Part 4 (1/2)
”So what? He's like any male.” She waved a dismissive hand. ”He'll sleep with any female in the vicinity.”
The genuine indifference in her voice helped to soothe his restless beast. And ensured the frost sprite would live. At least for now.
”Untrue,” he muttered.
”Excuse me?”
”Some men are far more choosy than others,” he growled.
She arched a brow. ”I suppose you intend to claim you're one of those choosy males?”
He stilled, belatedly realizing why he'd been so uninterested in females since he'd officially put his mark on Rya.
His dragon had accepted that he had his mate. No other woman would do.
Astonis.h.i.+ng.
Not that he was about to admit as much to the female currently glaring at him. Instead he folded his arms over his chest. One way or another he intended to get her back to the comfort of the harem.
This cold couldn't be good for her.
”If Finn isn't your lover then why are you here?”
She hesitated, as if she was trying to decide whether to tell him the truth. At last she blew out a resigned sigh.
”Because I'm looking for my mother.”
Her mother? His brows tugged together in confusion.
”I thought she had a home in Hong Kong?” Torque said, vaguely recalling Synge sharing his annoyance that the mysterious s.h.i.+nto fey preferred her own home to the luxurious rooms in his harem. ”Why would she be here?”
”Finn contacted her when his people started disappearing.”
Torque snorted. He wasn't surprised the sprites would be fleeing from the overly-pretty prince. He was no doubt a terrible leader.
”If his people were leaving he should have devoted more attention to his tribe and less time trying to seduce females.”
”Not leaving, vanis.h.i.+ng,” she corrected with a frown. ”As in, they were there one minute and gone the next.”
Torque studied her in confusion. Okay, that was strange.
”Magic?”
She shrugged. ”That's the a.s.sumption.”
”Why contact your mother?”
”She has the ability to reach out with her shadow and locate people.”
Ah. A powerful gift. Is that why Synge had taken the s.h.i.+nto as a lover? Did he think she could use her shadow to track down whoever had stolen his treasure?
Or was it simply the hope for a glimpse of the future?
”Did she find them?” he demanded.
”I don't know.” Her eyes darkened, her fear for her mother scenting the air with a sharp tang. ”She disappeared over a week ago.”
Torque sucked in a sharp breath at her confession, instantly furious.
”And you came here knowing that fey were being mysteriously kidnapped?”
Easily sensing his fierce reaction, she tilted her chin to an aggressive angle.
”I have to find out what happened.”
”By deliberately putting yourself in danger?”
She met his gaze squarely, refusing to be intimidated.
”What would you do if it was your mother?”
”Nothing,” he admitted with blunt honesty. ”I have no contact with my mother.”
Her eyes widened. ”None?”
”None.” He shrugged. ”I'm not even sure what sort of demon she was, although I have some magic, so she must have been fey.”
”Your father never talked about her?”
Torque shook his head. ”All I know is that she bartered some sort of deal with my father. I a.s.sume she wanted money. Or maybe Pyre took care of one of her enemies.” He kept his tone indifferent, as if he hadn't spent endless nights wondering about the female who'd given birth to him. ”Once she produced a male child, she'd paid her debt. She left only hours after I was born.”
Her delicate features softened, emphasizing her exotic beauty.
”I'm sorry.”
Torque took a step forward. He'd seen Rya demure and compliant in the presence of her father. He'd seen her gloriously infuriated when he'd entered the cavern. And now he was offered a fascinating glimpse of her as a tenderhearted consort.
”Why?” he asked.
”Every child should have a mother.”
”My father's servants made sure I was adequately cared for.”
She shook her head. ”Adequate care is not the same as love.”
Love.
Torque flinched. Her soft words touched a vulnerable place deep inside him. A place he'd buried when he was just a young hatchling.