Scorched by Darkness (16 page)

He was in a huff.

No doubt about it.

Oddly, Rya found herself pleased by the male’s foul mood.

Not because Levet managed to annoy him. Okay, that wasn’t entirely true. She might take an itsy bitsy amount of pleasure in the gargoyle’s unique ability to piss off Torque. But it was mainly relief that the stoic male could feel
anything
.

After the formal betrothal, Rya had been worried that her future mate was incapable of normal emotions. He’d been so detached during the ceremony while she’d been a quivering mass of nerves.

Now she at least knew he could feel anger.

And desire.

White-hot, all-consuming desire.

A tiny shiver racked her body.

As if sensing her inner turmoil, Levet waddled to stand at her side, reaching up to lightly pat her hand.

“I am so sorry,
ma belle
,” he murmured.

She glanced down at him in confusion. “For what?”

“That you’re being forced to mate with such a surly brute.”

Another shiver raced through her. If she was being honest with herself, she wasn’t nearly so sorry about the upcoming mating as she’d been just a day ago.

In fact…

“He’s not a brute,” she breathed.

“Non?”

Her lips twitched at the patent disbelief in Levet’s tone.

“No. Although I thought he was.”

“And now?”

She took time to consider what she’d discovered of Torque over the past hours.

“Now I realize that he’s serious, but he isn’t stern,” she slowly admitted. “And he’s dedicated. And loyal. And—”

“Handsome?” Levet overrode her words.

Heat raced through her. Handsome was such a mundane word. Certainly it didn’t capture Torque’s potent male beauty.

“He is…gorgeous,” she at last muttered.

The gargoyle heaved a deep sigh. “I thought vampires were trouble.”

Vampires? What did bloodsuckers have to do with Torque? “Excuse me?”

“In my experience, females always choose the tall, dark and annoying creatures.” The delicate wings fluttered as Levet gave a resigned shake of his head. “It makes no sense to me.”

“You don’t have a mate?”

The gargoyle paused, before delicately clearing his throat.

“
Non
. I have no mate. In my house, I do have a young fairy that I recently rescued, but I am merely her protector,” he revealed, placing his hand against his chest as a soulful expression settled on his lumpy face. “It is my nature to spread my love,” he explained. “Not to have my wings clipped.”

“I see.”

“It is my destiny to be a toy boy.”

Rya struggled to hide her amusement. “You mean, be a boy toy?”

“Oui.”
With an airy wave of his hand, Levet turned his attention to their surroundings. “If you are forced to mate with the dragon-shifter I do hope you intend to improve his taste in lairs,” he murmured. “My heart aches at the thought of you living in such a dismal place.”

Rya aimlessly wandered toward the shelves that consumed the far wall, her hand lightly touching one of the precious leather-bound books.

“Torque has suggested we build a lair together,” she said.

“Is that what you desire?”

A thrill of anticipation inched down her spine. “I’m not sure. Just a few days ago I would have said no. Now…things have changed.”

Levet clicked his tongue. “Ah well, do not blame yourself,” he assured her. “Being in danger does tend to stir the emotions.”

Was that it? Was danger responsible for her sense of bonding with Torque?

It would be an easy explanation. Unfortunately, it didn’t ring true.

“Perhaps,” she said with a shrug, eager to change the conversation. “Not that it matters until we manage to get out of here.”

Levet started toward her. “We will escape. You can trust in me.” He came to an abrupt halt, the gray eyes widening as if he’d been struck by inspiration. “In fact…”

Rya frowned as the gargoyle tilted back his head and spread his wings.

“What are you doing?” she demanded.

“My magic cannot work, but I might be able to use my ability to speak mind to mind,” he told her.

Rya hesitated, wondering if the small demon was teasing her. She didn’t know much about gargoyles or their powers. But as his pretty wings shimmered with a flare of magic, she allowed herself to experience a surge of hope.

“You can truly use telepathy?” she asked.

“
Oui
. I am a demon with many gifts.”

Rya crossed the floor to stand at his side. “Can you contact my father?”

He wrinkled his short snout. “It would be simpler to try and reach out to Tayla. We already have a mental connection.”

Rya nodded. That made sense. “What can I do?”

He gave a dramatic wave of his hands. “You may watch me in amazement.”

Her lips twitched. “Okay.”

Levet closed his eyes, presumably reaching out to Baine’s mate. Rya stood beside him, waiting for…

Well, she didn’t really know what she was waiting for. But as the minutes ticked past, she grew increasingly restless.

Levet, on the other hand, stood so still she started to wonder if he’d shifted into his statue-form.

Then, with a gusty sigh, he abruptly opened his eyes.

“Sacre bleu.”

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

He gave a click of his tongue. “The magic is too thick for me to penetrate.”

Rya grimaced, her hope fading. “Damn.”

Levet’s wings drooped. “I even tried to reach Finn, since he is within the maze with us.”

A cold dread twisted her stomach. Over the past few days she’d become fond of the prince of frost sprites. She couldn’t bear the thought of him being hurt.

Or worse.

“You couldn’t find him?”

“He is blocking me,” the gargoyle muttered. “The imbecile.”

“Can you tell if he’s okay?”

“He’s alive,” Levet muttered, his tail twitching around his feet. “That is all I can say.”

Rya nodded. At least she knew he hadn’t been killed by their unseen enemy.

On the point of suggesting they spend a few hours resting to regain their strength, Rya abruptly stiffened.

What was wrong with her brain? She had the perfect solution to their troubles.

“What about my mother?” she eagerly demanded. “Could you reach out to her?”

Clearly caught off guard by her request, Levet held up a clawed hand.

“I can make no promises,
ma belle
. I have never met your mother, which makes it much more difficult to touch her mind.”

She held his gaze, her hands pressed together. She was desperate to reach her mother.

“Will you try?” she pleaded.

There was a short pause before the gargoyle was performing a deep bow.

“For you,
ma belle
? Anything.”

She chuckled at his flamboyant antics. He truly was a charming companion. She couldn’t understand why Torque found him so annoying.

Stepping back, she watched as he once again closed his eyes and lifted his hands. His wings shimmered with a pulse of magic, and then…nothing.

Prepared this time for his absolute stillness, Rya forced herself to remain patient. Just a few minutes later, however, Levet gave a strangled cry and tumbled face-first onto the stone floor.

Instantly dropping to her knees, she reached out to roll him onto his back, careful not to bend his fragile wings.

“Levet?” She touched his cheek, uncertain whether his chilled skin was natural or if something was truly wrong with him. “Levet, can you hear me?”

There was the sound of hurried footsteps as Torque rushed back into the room.

“Rya,” he rasped, swiftly bending down next to her. “Are you hurt?”

A strange warmth filled her heart at the genuine concern that smoldered in the sapphire eyes.

He was really and truly worried about her.

“No, I’m fine,” she assured him, nodding toward the unconscious demon on the floor. “But something’s happened to Levet.”

Torque made a sound of disgust. “Do you want me to throw him out of the lair?”

She sent him a chiding frown. “Of course not.”

He shrugged. “Just a suggestion.”

Ignoring his ridiculous words, she grabbed Levet’s shoulder and gave him a small shake. The gargoyle groaned softly, but his eyes remained shut.

“He was trying to reach my mother when he collapsed,” she muttered.

“Reach your mother?” Torque demanded. “How?”

“Levet claims to be a telepath.”

Torque snorted. “He claims to be a lot of things.”

She turned her head to study him in confusion. “I thought he was your friend?”

“Friend?” Torque shuddered. “He is a barnacle that is impossible to scrape off.”

“Hey,” Levet protested, his eyes fluttering open. “I am no banjo.”

“See?” Torque growled, straightening as Levet pushed himself to his feet. “Aggravating pest.”

Rya concentrated on the tiny gargoyle, still worried that he’d hurt himself. “Are you okay?”

“Non.”
He absently rubbed one of his stunted horns. “My head is throbbing.”

Rya grimaced. “I’m sorry, Levet. I should never have asked you to use your gifts in this place.”

“It is not your fault,
ma belle
,” the gargoyle assured her. “Your mother is very…
formidable
.”

Rya pressed a hand to her chest as her heart missed a painful beat. “You spoke to her?”

Levet’s wings gave a violent flutter. “Actually, she spoke to me.”

Rya blinked back sudden tears of relief. Until that precise moment she didn’t realize just how worried she’d been. “She’s alive.”

“Very much so,” Levet muttered.

Rya reached out to grab his arm. “Could you tell if she was nearby?”

“
Non
, I am sorry. I sensed that she’s trapped in the same icy prison as we are, but it is impossible to know her precise location.”

Rya slowly rose to her feet, vaguely aware of the heat that scalded down the length of her back as Torque moved to stand directly behind her. Her attention never wavered from the tiny gargoyle. “Did she speak to you?”

“Oui.”
Levet shivered at the memory. “She was frighteningly insistent.”

Rya smiled with wry amusement, growingly confident that he had indeed contacted her mother.

She was a female who let people know exactly what was on her mind. In very vigorous fashion.

“What did she say?”

Levet grimaced. “She told me that we’re all in danger.”

Torque’s arm abruptly wrapped around her waist as Rya gave a small gasp, tugging her protectively against the hard strength of his chest.

“We already knew that,” he growled.

She glanced over her shoulder to send Torque a reprimanding frown before returning her attention to Levet.

“Anything else?”

Levet nodded. “She insisted that we must wake the dragon.”

“What dragon?” Torque demanded.

Levet glanced toward him with an overly innocent smile. “I assume that she meant your female.”

Torque swore beneath his breath. “For the last time, she isn’t mine,” he ground out.

Levet shrugged. “So you say.”

Feeling Torque stiffen, Rya rolled her eyes.

Men…

Did they all feel the need to bicker and fuss like rabid orcs?

“Is that all she said?” she asked, trying to diffuse the sizzling tension in the air.

“Oui.”
Levet nodded. “Just that we are in danger and that someone must wake the dragon.”

Slowly turning in Torque’s arms, she met his narrowed gaze.

“Rya—”

She overrode his protest. “We have to find the dragon. And we have to do it now.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Finn turned away from the closed fissure to study the strange mound that consumed the majority of the cavern floor.

Unlike the ice that made up the labyrinth, it was denser. And far too cloudy to determine what was beneath it.

Not that Finn intended to find out.

His magic easily determined that it wasn’t just one big chunk of frozen liquid. Instead, there were thousands of thin layers that covered a hidden object.

Clearly someone had gone to a lot of trouble to keep the thing buried. He had no intention of disturbing it.

With a shiver, he made his way along the edge of the cavern, his gaze lifted toward the ridge far above him. He could sense at least one guard, but the weird flux of the labyrinth meant he couldn’t be sure there weren’t more.

Inching around a thick stalagmite, he discovered a male frost sprite lying on frozen ground, his thin face drained of color and his pale hair tangled.

Finn didn’t have to ask his friend to know that he’d been forced to use his magic to the point of complete collapse.

“Tasko,” he murmured in low tones, reaching out to grasp the male’s shoulder and give him a small shake. “Tasko, you must wake.”

Putting a punch of magic behind his command, he watched as Tasko grimly forced his eyes open. For a second the male looked confused, as if Finn was the last person he expected to see.

Then, with a shaky hand, he reached up to lay his fingers against Finn’s cheek. “My prince. Is it really you?”