Part 5 (1/2)
She'd been so distracted by the arrival of Torque she'd forgotten the danger that stalked this isolated location. Now she skidded onto the icy glacier and searched for some sign of Finn and the tiny gargoyle.
Darkness had fully claimed the bleak landscape, but she could see as easily at night as she could during the day. Which meant that she had no trouble realizing that there was no one around for miles.
”They're gone,” she breathed as Torque stopped next to her, his face tight with frustration.
”Don't move,” he commanded. ”I'll do a sweep of the area.”
She clicked her tongue in annoyance. ”I'm not helpless.”
A dark brow flicked upward. ”Have you trained to be a warrior?”
”Has anyone ever told you you're an annoying a.s.s?”
”Yes.” He pointed a finger toward her feet. ”Don't. Move.”
She remained in place as he melted into the darkness. Not because he'd ordered her stay. Nope. Since leaving the harem she'd decided she enjoyed making her own decisions.
But on this occasion, Torque was right.
His training meant he could do a far better job of ensuring there were no enemies hiding in the area. And since it was obvious that his dragon lurked closer to the surface than most half-breeds, he possessed a physical strength she couldn't hope to match.
Within a few minutes he returned. There weren't many places to hide on the frozen wasteland.
”Well?” she demanded.
He grimaced. ”Nothing.”
Rya's fear intensified. ”Exactly like all the others,” she muttered, moving forward, hoping to catch some lingering sense of Finn.
Torque walked at her side, his brow furrowed. ”Explain to me exactly how the people have been disappearing.”
”I truly don't know, but I suspect it's through portals.”
Together they leaped across a sharp creva.s.se in the ice.
Torque pointed out the obvious. ”We should be able to detect where a portal was opened.”
”I've tried, but they must have the magical ability to hide their spell.”
Rya moved toward the flat area in the center of the glacier. It's where Finn often stood to enjoy the panoramic sweep of the night sky. He said the stars looked close enough to reach up and pluck them from the heavens. Rya thought they looked cold. Like everything else in this G.o.ddess-forsaken land.
Unable to pick up any trace of the frost sprite, she was about to turn and head toward the distant sh.o.r.eline when she caught the unmistakable tingle of magic crawling over her skin.
”Here,” she said, abruptly dropping to her knees as she lightly touched the ice.
With a liquid speed Torque was at her side, studying the small scorch mark that marred the ice. ”What is it?”
”The gargoyle.”
Leaning forward, he touched the blackened ice. ”Yes, I can sense that he released a spell.” He frowned in confusion. ”Can you tell what he was trying to do?”
Rya closed her eyes, concentrating on the unfamiliar threads of magic. It felt like a sticky web. Briefly confused, she tried to imagine what sort of spell would leave that precise residue.
Then she snapped her eyes open. ”He blocked the portal,” she said, genuinely impressed with the tiny demon's quick thinking.
Without warning Torque reached out to grasp her arm, urging her away from the point where Levet had presumably disappeared along with Finn.
”Stand back,” he growled.
”What are you doing?”
”I traveled with the creature for the past three days.” Torque shuddered, continuing to pull her away.
She dug in her heels, studying him with a startled glance. The thought of Torque being forced to travel with the gargoyle for more than a few minutes was...inconceivable.
”Why three days?” she demanded.
Torque wrinkled his nose. ”The stupid creature had to find a witch who could use your betrothal ring to cast a spell that would allow me to open a portal.”
Ah. She'd a.s.sumed that Levet must have some special magic. Instead, it'd been a witch's spell. Her gaze briefly darted down, covertly ensuring the ring she'd made for Torque had been returned to his hand.
She felt an odd pang of relief at the sight of the delicate band circling his finger. As if she would have been disturbed if it was missing.
Idiotic.
”So that's how you found me,” she forced herself to mutter.
”None of it would have been necessary if you'd just contacted me.”
Rya rolled her eyes. ”Or you could have remained with Baine and allowed me to look for my mother without interference.”
Fire flared in his eyes. ”No way in h.e.l.l.”
She blinked at his fierce response. It didn't make sense. She'd been born a century ago, and carried his betrothal mark for nearly fifty years. In all that time, he couldn't be bothered to remember she was alive, and now he suddenly acted like he was a dog and she was the bone.
Unnerved by his possessive gaze, she gave a shake of her head and returned her attention to more important matters.
”So why did you pull me away from the portal?”
”The one thing I learned when I traveled with Levet is that you don't want to be around when he releases a spell.”
”Why?”
”Because he blows things up.”
Rya pulled her arm free of his tight grip and returned to the edge of the portal.