Scorched by Darkness

  Once her skin was stained with the blood, the Jinn turned toward the side of the garden, holding her arm straight out in front of her.

  There was a rush of wind circling around them like a cyclone as Laylah released her power. Rya felt Torque wrap an arm around her waist as her hair was tugged from its braid.

  Yow.

  The female packed some serious mojo.

  At last the wind eased and Laylah stepped back, revealing the narrow portal she’d just created.

  “This should lead you to her,” she murmured, a hint of weariness in her voice. Instantly her mate was at her side, his honey gaze regarding them with impatience. He was clearly eager to take his mate back to the safety of their lair.

  Rya sent the pretty female a smile of gratitude. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

  Laylah waved aside her thanks, her expression troubled. “Be careful,” she warned. “It’s very close to collapse.”

  Rya nodded before she was darting forward and entering the portal. She didn’t need her mother’s visions to know that Torque was going to try and convince her this was a bad idea.

  The sooner she could get in and start the search, the better.

  There was a blast of heat behind her and Torque followed her through the opening.

  “Shit,” he muttered. “I have a very bad sense of déjà vu.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Finn shivered as he came to a halt. He was a frost sprite, but even he wasn’t immune to the brutal cold that would kill many demons. Holding Adair tightly in his arms, he was thankful the young Sylvermyst had passed out.

  Not just because she would have been in misery from the chill. But he could actually feel the space shrinking around them.

  “Kai,” he muttered, watching the Shinto female come to a stop a few feet away.

  She grimaced. “I know.” She lifted her hand, as if pressing against the walls that were closing in. “We don’t have long.”

  He felt a bitter stab of frustration.

  He’d had always understood that death could happen, even for an immortal. And that his role as prince meant he had to be willing to sacrifice himself for his people.

  But the thought of the fragile woman in his arms dying was impossible to accept.

  “You still can’t make contact with anyone?” he demanded.

  A stupid question. If Kai could have found a way to reach out for help, she would have.

  The older demon shook her head. “The dimension is beginning to drift in time,” she said. “It’s impossible to make a telepathic connection.”

  The ground trembled. At the same time the pressure in the air crushed against them.

  “It’s not only drifting,” he muttered.

  Kai’s serene expression tightened with an unease she couldn’t entirely disguise.

  “Without the dragon it will soon disappear completely,” she muttered.

  Adair stirred in his arms. Had she heard the Shinto’s dire prediction?

  “Finn?” she breathed, her face tinted blue as a thin layer of frost covered her skin.

  “Shh.” He bent his head to press his lips to her forehead. “It’s going to be fine.”

  Her lashes fluttered, as if she was struggling to regain consciousness. Then, with a faint sigh, she thankfully sank back into her protective sleep.

  “Is there anything we can do?” he asked in a low voice.

  Kai gave a regretful shake of her head. “No. I’m sorry.” The older fey suddenly jerked her head to the side. Had a noise startled her? “Did you feel that?”

  Finn frowned. Had the stress at last gotten to the female? There was nothing to feel but the increasingly painful pressure.

  Wait.

  There was something.

  A tiny surge of hope raced through him as he belatedly sensed the…breeze? There was no other way to explain the stir in the frigid air.

  “What’s happening?” he demanded.

  “Someone’s trying to open a portal.”

  Relief pounded through him. They hadn’t been abandoned. Thank the goddess.

  He tried to reach out with his magic, only to be thwarted by the mist. “Is it the dragon?”

  She gave a slow shake of her head, something that might have been surprise rippling over her face. “Jinn.”

  Finn’s relief dimmed. What was that old saying? ‘From the frying pan into the fire?’

  It wasn’t something a frost sprite usually had to worry about.

  “Oh hell,” he rasped. “Is it hunting us?”

  Kai tilted her head to the side. “I don’t think so. It’s not entering the portal,” she said in distracted tones. Then a brilliant smile curved her lips. “Oh. It’s Rya.”

  “Rya?” He would have jumped for joy if it wouldn’t have disturbed the female in his arms. “She found us.”

  “Yes.” The word barely had time to leave her lips before there was a shudder beneath their feet and the mist closed in even tighter. Kai hissed in pain. “Let’s hope it’s not too late.”

  “Shit,” Finn muttered, refusing to believe they could be squashed when they were so close to escape.

  Kai glanced around. “We need to stabilize the space. Do you have any ideas?”

  Did he? Finn sucked in a deep breath, trying to use his magic to reach out to Rya. He could feel the portal. He could even latch onto it for a brief moment. But the rippling movement of the dimension made it impossible for him to breach an opening.

  Which meant he couldn’t get them closer to Rya.

  He had to keep them alive until she could reach them.

  Easier said than done.

  He glanced toward his companion. “Can you clear the mist around us?”

  The female gave a slow nod, her brow furrowed. “Yes, but that won’t help us.”

  “Do it,” he commanded. He didn’t have time to explain that the mist was a distraction.

  She lifted her hand, discharging a burst of magic. “Do you have a plan?”

  Continuing to hold Adair in his arms, he lowered himself to his knees.

  “I can use my magic to create a bubble of ice,” he said.

  Pushing back the mist so they were standing in a circular clearing, Kai lowered herself next to him. “It won’t last for long.”

  “Hopefully we’ll only need a few minutes,” he muttered. “Hold still.”

  Releasing his magic in a fierce burst, he created a dome of thick ice to surround them. For a second there was a blissful respite from the crushing pressure. But even as Finn took in a deep breath, there was a series of pops as the ice began to fracture.

  They would have only moments before it collapsed.

  “Let’s hope they hurry,” Kai muttered.

  Finn glanced down at the unconscious Adair. “No shit.”

  ***

  Rya grimaced. Any hope that they could step into the portal and discover her mother standing directly in front of them was instantly destroyed.

  Instead they walked straight back into the unnerving mist.

  Crap.

  With an effort, she tried to ignore the voice in the back of her head that screamed at her to run out of the portal and never look back.

  It was even worse than when they’d been lost in the creepy fog the first time.

  Now the squeezing heaviness was nearly unbearable.

  No. Not nearly. It was unbearable.

  And cold. Soul-crushingly cold.

  “Rya,” Torque rasped from behind her. “We can’t bear this for long.”

  “I know,” she muttered, her heart giving a tiny jump as she caught the scent of her mother. “She’s this way.”

  “Are you sure?” he demanded as she darted at an angle through the fog.

  “Yes,” she assured him. “She’s not far.”

  Torque moved until he was at her side, wrapping them both in the heat of his dragon.

  “I smell a sprite,” he said, his eyes glowing.

  She gave an absent nod. “Finn,” she said, her p
ace never slowing.

  “And…” Torque sucked in a harsh breath. “Sylvermyst. Be careful.” He reached to touch her arm. “They already released a crazed dragon. Who knows what else they might do.”

  Rya shivered. The fear of the dimension collapsing was bad enough without adding in the fear that there were dangerous Sylvermyst lurking in the mist.

  Trying to distract herself, she concentrated on the only good thing that had come out of their first trip into this miserable space.

  “She wasn’t actually crazed,” she said.

  “What?”

  “The dragon. Blayze wasn’t crazy.”

  Realizing he’d just insulted her sister, Torque sent her a rueful glance.

  “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  She shrugged. She couldn’t blame Torque for his less than stellar opinion of Blayze.

  Trying to kill someone didn’t make the best first impression.

  “It’s still hard to believe that my father had a true mate.” She altered her course as the ground moved beneath them, keeping her senses fixed on her mother’s scent. They were getting closer. Even if it did feel as if they were struggling through molasses. “It seems so out of character.”

  Perhaps realizing that she needed to keep her mind off the danger that surrounded them, Torque gave a short laugh.

  “Yeah, he’s not really a romantic sort of male.”

  Her lips twitched. She’d heard her father described as a beast and a savage and a ruthless predator.

  But never, ever as a romantic.

  Then her amusement faded as she remembered the achingly terrible loss he’d suffered. Was it any wonder he’d become so vicious?

  “It must have devastated him to lose his mate and daughter,” she said.

  “True.” The sapphire eyes darkened. “I never thought I would say this, but I actually feel sorry for the ill-tempered brute. I don’t know how he endured the pain.”

  Neither did Rya. And worse, she hadn’t even realized the burden he carried.

  “Hopefully my mother can keep Blayze asleep long enough for them to find a way to break her curse.”

  “It doesn’t bother you?”

  She turned her head to meet Torque’s curious gaze. “The curse?”

  “Your father’s happiness in discovering his full-blooded daughter,” he clarified.

  She was baffled by the question. How could she be anything but overjoyed for Synge?

  “Of course not,” she breathed. “I’m delighted he has Ravel and Blayze back in his life. Plus, I have a new sister.” She wrinkled her nose. “Or at least I will once the curse is broken.”

  Torque reached to run a finger down her cheek. “You’re an amazing female.”

  She shook her head. As a half-breed she’d been treated with far more care than most.

  In truth, she’d been pampered and adored her entire life.

  “Not really. I accept that Blayze will hold a special place in Synge’s heart, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love me,” she said, sending Torque a smile. “And now I have you. That’s all I need.”

  Fire smoldered in his eyes. “True.”

  She turned back toward the swirling mist. It was becoming almost impossible to breathe as the compression nearly took her to her knees.

  Time for another distraction.

  “Do you have any siblings?”

  “Hundreds.” He shrugged. “Possibly thousands.”

  The number wasn’t shocking. Dragons were capable of impregnating a wide variety of demons. And most males kept vast harems filled with willing females.

  But she hadn’t missed the disdain in Torque’s voice when he spoke of his father.

  “Pyre wasn’t very paternal?”

  Torque snorted. “As far as Pyre is concerned, his children are nothing more than assets to be bartered to the highest bidder.”

  She reached to grasp his hand. Instantly his warmth jolted up her arm, arrowing straight for her heart.

  “I’m sorry,” she murmured.

  Anger simmered deep inside her. Torque had been shortchanged when it came to family. His mother had done a disappearing act, and his father was a typical dragon.

  But that was all about to change. She intended to offer him all the love he could possibly need.

  Clearly reading her mind, he sent her a rare smile. “I’m not. If my father wasn’t a greedy bastard, he wouldn’t have given me to Synge and your mother might not have had her vision.” He squeezed her fingers. “We would never have become betrothed.”

  Rya shook her head. She’d wasted so much time resenting her mother’s vision. Now she couldn’t imagine a future without Torque.

  “Fate works in mysterious ways,” she murmured.

  Torque’s smile faded to a grimace as he gave a low grunt of pain. Every step was a misery.

  “Rya.” He tried to pull her to a halt. “We have to go back.”

  “No.” She pointed toward the thinning mist. “They’re right there.”

  Yanking free of his grasp, she stepped through the edge of the mist to discover Kai bending near the ground along with Finn and an unknown female cradled in his arms. The three of them were covered by a thin dome of ice. Or at least they were until it abruptly shattered in a spray of frost.

  Rya rushed forward, wrapping her arms around her mother as soon as the older woman managed to rise to her feet. “Oh, thank the goddess,” she breathed.

  “Rya.” Her mother fiercely returned her hug.

  “I was so worried,” Rya muttered, pulling back to study her mother’s pale face.

  She couldn’t see any visual injuries, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t hurt.

  Kai reached up to pat her cheek. “I’m fine, but we need to get out of here.”

  “My thought exactly,” Torque muttered.

  Kai glanced toward the prince of frost sprites as he straightened, the pretty young fey tightly clutched in his arms. “Finn, you go first with Adair.”

  Torque scowled. “You’re taking the Sylvermyst?”

  Finn instantly bristled, a fine cloud of frost swirling through the air. “Do you have a problem with that?”

  Rya arched a startled brow. Hmm. She’d seen Finn flirt with every female in his vicinity. Including herself. It was never serious.

  But this time…

  He was clearly territorial when it came to his Sylvermyst.

  “Did you forget it was the dark fey who trapped us here in the first place?” Torque demanded.

  Finn stepped forward, and Rya swiftly moved to stand between the two males. Yeesh. Could two alphas ever be in the same space without trying to start a fight?

  She laid her hand on Torque’s chest. “Later,” she murmured softly.

  Fire smoldered in his eyes, but he gave a grudging nod of his head. “Fine.”

  Thankfully, the frost sprite was smart enough not to press the issue, and with a nod toward Rya, he darted through the mist, following the trail they’d created to the waiting portal.

  “Mother, you next,” she said.

  The older woman briefly hesitated, but no doubt sensed that Rya wasn’t going to budge. With a kiss on Rya’s cheek she disappeared into the mist.

  “Let’s go,” Torque muttered, grabbing her hand to follow the others.

  Moving as fast as the thick fog would allow, they concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. A task that was becoming increasingly difficult.

  Up ahead she could sense when Finn managed to escape through the portal. And then her mother.

  They were only steps away when there was a violent quake that sent them both sprawling onto the spongy ground. Torque cursed, jumping back to his feet and pulling her up beside him.

  But the momentary delay was too much.

  Even as they stepped forward, the portal collapsed with explosive force.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Torque cursed, wrapping his arms around Rya as the floor shuddered and the mist tightened around them like a vise. r />
  The air was being crushed from his lungs, even as his bones began to throb. Soon they would begin to snap beneath the pressure.

  It was agonizing.

  And promised to get worse.

  “We’re trapped,” Rya choked out, burying her face against his chest.

  He absently ran his hand over her hair. “I’ve got you,” he muttered in distracted tones. He was desperately trying to come up with a plan of escape.

  “I’m sorry.” She wound her arms around his waist, tears trickling down her cheek. “I should have insisted on coming here alone.”

  He surrounded them in his fire. He couldn’t halt the crushing compression, but he could damned well battle back the lethal cold.

  “Yeah, like that was ever going to happen,” he muttered.

  She sniffed. “This was my duty, not yours.”

  He kept his expression stoic even as pain sliced through his heart.

  She was already blaming herself. He wasn’t about to add to her misery.

  “We’re partners now.” He insisted. “Right?”

  She shivered, her fiery spirit muted by the mist. “I don’t want you hurt.”

  “Rya.” He cupped her chin in his hand, tilting back her head so he could capture her gaze. “I would rather die holding you in my arms than live an eternity without you.”

  The amber eyes darkened, and with a choked sound she pressed her head back against his chest. With a sigh, Torque rested his cheek on top of her head.

  He hadn’t lied. If he had to face death, he wanted to do it with Rya in his arms.

  And if he had any true regret, it was the fact that he’d never found his mother.

  He should never have allowed his hurt pride to keep him from searching for her.

  So much time wasted…

  Lost in his dark thoughts, he absently noticed the tiny sparks that suddenly began to dance in the air.

  Was the ruthless pain making him hallucinate?

  Lifting his head, he tried to think past the sensation of being flattened into a pancake.

  More sparks gathered, moving to whirl directly in front of his face before dancing away.

  What the hell?

  “Torque,” Rya muttered, her gaze locked on the tiny bits of fire.

  “I see them,” he assured her.

  “Are you doing that?”