Primal Temptation

as though her missing weapon changed nothing. Nessa and Elena had the same provoke and move- in-for-the-kill style of causing trouble that had made the two both friends and rivals since Emma had introduced them.

While Briana appreciated the distraction, she also knew it wasn’t a good idea to let things get too far out of hand considering no one knew what was going on.

She stepped into the huntress’s path. “Now isn’t the time.” It wasn’t by chance that they’d ended up here together. Something or someone had intentionally brought them here. Someone powerful enough to override a wraith’s blood tie to a goddess and likely a huntress’s ability to travel by thought alone. “Can you leave?”

Nessa scoffed. “And turn my back on Avalon’s biggest traitor?” Venom dripped from her words. She hadn’t taken her eyes off the dragon. Aside from the one questioning glance he’d thrown at Briana, Lucan, too, had kept his gaze locked on Kel. While his expression wasn’t nearly as murderous as Nessa’s, there was no mistaking the banked fury in Lucan’s eyes.

Kel folded his arms across his chest, unfazed by Nessa’s hostility.

“Are you anchored here?” Briana pressed.

Nessa glared at her, them seemed to consider the question. “Yes. I can’t flash.”

“Disappointing,” Kel drawled. “I’ve always wanted to see a huntress’s rack.”

“Don’t waste your time.” Elena cut in before the huntress lunged for him. “He’s just blowing smoke up your ass. Pardon the pun.” She shot the dragon an innocent smile over her shoulder.

Nessa didn’t look sold on the idea of leaving the dragon alone, but made no move to engage him at the moment.

Briana let out a breath, surveying the group and their surroundings. Aside from the brand only two of them wore as far as she could tell, there were no other signs they were about to be pitted against each other in a competition for an object of power that had the ability to affect the outcome of the next campaign.

“The sun is up.”

Whatever reprieve she’d been granted had just run out and Lucan wanted answers.

Vaughn whistled. “Startling observation skills, Holmes. Where did you find this guy, B?”

“He’s a friend of the family,” she answered, although friend no longer fit the role Lucan filled in her life. Neither did the fantasy she’d foolishly indulged in before reality had come crashing down around her.

The only thing worse than her brothers pressing her for details about her mate would be Lucan doing the same. There was no point in telling him anything when he’d been very clear about his feelings.

Elena strolled between her and Lucan, keeping both the dragon and Vaughn in her peripheral vision. So she considered both of them a threat?

The sorceress glanced at the sky. “An illusion.”

“It’s real.” Kel countered.

“We don’t even know where we are.” Briana tried changing the subject. If Lucan had to learn the truth, she’d prefer it not to be surrounded by a group of immortals that would find a way to use that knowledge against them. “We could be in the catacombs for all we know.” No one knew just how strong of an illusion the endless caverns and connecting tunnels could fabricate.

Kel arched a brow. “Clearly you’ve never felt the sun on your skin then.”

And the dragon had? He had to be mated then. Briana shivered at the thought of sharing that kind of bond with a gargoyle renowned for sacrificing his race’s well-being for personal gain, and cutting down those he’d called friends, leaving the path open for Arthur to be fatally wounded.

Elena tossed her long brown hair over her shoulder. “The castle rooms above both felt and smelled real, and yet faded faster than ashes on the wind by the time I reached the bottom of the stairs.”

Kel frowned at the subtle dig, but had no argument.

“It’s not real,” Vaughn added. “Not unless I’ve just found my mate.” He winked at Elena.

The sorceress rolled her eyes. “I’d sooner be burned at the stake.”

“So I’m not the only one who noticed our chemistry could set us both on fire.” Vaughn grinned, then yelped a second later, scrambling away from Elena.

The white towel he wore had a black scorch mark a few inches to the right of Vaughn’s groin.

Just as cocky as ever, his eyes gleamed with mischief. “You missed.”

“Did I?” Elena shrugged and ventured a little closer to one of the trees.

Hoping that settled the matter of the sun for now, Briana surveyed the gathered immortals. “Does anyone know who brought us here?”

“A god would be my guess.”

They turned at the sound of a new voice. Sweet Avalon, how many of them had been brought here?

Another immortal moved around the pool and through the trees toward them. A Fae, Briana guessed, feeling the suffocating press of old magic—very old magic—until it stretched over her skin like a glove that was trying to fit.

The Korrigan shuddered in distaste and Vaughn growled in warning.

The sensation faded quicker than expected, chilling Briana. Had the demonstration of power been intentional? The subtle frown on the Fae’s face suggested otherwise, but no being as old as the fair-haired male would have such a weak grip on his abilities.

“Told you,” the Korrigan hissed, taking an accusing step toward Nessa.

“Rhiannon’s not involved.” Nessa regarded the Korrigan with the same casual disregard for a worm under her boot.

“He just said—” the Korrigan began to argue.

“He,” the Fae clarified, his fingers tightening on a walking stick he clutched in his hand, “said it was a god. I never said which one.”

“The other gods sleep.” The Korrigan turned away, giving no indication he was intimidated by the Fae’s show of strength.

Briana wasn’t so willing to dismiss it, but the cat didn’t feel overly threatened by it either. Strange. Almost as strange as the colored blossoms on the trees pulsing faster as the Fae passed them.

“Are you certain?” the Fae asked. Appearing half-bored by the conversation already, the old one—who would’ve barely passed for twenty-five in the mortal realm—wandered around the courtyard, a curious guest fascinated with his surroundings. He didn’t comment on the tree blossoms but gave the overhanging branches a wide berth.

They worried even the Fae then.

Lucan caught Briana’s elbow and coaxed her as far away from the others as they could manage. Vaughn started to follow, hesitating only when Lucan stared him down.

“If you hurt her,” the wolf warned, baring his teeth.

“Back off.” Lucan took a threatening step toward the wolf, forcing Briana to put herself between them. While part of her wanted nothing more than to be alone and figure out a way to put Lucan out of both her mind and heart, no one else seemed capable of keeping the peace.

“He’s out of your league, pup,” Elena warned. Vaughn snarled at her advice, and she grinned and glanced at Nessa. “Fido might have a little bite to him after all.”

Ignoring the two women trading remarks, Briana nodded at her friend. “I’m fine, Vaughn.” She couldn’t say the same about Lucan though. Far too much black pooled in his eyes.

With another growl, Vaughn turned away, steering clear of both Elena and Nessa.

Lucan’s gaze followed him, and he took a step as if planning to go after Vaughn anyway.

“Hey.” She grabbed Lucan’s arm.

Lucan whipped around, his eyes dark and soulless. He cocked his head, but it wasn’t him considering her so carefully. The wraith was back and more than a little eager to wreak havoc if the tightening of his fingers around his sword was anything to go by.

She really didn’t need any more complications, and an unpredictable killing machine definitely complicated the hell out of everything. Glancing at his wounded hand, she wondered if that had anything to do with why the wraith continued to surface. For all she knew it happened a lot and she just hadn’t spent enough time around