When Darkness Ends (Guardians of Eternity #12)(82)

“Oui.” Levet gave a sad nod. “I am not sure how badly Fallon and Cyn were injured.”

Magnus lifted his hand, using his power to search for the entrance to the portal.

“I can’t find it,” he rasped.

Tonya watched him with concern. “Why not?”

“The portal collapsed.”

Levet gave a small gasp. “Then she must have escaped, oui?” There was an edge of pleading in his voice. “A portal cannot close while a fey is inside it.”

“We must believe she is well.” Magnus dropped his hand, his expression unreadable as he turned his attention to Levet. “Why were you sent?”

“The Anasso wanted me to track you.”

Predictably Magnus stiffened, his expression indignant. “Why?”

“To rescue you, of course.”

Tonya lifted a hand to hide her sudden smile. The prince was literally quivering with fury.

Not just because a vampire had dared to assume that he would need rescuing, but that he’d sent Levet to perform the deed.

“Styx sent a stunted gargoyle to rescue me?” he snarled.

“Hey. I am not stunted,” Levet protested, spreading his wings with blatant pride. “I am pleasingly compact. And my magic is légendaire.”

Magnus shook his head in disgust. “You are—”

Tonya hastily interrupted the brewing squabble. She’d had enough.

“Can you see through illusions?” she asked the gargoyle.

Easily distracted, Levet turned his attention to the sun-drenched meadows that surrounded them.

“Certainly,” he assured her before wrinkling his little snout. “These, however, are unusual.”

Magnus made a visible effort to control his annoyance. “It’s a labyrinth,” he said in a flat voice.

Levet lifted his brows in surprise. “Druid?”

Magnus nodded. “Yes.”

“Ah.” Levet lifted his hands. “I have just the spell to break it.”

“No,” Tonya cried, all too familiar with Levet’s dubious skill at magic.

She’d once seen him destroy a small warehouse when a pixie had dared him to prove he could create fireballs.

Unfortunately the word had barely left her lips when Levet released his spell only to have it smash against the walls of illusion and splinter with a resounding boom.

The earth shook, sending the three of them tumbling to the ground as tiny shards of magic shot over their heads like lethal missiles.

Tonya covered her head, waiting for the dust to settle before she at last glanced up to watch Magnus surge to his feet, his face tight with fury.

“What are you doing, you fool?” he grated.

Tail twitching, Levet shoved himself upright. “I am trying to get us out of here.” His wings fluttered. “Where is the love?”

“Love?” Magnus clenched his hands, painful pricks of heat filling the air as he obviously battled against the urge to melt Levet to a puddle of tar. “You nearly killed us.”

Tonya cautiously straightened as Levet gave a shrug. “Bien. Then you get us out.”

Magnus narrowed his gaze. “I assure you that I am perfectly capable of getting us out.” His lips flattened as the overly proud prince recalled he’d already devoted several fruitless hours to escaping the labyrinth. “Given time.”

“Wait,” Tonya breathed, her gaze captured by a silvery circle that hovered in midair. “What is that?”

“Ah ha,” Levet cried, pointing his claw toward the hole that was slowly growing larger. “You see.”

“See what?” she muttered, a chill inching down her spine as she caught sight of three shadowed forms that were headed directly toward the opening.

“I created a rip in the spell,” the gargoyle boasted, clearly proud of his accomplishment.

“Oh.” She shivered. There was something coming. And she wasn’t entirely convinced it was a good thing.

“Yes, oh,” Magnus muttered, moving to wrap a protective arm around her shoulders. “Druids.”

Chapter Nineteen

Fallon stumbled forward as her portal opened directly into Cyn’s massive foyer.

Instantly Cyn had wrapped an arm around her waist, his expression worried.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his gaze sweeping over her face.

Fallon resisted the urge to grimace. Unlike many of her sisters, she’d never been overly vain. It wasn’t as if her beauty was anything exceptional among the Chatri.

But as Cyn’s jade gaze lingered on the shadows of weariness beneath her eyes and his fingers gently combed through her tangled hair, she couldn’t deny a pang of regret. She knew she looked like a bedraggled mess, while Cyn was as indecently gorgeous as ever.

He’d just fought hellhounds and a full-grown troll, but his hair was smooth as silk, the narrow braids framing his face without so much as a fleck of dust.

How was that fair?

“I’m fine,” she said, her lips twisted in a wry grimace as she glanced down at her clothes that were coated with muck. “I just need a hot bath and fresh clothing.”

His fingers lightly skimmed down her neck, an urgent hunger smoldering in the deep jade of his eyes.

“Or no clothing,” he murmured.

An answering need surged through her, the intensity of her desire overwhelming.