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  We continued for a while and after following him for so long I started to feel an impulse to move on my own. The desire intensified so much I had to follow the instinct. Heath smiled at me, deferring to my movements. We became a reflection of each other and the act was so intimate, it might as well have been sex.

  When Heath laughed, I gave him an easy smile. I liked this not talking thing. We got along just fine this way.

  In all honesty, I liked bantering with him. It was playful, and once I had gotten to know his personality, it was easier for me to understand his need for the conflict. One thing was for sure, being with Heath was never boring, and I doubted it ever would be.

  He sent me a mental message, “That should be enough for our first lesson.” In a formal gesture he bowed to me, so I followed his lead.

  Wiping at a bead of sweat trailing down his forehead, he stepped toward me. I thought about blinking myself clean, but he had me in his arms faster than I could do it.

  He leaned in and kissed the top of my sweaty head, and his hair fell forward a bit, tickling my cheek. I picked up the strand, backing away from him slightly so I could get a better view.

  I still couldn’t believe he had finally let me touch it. I was beginning to think it would never happen. My eyes found his, which were full of a trepidation that sent a nervous jolt through me. I searched his face for a second, before I just asked him, “Are you ever going to tell me why it was so hard for you to let me touch your hair?”

  He bit the corner of his bottom lip while the other side lifted in a smirk. “It is an old custom from the world I came from.”

  I cocked my head, my brows furrowing. “You don’t exactly seem like the old custom type.”

  “Yeah, well, I guess I’m full of surprises.” He smiled, giving me a special little smirk. “I’ll show you a few more later.”

  His humor was sort of lost on me because I couldn’t stop worrying about what was going to happen to him if the council found out about what he’d done. For all I knew they were already dreaming up his punishment. Before he could tell me to stop worrying again, I smiled at him. “I used to think you were all ‘rebel without a cause.’”

  His grin melted my heart. “And now?”

  “Now I just think you’re a rebel with more causes than I want to know about.”

  His lips twitched as if he was going to laugh, but he recovered. “You like that I’m a deep person. Come on, admit it.”

  “Going all philosophical on me, huh?”

  “Maybe.”

  I ran my fingers along his cheek. “Heath, I love everything about you. I don’t understand why I’m still bound to Zach, but I want to try to bond with you again. You know, formal like.”

  He grinned, and I got caught up in the joy of seeing him this happy. The joy in my heart radiated through me like a burst of sunbeams.

  Without warning something within me shifted, yanking me out of my euphoria. I doubled over, clutching my stomach as waves of nausea hit me. Unable to take it I cried out in horrible pain.

  Heath was at my side instantly, pulling me into his arms. He let out a growl that chilled my blood. His face tilted toward the ceiling and he cursed Zach to the deepest depths of hell.

  Even through the muscle spasms, I chuckled, considering where we were. “Doesn’t seem that bad to me.”

  Taking a deep breath, he looked at me. His eyes roamed over my face, my body, devouring me in a drawn-out glance. When his eyes reached mine again, I saw nothing but sadness peering back at me. So quickly—things could change so quickly.

  Before I could come up with something to cheer him up, he gave a quick shake of his head, silently telling me ‘no more joking.’ “You must leave,” he said in a controlled tone.

  “It will pass,” I said through gritted teeth.

  With a soft chuckle, he frowned at me. “Always so brave. You know, I think you’d die down here if I’d let you.”

  I forced a smile through another bout of pain. “If it meant staying with you for the rest of my life, I’d gladly do it.”

  “Rayla—”

  I waved him off. “I know I have to face this, but I didn’t want it to be this soon. We’ve had so little time together.”

  There was no time for a bonding attempt. I could feel Zach coming for me, and I didn’t want him to find me here with Heath. My plan involved covering for him and to do that I couldn’t be anywhere near him.

  He touched my face then pulled me into a bear-hug. Too soon, he pushed away from me. “We’d better get Tabitha.”

  I shook my head. “First, would you go find Creed? I really need to talk to him.”

  After a quick nod, he was out the door. I didn’t dare go into the corridors knowing Zach was so near. As he got closer, my symptoms progressed until I thought I might pass out. Sweat dripped down my face and my body chilled what seemed like twenty degrees. I shivered, but I managed to keep my focus until Creed’s concerned face made me flinch.

  “Hi,” I said, teeth chattering. “I’m sure you know what’s happening, so I won’t waste any time. I want to name as many of you as I can before I leave. Would you please make arrangements?”

  Creed bowed his head. “You can’t know what an offer like that means to those of my kind, but I have discussed this with them and they prefer to postpone until we can find a solution to your problem.” His head snapped up. “They can help you more in their current forms.”

  I was so confused. “Are you telling me something bad has happened to you?”

  His voice came out small. “My powers have changed since you named me. I have become much stronger in some respects, yet in other areas I am much weaker. Transitioning right now would be the worst thing we could do, if we are to be ready when we are needed.”

  I nodded, but part of me wondered if I would ever get a chance to name them again. The creatures of the dark realms were taking a rather large risk to protect me, and I couldn’t minimize their sacrifice by arguing with Creed. We didn’t have time. “You know way more about this stuff than I do, so we’ll do whatever you want, but my offer stands. If at any time you want me to name one or all of you, just come find me, okay?”

  Instead of answering me, he stepped closer and with one fluid motion, he pulled me into his arms. His hug was as fierce as his next words. “Know this, my lady; I will not stop until you are safe from this threat.” Had Tabitha told him about the male presence? Somehow I didn’t think he was talking about Ainessa right now. He pulled back and leveled his gaze to mine. “None of us will. If you are not safe, neither will the entire fae race be.”

  I reached up and touched his face. His skin was so smooth, other than a few areas of scales. The only other oddity was the gray color. “I’m not sure what I did to deserve a friend like you, but thank you. Thank you for helping me. If it wasn’t for you, I’d be—”

  “We don’t know what would have happened, Rayla. But there is one thing I do know. I will not allow anyone to harm you.”

  I didn’t have time to answer him because Tabitha rushed into the room. With a swish of her hand, Creed disappeared. She took my face between her hands. “Child, I know you have a heavy burden. I will do all that I can to help you; however, you must understand, I cannot risk exposing myself or Heath in the process of protecting you. The only way I will do so is if there is no other choice. Do you understand?”

  We’d been over this already. “Yeah, I get it. I’m on my own for a while. I’m not happy about it, but I understand.”

  She nodded. “Ammon will think only hours have passed when he reaches you. Some council members may question the timeline. I need you to focus at all times. If any one of them catches even a hint of what has transpired here, I will not be able to protect Heath.”

  I nodded. This was part of our deal. She hadn’t manipulated time, just memories. “Thank you for helping us.”

  She reached out and her cool fingers curled around mine. “Be safe. I worry for you.”

  Another wave of nausea hit
me, and I fell to my knees. “You’d better go,” I said.

  Her sudden departure hit me like a thunderclap.

  I was alone. In the darkness.

  Chapter Three

  My body shook with fear and regret while my mind screamed at me to remember Heath—to remember the man I loved, but I couldn’t let my thoughts wander. From this point forward, all I could do was focus.

  Footsteps clattered like an army coming for me. For all I knew Zach had brought an entire platoon with him.

  Light penetrated the blackness and focused on my face. I threw an arm over my eyes while trying to stave the urge to vomit again.

  Zach’s voice cut through my fear, severing my trepidation. “Rayla!” He pulled me up into his arms, devouring me in his embrace. “I’ve been so worried for you, love. Are you okay?”

  I nodded.

  He took a deep breath. “I am so sorry about what happened. I had no idea Ainessa was that close, or I would never have let my guard down.”

  I blinked a couple of times. “You aren’t angry with me?” After all, I’d nearly fried him.

  He chuckled. “Are you kidding me? You’re the reason I regained my wits.”

  “You—you did?”

  “I could kill my sister for interrupting us when she did.”

  All sorts of emotions I didn’t want to feel rushed through me. Damn this bonding thing. “Zach, I—”

  He shushed me. “I know. I have a lot to explain, but we’d better leave this place before the inhabitants decide to make us permanent residents.”

  I nodded, not knowing what else to do. Without another word, he pulled me into the tunnels. “Right, no, I think it was left.”

  “Are you kidding me?” I asked, feeling a strange ripple in my side. I couldn’t be sure if it was from his touch or an effect of the bond.

  “I was a little preoccupied finding you to worry about which way I went.”

  “Why don’t you just transport us from here?”

  He gave a sharp shake to his head. “Too dangerous. You are much too fragile at the moment. I won’t be able to focus on the journey without a little help.”

  “I’m fine.”

  He gave a laugh. “You think I don’t know what’s happening inside you right now? You’re too weak.”

  “It’s not like I’ve been bonded before. How would I know that,” I said, trying to reign in my emotions.

  Lifting his hand to my face, he ran his thumb over my forehead. “I know I wasn’t your first choice, but I’m still hoping to change your mind.”

  It wasn’t like I could argue with him. Not now, at least.

  Looking up and down the corridor, he pressed his lips together. “Where has Jafan gone to now?”

  “Jett’s here?” I asked, incredulous.

  He shoved his dark hair out of his blue eyes. “Truthfully, he’s the one that found you. I’m not sure if it was the jolt or what, but for some reason, I couldn’t pinpoint your signal until we came down here.”

  Focus. I had to focus. I couldn’t blow this now. I took a deep breath, centering my mind then said, “Wow, that’s weird.”

  A voice called from down the tunnel, but it was too far away to make out what he’d said.

  “Over here,” Zach yelled.

  Two figures came into view. One was most certainly Jett, and the other…Nicco? What was he doing here?

  Nicco’s eyes traveled over me, and I could have sworn I saw relief there. I wished I could offer him the same expression. There was only one reason I could think of that he would be here: to make sure I came back.

  Jett closed his eyes, shaking his head. “You’ve got to be the most frustrating woman on the planet.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him but offered him a playful smile. “Good thing you don’t have to deal with me on a regular basis then, huh?”

  Instead of bantering like I had become used to, he grunted. Was he mad at me for not picking him after all?

  Zach clamped his arm tighter around my shoulders. “We’d best leave.”

  Nicco and Jett both gave a short nod, and before I knew it we were drifting on a matter stream. My vision blurred with the movement, which only managed to make my already sketchy stomach worse. The normal dizziness I had to deal with while traveling this way didn’t help matters, either.

  By the time we stopped moving, it was all I could do to keep myself from barfing again. When I recovered enough to notice my surroundings, I quivered.

  Instead of bringing me to his home, Zach had taken us to the Crystal Castle. A slight groan escaped me, and I stumbled away from his light hold. “Why are we here?”

  Zach wouldn’t look at me when he responded. “Our presence has been requested. Seems some charges have been filed against Heath. You are to be a witness.”

  Already? My stomach twisted into a knot at the mention of Heath’s name. I’d known he might get in trouble, but the reality sent me reeling. Not only would I have to control my thoughts about him, I was going to have to keep my love for him hidden from the discerning eye of the council members. The only problem was I didn’t know if I could do it, especially if they wanted me to testify against him—no way could I do such a thing.

  Nicco walked up next to me, pulling me a short distance away from Zach. “Are you unwell, my lady?”

  If I was, did that mean I could skip this meeting? No. I had to face this no matter how much I would have preferred to be anywhere else on the planet, including the dark realms. I had to act indifferent to the situation.

  Nicco looked behind us where Zach and Jett discussed the meeting. I could barely concentrate, and I had no idea how I was going to get through this.

  When his warm hand came to rest on my shoulder, I gave a slight gasp. His fingers dug into my skin, which should have hurt like mad, but somehow, his touch soothed the aching inside me.

  He leaned in closer to me. “Take my strength, my lady.”

  A barrier in my mind gave, and I shook from the onslaught of pure energy that coursed from him through me. I searched his softened black eyes, not sure what to make of this new side of him. Maybe he had been ordered to protect me, but this hardly seemed like a usual occurrence.

  Also, why didn’t Zach or Jett seem to notice what was going on here? Truth was I didn’t mind the few moments to gather some much needed strength. My trepidation fled along with my nausea after only a few seconds. I gave Nicco a curious stare, but he shook his head. “No questions.”

  I nodded, grateful for the help, but I still didn’t have a clue what was happening between us. When he let go of me, my discomfort was completely gone. In fact, I was quite sure I hadn’t felt this good since before I went away to college all that time ago. “Thank you,” I whispered, giving a tight squeeze to his hand.

  He nodded then stepped away from me. The minute I was out of his shadow, Zach turned to me. “How did you get all the way over there?” His eyes softened with a compassion that surprised me given that I’d blasted him hard enough I’d been worried I’d killed him, immortal or not. “Are you still feeling ill?”

  “I’m fine,” I said. And the amazing part was that I meant it. Somehow, I just felt like everything would work out okay now.

  His eyes traveled over me, but I tried not to stiffen at the desire I saw there. Didn’t seem to work because he cringed slightly when our eyes met. “We should get going then.”

  I nodded and he led me up the Crystal Castle’s glowing steps. When he took my hand, I let him, although, it was one of the strangest sensations I’d ever encountered.

  I no longer felt attracted to Zach.

  His touch was comforting, in an odd way, but the electrical charge he’d created in me back at school was nothing more than a measly ember. My mind wanted to think about Heath so badly I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep myself from going there.

  I just hoped this wouldn’t be the worst day of my life. Even though part of me thought better of doing it, I leaned toward Zach to ask what he knew about the situati
on. “What are the charges?”

  Zach glanced at me sidelong, patting my hand. “Not to worry, love. He will come out of this okay. He always does.”

  I cocked my head. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “This isn’t the first time Heath has been charged with overstepping his bounds.”

  I held in my sigh, but barely. Overstepping his bounds was a far sight better than treason, but I couldn’t quite breathe easy just yet. “Who brought the charges against him?”

  “You have to understand,” he hedged, which made me wonder who he was really trying to protect. “We have laws for a reason. Queen Rachel has demanded retribution for the perceived damage done to the fire realm when Heath allowed you out of Ignis against her wishes. She has charged him essentially with insubordination and has demanded he be stripped of his title and that he be demoted to underlord, once again.”

  My muscles bunched up. “I hardly think she’d be complaining if I had ended up bound to him instead of you,” I said, a little too breathless.

  Zach narrowed his eyes at me, but it seemed more a curious look than anything. “She believes Heath has harmed the fire realm in the eyes of the council. Her only option is to try to use him as a scapegoat to save alliances that might otherwise be in jeopardy.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” I complained. “She was all too happy when he defeated Finn in that ridiculous battle she orchestrated. Even though she pretended otherwise, I’m pretty sure she got what she wanted, and since when was Ignis allied with anyone?”

  He leaned in closer. “She looks foolish, Rayla, and she’s trying to cover for herself by blaming him for a perceived failure.”

  “But how does punishing him make her look better?”

  He shrugged. “The council rewards initiative, yet when given slightly different circumstances, they will not hesitate to inflict penalties for the exact same act.”

  Good to know. Not hard to see how the lords had gotten their shifty natures.