“Shh.”
A familiar voice answered her from the shadows.
“Rossa?”
“
“Can you get me out of here?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then what do you want?”
He eased out from the darkness and crouched in front of her, golden eyes wide. “Where’s cygnet?”
“How the hell should I know? He disappeared off with Adam.”
He touched her cheek. “But your face! That wasn’t supposed to happen!”
He disappeared. Ella was left staring at nothing.
“Come back, you idiot!”
After a few more shouts, she stopped wasting her breath and contemplated her options. Her gun had disappeared, but she still had her backpack. Did she have anything sharp enough in it to cut through the chains? If they were bespelled, which seemed likely, she might be able to use iron to destroy them. She rummaged in her backpack. Why didn’t she carry an iron bar around with her? She really needed to be more prepared. She unearthed a small silver knife, but that proved totally ineffectual against the strength of the chains and merely blunted the blade.
“Dammit! This isn’t how it’s supposed to go.”
The wall in front of her quivered and a man came through. He was tall, and blond like Rossa, but one hundred times more beautiful. His power flooded over her and through her, and she instinctively raised her shields.
“Soul Sucker.”
“I prefer Ms. Walsh. Who are you?”
He leaned back against the stone wall and contemplated her, arms crossed over his bare, muscled chest. Thank God he had pants on, or from her viewing point she’d be getting quite an eyeful.
“I’m cygnet’s father.”
“Oh.” That couldn’t be good. Wasn’t he the one who hated Vadim’s guts and didn’t want him anywhere near Otherworld? “What’s up?”
“With me or with you?” He nodded at her chains. “You seem to be in some trouble.”
“I’m good, thanks.”
He smiled and for the first time she saw a hint of Vadim in him. “I can see why my son finds you so amusing, child.”
“He doesn’t anymore. He left me.”
His smile disappeared. “So I hear.”
“Do you know where he is?”
“I always know. He is my son and in some ways my creation.” He sat down cross-legged on the floor and settled his massive shoulders against the wall. “You probably know I wish him ill, but not why.”
“Um, you don’t have to tell me anything. Families are hell sometimes, aren’t they? You should meet mine.” Ella gabbled away, with a horrible feeling that whatever came next wouldn’t be good.
“Nevertheless, I feel you should understand the male you are bonded to for all eternity. The
He half smiled. “Once upon a time, a male child was born from my loins. As is traditional amongst my kind, my kin were invited to celebrate his birth and bestow their various magical gifts on him, if they so chose.”
She pretended to yawn. “I think I’ve heard this one before.”
“As I said, amusing and
“So?”
Hell, she’d seen that weird mark just below his hip—kissed and licked it, actually. Was that the one?
“For every gift our Fae bestowed on the child, the Dark Court offered him another. For every positive, there was a negative.”
“The gifts balanced each other out.”
The Fae sighed. “If he had been left alone, then yes, he would probably have been the most magical being ever created.”
“Then what happened?”
“We couldn’t allow him to be that powerful.” He met her gaze fully for the first time, and it was like looking into a furnace. “I decided to train him as a weapon against the Dark Court.”
“When he was a
“Of course. His instruction had to start immediately to instill the correct discipline in him.”
“With what end in view?”
He shrugged. “As I said, as a defense against the darker elements of the Fae.”
“You mean the ones who didn’t agree with you, right?”
“I trained him to seek out evil and destroy it.”
“At your command?”
“At first, but as he grew older, because of his gifts, he could sense discord and evil within any Fae and became the terror of Otherworld, the truth seeker, the bringer of death.”
“The ultimate weapon.” She shook her head. “Poor kid.”
“Not at all. His power was immense.”
“So what went wrong?”
“He began to defy my orders.”
“And think for himself? Jeez, how ungrateful.”
“It was certainly not acceptable.”
“Because he was so powerful.”
“Aye.”
“What did you do to destroy his loyalty to you?”
He raised one haughty eyebrow. “Why do you assume I caused the fissure between us?”
“Because I know him. I’m his mate.”
He laughed, the sound echoing around the dungeon walls. “You know nothing.”
“Not true. You just told me a whole load of stuff about him, which in some weird way makes a ton of sense.” She narrowed her eyes. “Why?”
“As his mate, you should know the truth?”
“I don’t believe that for a second. I’ve never met a Fae who didn’t put their needs front and center. You told me because you want me to do something either for you, or for him. And somehow, I doubt it’s for him.”
“He is too powerful to exist.” The Fae stood and walked over to the door, his tattooed back to Ella. Whatever runes were inscribed on his skin moved and flexed with his moods, creating a fascinating pattern of discord. “I reluctantly agreed that he could stay in your world, but it seems he cannot keep away from mine.”
“Adam made him come back.”
“You don’t really believe that, do you?”
She put all the conviction she had into her voice. “I saw how strong Adam and the sect were. I assume Vadim had no choice.”
“That’s impossible. His power is unassailable.” He looked over his shoulder at her. “He
“Are you afraid that when he’s finished with Adam, he’ll come after you?”
Invisible fingers closed around her throat and she gasped for breath, her own hand clawing at nothing. As quickly as the pain started, it stopped.
“Do not, as you say, push your luck, Soul Sucker. My motive in telling you about your mate’s lies was
