Standing at her side, he reached to place his hand next to hers on the wall.
“I tried, but the walls must be spelled,” he told her. “As soon as it starts to melt, it refreezes.”
He released a burst of fire, allowing her to watch as the heat seared through the first layers of ice before it was rapidly re-forming.
Her eyes widened. Dragon-fire could melt through pure steel. The fact that it couldn’t dissolve the ice meant it had to be protected by a powerful magic.
“Amazing,” she breathed.
“That’s not the word I’d use.”
Lowering her arm, she turned to inspect their cramped cell.
“I don’t understand.” She shivered at the brutal chill in the air. “The portal should have taken us to Finn and your gargoyle.”
“Levet is not my gargoyle.” Torque protested any connection to the aggravating pest, releasing enough heat to keep her warm.
Despite having Synge as her father, it was growingly obvious she’d inherited far more of her mother’s fey blood. Which meant she was more fragile than most dragon half-breeds.
He would have to take great care to ensure that the unnatural cold didn’t cause her harm.
She moved around the cramped space before turning back to face him. “Did you try to contact him?”
“I haven’t been able to contact anyone,” he said, not about to admit he’d made no effort to locate the missing gargoyle. Instead he’d reached out to try and link his mind with Baine.
When that had failed, he’d tried to contact his father. Their shared blood and magic meant that nothing should be able to block their connection.
But he’d been unable to reach out telepathically.
He didn’t know if there was some sort of buffering spell around their cell. Or if the instability of the space around them was interfering.
She bit her lower lip, slowly beginning to realize they were truly stuck.
“What about another portal?” she demanded.
He shrugged. “Whoever constructed the cell made sure one couldn’t be formed to get out of here.”
Of course she couldn’t simply accept his word. She lifted her hand, her magic prickling through the air. The rich scent of lotus blossoms teased at his nose, making his inner beast rumble in pleasure.
A few minutes later she muttered a curse and allowed her hand to drop.
Torque wisely resisted the urge to point out that he’d told her it couldn’t be done. He even managed to watch her pace the icy floor without giving in to the impulse to scoop her off her feet to make certain she wouldn’t fall.
See. Old dragons could learn new tricks.
“There has to be some way out,” she muttered.
He stood near the wall as she moved from one end of the cell to the other, fascinated by the soft glow of light that shimmered over the glossy ebony of her hair and added a hint of honey to her skin.
She was exquisite.
Desire coursed through his body, the pulses of heat filling the cell with enough warmth to create a mist in the air.
“None that I could discover,” he managed to mutter.
Time passed, but Torque was too distracted by his companion’s graceful movements and the lingering scent of lotus blossoms to realize the looming danger.
Not until Rya abruptly lowered herself to sit cross-legged on the icy floor, her expression determined. “Perhaps I can find something.”
With a sharp motion, Torque was at her side, glaring down at her with concern.
“Wait,” he commanded. “What do you intend to do?”
She laid her hands on her upper thighs, her palms turned up.
“I can use my shadow to search for someone to help us.”
He scowled. “What does that mean?”
“I’ve inherited a few Shinto talents,” she said, her voice edged with impatience. “I can create a shadow.”
“Like the one your mother used before she went missing?” he demanded.
She shrugged. “No one is sure what happened. The sprite who was with her disappeared at the same time.”
He made a sound of disbelief. “And now you want to repeat her mistake?”
“We don’t know if it was a mistake—” She bit off her words, giving a shake of her head. “We have to try something.”
Torque narrowed his gaze. “Explain what happens when you create a shadow.”
“It’s actually a part of my essence that I release to travel through space and—”
“No,” Torque snapped.
He’d heard enough.
There was no part of her…essence that was going anywhere.
Not without him.
She scowled. “Is no your favorite word?”
Squatting down, he leaned forward until their noses were nearly touching.
“I spent the past hour holding you in my arms, unable to wake you,” he growled. “At least give me a few minutes to recover before you try to get yourself killed again.”
Her eyes widened, as if shocked by his accusation. “I’m not trying to get myself killed.”
His gut twisted with…
He didn’t know exactly what it was.
Anger. Betrayal. A terrible dread that he’d nearly lost something infinitely precious.
“Are you sure?” he muttered.
“Why would you think I’d want to die?”
He spoke his darkest fear before he could halt the words. “I assume death is preferable to the horrible fate of becoming my mate.”
She pulled back, genuine confusion darkening her amber eyes.
“That’s insane.”
“Is it?” He reached to cup her chin in his hand, careful to keep his touch light. The last thing he would ever want to do was bruise her smooth, delicate skin. He might be a dragon-shifter, but he wasn’t an animal. Okay, that wasn’t true. He was an animal. But he could usually control his beast. “You accused me of not being properly excited about our betrothal, but I didn’t disappear from my home on a reckless mission that put my life in danger.”
She stuck out her chin. Stubborn female.
“I had to find my mother.”
Her explanation only fueled his sense of injustice.
“And you trusted a frost sprite to help you instead of reaching out to me,” he scolded.
“I told you, I didn’t think you would care.”
His fingers drifted down the curve of her throat, lingering on the rapid beat of her pulse.
“But you knew I cared when you insisted on opening a portal and entering it despite my protests,” he muttered.
A part of his brain recognized he wasn’t being entirely fair. But that didn’t stop him. This female stirred the primitive side of him that didn’t care about logic or justice.
With a frown, Rya reached up to smack his hand away. “Are you blaming me for us being trapped here?”
He heaved a rough sigh, grasping her shoulders as she tried to scoot away.
“No, I’m blaming you for scaring the shit out of me,” he rasped.
She blinked, as if startled by his revelation. “Torque.”
“And if you dare claim that I would be happy if you were dead, I’ll…”
“You’ll what?” she demanded.
“This.”
Torque didn’t know what demon prompted him to swoop his head down to claim her lips in a stark kiss. At least not until he felt her mouth soften beneath his fierce demand.
Only then did he acknowledge that he’d been aching for any excuse, no matter how flimsy, to kiss her again.
He’d harbored a precise memory of her sweet taste. And the way her lips parted when he swept his tongue over their lush temptation.
Now he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tugged her tight against his body.
She had heat, but not the scorching heat of his own dragon. Hers was a smoldering, exotic warmth that enticed his beast even as his fey blood bubbled with the intoxicating magic that sizzled between them.
Allowing his fingertips to touch the satiny smoothness of her cheek, he plundered her mouth. He wanted to drown in the sensations that thundered through him.
Why the hell had he been so reluctant to claim this delectable female?
Reluctantly lifting his head, he watched as her fingers fluttered toward her reddened lips, her eyes still dazed.
“Why did you kiss me?”
“Because I can’t stop myself,” he admitted in a gruff voice.
She blinked, her expression oddly wary. “You’re just saying that to try and manipulate me.”
He flinched, guilt blistering over his raw nerves. Of course she didn’t trust him. He’d never given her any reason to believe he cared about her.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his hands smoothing over her fragile shoulders.
He felt her tense, her tongue peeking out to lick her lips.
“For kissing me?”
He scowled. Was that supposed to be a joke? He rarely understood humor.
“Hell, no,” he snapped. “That’s the one thing in my life that I’ll never regret.”
“Then why are you apologizing?”
His skimmed his hands down her arms, grasping her hands in a tight grip.
“I allowed my reluctance to relinquish my life as a warrior to tarnish our betrothal,” he admitted. “I never considered how my lack of attention was affecting you. It was selfish and unnecessarily cruel.”
Something vulnerable flared through the amber eyes. “And now?”
He tilted his head to the side. “Now?”
“How do you feel about our mating?”
He didn’t hesitate. “I’m fully prepared to do my duty.”
The air cooled, her expression suddenly impossible to read.
“Duty?” she demanded.
“Yes.”
“Awesome.”
She tugged her hands free, closing her eyes as she sucked in a deep breath.
“Rya.” Torque frowned, baffled by the scent of singed blossoms that filled the air. Rya was pissed, but he didn’t have a clue why. “What’s wrong?”
“The fact that you even have to ask proves you know nothing about me,” she muttered. “Or any other female.”
Her eyes remained closed, as if she was trying to block him out. The sight made tiny flames dance over his skin.
Dammit. He’d just told her that he regretted not treating her with proper respect as his soon-to-be consort. And even told her that he was ready to complete their mating.
What more did she want?
“I have no talent for reading minds,” he groused.
Her lips twisted. “What is your talent?”
“Killing things,” he informed her in bleak tones, belatedly wondering if she’d hoped for a mate who was artistic or poetic or philosophical. He’d never had time for anything but training to protect his master. “It’s all I’ve ever known.”
She bit her lip, but she still refused to look at him. Instead she squared her shoulders as the feel of her magic swirled around him. “I’ll be back.”
Fear exploded through Torque.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
He grabbed her arms, roughly hauling her into his lap, but he instantly knew he was too late. She lay limp in his arms, her essence already leaving her body to travel beyond the walls of their prison.
CHAPTER FIVE
Char felt…unsettled.
At first he assumed it was a result of his long sexual drought. Despite his teasing with Torque, it’d actually been weeks since he’d visited the harem to enjoy the various females who were always eager to invite him to their beds.
Not since he’d seen his master with his beautiful mate, Tayla.
The sight had been a revelation.
Suddenly he was witnessing the relationship between a mated couple.
Not just lust, although Baine could barely keep his hands off his lovely consort. But teasing and laughter and a soul-deep affection.
It made the thought of a fleeting night of passion…
Hmm.
He wasn’t sure.
He only knew that he wasn’t as content with sex as he had been before he’d seen what was possible.
But as the hours passed, he accepted that his restlessness wasn’t just sexual frustration. Instead, it was directly connected to Torque.
His fellow guard had been gone for a few days, but it wasn’t until that morning that Char had felt a jarring sense of loss as his mental connection to the younger male had been abruptly severed.
All of Baine’s warriors shared a telepathic bond that allowed them to fight as a seamless unit during battle.
It should only have been broken if Torque…
The thought didn’t have time to form as a massive fist smashed into the center of his face, sending him flying across the gym to land flat on his back.
Pain exploded through Char.
Shit. He knew better than to try and train when he was distracted. Especially when his sparring partner was a six foot six half-breed dragon with massive muscles and a burning desire to earn a place among Baine’s warriors.
A shadow fell across him before a lean face with smoldering black eyes and a gleeful smile was hovering directly above his head.
“Do you give?” Vynom demanded.
“Fuck that,” Char growled, surging upright to lunge toward his companion with a wicked speed.
His hands were a blur of movement as he hammered the young male with a series of blows that quickly had him retreating across the practice mat.
Fire spilled around them as Char spun through the air and landed a kick that cracked at least two ribs.
“Stop.” Vynom dropped to his knees, holding up a hand of surrender.
Clenching his aching jaw, Char leashed his beast, his body trembling with the effort not to shift. He was one of the very few half-breeds who could actually become a dragon. He had to take care he didn’t accidentally lose control of his inner animal.
Warily straightening, the younger male lifted a hand to touch the blood welling from a cut on his lower lip.
“Damn, dude. What crawled up your ass?”
Char grimaced. “I need to go see our master.”
Vynom shook his head, his long, dark hair that was pulled into a braid brushing against his back.
“While you’re at it, why don’t you get laid?” the warrior-in-training suggested. “You seem a little on edge.”
Char shrugged, moving to grab a towel to wipe the sweat from his bare chest and arms.
“Or I could come back here and kick your ass again,” he suggested, drying his face before he tossed aside the towel.
Vynom headed toward the nearby baths. “I vote for the getting-laid option.”
Char rolled his eyes, leaving the gym.
He ignored the startled gazes that followed his slender form as he marched down the wide corridor that was lined with priceless tapestries. It was rare that he ever left his private rooms without being elegantly attired in black slacks and a silk shirt.
He took great pride in his grooming.
At the moment, however, he was wearing a loose pair of yoga pants and his hair was mussed from his sparring. It was no wonder the natives were gawking.
Moving from the communal area of the lair into Baine’s private rooms, he followed the pulse of energy to the vast library.
He stepped into the room that had towering shelves filled with books as well as glass cases that protected the more fragile manuscripts. A quick glance revealed Baine sitting behind a large desk with a map spread across the polished top.
Coming to a halt in the center of the room, Char offered a deep bow. “Master.”
“Char.” Baine arched a dark brow, his amber gaze skimming over his servant’s rumpled appearance. “Are you coming from the gym or the harem?”
“The gym.”
“That’s a relief.” Baine’s lips twitched as he deliberately studied Char’s battered face. “I’d hate to think one of the female
s gave you that black eye.”
With a small burst of power, Char rapidly healed his injuries.
He really was rattled not to have done it before he left the gym.
“I was distracted and Vynom got in a lucky punch,” he muttered.
Baine slowly stood. Like Char he was wearing nothing more than a pair of loose pants, but his pale skin was covered in a dizzying array of tattoos that possessed a metallic sheen in the candlelight.
“I assume the distraction is the reason you sought me out?”
Char gave a jerky nod. “I can’t sense Torque. I think there might be something wrong.”
Baine’s brows snapped together, his heat blasting through the room as he closed his eyes. Char knew the dragon was concentrating on his own connection to his servant.
Since it was far greater than Char’s bond with Torque, he hoped the older male could make contact and reassure him that there was nothing wrong with his friend.
Abruptly Baine’s eyes snapped open. “When did you last sense him?”
Char clenched his hands. He didn’t need Baine to tell him that he couldn’t reach Torque. The worry was etched on his narrow face.
“Our bond was broken when I woke up,” he said in grim tones. “I don’t know exactly when it occurred.”
Baine gave a slow nod. “There’s something blocking him from me.”
Relief exploded through Char. “So he’s not—” He couldn’t bring himself to say the words.
Torque might have annoyed the hell out of him on occasion. And there was no denying that he could be a stick-in-the-mud when it came to his rigid sense of duty. But there was no one that Char would rather have at his side.
And the thought that he might have died had hurt more than Char wanted to admit.
“No.” Baine gave a sharp shake of his head. “Torque is still alive. But he’s no longer in this world.”
No longer in this world? Char blinked in surprise. “What the hell is going on?”
***
Finn re-formed his body as he stepped out of the wall.
Instantly he swayed, nearly falling to his knees as weariness slammed through him. It’d taken even more energy than he’d expected to move through the ice. No doubt because it kept fluctuating.
More than once he’d feared he was stuck. In fact, if he hadn’t possessed the ability to manipulate the ice around him, he might have become permanently lodged in the strange barrier.
Dragons of Eternity Collection Page 22
