Dragons Of Eternity: Scorched By Darkness Part 38

"Fire imps," Rya breathed. "You're home."

Torque released a slow breath. Home. Was that why he felt the tingle of power?

He gave a faint shake of his head. Until he was certain they were safe, he wasn't going to be distracted.

"Who are you?"

"I am Dasi." The female pressed her hands together and offered him a deep bow. "One of your mother's handmaidens."

The breath was yanked from his lungs.

Being told this was the lair of his people was one thing.

To think his missing mother was nearby was...

h.e.l.l, he didn't know what it was.

"She's here?" he rasped.

As if sensing he was struggling against the unexpected flood of emotion, Rya moved to wrap her arm around his waist. Her touch instantly grounded him.

"Yes, indeed." The female gave a bob of her head. "She would have come to speak with you herself but she collapsed after she released her spell to bring you to this lair."

"Oh," Rya breathed, instantly concerned. Sometimes it was hard for Torque to believe his betrothed could be half dragon. Her heart was far too tender. "She isn't hurt, is she?"

"No, just weary," the servant a.s.sured them, her glance resting on Torque's face. "She is already asking to see you."

Torque hesitated. He wasn't entirely sure he was ready for the meeting. After so many years of convincing himself he didn't need or want a mother, it was instinctive to deny any desire to meet her.

Then sanity returned and he was fiercely shoving aside his cowardly reluctance.

Dammit. Just moments ago he'd thought he might die without ever knowing his mother.

Now he wasn't sure it was the right time?

Stress was truly making him nutty.

"Very well."

Placing his arm around Rya's shoulders, he stepped forward only to halt when the servant held up a slender hand.

"I'm afraid the s.h.i.+nto can't come."

Torque's brows snapped together. "Why?"

Dasi gave a helpless lift of her hands. "As I said, the runes would kill her."

Torque's suspicion wasn't entirely eased. They were in a strange place, surrounded by strange people. The last thing he wanted was to be separated from Rya.

"I'm not leaving her alone."

"I a.s.sure you that she is quite safe," Dasi said, her expression pleading.

"No."

"Torque." Rya moved until she was standing directly in front of him. Lifting her hand, she placed it over his heart. "I'll be fine."

"You don't know that."

She narrowed her eyes. "I believe we've already had this discussion."

"What discussion?"

"Whether or not I'm capable of protecting myself."

Torque snorted. He didn't remember a discussion.

More of an ongoing 'agree to disagree' sort of thing.

Glancing toward the waiting servant, he returned his gaze to Rya's upturned face. "We don't know why we've been brought here."

"Obviously your mother saved our lives and now she wants to speak with her son." She gave him a small push toward the door. "Go."

He wasn't nearly so confident it was that simple.

They'd been in constant danger since going in search of Kai. Why would his mother choose that particular moment to save them?

Still, they were currently trapped in the cell.

Did he really have any choice?

"I won't be gone long," he promised, lowering his head to plant a soft, lingering kiss on her mouth. Then, reluctantly stepping away from his betrothed, he turned toward the handmaiden. "Take me to her."

Dasi nodded before glancing at Rya. "I'll leave the door open, but please don't try to leave this room," she murmured. "I'll send a tray of food."

With a swish of her robes against the stone floor, the female led him into the long tunnel.

The heat increased as they climbed down a narrow flight of stairs. They paused as Dasi opened another steel door, then they were stepping into a ma.s.sive cave that was bustling with people.

Torque arched his brows as they moved across the floor that'd been worn smooth by centuries of footsteps. The ceiling of the cave was high enough to be lost in the shadows while the edges were lined with shallow alcoves that had been dug into the stone walls. Inside the alcoves were a wide variety of items.

Food. Delicate ornaments. Clothing. Even small pieces of furniture.

A market?

His attention turned toward the slender creatures who were dressed in loose linen clothing that blended into the gray stone. Their hair was dark and their skin pale. Torque was betting they didn't get a lot of sunlight.

And clearly they didn't have a lot of visitors.

Probably because they had the d.a.m.ned place covered with runes that would kill strangers.

Trying to ignore the blatant stares and deep bows as he pa.s.sed, he kept pace next to Dasi.

"How many fire imps live here?" he asked in low tones.

"Fewer than one hundred now," the female said, leading him toward an opening on the other side of the market. "Over the past centuries it has become increasingly rare to produce children. Which is why your mother-"

Torque glanced toward his companion as she bit off her words.

"What about my mother?"

She gave a sharp shake of her head, looking annoyed with herself.

"I'm sorry. That is her story to tell."

There was more bowing as they pa.s.sed a long table where several males were eating what looked like a hearty stew.

"Is everyone always so polite?"

Dasi shrugged. "They've waited a very long time to catch a glimpse of you."

Growingly confused, Torque gave a faint shake of his head. Before he could continue his questions, however, they left the open s.p.a.ce and headed down another flight of stairs carved in the stone.

A smothering heat wrapped around him even as the scent of lava became more p.r.o.nounced.

They were definitely in a volcano. And they were nearing the center.

Stepping into a small s.p.a.ce, Dasi waved a hand toward the opening just ahead of them.

"She's through there."

He offered her a small dip of his head. "Thanks."

Taking a step forward, he was abruptly halted by the sound of his name.

"Torque."

He glanced back at Dasi. "Yes?"

"She's sacrificed a great deal for our people," the handmaiden told him, her expression pleading. "Be kind to her."

Before he could demand to know what she was talking about, Dasi turned to scurry back up the stairs. Torque heaved a sigh.

He felt like he was walking into the middle of a drama he knew nothing about. Ironic, considering he'd spent most of his life avoiding messy emotions.

Squaring his shoulders, he moved to enter the connected cave.

He hated being parted from Rya.

He needed to convince his mother to release them so they could return to the safety of his lair.

Stepping through the arched entrance, he glanced around the walls that were painted with pretty murals of sunlit meadows. On the floor was a woven rug and above was a heavy chandelier where a dozen candles were burning.

The furniture was delicately carved from wood, with bright yellow cus.h.i.+ons tossed on the chairs and low couch.

It looked like whoever lived there had tried to create an impression of suns.h.i.+ne despite the fact they were buried beneath tons of earth.

"Torque," a female voice called from an attached chamber.

Torque crossed the carpet and cautiously stepped through the arched opening into the smaller but just as brightly decorated room.

Even the ceiling was covered in vibrant murals of dew fairies dancing beneath a clear blue sky.

At last his gaze moved to the huge bed in the center of the s.p.a.ce. His heart missed a beat as he took in the slender female who was settled among a pile of pillows in the center of the mattress.

Like the other fire imps he'd seen, she had glossy black hair that she had pulled into a complicated knot on top of her head. Her skin was pale and her features delicately carved. Her eyes, however, were a startling blue.

Just like his.

The realization made the floor tilt beneath his feet.

Not an earthquake. Just a stunning acceptance that this was the woman who'd given birth to him.

He cleared his throat of the strange lump that was threatening to form.

"I a.s.sume you must be my mother?"

A smile curled her lips as she lifted a shaky hand to wave him closer to the bed. "Yes. I'm Nalani."

He frowned, belatedly noting the shadows beneath her eyes.

"Are you unwell?"

"Just exhausted from the spell," she a.s.sured him even as her hand dropped back to the yellow blanket that covered her. "I haven't had to use that much magic in a very long time."

Torque felt a pang of guilt. Whatever his complicated feelings toward this female, she had rescued them from a very painful death.

He gave a low bow. "I should thank you for saving us," he murmured.

She waited for him to straighten, her shrewd gaze easily reading his wariness.

"But you don't trust my motives for doing so?"

Torque shrugged. There was no point in lying.

"Not really."

She gave a slow nod, a hint of yearning in her brilliant blue eyes.