Part 10 (1/2)

Now.

Adair hunched her shoulder. ”You speak as if being tortured was a good thing.”

”It made us tough,” Lila argued, her tone sharp. ”We're survivors.”

Adair shook her head. ”No, we're thieves who hide in the shadows.”

Without warning, Lila lifted her hand and slapped Adair across her face. Finn hissed, barely resisting the primal urge to lunge forward and give Lila a taste of her own medicine.

He didn't approve of violence toward females, but the sight of Adair lifting a hand to touch the mark on her cheek made him tremble with a vicious need to punish Lila.

Only the knowledge that he didn't have any idea how many Sylvermyst might be lurking in the ice tunnels kept him hidden in the shadows.

Acting impulsively might put Adair in even more danger.

”Don't ever say that again,” Lila said in shrill tones. ”We're the forerunners who will return the Sylvermyst to their former glory.”

Adair ducked her head, an air of defeat slumping her shoulders. ”I don't want glory,” she muttered.

”Really?” Lila sneered. ”What do you want?”

”Peace.”

”Talk like that in front of our brothers and you'll discover the true meaning of torture,” Lila warned.

”Don't you hope for more?” Adair's words were so low Finn nearly missed them.

Lila stiffened, a strange expression tightening her features. ”All I hope for is to live through the day,” she said in harsh tones. ”Tomorrow, I'll hope for the same thing.”

Adair sucked in an audible breath, her hand tentatively reaching toward her sister. ”Lila, listen to me. We could-”

Crack. The female once again slapped Adair, halting her soft words.

Finn growled low in his throat, lifting his hand. One flick of his wrist and the ice dagger would be flying through the air to sink in Lila's throat.

The thought had barely formed when Lila was taking an abrupt step backward. Almost as if she sensed she was about to become a s.h.i.+sh kebab. Unfortunately, her new position meant that it was impossible to have a clear shot at her.

”No. Stay here until you're called for,” Lila commanded, pointing her finger toward the opening behind Adair. ”Next time I discover you've left your rooms without permission I'll turn you over to Micah.”

With her warning delivered, the female swiftly headed down the tunnel, disappearing around the curve. At the same time, Adair turned to head down a separate pa.s.sageway that presumably led to her private lair.

Finn moved forward, his jaw clenched as he battled against the instinctive urge to follow Adair.

His duty demanded that he locate his people and find a way to free them from the icy prison. After that, he needed to concentrate on how to destroy the Sylvermyst so they could never again use their powers to enslave his tribe.

The last thing on his mind should be Adair and the certainty that she was as much a victim of her family as his own people. No matter how distractingly lovely she might be.

Keeping his back against the icy wall, he cautiously continued past the side tunnel, following the faint scent of nettles.

It was impossible to determine how far he traveled, or even how much time had pa.s.sed, but at long last the tunnel began to widen. He slowed until he was barely inching his way forward, catching the scent of more Sylvermyst along with something...dark.

And dangerous.

Very, very dangerous.

Stepping out of the tunnel, he discovered he was standing on a ledge that overlooked a deep, ma.s.sive cavern. Ensuring there was no one near, he glanced over the edge, discovering there was a large bulge of ice in the center of the chasm. It was impossible to determine what caused the odd lump, and at the moment Finn didn't care.

Not when he caught sight of the slender, pale-haired fey that were chained around the edges of the cavern.

Frost sprites.

A grim joy raced through him.

They were alive. He could sense their spirits, although they were oddly muted. As if there was an unseen barrier around them.

Glancing from side to side, Finn was focused on finding a path to reach his people when there was a stir of air behind him.

He cursed his distraction even as a hand was placed over his mouth and he was yanked back into the tunnel.

Tightening his grip on the dagger, he prepared to turn and slice through his attacker. It was only the sudden scent of rosemary that halted his killing thrust.

Adair?

Glancing over his shoulder in shock, he met her furious glare.

”Have you completely lost your mind?” she rasped, her eyes flas.h.i.+ng with genuine fury.

Rya allowed her shadow to drift through the ice, heading for the nearest opening. There had to be one. It was just a matter of getting through the barrier to search from the outside.

While she drifted, however, her mind wasn't on her task.

Instead she was still seething.

Torque was a jacka.s.s.

No. Calling the aggravating male a jacka.s.s was an insult to the a.s.s.

How dare he imply she should be pleased because he condescended to accept his duty? Did he think she wanted to become a burden he was forced to endure?

Then, to make matters worse, he'd kissed her.

Just like that.

And she'd responded.

It was nuts. Full-blown crazy.

For so long she'd told herself that she would have to force herself to accept Torque into her bed. No matter how gorgeous or s.e.xy or enticingly male he might be, she had her pride. What sort of female could become aroused by a mate who barely acknowledged she was alive?