Scorched by Darkness

  Torque.

  Her heart slammed against her ribs as her gaze skimmed over his austere features that looked as if they’d been sculpted by the hand of a master. His eyes were a brilliant blue that smoldered with the heat of his inner dragon. Sapphire fire. His mouth was perfectly chiseled, with the bottom lip surprisingly lush, as if hinting at tightly leashed passions. His forehead was broad with dark, arched brows.

  He was compelling, rather than beautiful, she silently acknowledged as her gaze lowered to the leanly muscled body covered by a thin black tee and a pair of faded jeans despite the frigid cold.

  She unconsciously licked her lips. His power was sternly restrained, but it prickled over her skin. It made her feel as if she was standing in the center of a thunderstorm, waiting for the tempest to be unleashed and batter against her.

  Lifting her eyes to meet his smoldering gaze, she tilted her chin in an unconsciously defensive motion at the renegade tingle of excitement that prickled through her.

  He’d followed her.

  She hadn’t expected that.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Torque sent a glare toward Finn, who’d moved to stand at her side, before returning his attention to her.

  “Clearly I’m here to collect my betrothed,” he growled, steam swirling around his feet as his irritation threatened to melt the nearby stalagmites. Or were they stalactites? She really needed to figure that out. “Something that wouldn’t have been necessary if you were in the harem where you belong.”

  Rya narrowed her gaze, squashing her stupid excitement.

  She’d almost forgotten the male was a jackass. Thankfully, the first words out of his mouth had reminded her.

  “How did you find me?” she demanded.

  “Ah.” A flash of color drew her attention to the tiny demon who was suddenly waddling forward. “You may thank me, ma belle. I am a great pistachio at—”

  “Not now, gargoyle,” Torque interrupted with a snap.

  “Hey.” The gray creature with large fairy wings and the knobby features of a gargoyle sent his companion an impatient glare. “The world is eager to appreciate my formidable skills, n'est-ce pas?” Continuing forward, the demon moved to stand directly in front of Rya, giving a small bow. “Levet, KISA at your service.”

  Rya studied him in confusion. “KISA?”

  “Don’t ask,” Torque muttered.

  Levet sent the dragon a raspberry before turning back to Rya.

  “Knight In Shining Armor,” he explained, puffing out his chest with obvious pride.

  “Oh.” Rya tilted her head to the side. Had the dragon lost a bet? That was the only reason she could imagine the arrogant, always-aloof male traveling with such an…interesting companion. “Are you a gargoyle?”

  Levet spread his wings. “Not just a gargoyle, but the most famous of all my people.”

  “You’re very…” She allowed her words to trail away.

  “Compact?” Levet helpfully supplied.

  “Yes.”

  “Enough talking,” Torque growled, abruptly stepping forward. “We’re going back to your father’s lair.”

  It was a direct command. As if he had every right to toss out orders.

  Her own dragon stirred to angry life.

  She stretched her lips into a tight smile. “Feel free to go anywhere you want, in fact, I can give you a few suggestions. All of them are hot and filled with flames. But I’m staying.”

  Torque blinked, as if baffled by her refusal. “What did you say?”

  “I’m. Staying.”

  The sapphire gaze flicked toward Finn who had moved to stand at her side.

  “Are you being held against your will?”

  Without warning, the fey prince wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him.

  “Does it look like she’s here against her will?” he taunted.

  Torque hissed, fire dancing over his skin as he stalked forward.

  “I told you what would happen if you touched her again,” he said, his dark voice laced with murder.

  Rya instinctively moved forward, planting her hand in the center of his chest.

  “Torque, no.” She faced him squarely, indifferent to the flames that would have scorched a mere fey. She had no idea what had the male’s panties in a twist, but she knew that she didn’t want to drag poor Finn into the brewing fight. “Can you give us some privacy?” she asked the prince, her gaze never leaving Torque.

  A sharp chill sliced through the air, sizzling as it slammed into Torque’s heat.

  “I don’t think you should be alone with him,” Finn protested. “He’s clearly violent.”

  Raw power roared through air, stirring Rya’s hair and making Finn grunt in pain.

  “You’re about to discover how violent I can truly be,” Torque promised in awful tones.

  “Finn, it will be fine,” Rya assured the sprite, keeping herself between the two males. Not only was she capable of enduring the fire that danced around him, but she had enough dragon blood to know she could kick some serious ass when necessary. “I can take care of myself.”

  Finn hesitated. No doubt because Torque’s eyes were blazing with the promise of death.

  “Are you sure?”

  She shouldn’t have been sure. She’d met Torque one time when they’d formalized the betrothal and he’d barely glanced at her. Even when he’d brushed his fingers over her back he’d acted as if he was miles away mentally.

  But somehow she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt he would never, ever hurt her.

  “I would suggest that you come with me,” Levet broke into the tense silence, gesturing for Finn to follow him as he waddled toward the tunnel at the far end of the cavern. “Over the past days I’ve discovered that it’s best not to bother a dragon when they are in a mood.” The gargoyle’s wings shimmered in the fairy light. “They can be as temperamental as a vampire.”

  Finn muttered a low curse. “I’ll be outside if you need me,” he said, sending a warning frown toward Torque.

  “Thank you, Finn,” she murmured, waiting for both the gargoyle and sprite to disappear through the tunnel before she was slapping her hands on her hips and glaring at the male who had a unique ability to grate against her nerves. “Now. Do you want to tell me just what the hell you think you’re doing?”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Torque felt as if he was perched on top of thin ice.

  Quite literally.

  No doubt the strange sensation came from the fact that he’d suffered one shock after another.

  The first shock had come when he’d stepped out of the portal to realize that he was standing on a frozen wasteland that stretched with empty desolation as far as the eye could see. Why would any female leave the luxurious comfort of a dragon lair to freeze her pretty ass off in the middle of nowhere?

  The next shock had been his outrageous fury when he’d entered the cavern and witnessed a strange male touching his betrothed.

  Okay. Any dragon would be annoyed to catch his betrothed eating an intimate meal alone with another male. Especially when the bastard dared to touch his female. But the boiling cauldron of rage in the pit of his stomach that urged him to incinerate the male until he was nothing more than smudge on the ice was…over the top.

  Only the knowledge that he was acting completely out of character halted his attack.

  But had Rya been grateful for his restraint?

  No.

  In fact, she’d acted as if he was an unwelcomed intruder. And now she was glaring at him without the least hint of remorse.

  What happened to the meek, biddable female he’d met during their betrothal ceremony?

  It was…what did the humans call it? Bait and switch?

  Almost as if to prove his point that this wasn’t the same, quiet female who’d accepted his marking, Rya slammed her hands on her hips.

  “I asked you a question,” she snapped.

  Torque stepped forward, ignoring the fact that h
is heat was melting the ice beneath his feet. For once, he was incapable of commanding his usual composure.

  “One I answered.” He allowed his gaze to slowly move down her slender form, taking in the soft, blue sweater and the jeans that molded to her slender curves with aggravating perfection. Had the sprite touched the fuzzy material of her sweater? Or studied her fine ass when she’d walked across the cavern? Or sucked in the exotic scent of lotus blossoms that clung to her golden skin? The mere thought was enough to make flames dance over his body. “I’m here to retrieve my betrothed.”

  The amber eyes smoldered with anger. “You make me sound like a missing piece of property. Of course, I shouldn’t be surprised. That’s exactly what you think of me, isn’t it?”

  Torque frowned. Somewhere in the back of his clever brain, he realized this meeting wasn’t going well. But at the moment his male pride was in charge.

  Never a good thing.

  “Is that supposed to make sense?” he demanded.

  “I’ve never been more than an unwanted duty you’re forced to endure to please my father.”

  The accusing words made Torque falter. How did she know how he much he resented the mating? It wasn’t like they spent time together…

  He abruptly grimaced. Of course she would know. The fact that he’d gone to such an effort to avoid any contact after the betrothal ceremony would warn the most oblivious female he wasn’t eager to take her as his consort. And Rya was far from oblivious.

  Now he felt an unexpected pang of regret, swiftly followed by an odd urge to defend himself.

  “It’s no secret that Synge arranged our mating,” he reminded her.

  “And no secret how much you resent it.”

  He glanced around the icy cavern, his dragon blood protesting at their frozen surroundings.

  “This is no place for this discussion.” He abruptly decided. It wasn’t that he was trying to avoid her accusations. Of course not. It was just that he preferred to conduct their conversation in a place that didn’t have ceilings with icicles that threatened to impale him. “We’ll return to your father’s lair.”

  “You don’t listen very well.” She leaned forward, her eyes flashing amber fire. “I’m not going back. At least not yet.”

  His hands clenched. His every instinct urged him to reach out and toss her over his shoulder. No surprise. He was a warrior. Why chat when he could use brute strength to get his way?

  But Torque thankfully wasn’t a complete idiot. He realized that he’d only piss her off if he tried to force her back to the harem.

  Besides, if he was being completely honest with himself, he didn’t want to strong-arm her into leaving. He wanted her to be eager to return to Synge’s lair.

  No, wait. Not Synge’s lair.

  Once this female became his formal consort he could petition for a private home.

  Just the two of them.

  The thought of being completely alone sent a sudden thrill of anticipation through Torque.

  Over the years he’d been so intent on the knowledge he was being forced into the mating, he’d never truly considered the benefits. Now his body was reacting with an astonishing eagerness to explore the more tangible rewards.

  “Is it the sprite?” he abruptly asked.

  She blinked, as if caught off guard by the question. “Finn?”

  “Is he your lover?”

  A flush stained her cheeks. “Of course not.”

  “He wants you,” Torque said, the edge of aggression in his voice startling them both.

  “So what? He’s like any male.” She waved a dismissive hand. “He’ll sleep with any female in the vicinity.”

  The genuine indifference in her voice helped to soothe his restless beast. And ensured the frost sprite would live. At least for now.

  “Untrue,” he muttered.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Some men are far more choosy than others,” he growled.

  She arched a brow. “I suppose you intend to claim you’re one of those choosy males?”

  He stilled, belatedly realizing why he’d been so uninterested in females since he’d officially put his mark on Rya.

  His dragon had accepted that he had his mate. No other woman would do.

  Astonishing.

  Not that he was about to admit as much to the female currently glaring at him. Instead he folded his arms over his chest. One way or another he intended to get her back to the comfort of the harem.

  This cold couldn’t be good for her.

  “If Finn isn’t your lover then why are you here?”

  She hesitated, as if she was trying to decide whether to tell him the truth. At last she blew out a resigned sigh.

  “Because I’m looking for my mother.”

  Her mother? His brows tugged together in confusion.

  “I thought she had a home in Hong Kong?” Torque said, vaguely recalling Synge sharing his annoyance that the mysterious Shinto fey preferred her own home to the luxurious rooms in his harem. “Why would she be here?”

  “Finn contacted her when his people started disappearing.”

  Torque snorted. He wasn’t surprised the sprites would be fleeing from the overly-pretty prince. He was no doubt a terrible leader.

  “If his people were leaving he should have devoted more attention to his tribe and less time trying to seduce females.”

  “Not leaving, vanishing,” she corrected with a frown. “As in, they were there one minute and gone the next.”

  Torque studied her in confusion. Okay, that was strange.

  “Magic?”

  She shrugged. “That’s the assumption.”

  “Why contact your mother?”

  “She has the ability to reach out with her shadow and locate people.”

  Ah. A powerful gift. Is that why Synge had taken the Shinto as a lover? Did he think she could use her shadow to track down whoever had stolen his treasure?

  Or was it simply the hope for a glimpse of the future?

  “Did she find them?” he demanded.

  “I don’t know.” Her eyes darkened, her fear for her mother scenting the air with a sharp tang. “She disappeared over a week ago.”

  Torque sucked in a sharp breath at her confession, instantly furious.

  “And you came here knowing that fey were being mysteriously kidnapped?”

  Easily sensing his fierce reaction, she tilted her chin to an aggressive angle.

  “I have to find out what happened.”

  “By deliberately putting yourself in danger?”

  She met his gaze squarely, refusing to be intimidated.

  “What would you do if it was your mother?”

  “Nothing,” he admitted with blunt honesty. “I have no contact with my mother.”

  Her eyes widened. “None?”

  “None.” He shrugged. “I’m not even sure what sort of demon she was, although I have some magic, so she must have been fey.”

  “Your father never talked about her?”

  Torque shook his head. “All I know is that she bartered some sort of deal with my father. I assume she wanted money. Or maybe Pyre took care of one of her enemies.” He kept his tone indifferent, as if he hadn’t spent endless nights wondering about the female who’d given birth to him. “Once she produced a male child, she’d paid her debt. She left only hours after I was born.”

  Her delicate features softened, emphasizing her exotic beauty.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Torque took a step forward. He’d seen Rya demure and compliant in the presence of her father. He’d seen her gloriously infuriated when he’d entered the cavern. And now he was offered a fascinating glimpse of her as a tenderhearted consort.

  “Why?” he asked.

  “Every child should have a mother.”

  “My father’s servants made sure I was adequately cared for.”

  She shook her head. “Adequate care is not the same as love.”

  Love.

  Torque flinche
d. Her soft words touched a vulnerable place deep inside him. A place he’d buried when he was just a young hatchling.

  Only fools allowed themselves to be blinded by their emotions.

  He believed in honor. In loyalty. And strength.

  And lust.

  He was a big believer in lust. At least when it came to this female.

  “We were discussing your reckless disregard for your own safety, not my mother,” he said, a grim edge in his voice.

  She hesitated, as if considering whether or not to press him. Then she gave a shake of her head, as if annoyed by his refusal to mourn what he’d never had.

  “What does my safety matter to you?”

  Torque scowled. “That’s a ridiculous question.”

  “It’s not ridiculous,” she countered. Abruptly turning, she paced across the icy floor, the fairy light gleaming off the ebony darkness of her hair. “If I disappear, you no longer have to worry about our mating.”

  Torque was instantly outraged. What the hell was she talking about?

  “Don’t say that.”

  “Why not? It’s true.”

  “Don’t presume to know what I want,” he ground out, not bothering to add that he didn’t know what the hell he wanted.

  Instead he moved forward so he could grab her shoulders and turn her back to face him. Only that wasn’t enough. He needed…more.

  With a muttered curse, he yanked her tight against him.

  Her eyes widened as their bodies melded together, a gasp wrenched from her throat.

  “Torque.”

  He glared down at her perfectly formed face. “Why didn’t you contact me?”

  She blinked. “Contact you?”

  “I’m your betrothed,” he growled. “If your mother was in danger you should have asked for my help.”

  ***

  Rya tilted back her head to stare into the stunning eyes that smoldered with sapphire fire.

  This male had pretended that she didn’t exist from the day she was born. Even after their formal betrothal. Now he was glaring at her as if he was genuinely irritated that she hadn’t rushed to him for help.

  And even more disturbing, he had her intimately pressed against his rock-hard body.

  How was she supposed to think when his heat was searing through her clothing and his intoxicating scent was clouding her poor brain?