“Just perfect.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Finn was furious as he felt himself being yanked through the portal to land in a small, icy cave. Glaring at the tiny female in front of him, he allowed his powers to fill the air with a white mist.
“What the hell did you do?” he hissed between clenched teeth.
With a brief glance toward the dagger he still held in his hand, she met him glare for glare.
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Adair snapped.
He leaned down until they were nose to nose. “I’m trying to rescue my people.”
The platinum eyes darkened, but she refused to back down. “By getting caught?” she challenged. “Do you think the sprites aren’t being constantly guarded? The moment you stepped on the ledge you would have set off the magical alarms.”
Slowly Finn straightened. He wanted to continue yelling at her. How else could he release his bubbling frustration?
Well, he could always press the exquisite little Sylvermyst against the frozen wall and claim her mouth with a kiss that would melt…
No, no, no.
There might be a temptation to believe that she was an innocent victim of her family, but he didn’t allow himself to think with that particular body part.
For now she was the enemy.
End of story.
“Is this a devious plan to distract me so your family can slip away with my people?”
Her eyes widened. “No, I’m trying to help.”
“Right.” His lips twisted in a humorless smile. “The fey of this world aren’t all weak, useless fools. And we’re not stupid.”
“Oh.” Her face heated with a delightful color as he repeated Lila’s claim.
Finn ground his teeth together. The urge to reach out and discover if her skin was as soft as it looked was nearly overwhelming.
With an effort he forced himself to concentrate on the brief glimpse he’d had of his tribe. He couldn’t be sure, but he’d thought he had caught sight of chains around their ankles.
“Tell me the truth,” he snarled.
She took a small step backward as his angry mist swirled around her.
“The truth about what?”
“Did you deliberately keep me from my people?”
“No.” She lifted her hand, almost as if she intended to touch him, only to abruptly let it drop.
Finn grimaced, telling himself that he wasn’t disappointed. Nope. Not at all.
“I was saving you,” she insisted. “If you’d tried to get down to your tribe you would have been captured. Or worse.”
He scowled. He actually didn’t doubt her claim. His people would have escaped if they weren’t being magically guarded. That didn’t, however, ease his seething fury at being whisked away from them.
“Why would you try to save me?”
“I…” She paused, licking her lusciously full lips. “I don’t know.”
Finn’s cock went on full alert. Dammit. He was supposed to be rescuing his people, not being distracted by his uncomfortable, unquenchable hunger for this female.
“Adair,” he said on a low growl. “Talk to me.”
She wrapped her arms around her waist, her expression troubled.
“You must return to your cell.”
“Not until you tell me what’s going on.”
She shivered, her eyes darkening. “If my family find you…”
She allowed her words to trail away. Finn didn’t need her to be more specific.
He didn’t doubt for a second that they would kill him.
At the moment, however, he wasn’t concerned with himself. He needed to figure out a way to rescue his people.
“Adair.” He stepped toward her, the scent of rosemary settling somewhere deep inside him. “Tell me.”
She shook her head. “Stubborn.”
He held her wary gaze. “More stubborn than you could ever imagine.”
For a painful second he feared she might shut him out. Or worse, turn him over to her family.
Then, heaving a deep sigh, she turned away. “Come with me,” she muttered.
Finn’s lips parted to protest. He wanted answers. And he wanted them now. But before he could speak, there was crack of ice as a narrow crevice appeared.
Adair darted through the opening, ignoring Finn’s command to stop.
Left alone, Finn briefly considered using his powers to try and return to the cavern. After all, Adair had just warned him that he would never be able to reach his people without tripping the alarms.
If he took the proper precautions, there was no saying he couldn’t rescue them.
Then, with a muttered curse, he was moving through the crevice.
He might not fully trust the pretty Sylvermyst, but he did accept that he was going to need more information if he intended get his tribe out of this icy prison alive.
Stepping out of the opening, Finn came to a sharp halt. His eyes widened, his senses on full alert.
He glanced around, trying to adjust to the abrupt change of scenery. Gone was the endless ice and muted glow that was the only light. And in its place was a rolling meadow dappled with wildflowers. Daffodils, daisies and tulips were clustered in splashes of color. Nearby, a narrow stream danced over flat rocks, the gurgles of swirling water mixing with the cry of sparrows as the only sounds to break the silence.
Overhead was a bright blue sky with tiny puffs of clouds that moved on a lazy breeze.
It had to be an illusion. Right? Still, it felt remarkably real.
“What is this place?” he breathed, cautiously crossing the grass that was spongy beneath his feet.
“I’m not entirely sure.”
Adair tilted her head back, allowing the sunshine to bathe her delicate face in golden warmth. She was still wearing her white robe, and her glorious copper hair was left free to spill down her back.
His heart seized in his chest.
She was as rare and mysterious as a frost flower.
Seeming to sense his intense scrutiny, she lowered her head to meet his fierce gaze.
“It appeared after I claimed the cave as my private lair,” she explained. “As far as I know it’s the only place like it in the labyrinth.”
“Labyrinth?” he demanded.
She waved a hand. “That’s what I call it. If it has a real name, I don’t know what it is.”
Hmm. Labyrinth seemed to fit.
“Is it magic?”
She shivered. “Dreams.”
He frowned. “You said that before. Dragon dreams,” he reminded her. “What does it mean?”
“I’m not sure.” Genuine fear darkened her eyes. “The words whisper in my head when I sleep.”
Finn gave a slow shake of his head. This was a place that could give anyone nightmares. Even a frost sprite who lived in dark, icy tunnels. At least in his homeland he knew that the walls wouldn’t be appearing and disappearing. And that his magic could free him from any potential danger.
He gave a shake of his head. Now was not the time to worry about the hows and whys of their surroundings. Instead he needed to focus on the larger picture.
“Start at the beginning,” he demanded.
She absently moved to perch on a rock that overlooked the narrow stream. At the same time Finn stepped into the shade of a towering oak tree. The pocket of summer was a pleasant relief from the crushing sense of menace in the ice prison, but he would never be a sun-lover.
“You know that we’re Sylvermyst,” she murmured softly, her gaze locked on the sparkling water.
“Yes.” He pretended he didn’t feel a childish resentment because she wasn’t looking at him. Yeesh. “And that you worshipped the Dark Lord.”
She released a short, humorless laugh. “It’s not like we had much choice.”
“Everyone has a choice in who they worship,” he corrected.
“Not us,” she insisted. “My family were slaves who did whatever was necessary to survive.”
; He bit back the urge to argue. He didn’t really care if they’d been disciples of the Dark Lord or slaves.
Why should he?
The past didn’t matter.
“You came through during the war?” he asked, referring to the recent attempt by the evil deity to return to this world.
She nodded. “There was enough chaos for us to slip through unnoticed. Once we were here we disappeared in the wilderness of Alaska.”
“Why didn’t you seek out the Sylvermyst who’d fought against the Dark Lord?”
“It’s what I’d hoped for,” she said softly. “Shortly after we arrived, I sought out information on our people. I discovered Ariyal and his tribe were already established in an isolated area in the Midwest.”
Finn frowned. “I think I heard about him.”
“He was forced to stay hidden at Avalon and serve Morgana le Fay,” she said.
“Ah. Yes.” Finn had heard stories about the reclusive fey who’d been used as sex slaves by Morgana le Fay. And the fact that they’d been instrumental in the defeat of the Dark Lord.
“I tried to convince my family that Ariyal and his people already understood this world and would have a number of allies among the other demons. Who better to help us adjust to our new home?”
Finn lifted a brow. “So why didn’t you join them?”
She grimaced. “My brothers claimed Ariyal and his people were without honor for not following the Dark Lord when he was banished. They’re determined to create a separate colony that will include only those Sylvermyst who returned at the same time we did.”
He didn’t miss her word claimed.
“You think there’s more to their refusal to join with an established tribe?”
“After an eternity of being mere slaves they want to be the ones to give the orders,” she admitted. “Something that would have been impossible unless they founded their own colony.”
He folded his arms over his chest, his attention locked on the delicate lines of her profile. “And you?”
Puzzled by his question, she at last turned to meet his searching gaze. “What?”
“Did you want to give orders?”
She shuddered as she shook her head. “God, no. I just want a home.” Her voice lowered to a mere whisper. “And peace.”
Her words held a compelling sincerity that eroded Finn’s attempt to convince himself that she was a ruthless adversary.
“What happened after you arrived in Alaska?”
Her gaze returned to the stream that swirled and eddied as it cut through the meadow.
“My brothers sent out word for others to join us. I think they assumed the dark fey would flock to Alaska.” She didn’t bother to hide her own opinion of her brothers’ plan. “But no one responded.”
“Shocking,” he drawled.
A gentle breeze rushed past them, tugging at her coppery curls. Finn froze. In that moment, he made the irreversible decision to see that satin hair spread across his pillows.
There.
He’d accepted it.
Good or bad. Evil or innocent.
This woman was going to be his lover.
A weight he didn’t even know he was carrying abruptly fell from Finn’s shoulders.
Thankfully unaware that her fate had just been sealed, she gave a small shrug.
“Micah, my oldest brother, decided that we needed wealth to lure our people to such a remote location.”
Finn made a sound of disgust. As a prince he understood that being a leader meant loyalty and commitment, and self-sacrifice. His people and their needs always came before his own.
A philosophy that petty dictators were never willing to accept.
“He wanted to buy a tribe?”
Her lips twisted at his flagrant disdain. “I’m not sure he thought of it in those terms.”
“I’m not sure what other terms there are,” he muttered. “How did he get his money?”
“They tried panning for gold,” she said. “And then searching the abandoned mines.”
“I assume you didn’t strike it rich?”
“No.” She glanced toward the crevice. “Unfortunately.”
This time he didn’t try to resist the need to step forward so he could cup her chin and tug her face toward him.
Instantly he felt small tingles of excitement as he savored the warmth of her skin. Her heat would be an intoxicating thrill when it was pressed against his chilled flesh.
“Why was it unfortunate?” he forced himself to ask.
She stilled, but she didn’t pull away from his light touch.
“My brothers were becoming increasingly frustrated by our isolation, and the lack of interest in joining their colony. They insisted that I use my gift to search for the riches they were convinced would solve all our problems.”
His thumb absently brushed the lush temptation of her lower lip. “Your gift is creating portals?”
She hesitated. Almost as if she feared revealing her secret talent.
Understandable. Clearly her family had exploited her for years. Maybe centuries. She would naturally assume he intended to do the same.
“More than that,” she grudgingly admitted. “I can concentrate on a particular object and open a portal that will lead me to it.”
The scent of rosemary deepened. Fear, or a response to his touch? The fact he couldn’t be sure made him snap out in frustration.
“An object like a frost sprite?” he sneered.
She lowered her lashes, flinching as if he’d physically struck her.
“Yes,” she breathed. “I can connect with people as well as objects.”
Finn heaved a rough sigh. Her rare talent was clearly responsible for the disappearance of his people, but his anger was directed at his vulnerability to her feminine allure.
A waste of energy that wasn’t getting him any closer to saving his people.
He turned the conversation to more important matters. “What did your brother make you do?”
A sadness rippled over her pale face. “They demanded I focus on finding a treasure.”
“What sort of treasure?”
“They weren’t specific so I just imagined a chest filled with jewels and gold coins.” She lifted her lashes, her platinum eyes blazing with a silver shimmer in the sunlight. “I thought it might lead us to a buried pirate booty.”
He blinked. There were thousands of bank vaults spread around the world. Not to mention museums with priceless works of art. And she chose a pirate chest?
“Are you serious?”
“I like to watch old human movies,” she muttered in defensive tones.
Finn flattened his lips. Dammit. He wasn’t going to smile.
“What happened?”
She waved a hand toward the crevice. “The portal opened into this labyrinth.” She pulled away from his light grip, wrapping her arms around her waist. “I tried to warn them that it was unstable, but as soon as they entered the lower cavern they caught sight of the piles of gems buried beneath the ice. After that they wouldn’t listen to anything I had to say.” Her lips twisted into a humorless smile. “Of course, they never listen to me.”
“Gems?” Finn muttered, trying to make sense of her words.
He’d assumed the labyrinth was a strange jumble of magic that had no purpose or meaning. But if it held gems, it changed the entire purpose of the place.
She abruptly scowled, looking oddly disappointed. “Not you, too. Is there anyone not obsessed with treasure?”
Finn jerked, instantly offended by her accusation. “I have no interest in gems.”
“But you just said—”
“I was trying to figure out who created this place,” he interrupted in stern tones. “I don’t need sparkly stones to rule my people.”
She flushed. “I’m sorry. I watched you with your tribe. You’re a very good leader.”
Her confession that she’d spied on him should have been infuriating. Instead, Finn found his anger instantly fading
. Hell, he was preening at her soft words of praise.
Clearly the labyrinth was turning his brains to mush.
“My only interest in the gems is whether they’re a part of the cavern or if someone brought them here to keep them safe.”
“Oh.” Her brow furrowed. “I don’t think they’re an actual part of this place. They looked liked someone had deliberately piled them along the edges of the cavern and then iced them over.”
His brain raced. What sort of demon could create such an elaborate maze to hide his expensive baubles?
At last he gave a shake of his head.
The truth was that he didn’t have a clue.
“I know why your family is here, but you haven’t explained why my people are being held hostage,” he said, the words clipped.
She sent him a confused glance. As if the reason should be obvious.
“Because of the ice that covers the gems,” she told him. “We tried everything to get them loose. Fire. Explosions. Magic. Nothing would free the treasure.”
He clenched his hands at his side, a fine film of frost coating his skin. His people had been kidnapped because an idiotic family of dark fey needed money?
“Whose bright idea was it to use frost sprites to act as your personal miners?”
She nervously licked her lips. “It was my younger brother, Jarvis, who suggested your tribe might be the answer to our problem.”
“I’ll be sure and give him my personal thanks,” he growled.
She was wise enough not to try and plead for mercy for her brothers. They would have to pay for their sins.
“He assumed it would only take one sprite to destroy the ice surrounding the gems,” she instead admitted.
Like that was supposed to make it better?
“But?” he pressed.
“The sprite couldn’t penetrate more than a few layers.”
“So you kidnapped more of my people.” It was an accusation, not a question.
She gave an embarrassed nod. “Yes. Their combined magic has allowed a few of the jewels to be taken from the ice.”
“So why kidnap me?”
“There’s a large object in the floor,” she said, reminding Finn of the bulge he’d noticed in the center of the cavern. “My brothers are convinced it must be even more valuable than the treasure at the fringes.” She gave a small shake of her head.