Scorched by Darkness (21 page)

“It wasn’t us,” the female babbled, her hand waving toward the crispy remains of the dead male. “It was Micah.”

Rya grimaced. Nothing like throwing their companion under the bus. Or the angry dragon.

Then her gaze continued to sweep around the cavern as she searched for any sight of Finn. It took only a minute to accept that he wasn’t there.

Refusing to believe that he might already be a dragon-snack, she instead convinced herself that the prince had somehow managed to disappear. Along with the unconscious female.

“Blayze,” Ravel murmured in soothing tones, slowly walking forward.

She’d taken fewer than a half dozen steps when the two strangers lost the last of their nerves. With tiny squeals they scrambled away from the massive beast, no doubt hoping to get lost in the nearby mist.

“No,” Ravel barked, holding up her hand in warning. “Don’t move.”

“Fuck that,” the female rasped, knocking her companion out of the way as she raced into the fog.

She was fast, but not fast enough as the dragon released a thunderous roar before she spewed a stream of white-hot fire that turned the two fey into piles of ash.

Yow.

Rya was half dragon, but she was smart enough to stand as still as a statue. No need to draw the attention of her pissy sister.

“Mon dieu,”
Levet breathed softly, for once doing nothing to try and create a scene.

Smart gargoyle.

Barely glancing toward the charred fey, Ravel continued forward, her movements deliberately slow. “Blayze.”

The narrow head swiveled in Ravel’s direction, the eyes still blazing with anger. Ignoring the danger, the older dragon continued toward her daughter, murmuring low words that Rya couldn’t hear.

Seconds ticked past. The heat in the air eased, although the evil power continued to beat at Rya like a weapon.

Then, with a surprisingly gentle wave of magic, the infuriated dragon was surrounded by a swirl of sparkles. When they at last faded, a tall, slender female wearing a beaded robe stood in the center of the floor.

Wow.
Rya blinked in shock. If Blayze’s dragon was lovely, her human form was…breathtaking.

Her long black hair spilled down her back in a river of ebony, and her pale eyes were sprinkled with brilliant flecks of color. Her features were elegantly carved with full lips and a slender nose, and she had one charming dimple in her right cheek.

The last of the smothering heat dissipated, but a dark sense of doom remained.

Seemingly disoriented from her shift to human, Blayze gave a vague shake of her head. “Mother?” she murmured, warily watching the older female walk toward her.

Ravel held out her hand. “I’m here, darling.”

The pale gaze moved in the direction of the black scorch marks that had once been three Sylvermyst.

“Intruders,” she said, her pretty features hardening with anger.

“Yes, but you took care of them.”

The pale gaze drifted toward Rya. “Not all of them.”

Oh, damn. Rya stiffened even as Torque stepped to block her from the dragon’s sight, his fire moving over his skin as he prepared to attack.

“These are friends,” she heard Ravel assure her daughter. “They don’t mean you any harm.”

“No,” the younger dragon breathed. “Stay back.”

“Blayze, what’s wrong?” Ravel demanded.

Inching to the side, Rya glanced around Torque’s broad shoulder to see Blayze hold up a slender hand, her eyes beginning to glow with her dreadful power.

“I said to stay back,” she hissed.

Ravel faltered, clearly torn between the need to reach her daughter and a fear she might push her over the edge of sanity. “Listen to me,” she pleaded. “You’re safe.”

Blayze shook her head, the floor near her feet cracking beneath an unseen pressure.

Rya shivered. It wasn’t the curse that was causing the ground to vibrate or the nearby mist to swirl.

Or at least it didn’t feel evil.

Instead it held an edge of desperation as the young dragon backed from her mother.

“I won’t be trapped again.”

“Trapped?” Ravel shook her head, her expression heart-wrenchingly sad. “No one is going to trap you, my darling. But you must be protected.”

The crooning words did nothing to ease Blayze’s spiraling panic.

“No more,” she rasped, her ebony hair floating around her face as she created a white-hot ball of flames that danced in the palm of her hand. “I can’t. I won’t.”

Ravel halted, glancing over her shoulder at Torque. “We can’t let her escape.”

Rya sucked in a horrified breath, but before she could protest, Torque was swiftly moving to stand on the other side of the increasingly desperate female.

Was the aggravating male intending to try and physically halt a full-blooded dragon?

“Torque.” His name was wrenched from her lips as she took an impulsive step toward him.

Without warning, Levet reached to grab her hand, holding on with surprising strength.

“
Non, ma belle.”

“Let me go,” she commanded, trying to tug her hand free as she watched the female dragon head toward her betrothed, the fireball growing larger as she prepared to attack. “I have to do something. She’s going to kill Torque.”

The tiny creature wrinkled his nose. “Not much of a loss.”

“Levet,” she snapped.

“Forgive me. Now is not the time to discuss your mate’s unpleasant manners.” He wrinkled his snout. “Not when your mother is shouting so loudly.”

Rya halted her attempts to break free, instead turning to gape at the gargoyle in disbelief.

“My mother?” she demanded, waiting for him to give a small nod. “She’s here?”

Levet tapped the side of his head with a claw. “Here.”

“Oh, thank the goddess.” Rya pressed a hand over her heart. Her mother was still alive. And hopefully close enough that she could join them. Her magic was exactly what they needed at this moment. “Can she tell you how to find her?”

“There is no time,” Levet muttered. “We must do it this way.”

Rya frowned. “What way?”

The words had barely left her lips when the voice of her mother hammered into her brain.

Rya.

Holy shit.

She reeled, nearly falling to her knees as she absorbed the impact of the connection. “Mother?”

I’m here.

“Where are you?” Rya spoke out loud, unsure exactly how the magic worked.

It doesn’t matter now
, her mother said, her tone clipped with impatience.

Rya frowned. “But—”

She overrode Rya’s protest.
You must open yourself to my powers.

Rya struggled to clear her mind. She’d worry about locating her mother later. For now, they needed her magic.

“How?” she asked.

I’m using the gargoyle as a transmitter
, her mother explained.

Levet made a sound of distress. “Hey, wait. I am no transformer.”

Both women ignored him. Instead, Rya closed her eyes and concentrated on the feel of her mother that was nestled in the center of her brain.

Instantly she felt a sensation of peace flow through her, easing the raw fear.

Her mother had many gifts, but one of her greatest was spreading a sense of calm. She’d always thought that had been the reason Synge had been so fond of her mother. The older Shinto could offer a temporary relief from Synge’s savage, sometimes downright aggressive instincts.

“Now what?” she asked.

Allow the magic to flow through you
, her mother commanded.

Not exactly sure how she was supposed to let the ‘magic flow through’ her, Rya half expected to have to use her own powers to get things jump-started.

But even as she struggled to block out the sounds of Torque’s curses and the stench of burnt flesh, a torrent of magic cascaded through her hand that Levet was still holding.

“Sacre bleu,”
the tiny demon rasped, his wings fluttering and his tail stuck straight out.

Rya understood his misery. She didn’t have a tail, but her hair felt as if it was standing on end as she shuddered at the vast amount of power pouring into her.

She felt like a balloon about to burst.

Release it, Rya
, her mother ordered, her sharp tone snapping Rya out of her stunned befuddlement.

Damn. She was wasting precious time.

Tugging away from Levet, she turned, her heart halting at the sight of Torque, who had inched his way toward the female dragon despite the burns on his chest and down his arm. Ravel didn’t look much better. Her face was wounded and her robe charred in several places.

Worse, they were clearly in a losing battle as Blayze lifted her hands as she prepared to send another volley of fireballs.

Determined not to waste another second, she didn’t bother to move toward the others. It didn’t matter how close she was, so long as she could see where she wanted the magic to go.

Lifting her hand, she focused solely on her newly discovered sister, whispering a small thank you to her mother before she unleashed the power.

She gasped, not prepared for the sensation of the magic being wrenched out of her and hurtling across the room.

Damn.
She’d thought it had been bad having the magic shoved into her. It was worse having it yanked out of her.

Gritting her teeth, Rya continued to concentrate on the female dragon who staggered backward as the power surrounded her with a golden glow. At first, nothing happened. Well, nothing beyond the fact that her fire was extinguished, which sent a flare of relief through Rya.

Then the glow began to spread and condense around Blayze, coating her in a thick layer of magic.

An eerie silence filled the cavern as they all watched the young dragon’s eyes widen. Not with pain. No, it was just the opposite.

The pale eyes were filled with astonishment as the spell eased her panic, and soothed the fear that Rya sensed had been her sister’s constant companion for as long as she’d been cursed.

Rya was briefly pleased at the thought that she’d managed to give the female a feeling of relief. Then a tragic expression of vulnerability touched Blayze’s face, and with a tiny cry she pitched forward as her knees gave way. She was unconscious before she ever hit the ground.

Lowering her hand, Rya felt her connection to her mother being abruptly severed as Levet swayed and tumbled backward in exhaustion.

Rya just had time to see Torque turning to race toward her before she joined the others on the floor, her legs collapsing beneath her as she hit the ground with a jarring thud.

***

Torque ignored the raw burns that were seared over his chest and down his arm. It wasn’t the first time he’d endured the agony of dragon-fire. And it probably wouldn’t be the last.

Unfortunately.

Right now all that mattered was getting to Rya.

Reaching her just as she hit the floor, he grimaced as he crouched beside her. She’d clearly expended too much magic. Dammit. And while he was happy as hell not to be reduced to a pile of scorched bones by the crazed female dragon, he was aggravated that Rya had dangerously drained herself to complete exhaustion.

With gentle care, he gathered her in his arms, tugging her onto his lap.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m not sure.” She wrinkled her nose, her body trembling as she reached up to touch his wounds. “What about you?”

“I’ll survive,” he assured her. Her touch was feather-light but it still sent a shiver of pleasure through him. “Thanks to you.”

There was a sound of distress from across the cavern, warning Torque that the younger dragon might be magically catatonic, but the mother was very much awake, and not particularly happy.

“What have you done?” Ravel rasped, kneeling beside her unconscious daughter.

Torque tightened his arms protectively around Rya as Ravel glared at them with blatant suspicion.

The female had smoke curling from her nose and sparks of fire in her eyes. One wrong step and she would finish what her daughter started.

“I channeled my mother’s magic,” Rya explained, her voice weary as her attention turned toward her sister. “It won’t hurt Blayze, but it will keep her sedated.”

A portion of the older dragon’s smoldering frustration eased, but her power continued to prickle in the air, making the thick mist that surrounded them swirl in a dizzying pattern.

“For how long?” Ravel demanded.

Rya shook her head. “I’m not sure. I’ve seen grown orcs sleep for days.”

Ravel glanced down at her daughter. The young dragon looked oddly peaceful as she lay on the ground, the darkness that had pulsed around her fully muted for the moment.

“A potent magic,” she murmured.

“Yes,” Rya readily agreed, her pride in her mother obvious.

“It gives me time to repair the damage the creatures did,” she murmured, speaking to herself.

Without warning, Rya was pulling out of his grasp and trying to stand. Instantly he was on his feet, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

“Lean on me. You’re still weak,” he murmured, not mentioning the fact he had a fierce need to feel her warmth pressed against him.

For a few terrible moments he’d thought they all might be killed by Blayze. He needed to reassure himself that she was alive and relatively unharmed.

“What about
moi
?” the gargoyle intruded, shoving himself upright with a pout on his ugly face. “I was the trans-meter maid. Look.” He spun around, his tail twitching. “My wings are singed.”

Torque scowled. He didn’t know what the creature was babbling about, and he didn’t care.

His attention was locked on the dragon as she rose gracefully to her feet and held a hand in their direction.

“You must go.”

Torque parted his lips to agree. Rya, of course, had to argue.

It was as predictable as the sun rising in the east.

“No. My mother is still here,” she said. “I can’t leave without her.”

Ravel glanced toward her sleeping daughter. “Once I have Blayze fully protected by my magic I will attempt to send her to you.”

“But—”

Torque overrode her protest. “Rya.”