When Darkness Ends

When he’d first realized that his lieutenant had snuck into his lair, he’d been furious. Not that he thought for a second she’d harm Fallon. Not when she clearly suspected that Cyn had bonded with the Chatri princess.

But Lise had her own issues when it came to mating, and he knew that she would do her best to bully Fallon.

Then he’d rushed into the room and discovered that his princess didn’t need his protection.

Not only was she standing up to the lethal vampire, but she was bristling with something that could only be jealousy.

The thought was enough to make him as giddy as a dew fairy drunk on mead, he wryly acknowledged.

What the hell had happened to the male who’d skimmed through life without any messy emotions? The one who would have found a jealous female a source of irritation now nearly danced a damned jig at the sight of furious amber eyes that blazed with emerald flecks.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Unaware of his dark humor, Fallon planted her hand on her hips, looking every inch the arrogant Chatri royalty.

“Your clanswoman doesn’t like me.”

Cyn chose his words with care. He had every intention of convincing Fallon to remain with him in this lair. For the sake of peace he needed the two women to call a truce.

“Lise is a little touchy when it comes to unrequited love.”

Fallon went rigid. “She loves you?”

He shook his head, moving forward. One day he intended to track down the bastard who’d hurt Lise and chop off his head.

“Not me,” he instantly denied. “Another male broke her heart.”

There was a long pause. As if she was deciding whether or not to believe him.

Then she gave a shake of her head, clearly dismissing Lise and her abused heart.

“She said—”

“Now isn’t the time for this discussion,” Cyn broke in, already knowing where the conversation was headed.

Eventually he would reveal that she was his mate.

But not until they’d managed to deal with the crazed magic-user.

He wanted lots of time and maybe Fallon handcuffed to the bed when he shared the news.

She studied him with a wary expression. “Cyn.”

“Since I wasn’t invited to share your bath, I need a shower,” he abruptly announced, latching onto the first distraction that came to mind.

“Wait.” Her wariness deepened. “I think we should—”

His words were abruptly interrupted by a clang of bells that echoed through the room.

Cyn winched, his sensitive ears ringing. “What the hell?”

“My bowls,” she muttered and headed out of the room before he could halt her.

Cyn cursed, swiftly chasing after her. “Where are you going?”

“The alarms have been tripped,” she said without slowing. “That means someone’s entered the Oracles’ cave.”

He darted across the hall and into the opposite room. While he’d been hoping for a distraction, this wasn’t it.

“Wait.” He managed to catch her arm and spin her around to meet his worried scowl.

She made a sound of impatience. “What’s wrong?”

Wrong?

Was she kidding him?

His chest still hurt from the blast he’d taken from the damned magic-user.

“The last time the alarms were tripped we were nearly killed,” he reminded her in dry tones.

A shadow briefly darkened her eyes as she recalled her terror when he’d been knocked unconscious, but her expression remained grimly determined.

“I’ll be careful,” she said, lifting her hand to lightly touch his cheek as he scowled at her in frustration. “I promise.”

“Damn.”

Loosening his grip on her arm, Cyn followed her hurried steps to the bowls that were vibrating from the force of the bells. Thankfully the noise came to an end as Fallon gave a wave of her hand.

In the blessed silence they knelt beside the nearest bowl, Cyn’s muscles clenched as he prepared to knock Fallon out of the path of danger.

Ignoring his tension, Fallon waved her hand over the bowl, using her magic to guide the images from one end of the massive cavern to the other.

Cyn remained on alert, even when it appeared there was nothing to see beyond the Oracles resting in their various caves. He didn’t know much about magic, but he was sure that it didn’t accidentally set off alarms.

At last Fallon pulled back her hand and the image floating in the water settled on a narrow tunnel at the back of the cavern.

“Look,” she breathed.

Cyn deliberately leaned so he was between Fallon and the bowl, his gaze narrowing with fury.

“Druid.” The word came out as a curse. Silently he studied the cloaked figure that was once again skulking through the shadows.

This time, however, he wasn’t pausing to strengthen his previous spell. He was, instead, heading into a dark cavern that held an ancient altar in the center of the floor.

Fallon grabbed Cyn’s arm, peeking over his shoulder as the druid moved to place a bowl on the flat top of the altar.

“He has the blood for the sacrifice.”

Cyn surged to his feet. The druid wasn’t there to lay another layer of magic.

Time had just run out.