Scorched by Darkness

by Alexandra Ivy

  “Listen to me,” Finn insisted. “Whatever is under the ice isn’t treasure.”

  “Liar,” Micah rasped, his eyes glowing with a weird frenzy. Almost as if he’d already been touched by madness. “Remove the ice.”

  Finn took a deliberate step away, his back pressed against the frozen wall.

  “No.”

  Micah’s face flushed with fury. “Have you forgotten what I can do to you?”

  Finn shook his head. “Then do it. I won’t help you.”

  “You say that now.” Micah lifted his hand, the air heating with his magic. “But eventually you’ll do exactly what I want.”

  “When hell freezes over,” Finn said in wry tones. He was still weak, but he was fairly confident he had enough strength to pull down the ceiling.

  Or at least that was the hope.

  Micah blinked, caught off guard by Finn’s response. Clearly he’d assumed Finn would do anything to avoid the pain.

  “Do you think I won’t kill you?” he growled.

  Finn shrugged. “I don’t care.”

  There was a tense battle of glares as Micah prepared to use his magic. Then, perhaps sensing that Finn wasn’t going to budge, he released a sharp breath.

  “Find the others,” he snapped toward his brother.

  Jarvis gave a grudging nod, but before he could move, the sound of the female sliced through the air.

  “They’re gone, but I have something better.”

  Finn turned his head to watch the tall, slender female Sylvermyst step into sight from the side of the cavern. He easily recognized the female he’d seen with Adair earlier.

  What was her name? Lila? Yes, that was it.

  “Where have you been?” Micah barked.

  The female’s bronzed eyes flashed with temper. “Solving your problems, as usual.”

  Micah curled his lip with disdain. “I don’t need a female to solve my problems.”

  “Is that right?” Indifferent to her brother’s scorn, Lila stepped around the curve of the icy mound, revealing that she wasn’t alone. “Come along, dear sister.”

  Adair.

  Finn sucked in a shocked breath. Not because she was in the company of Lila, but because it was obvious she’d been severely beaten.

  Her copper hair was tangled around her pale face that was bruised and bloody. One eye was nearly swelled shut, and the arm her sister was holding was hanging at an awkward angle. It was either ripped out of joint or broken.

  Her robe was torn in several places and she was limping, which meant that it wasn’t just her face that had suffered from the tender hand of her sister.

  Anger blasted through Finn.

  The bitch. Finn had a natural aversion to hurting females, but Lila had just sealed her fate.

  She was going to die along with her brothers.

  Oblivious to the cloud of frost that filled the air, Micah stepped toward his sisters with a small frown.

  “Adair?” His gaze flicked between the two women before landing on Lila. “What’s going on?”

  Lila glared at her sister. “I found her at the back of the cavern, helping the sprites escape through a portal.”

  Finn’s heart clenched. He was suddenly certain she was the one who’d opened the portal. Dammit. She’d saved his people and now she’d put her own life at risk.

  Confirming his worst fear, Micah stormed forward, lifting his hand to smack Adair across the face. Her head rolled backward, blood dripping down her jaw from a wide cut in her cheek.

  “Treacherous bitch,” Micah thundered, his hand lifting to hit her again.

  “Stop,” Finn rasped, his hands clenched at his side as he leashed the urge to attack the male.

  He had to conserve his strength. Especially now.

  He could no longer consider the idea of becoming a noble martyr, willing to die to take out his enemies.

  Not when that would also mean the death of Adair.

  He would sacrifice himself. But not her.

  It didn’t matter that she was related to his enemies. Or that he barely knew her.

  He wasn’t going to let her die.

  Period.

  Glancing over his shoulder, Micah took in Finn’s grim expression, a slow smile curving his lips as he realized he had the perfect weapon in his hands.

  “Ah,” he drawled, moving to wrap his arm around Adair’s shoulders. “Perhaps you’re not as worthless as I always feared, sweet sister.”

  Adair shuddered, her expression pleading. “Micah, please.”

  “Don’t worry, pet,” he mocked, tugging her forward until they stood directly in front of Finn. “I don’t intend to kill you. Not yet, anyway. First your prince is going to remove the ice for us.”

  Adair swayed and no doubt would have fallen on her face if her brother hadn’t been holding her up. Her gaze, however, remained locked on Finn.

  “I’m sorry,” she breathed, as if any of this was her fault.

  Frost coated Finn’s skin as he glared at the smugly smiling Micah. “Hurt her and I’ll destroy you.”

  “Isn’t that sweet?” Micah roughly patted Adair’s wounded cheek. “The pretty sprite is worried about you. Did you let him have a taste of your body to earn such concern?”

  “Let her go,” Finn commanded.

  Micah’s eyes narrowed, his expression already one of anticipation. “Do as I ask and I promise I’ll release her.”

  “Don’t listen to him—” Adair’s words broke off in a scream as Micah released his magic.

  “Shit,” Finn muttered, his gut twisting as Micah shoved Adair onto the ground. Still screaming, she writhed in pain, but reaching out a pleading hand she released a low groan.

  “Don’t, Finn,” she managed to gasp. “They’ll kill me either way.”

  Micah cursed, landing a vicious kick to the side of Adair’s head. The female went limp, knocked unconscious by the blow.

  Satisfied that Adair couldn’t cause any further trouble, Micah glared toward Finn.

  “Do it.” He pointed at the icy mound. “Now.”

  Trying to ignore the fear that he was making a terrible mistake, Finn held out his hand. Then, with a sharp blast, he released the last of his magic.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Torque scowled at Rya and the ridiculous gargoyle who were gazing at him with expectant expressions.

  Did they think he had some sort of special magic that allowed him to locate missing dragons?

  “How am I supposed to find the female?” he asked.

  Levet clicked his tongue. “And you call yourself a hero?”

  “No.” He glared toward the miniature blight on gargoyles everywhere. “I have never called myself a hero.”

  Rya stepped forward, no doubt eager to halt yet another squabble. Torque swallowed a curse. The annoying creature provoked him into acting like a cranky hatchling.

  “You’re a much better tracker than I am,” Rya pointed out in soothing tones. “Can you use your senses to find her?”

  He grimaced. Even standing in a place that looked so familiar, he was eerily aware of the strangeness of their surroundings. The truth was that he had no idea how to go about picking up a trail.

  “I might be able to if we weren’t in the middle of an ice maze,” he grudgingly confessed. “Once I leave these rooms there’s a very real possibility that I’ll become lost.” A small shiver raced through his body. “Or worse, stuck in another cell.”

  Rya nodded, but her expression remained troubled. “We have to do something. My mother can be a bit bossy—”

  “Not a bit, ma belle,” Levet interrupted, his tail twitching around his feet. “She is très bossy.”

  “Okay, very bossy.” Rya waved a dismissive hand, while Torque made a mental note to treat the Shinto female with proper respect. He didn’t know why, but it was important that Rya’s mother approve of him. “Still, if she says we need to waken the dragon, then we can’t ignore her warning.”

  Torque heaved a resigned sigh. Obviously
he wasn’t going to get any peace until he at least tried to locate the damned dragon.

  “Fine,” he muttered. “Remain here.”

  “Non.” Without warning, the gargoyle stepped forward. “You will need me.”

  Torque didn’t bother to hide his horror. It was bad enough to be wandering through the weird-ass ice without being burdened with the three-foot demon from hell. “You are the last thing I need.”

  The gargoyle puffed out his chest. “Can you detect illusions?”

  Torque planted his hands on his hips, refusing to budge. “The ice isn’t an illusion.”

  Levet gave a flick of his wings. “True, but I can sense where there are hidden pathways.”

  Torque stiffened. The gargoyle could find a way through the maze? And he hadn’t told them earlier?

  What the hell?

  “If you had the means to escape, then why didn’t you?” he growled, his voice thick with suspicion.

  Levet stomped a clawed foot, his expression petulant. “I have told you and told you. It is too cold.”

  There was a movement next to him as Rya stepped to stand next to the gargoyle. “I’m going as well.”

  “No.” Torque nipped the suggestion in the bud. “Absolutely not.”

  Her gaze narrowed. “If you’re concentrating on finding the dragon you’ll need me to watch your back.”

  “It’s too dangerous.”

  A tense silence filled the room as the gargoyle took a dramatic step backward. As if trying to get out of the direct line of fire.

  Clearly the demon was smarter than Torque had given him credit for.

  “My dragon might not be as strong as yours, but I’m not completely worthless,” Rya at last said in flat tones.

  Prickles of heat danced over Torque’s skin. Clearly his female wasn’t happy.

  “I know that,” he said in cautious tones.

  “Good.” She moved forward, pressing her finger into the center of his chest. “Then you won’t try to keep me locked away.”

  He reached to grab her hand, pressing it against the beat of his heart.

  “Rya—”

  She overrode his protest. “Torque, I appreciate your desire to protect me. But right now we all need to work together if we’re going to locate the dragon and hopefully get out of here.”

  He gazed down at her flushed face and smoldering amber eyes and realized she’d never looked more beautiful. Even more astonishing, he realized that as much as he wanted to keep her safe, the thought of working with her as a partner felt oddly right.

  His lips twitched with a rueful smile, accepting that she’d won the argument.

  Again.

  “How did I ever assume you were a quiet, biddable sort of female?” he muttered.

  Something that might have been hurt rippled over her delicate features.

  “Is that what you prefer?”

  He cupped her face in his hands, gazing down at her with blatant need.

  “You know what I prefer,” he said in husky tones.

  There was the scrape of claws against the stone floor as Levet moved to wiggle between them.

  “Non. No kissy-face until we have completed our quest,” he groused, pushing against Torque’s leg. “It is a rule.”

  Torque stepped back as he formed a ball of dragon-fire in his hand. Rya released a small gasp, reaching to grab his wrist.

  “Torque, no,” she pleaded.

  With an effort he forced himself to extinguish the fire. “When this is done I’m going to crisp him into a tiny briquette,” he warned.

  “Fah.” Levet sniffed. “The joke is on you. I adore brisket.”

  “I—” Torque bit off his words. Christ, what was wrong with him? This was no time to be distracted. “Never mind. Let’s go,” he snapped.

  He crossed the floor with long strides, stepping through the opening that led to the small foyer. He was pulling open the front door when Levet suddenly darted in front of him.

  “Allow me to go first,” the gargoyle commanded.

  Torque waved a mocking hand. “Knock yourself out.”

  Waddling out the door, Levet gave a flick of his tail. “This way.”

  Torque rolled his eyes, but he followed the tiny gargoyle into the narrow tunnel of ice. He felt Rya directly behind him, the sizzle of her dragon-magic brushing over his back.

  Clearly she was taking her duties as rear guard seriously. A delicious excitement tingled through him, his own beast roaring with satisfaction. As a half-breed he couldn’t fully shift into dragon-form, but that didn’t mute his animal instincts.

  He liked feeling her heat.

  In silence they moved through the tunnel, an ominous sense of claustrophobia pressing down on Torque. He hated the sensation of being trapped in the endless tunnels. And the knowledge he was at the mercy of the damned gargoyle.

  And while Levet never hesitated as he moved forward, Torque couldn’t shake the sensation they were going in circles.

  Trying to ignore the knowledge that his nerves were being rubbed raw, Torque concentrated on catching a scent of the dragon. If she was still in the maze, then he should be able to find her.

  Eventually…

  He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when there was a flicker of movement in the ice beside him.

  “Wait,” he said, coming to a halt as he studied the frozen wall. “I think I caught sight of her.”

  Levet moved to join him, pressing his snout against the ice. There was another flicker, and the outline of a female appeared.

  Torque felt a surge of hope, but giving a decisive shake of his head, Levet turned to face him.

  “Non,” he said. “It is an illusion.”

  Torque frowned, studying the shadowed silhouette. “You’re sure?”

  “It is my specialty to see through such magic,” the gargoyle announced with his usual lack of humility. “I believe she is trying to lead us into a trap.”

  Torque made a sound of frustration. He was tired of walking in circles. And worse, Levet was right. It was too damned cold.

  Soul-deep, to-the-bone cold.

  “Why the hell would she lead us into a trap after she went to the effort of creating my lair?” he rasped.

  Levet gave a lift of his hands. “That I cannot say.”

  Unfortunately, neither could Torque. He bit back a curse, instinctively wrapping his arm around Rya’s shoulders as she moved to stand at his side.

  “This place gives me the creeps,” she muttered.

  He placed a kiss on her temple. “When we get out of here I promise we’ll go someplace very warm.”

  “Ah, oui.” Levet clapped his hands together. “A perfect notion. I know of a demon bar in Fiji that serves the most delicious kava punch.”

  Torque shook his head, but before he could respond, a menacing pulse of energy flowed around them.

  They all stiffened, unnerved by the unexplainable sense of dread.

  “Do you feel that?” Rya at last demanded.

  Torque nodded. “Yes.”

  She shivered. “What is it?”

  “I don’t know.” He tightened his arm around her.

  “Madness,” Levet abruptly muttered, his wings twitching as he sent them a worried frown. “We must hurry.”

  Without further explanation, the gargoyle was scurrying forward. For once, Torque didn’t argue, releasing Rya so they could keep pace with the small demon.

  He had no idea where they were going, but he was sure it had to be better than remaining where they were.

  Darting from one tunnel to another, Torque nearly missed the faint vibrations that warned of an enormous power not far away.

  “Stop,” he barked, coming to an abrupt halt.

  Rya slammed into his back before she regained her balance and sent him an apprehensive glance. “What’s wrong?”

  “I feel her,” he murmured, pressing his hand against the ice. Yep. Definite vibrations. “We need to go in this direction,” he told the gargoyle.

>   Levet nodded, moving along the tunnel until he could press his hand through a seemingly solid wall.

  “Here’s an opening.”

  They moved together, entering a tunnel that was larger than the others.

  Torque sucked in a deep breath, catching the scent of cinnamon. They were getting closer.

  A flare of hope filled his heart. At least for a second. Then, without warning, there was a sharp sound of popping that made him wince.

  Super-hearing wasn’t always a bonus.

  “What the hell?” he rasped.

  Rya sucked in a sharp gasp. “Look.”

  Torque turned to see that she was pointing at the ice behind them. He frowned, not sure what had frightened her. Then he finally noticed the spiderweb of cracks spreading through the walls and along the ceiling.

  The ice was splintering. Shit. The tunnel was going to collapse.

  Or explode.

  Neither option was something he wanted to experience.

  “Follow me,” Levet called, his wings flapping to give him speed as he scurried forward.

  Torque was directly behind him, the scent of cinnamon thickening as the gargoyle led them into a large cavern. Although made of ice, it felt denser…more real than the rest of the maze.

  “I sense her,” Torque muttered, slowing as he became distracted by the heavy weight pressing down on him. “She’s stirring.”

  “Watch out,” Rya cried, shoving her hands against the center of his back.

  Torque stumbled forward, glancing over his shoulder to watch a large, lethal icicle drop from the ceiling to impale the floor. Precisely where he’d been standing a second before.

  Levet gave a low whistle. “I do not think she wants company.”

  Shaken by the knowledge he’d nearly been skewered by the icicle, he parted his lips to thank the female who’d saved him from a nasty injury, only to snap them shut.

  Instead he moved to wrap her in his arms as a shimmering mist suddenly filled the center of the cavern. The three of them watched in silence, no one certain what the hell was happening as the mist cleared to reveal two females.

  One of them was the same, small creature with long red hair and pale eyes with flecks of color who had appeared earlier. This time, however, she wasn’t alone. She had a young female with her with dark hair, although the same opal-like eyes.