice. “Don’t touch her.”

  The perpetual frown returned to Synge’s brow as he watched Ravel lower herself next to their daughter, her body angled to block him from the sleeping female.

  “I don’t intend to hurt you or our daughter, Ravel,” he muttered.

  “You allowed her to be sentenced to death,” Ravel reminded him in sharp tones.

  Genuine pain twisted his blunt features. Torque arched his brows in shock. Until this moment he would have sworn that Synge was a hard-hearted, pitiless savage who had the emotional depth of a gnat.

  Certainly he’d never shown any concern for Baine or his brothers.

  But now it was obvious that Synge had bottled his feelings deep inside when he’d lost his mate and child.

  “I truly thought it would be kinder to Blayze to allow her to die. How could I condemn her to an eternity of pain?” he asked, a raw guilt throbbing in his voice. “I loved her.”

  Ravel’s ferocious expression slowly eased.

  “I know,” she conceded.

  “But the moment you disappeared from my lair I regretted my decision.” The two dragons shared a glance that spoke of a long, intimate relationship. “I desperately tried to find you, but my soldiers told me they’d witnessed your death.” His shudder shook the entire lair. “I should have recalled your ability to create illusions.”

  Ravel leaned toward him so she could rest her hand on her mate’s broad shoulder.

  “Synge, let us go,” she pleaded. “I’ll disappear with our daughter and—”

  “No. Not again.”

  His thunderous voice carried through the lair, making his servants back nervously away. Torque tried to tug Rya toward the nearby exit, only to have her dig in her heels. Typical.

  And annoying as hell.

  Ravel surged upright, her eyes glowing with power. “I’ll fight,” she warned.

  Wriggling out of his arms, Rya took a half dozen steps toward her father before Torque could grasp her shoulders and yank her back.

  “Stop,” he commanded, fear clenching his stomach.

  He didn’t believe Synge would intentionally hurt Rya, but no one was truly safe around a pissed-off dragon.

  She struggled against his firm hold. “I can’t let him hurt my sister.”

  He muttered a curse. “We’re going to have a long talk about your habit of rushing into danger.”

  She sent him a warning glare. “Or maybe we’ll discuss your habit of trying to tell me what I can or can’t do.”

  “Only a fool stands between angry dragons,” he hissed, nodding toward Ravel, who had a shimmer of magic dancing around her as she prepared to shift. “Or mates.”

  “Dammit, I’ve told you,” Synge snarled, straightening to face his furious consort without fear. “I’m not going to hurt you, Ravel.” He pressed his hand to the center of his broad chest. “I swear.”

  Ravel shook her head. “I’m not worried about myself.”

  Synge glanced down at Blayze, a profound regret simmering in his eyes.

  “Our daughter is safe in my lair,” he swore.

  “For now, perhaps,” Ravel said, still prepared to fight for the safety of her child. “The spell that contains her curse won’t last forever.”

  “Kai can help,” Synge muttered, his head swiveling until he located Rya. “Where is your mother?”

  Rya waved a hand toward the closed gateway. “She’s still lost in the lair. We have to rescue her.”

  Synge glanced toward Ravel. “Can you make another opening?”

  “No.” The female dragon gave a firm shake of her head. “When you pulled us out my magic was no longer there to keep the space open. It’s possible that it’s already beginning to collapse.”

  Rya stiffened, her face draining of color. “Mother.”

  “She’s still alive,” Synge abruptly announced, clearly still possessing a bond with his former courtesan. He waved a beefy hand toward a clutch of nervous fey standing in a corner. “I’ll have my servants find a way to reach her.”

  The fairies and imps moved to stand in front of the closed gateway, murmuring together as they discussed how to open it.

  Ravel made a sound of impatience as they instantly started to argue at the best way to begin. Rya released an equally annoyed growl.

  “I’m not sure we have time for her to be located and brought here before Blayze wakens,” Ravel said.

  “Call for Char,” Torque abruptly suggested, sending out a silent apology to his friend.

  He would do whatever necessary to end the family drama so he could get Rya alone.

  Char would understand.

  Well, after he kicked Torque’s ass a time or two.

  Okay, maybe a dozen.

  “Who?” Synge sent him an impatient glare before he recalled the half-breed dragon he’d given his son as a parting gift the day he left the lair. “Ah. Baine’s personal servant. What could he do?”

  Torque nodded his head toward the female on the ground.

  “His mother is a Dalia demon,” he explained. The demons were as rare as the Shinto and at one time had been worshipped as gods for their ability to manipulate the fate of humans. “He’s capable of halting time in a small, confined space. It would give you a few days to find Rya’s mother,” he explained.

  Synge nodded toward the nearest guard. “Call for him.”

  “At once, my lord.” With a deep bow the guard spun on his heel and jogged out of the chamber.

  Accepting his commands would be carried out, Synge turned back to his daughter. Then, bending down, he scooped his hands beneath her and lifted her off the ground with one smooth motion.

  Ravel was swiftly at his side, her footprints leaving scorch marks on the crimson carpet.

  “What are you doing?” the female dragon demanded.

  Synge turned to head toward a nearby alcove that led to the private section of his lair.

  “I’m taking my daughter to her rooms.”

  Ravel walked at his side, her anger replaced by an expression of wonder. “You still have them?”

  “Of course.” He sent his mate a brooding glance. “Just as your rooms are precisely like you left them.”

  Hoping to have a few moments alone with his betrothed, Torque turned to Rya.

  “We need to speak,” he murmured in low tones. “In private.”

  Her lips parted, but before she could respond, the sound of Synge’s voice interrupted.

  “Torque, come here,” he commanded.

  Swallowing a growl of impatience, Torque smoothed his expression before he turned and reluctantly moved toward the dragon.

  It wasn’t like he could say no.

  Not unless he had a sudden urge to become a smudge of soot.

  Careful to halt far enough away that he couldn’t be perceived as a threat to the unconscious female in Synge’s arms, Torque offered a respectful nod of his head.

  “Yes, my lord?”

  “Kai promised that you and Rya would discover my lost treasure,” he said. “I never dreamed…” He glanced down at his daughter, his body shaking with emotion before he was harshly clearing his throat in embarrassment. “You can consider Pyre’s debt paid in full.”

  Torque reeled at the shocking words. Shit. Synge’s missing mate and daughter were the treasure that Kai had foreshadowed? Not that he didn’t agree that family was far more important than any shiny jewel. Still…

  The mysterious treasure hunt wasn’t supposed to happen yet. Not until he was formally mated to Rya.

  Oddly disturbed by the pronouncement that only days ago would have made him leap for joy, Torque offered a
stiff bow.

  “Thank you, my lord.”

  Synge shrugged aside his thanks. “You can return to Baine or to your father’s lair. Your future is your own.”

  “Yes, my lord,” he murmured.

  He already knew exactly what he wanted for his future and who he wanted to share it with.

  Waiting for Synge and his unexpected family to leave the throne chamber, Torque turned back to locate his betrothed. The sooner they could get out of there, the sooner they could start planning their formal mating.

  His brows drew together as he discovered the space where Rya had been standing was empty. Impatiently, his gaze skimmed over the servants and uniformed guards who continued to move through the room, a hollow fear settling in the pit of his stomach.

  Suddenly he realized why he’d been so unnerved when Synge had made his startling announcement.

  Not only had the dragon declared him free and clear of his father’s debt. But he’d just publicly proclaimed the end of Torque’s betrothal to his daughter.

  After all, there was no need for Torque and Rya to mate if the treasure had been found.

  And now she’d disappeared.

  Along with the aggravating Levet.

  Torque clenched his hands, a blast of fury making the nearby servants scurry away from the flames that moved over his body.

  “Oh no, Rya,” he growled. “You’re not getting away from me that easily.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  It was sheer exhaustion that at last halted Finn’s desperate sprint through the thick, seemingly endless fog. Exhaustion and the terrible sensation he was running in circles.

  With a low groan, he lowered himself to his knees and cradled the unconscious woman in his lap.

  She’d remained so limp in his arms he’d briefly feared that she was more grievously injured than he first suspected. But as he ran a frantic glance over her pale face he was relieved to discover her wounds were beginning to heal and a hint of color was returning to her cheeks.

  Thank the goddess.

  With gentle care, he brushed her coppery curls over her shoulder.

  “Adair, can you hear me?”

  Her lashes fluttered, slowly lifting to reveal her glorious platinum eyes. She blinked as she took in his face that was only inches away.