Kiril had to face the fact that she was gone. But where? How?
“Balladyn left before Rhi’s magic exploded,” Con said.
Phelan met Kiril’s gaze and said, “So there’s a chance he could’ve taken her.”
“Then I’ll find him,” Kiril vowed. His gut twisted with anxiety at what Balladyn could be doing to her.
“Nay,” Con said as he stepped in front of him. “We find him.”
*
Balladyn surveyed what was left of his fortress and let his anger seethe and grow until it consumed him. To make matters worse, both Rhi and Shara were gone.
He didn’t know who had them, but he would hunt down and kill whoever had taken them. Then he would bring both females back. Rhi was close to becoming Dark, and Shara he would punish for several years for what she’d dared to do to him.
As for the Dragon Kings, he wasn’t finished with them either.
“This didn’t exactly turn out as you wanted, did it?” asked a cultured English accent.
Balladyn whirled around, ready to take his head off when he recognized the man. Taraeth had aligned with him years ago, and it was because of him that they knew the Dragon Kings were hiding a powerful weapon.
“What do you want?” Balladyn demanded, looking into his gold eyes.
He smiled. “I want only to help you.”
“Then where were you when I had the Dragon King?”
“Kiril?” He waved his hands at the name. “He’s not who you need to concern yourself with. It’s true that having any Dragon King is a coup, but there is another King you need to focus on.”
Balladyn rolled his eyes, because the answer was obvious. “Constantine.”
“No. If you want to win, you need to divide and conquer the Kings. First, division. I’ve already begun it with Tristan. I’ll have him soon enough.”
“Then who?” Balladyn demanded. “And why aren’t you telling Taraeth?”
The man smiled, his gold eyes twinkling with glee. “I already have. He’s in agreement regarding who we target next.”
“Who?” Balladyn asked again.
“One who challenges Con daily. None other than Rhys.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
“Our time is running out here,” Rhys said as he met the others in the great hall.
Kiril blew out a breath. “I agree. We’ve searched this entire fortress for Shara and Balladyn.”
Phelan cracked his knuckles while he looked around at all the dead Dark. “I doona like this place.”
“I know Shara’s scent. I could find her in dragon form,” Kiril stated.
Con crossed his arms over his chest and raised a blond brow. “And draw every Dark in this wretched realm? Your feelings for her are making you careless.”
“You mean, he’s acting like me,” Rhys said, contempt lacing his voice.
Kiril stepped between them and placed a hand on Rhys’s chest. He waited for Rhys to give a nod acknowledging he was calm, and then Kiril turned his head to Con. “No’ all of us can sever our emotions as you have.”
“I made sure all of you did for thousands of centuries.”
“That all changed for the Kings,” Phelan pointed out. “Con, no’ even you can stop someone’s feelings once those feelings have begun.”
Kiril grew perplexed by the way Con didn’t bat an eye at Phelan’s words. It made Kiril suspicious of just what Con would do if he was pushed.
“I hate to agree with Con, Kiril,” Rhys said grudgingly. “But we’re no’ in a castle hidden in Ireland as we were with Kellan and Tristan. We’re on the Fae realm. Shifting into a dragon wouldna be wise.”
Kiril swallowed and turned away from everyone. “I know. Remaining here any longer is dangerous. We need to return to our realm.”
“Scotland,” Con corrected.
Phelan snorted. “First, we need to get the hell off this realm through the one doorway I know that leads back to Earth.”
Kiril fell into step behind Rhys, who followed Phelan as they exited the great hall down a corridor. He glanced over his shoulder at Con whose black eyes were as cold and blank as always. Something more was going on that Constantine wasn’t telling them. The fact Ulrik had been there was bad enough, but he had also left with Rhi. Nothing good could come of that.
“Was Rhi awake when Ulrik took her?” Phelan asked Con.
“Nay.”
Rhys shot Con a glare over his shoulder. “Really? One-word answers?”
“I doona know if she’ll wake, to answer your next question, Phelan,” Con said.
Phelan cleared his throat twice before he asked, “Has she ever … done anything like that before?”
“You mean blow up a place?” Rhys asked with a wry smile. “Once.”
“And she was all right,” Phelan said in relief and threw a smile over his shoulder.
Kiril had only to look at Con to know that everything was far from all right. “What are you keeping from us?”
Phelan halted and faced them. “Answer him, Con, or we doona leave.”
With Phelan being the only one to see the Fae doorways, he could keep them there as long as he wanted. Kiril’s gaze moved to Con while he waited for him to answer.