Darkest Flame (29 page)

“What happens, pet, when you’re too weak to remain veiled?” he asked succinctly. He paused for a couple of seconds and swung out his arm.

He missed her by scant inches. And still she couldn’t move. To know Balladyn was alive was a shock to her system. She had mourned him. How she wanted to hug him, then hit him for not letting her know he wasn’t dead.

Suddenly his head turned to her and his red eyes blazed as he looked right at her. Rhi almost dropped her veil, but if she did, hundreds of other Dark would see her.

With one last look at her friend, she disappeared back to the tunnel. Only then did she allow the veil to drop as she braced her hands on the stone wall and hung her head.

“Oh, Balladyn.”

*   *   *

Denae looked at the lock and sighed. Of course it wasn’t a traditional lock she could pick. No, it had to be magical like the ones on Raasay.

“As I stated, only a Dark can unlock it,” Kellan said.

She held up a finger to quiet him as she stared at the lock. “No. There has to be another way, and I’m going to find it.”

“There is no other way with magic. It is what it is.”

“I don’t believe that.” She couldn’t believe that, because if she did, she would die there. And she refused to do that.

The chain rattled as Kellan reached for her. His hands grabbed her arms as he made her face him. “I didna expect you to come back. Thank you for that.”

“You expected me to leave you?”

“Aye. I’m immortal.”

She shook her head as anger spiked. “So? Is that supposed to make it easier for me to walk away?”

“Aye.”

One word. One simple word had the ability to make her see red. “You asinine, obtuse jackass. You lumped me in with every human you’ve ever known and thought the worst. I should leave you here just for thinking that, but I don’t leave friends behind.”

“Is that what I am?” he whispered casually as if the idea amused him.

“I don’t spend a wonderful night in a man’s arms and not have some kind of connection. I felt something, and though I know you didn’t, I couldn’t live with myself if I abandoned you. Regardless if you’re immortal or not. It’s just not right.”

When he didn’t say anything, Denae turned from him so that he no longer had ahold of her. She grabbed the chain with both hands. It was heavy, the links a half-inch thick. It would be difficult even if she had a bolt cutter.

What an idiot she was to think there might be something between her and Kellan. He hated humans, and although they had shared an amazing night, where she thought there might be some kind of connection between them, he felt nothing.

It was just her luck to finally find someone who affected her the way Kellan did, and he didn’t want her. The unfairness of it all made her squeeze the chains to release some of her anger.

“I’ve never had a human call me friend.”

Denae told herself not to look at him, but she couldn’t stop herself. When she saw him staring at her with his celadon gaze warm and full of emotion, she wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let go.

“Don’t look at me like that,” she warned him.

He frowned. “Like what?”

“Like I’ve surprised you, like you might actually like me a little. It’ll make my anger dissipate, and I’d like to hang on to it a bit longer.”

Kellan suddenly smiled. “You constantly amaze me. I never know what you’re going to say or do.”

“Good. I’d hate to become a bore. Now be quiet so I can figure this out.”

His hands covered both of hers. “The longer you remain, the higher your chances of being caught. Rhi risked her own life to help you.”

Denae wouldn’t let go of the chains. She gave them another hard squeeze. His hand squeezed with her, and Denae heard a crack.

Her eyes jerked to him. “Did you hear that?”

He nodded woodenly, surprise making his face go slack. “Let me try.”

Denae released the chain and stepped back, but no matter how he tried to use his magic, nothing else happened. “My turn,” she said and moved his hands out of the way.

She took the chain in the same spot as before and squeezed, but it was as if she were a flea trying to move the Great Wall of China.

“It’s going to take both of us,” they said in unison.

Kellan moved to the other side of the chain so they were facing each other and once more covered her hands with his. She gave him a nod as she tightened her grip and he used his magic.

There was another loud crack before several more smaller ones, and then the chain broke in half.

Denae covered her mouth to hide her laugh. “We did it.”

He looked at the broken chain and quickly grabbed her hand. “We can celebrate later. We need to get out of here.”

“Shift into a dragon.”

He held up his wrist that still held the manacle. “No’ possible.”

Denae rolled her eyes and put her hand on the cuff. “Don’t be stupid. Put your hand on mine. If we’re going to get out of here, you need to be able to turn into a dragon.”

There was a moment’s pause before he covered her hand. The manacle took longer than the links. Denae’s fingers began to cramp, but she refused to give up.

It felt like an eternity later when the manacle popped open and fell to the floor. Denae wiped the sweat from her brow and tugged Kellan to the wall.

He grabbed the fallen manacle and they ran through the wall, stopping once they were in the dark tunnel.

“Why did you bring that?” she asked and pointed to the manacle.

Kellan lifted the iron in his hand. “I want them to think I’m still hindered.”

“I like the way you think. Now, which way?”

“Left.”

She fell into step behind him, her feet splashing in the edge of the stream. An urgency pushed her hard, making her feel as if the hounds of Hell were nipping at her heels.

Denae crashed into Kellan’s back when he came to a sudden halt. She looked around his shoulder and spotted what appeared to be a solid white moth the size of a Fiat with some type of glow about it perching on the side of the tunnel blocking their way.

It was stunning, an exact replica of the moths she would chase in the summers when she was a little girl. Except those moths could fit in the palm of a child’s hand.

The giant moth moved its wings in one heedless flap that sent a gust of wind so strong it would have knocked Denae off her feet if Kellan hadn’t been standing in front of her.

Denae took a step back and her foot slipped into the water, making a loud splash. The moth raised its head and looked right at them. Then it opened its mouth to show razor-sharp teeth.

It let out a roar with spittle flying. Denae was shoved to the ground by Kellan as he launched himself at the moth just as it pushed off the wall.

Denae couldn’t take her eyes off Kellan as he advanced deftly, his body moving fluidly, nimbly as he dodged the moth’s claws that tried to scratch him.

The darkness of the tunnels prevented her from seeing everything, but her eyesight was accustomed enough to witness Kellan’s impressive attack.

He rushed the moth, then diverted toward the wall. Just as he reached it, he turned and dove, rolling to his feet behind the giant creature.

With the moth limited in its movement because of its size, Kellan cleverly kept out of its reach. He jumped on the moth’s back and grabbed its head, giving it a hard jerk to the side.

The creature fell into the stream dead.

Kellan leapt off as it fell and landed on his feet near her. He held out his hand, one corner of his lips lifted in a smile.

“Shall we continue?”

Denae took his hand and stared at the huge moth as they walked past it. “That was impressive.”

“I know.”

She made a sound in the back of her throat. “Anyone ever told you that you’re conceited?”

“Many times.”

Denae wouldn’t want to be in the tunnels with anyone else by her side. Kellan might be conceited, but with moves like he just displayed, he had every right to be.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Kellan’s skin felt too tight, his irritation too great.

His fury too boundless.

He wanted to shift into dragon form, but it wasn’t time. In order to have his retribution on the Dark Ones for taking Denae, he wanted as many gathered as he could before he shifted and wiped them out.

Denae tripped, and with his hand holding hers, he was able to keep her on her feet. She let out a string of curses that made him grin.

“You’re smiling, aren’t you?” she ground out as she came to a halt and gingerly touched her bare foot. “Laugh at the human because I can’t see in the dark.”

He frowned as he considered her words. “I could light the way.”

“No,” she said with a shake of her head, her copper brown hair sliding sensuously over her shoulders. “It would alert them we’re here.”

“If they listen closely enough, they’ll hear us coming anyway.”

“It’s not smart to alert them to exactly where we are just because I’m hindered in my eyesight.”

Normally, Kellan would have agreed. As he stared at her, he found his way of thinking was changing when it came to humans—rapidly. And all because of Denae.

“The Dark Ones willna touch you again. Ever.”

Kellan was shocked at the vehemence of his words. And the truth of them.

Denae’s face softened as she put a hand on his cheek. Whatever she was going to say halted before it passed her lips. She dropped her arm and looked down the tunnel they were traveling.

“Is Rhi near?”

“I doona know,” Kellan said as he fought against begging her to say the words she kept from him. “Why?”

“She could stay with me so you can go ahead. You’ll move quicker without me slowing you down.”

“Nay.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, don’t get mad. I’m trying to be practical. I do have some training in this, you know.”

“No’ training in dealing with Dark Fae.”

“True,” she grudgingly admitted.

He grabbed her hand again and started walking. “We’ve lingered long enough. We must keep moving.”

She didn’t argue as her strides lengthened to keep up with him. Not once did she complain of the grueling pace, the awful stench of the place, or the fact he didn’t stop to rest. She kept pace with him while he did his best to keep them moving quietly and helping her not to stumble or run into anything.

They walked for another half hour before he paused as something evil and furious rushed through the tunnel that even she felt.

“What was that?” Denae asked as she shivered.

Kellan glanced down at her, wondering how it was she felt the Dark Fae magic. “They know we’ve gone. Taraeth will be combing the tunnels looking for us.”

“Now is the time to shift into a dragon. You can get us both out.”

He glanced above them. The tunnel was high, but he didn’t know where they were. “There’s a chance we’re beneath a city. I could kill dozens of humans as I explode from the ground. And if it’s during the day, they’ll see me.”

“And if it’s just a field we’re under?”

“I can no’ know for certain. We’ve remained hidden all these millennia because we didna take such chances.” Even when he wanted to do just that to get Denae away from the Dark.

Damn but it was hard not to give into his need and shift.

“Then we best get moving,” Denae said and took off running.

Kellan caught up with her and jerked her away from an outcropping in the tunnel that she nearly ran into. They kept that pace as he moved them from one tunnel to the next.

“How do you know which way to go?” she asked breathlessly.

He couldn’t tell her it was all by chance. Instead he said, “My magic.”

A soft chuckle came from her. “Liar. You’re just guessing.”

There was a distant sound ahead that caused him to stop. He pulled her into his arms and whispered, “I am. Scared now?”

“I’ve been terrified since the moment I saw my first Fae on the docks.”

She had hidden it well, which made him appreciate her even more. It would be almost impossible to get them out if she were hysterical.

“What is it?” she whispered.

He bent his head near her ear. “I hear something ahead at the bend.”

She gave a nod to tell him she understood the danger and waited as he moved in front of her. It amazed Kellan how easily they worked as a team. She seemed to know exactly what he wanted or what he would do without any words spoken between them.

He released her hand and relaxed when he felt her fingers grab one of his belt loops. She didn’t pull or tug while she walked behind him. It allowed his hands to be free and to keep her safe. The only drawback was they moved slowly.

The closer Kellan came to where he heard the sound, the more his muscles bunched, ready to fight. They moved step by step, soundlessly, stealthily.

Just before they reached the location, Kellan touched her hand. Instantly, she released him and stayed behind while he continued on to the slight bend in the tunnel.

Kellan fought to keep from shifting into dragon form. He hoped it was Dark Fae. He wanted to kill every one of them for the torture and groping Denae had endured at their hands.

He fisted his right hand and lunged around the corner at the same time two males came at him. One male grabbed him by the throat while the other had gold-colored skin.

“Kellan?” said the male who held his throat.

He narrowed his gaze and recognized Tristan. “Aye.”

Tristan released him and stepped back. “We found them, Phelan.”

Kellan looked past Tristan to the Warrior who stood staring. “Phelan. You’re the one who is part Fae?”

Phelan gave a single nod. “Have you seen Rhi?”

“No’ for a while. The Dark know Denae and I are in the tunnels. We can no’ tarry.”

Phelan turned and motioned for them to follow. “We can lead you back out.”

“Wait,” Kellan said as he pulled Denae to his side. “I’m no’ just going to leave.”

Tristan’s smile was wide and sly. “I didna figure you would. I might no’ have been around for the first war with the Fae, but I’ll be a part of this one.”

“Whatever,” Phelan said. “Let’s get moving.”

“What about Rhi?” Denae asked. “Could the Dark Ones have her?”