Slipped away? Meaning she snuck away from the harem like a thief in the night?
“How is that possible?”
“She has fey blood,” Baine said. “Like you.”
Torque frowned. He never talked about his mother. Primarily because there was nothing to say. He knew nothing about her beyond the fact she was fey. And that she’d abandoned him only minutes after giving birth.
Not exactly the sort of mother anyone would want to brag about.
“And?” he prompted.
“And she was capable of creating a portal to leave her home without alerting anyone to her disappearance.”
Torque’s hands clenched at his side as his anger spread.
Which meant his female had not only walked away, but she’d deliberately tried to fool her father into believing she was still there.
His chin tilted, his pride rubbed raw by the betrayal.
Wasn’t it enough that he’d been commanded to place his mark upon her? Now she had to publicly humiliate him by walking away when they were due to formalize their union?
“Does anyone know how long she’s been gone?”
Baine shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. She was residing in the family harem, which meant the guards were only there for her protection. She was free to come and go as she pleased, so they didn’t monitor her daily activities,” he said. “She could have been gone for hours, or weeks before Synge noticed she was missing.”
Torque turned to the side, unwilling to allow his master to see the fierce emotions that scoured through him.
Somewhere in the back of his mind a voice was whispering that he should be relieved. If the female had disappeared then there was no fear he would have to take her as a consort.
But it wasn’t relief that was scouring through his body. Instead it was a toxic combination of anger and betrayal.
“Why would she leave?”
Baine cleared his throat. “That’s what my father wants you to find out.”
Torque turned back to meet Baine’s smoldering amber gaze.
“He knows where she is?”
“That’s your task.”
Torque tilted his chin, trying to pretend an indifference he was far from feeling.
“If she left before completing our mating then our contract is at an end.”
Baine tapped his slender fingers on the arm of his massive throne. “I did mention that to Synge.”
“And?”
“And he’s fully convinced that it’s your duty to track her down and return her to the harem,” Baine answered.
Torque pressed his lips together. Of course the older dragon would put the responsibility on him.
“What if I refuse?”
Baine grimaced. “You can spend your service as an ambassador to the trolls.”
It was the shit-job of the dragon world. No one, not even the most hardened warrior, wanted to be stuck dealing with the smelly, thick-skulled trolls who lived like barbarians in the most remote mountains.
“I don’t even know where to begin searching for her,” he muttered, still pretending he was reluctant to perform his duty. Inside, however, his beast was stirring with a sharp-edged urgency to be on the hunt. “Her dragon blood will ensure she can cloak her presence.”
“Ah.” There was the sound of claws scrapping against the wooden floor.
Glancing over his shoulder, Torque shuddered at the sight of the three-foot gargoyle sashaying his way up the red carpet. Levet was a friend of Tayla’s, and was a frequent visitor to the lair.
“If you are in need of a tracker, then you are very fortunate that I have chosen to visit my BFF, Baine.”
Baine scowled. It was a testament to his love for his mate that the miniature gargoyle hadn’t been turned into a charred pile of rubble.
“BFF?” the dragon demanded.
Levet spread his wings that were not only as delicate as a dew fairy, but shimmered in shades of blue and crimson and gold.
“Best friends forever,” he told the mind-bogglingly powerful dragon.
Baine looked momentarily horrified. “We are not friends.”
“Of course we are.” Levet reached up to scratch one of his stunted horns, his ugly snout curled in confusion. “Why else would you give me private rooms in your lair?”
Tendrils of smoke curled from Baine’s flared nostrils. “Private rooms?”
“We’ll discuss it later,” Tayla murmured, reaching out to stroke her hand lightly down Baine’s bare arm. He instantly relaxed, as if she had some magical ability to soothe his inner beast. Once assured the male wasn’t going to bathe the room in fire, she turned her attention to the gargoyle. “Can you track down Rya?”
“But of course.” Levet’s tail curled around his feet, his chest puffing out. “I am the pistachio of locating beautiful females.”
“Pistachio?” Baine snapped.
Tayla made a choked sound, clearly trying not to laugh. “I think he means Picasso.”
Baine hissed with annoyance. “That still doesn’t make any sense.”
Levet gave a flap of his fairy wings. “I am a master of my craft.”
Torque took a step to the side, assuming Baine was about to rid them of the aggravating pest. Instead, the cunning creature allowed a slow smile to curve his cruel lips.
“It couldn’t hurt to take him with you,” he told Torque.
“No. Absolutely not.” The refusal burst past Torque’s lips before he could call it back.
The mere thought of being stuck with the miniature pain in the ass was enough to make his blood run cold.
A hell of a feat, considering he was half dragon.
Baine lifted his brows. “Do you want to spend the next few centuries with the trolls?”
This time Torque managed to bite back his words. He was well aware the dragon was simply trying to rid himself of the annoying gargoyle, but unless he wanted to be stuck with dozens of smelly trolls in a dark hole…
“Fine,” he ground out.
Like he could say anything else.
Levet held out a clawed hand, his gray eyes sparkling with smug satisfaction.
“I will need an object that has a connection to the female,” he commanded.
Acutely aware of Baine’s warning gaze, Torque reluctantly pulled the pewter ring from his finger. It’d been handcrafted by Rya and held a portion of her magic.
“This was her betrothal gift,” he said, dropping it into Levet’s outstretched hand.
There was a tiny burst of magic and the ring disappeared.
Torque felt an odd flare of panic. Not that he was attached to the ring, he hastily assured himself. It was just… Hell, he didn’t know what it was. All he understood was that he was going to rip off the gargoyle’s wings if he lost the betrothal gift.
“Come.” Levet abruptly turned to waddle toward the door. “We need to find a witch.”
Torque forced himself to follow. “What do you need with a witch?”
Levet continued to waddle toward the door. “Like any great artist I must make use of tools. Do you ask why Renoir needs a brush?”
Torque glanced over his shoulder, meeting his master’s amused gaze.
“How long would I have to stay with the trolls?”
Baine pointed a finger toward the door. “Go.”
Torque stomped forward, wondering if he’d even make it out of the lair before he torched the tiny demon.
They’d almost reached the door leading out of the throne room when the sound of Tayla’s voice floated softly through the air.
“Torque.”
Once again he glanced back. “Yes?”
“Be gentle when you find her.”
He scowled. The female had publicly humiliated him.
“Gentle?”
Tayla offered a sympathetic smile. “You don’t know why she left.”
Torque snorted, heading out of the throne room.
He didn’t give a shit why she’d left. He only knew that when he found her?
??
Well, he didn’t actually have a plan. But once he got his hands on her, he intended to make damned sure she didn’t escape again.
CHAPTER TWO
March was definitely coming in like a lion on the Vatnajökull glacier in Iceland. The temperature hovered below freezing with a fierce wind that cut through the air with a brutal chill.
The terrain was inhospitable to humans, with narrow ridges of snow separated by deep gullies that occasionally dropped the unwary onto shards of razor-sharp ice below. And then there was Grimsvotn, the active volcano that was belching out toxic gases and ash.
The perfect place for a small colony of frost sprites to hide.
The creatures were nearly as rare as the Shinto fey, and just as wary of the predatory species.
Not that they were helpless. They had warriors who were trained to fight with swords as well as their magical ability to form ice around their enemies.
They should have been safe in their frozen part of the world, but of course, no one could ever truly isolate themselves enough to avoid danger.
Four weeks ago the first frost sprite disappeared. They assumed in the beginning that the young male had been struck with the urge to travel to one of the distant villages to enjoy a few nights with the human women. It was something the more adventurous males enjoyed. But when he didn’t return they started to become concerned. Then another frost sprite disappeared. And another.
By the time five had gone missing they knew they had a problem they couldn’t solve on their own. Desperate, they reached out to Rya’s mother, Kai. Her skill at creating a shadow included being able to use her projected image to find missing people.
Unfortunately, she’d been deep in the caves, touching the spot where the last sprite had gone missing, when she’d vanished.
Rya had received the garbled message from the frost sprites several days later and had rushed to organize her journey to Iceland.
First up had been creating a portal that would prevent her father’s guards from realizing she was leaving. She was allowed the freedom to come and go from the harem, but only with an armed guard to supposedly provide her protection. On this occasion she wanted to travel unnoticed. Something that would be impossible with a dragon creating chaos around her.
Then, packing a small bag, she’d slipped out of the lair and traveled to the glacier.
By the time she’d arrived the sprite colony had been removed to a hidden location far from their homeland, and only Finn remained behind to continue the search for the missing fey.
The male frost sprite was not only a prince, but he was their most powerful warrior.
Now she watched as the prince pulled himself out of the frigid sea and strolled in her direction. The male had been searching beneath the ice floes for any hint of portals, while Rya had been searching the lava tunnels.
Her dragon blood was violently opposed to the brutally cold water that Finn tried to assure her was invigorating.
“Any luck?” she demanded as Finn wrapped a blue robe around his tall, leanly muscular form.
He reached up to push back his hair that was a pale silver and long enough to brush his wide shoulders. His features were delicately carved, but there was no mistaking he was all male. His eyes shimmered like faceted diamonds in the fading sunlight, and his skin had the luster of a pearl.
The male moved forward, holding out his hand. “This.”
Rya frowned as she studied the small golden object that was scored with hex marks.
“A charm,” she murmured, capable of sensing the small tingle of magic that surrounded the round disc. “Do you recognize it?”
“It belongs to a fey, but not one of our tribe,” he said.
Rya bit her lower lip. “Is it possible that sprites from other colonies are being taken?”
“Possible.” The diamond eyes flashed with fury, his fingers closing over the charm. “Or this belongs to our unknown enemy.”
Rya wrinkled her nose. “True. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get us any closer to discovering who’s responsible, or how they’re doing it.”
“No.” The air crackled with the male’s power before he was giving a shake of his head and tucking the charm into the pocket of his robe. “Have you eaten?”
Rya blinked at the abrupt change in conversation. “I’m not hungry.”
“Too bad.” He narrowed his diamond eyes. “You need food and rest. You can come nicely or I can toss you over my shoulder.”
Rya pretended to scowl. “Bully.”
He smiled. “You’re not the first to call me that.”
“No surprise,” Rya muttered, even as she allowed the male to guide her over the snow and into the tunnel that led beneath the ice.
“It smells wonderful,” she murmured as they entered the surprisingly beautiful cavern lit with thousands of tiny fairy lights that danced, with a dizzying beauty, off the ice.
“I caught the salmon this morning and wrapped them in leaves with spices before placing them in the hot springs.” He led her around a stalagmite—or was it stalactite? One of those pointy things that grew from the bottom of the cavern. Her eyes widened at the sight of the small table set with candles and a crystal decanter filled with a golden liquid. “I also have a small serving of nectar that I bought from a fairy when I visited Flúðir.”
Her stomach growled as she moved forward to take a seat. She’d expended an enormous amount of energy trying to discover the magic being used to kidnap the sprites.
No one simply disappeared without a trace. There had to be some residual proof of who was responsible for taking them.
Finn moved to a shallow pool in the center of the cavern that bubbled with the heat from the lava flowing beneath them. With surprising efficiency, considering he was a prince who no doubt had dozens of servants who had left the colony to go into hiding with the rest of the tribe, he unwrapped the salmon and placed them on plates along with slices of fresh fruit that he’d gone through a portal to collect the day before.
Heading to the table, he set a plate in front of her before taking his own seat.
“A true feast,” she said with genuine appreciation.
Finn gave a lift of his shoulders. “We’ve worked hard. We deserve a break.”
Rya tried to force the gnawing fear for her mother to the back of her mind. Finn was right. She wasn’t going to help if she collapsed from weariness.
“I suppose so,” she admitted.
“Allow me.” Finn reached for the decanter, pouring them each a glass of the nectar.
Rya took a sip, shivering as the delicious warmth spread through her body.
She was only half fey, but the nectar flowed through her like the finest champagne.
“Very potent.”
She glanced toward the male who sprawled back in his chair with arrogant ease. He was truly beautiful. A shame he didn’t make her heart miss a beat. Or fill her dreams with heated fantasies. Only one male had ever managed to do that.
Torque.
Her back abruptly tingled, as if to remind her that she carried the male’s marking. Not that she could forget. His light touch during the ceremony fifty years ago was supposed to have left a small symbol that would seal their betrothal. Instead the image of a dragon had appeared, the vibrant gold and jade colors spreading across her skin.
The tattoo started at the nape of her neck, its long, sinewy body curving down her spine to end at the upper curve of her right buttock. Most startling, it had two sapphire eyes that were a perfect match to her betrothed’s.
Only the fact that Torque had seemed as startled as she’d been by the size and intricate detail of the marking had allowed her to bite back her words of outrage.
“Is something wrong?” Finn’s low, musical voice broke through her distracted thoughts. “The air is suddenly several degrees warmer.”
Rya pasted a smile to her lips, feeling a blush steal beneath her cheeks.
Dammit. She devoted a large amount of energy trying to forg
et she possessed a betrothed, let alone the fact that he’d set her blood on fire when she’d seen him. After all, Torque didn’t bother to hide his grim regret that he was compelled to take her as his consort.
Jackass.
“As I said, the nectar is very potent,” she babbled, focusing her attention on the male seated next to her. “You’re not trying to get me tipsy, are you?”
A wickedly masculine smile touched his lips. “Would it work?”
Her brief tension eased. This male might not make her heart race, but he was handsome and charming and the perfect distraction until she returned to the search for her mother.
“Sprites are so predictable,” she teased.
Finn reached for his nectar, the delicate crystal glass frosting beneath his fingers.
“I think it has more to do with me being male, not just a sprite,” he informed her.
“True,” she agreed with a roll of her eyes. “Males are so predictable.”
Finn chuckled. “I’ll drink to that.”
With a rueful shake of her head, Rya grabbed her fork and dug into her dinner.
They ate in silence, both of them in need of the calories to replace their strength. At last full, Rya settled back in her chair and sipped her nectar.
“Thank you,” she murmured. “It was delicious.”
“It’s just a small way of showing my appreciation for helping to look for my people.” Without warning he leaned forward, brushing his fingers down her cheek. “I have a more…personal way to share my gratitude planned for later.”
Rya chuckled. She’d spent most of her life in a harem. Not one of the harems reserved for courtesans who serviced the dragons, but private rooms in her father’s lair that were carefully protected. Which meant she had little experience with males. But she was smart enough to know that Finn wasn’t dazzled by her charms. He would happily bed any female who was willing.
Her lips parted to inform him that she had no need of his gratitude when a sudden heat sizzled through the air.
What the heck?
“Remove your hand from her face before I rip it off and stuff it down your throat,” a dark male voice commanded without warning.
Jumping to her feet, Rya whirled around to watch as the intruder stalked forward.