Not only did it hide any enemies that might be lurking nearby, but it gave her the sensation that they were running through clouds. As if the world wasn't quite solid.

"What is this place?" she muttered.

"It's a small pocket between dimensions," Ravel answered, her hectic pace never slowing.

Rya grimaced. She'd traveled through portals that were basically holes that burrowed through dimensions, but she'd never visited the s.p.a.ce in between.

Now she knew why.

"How can you tell where we're going?" she demanded.

Ravel waved an impatient hand, her robe fluttering around her despite the lack of a breeze. In fact, the air was stifling. And eerily thick.

"We must hurry," the dragon warned. "Blayze is already awake."

Rya shivered, clutching Torque's fingers even as Levet clung to her other hand.

"I can feel her," she muttered, almost able to taste the darkness in the air. "It's...evil."

"It's not her," Ravel protested. "It's the curse."

Rya grimaced. She believed the dragon. The malevolent sensations that vibrated in the air were magical, not physical.

At last Ravel slowed her pace and came to a halt. Then, with a dramatic gesture, she gave a wave of her arms.

The fog moved aside, like a shroud being parted to reveal the cavern they'd glimpsed when they were still in Ravel's lair.

Or at least she thought it was. Only now the ice was gone and instead of a mound in the middle of the floor there was a very large, very angry dragon spewing fire at a tall, redheaded male.

"I think we might be too late," Torque muttered.

Rya grimaced, taking in the sight of the infuriated dragon.

She was lovely. In a lethal, melt-your-flesh and chomp-on-your-bones kind of way. Her scales were a deep ebony with a glossy sheen. Her eyes were pearly white and shimmering with a radiant light. Her snout was long and elegant, although at the moment it was widely parted to release her fire.

"Help," a female screamed from across the cavern. "You have to stop her."

Rya's attention moved toward the two fey who were huddled together, trying to inch away from the beast who'd finished with their companion and was turning her head in their direction.

"This is your fault," Ravel insisted, flames dancing over her skin at the sight of her daughter in full fury. "Why did you release her?"

"It wasn't us," the female babbled, her hand waving toward the crispy remains of the dead male. "It was Micah."

Rya grimaced. Nothing like throwing their companion under the bus. Or the angry dragon.

Then her gaze continued to sweep around the cavern as she searched for any sight of Finn. It took only a minute to accept that he wasn't there.

Refusing to believe that he might already be a dragon-snack, she instead convinced herself that the prince had somehow managed to disappear. Along with the unconscious female.

"Blayze," Ravel murmured in soothing tones, slowly walking forward.

She'd taken fewer than a half dozen steps when the two strangers lost the last of their nerves. With tiny squeals they scrambled away from the ma.s.sive beast, no doubt hoping to get lost in the nearby mist.

"No," Ravel barked, holding up her hand in warning. "Don't move."

"f.u.c.k that," the female rasped, knocking her companion out of the way as she raced into the fog.

She was fast, but not fast enough as the dragon released a thunderous roar before she spewed a stream of white-hot fire that turned the two fey into piles of ash.

Yow.

Rya was half dragon, but she was smart enough to stand as still as a statue. No need to draw the attention of her p.i.s.sy sister.

"Mon dieu," Levet breathed softly, for once doing nothing to try and create a scene.

Smart gargoyle.

Barely glancing toward the charred fey, Ravel continued forward, her movements deliberately slow. "Blayze."

The narrow head swiveled in Ravel's direction, the eyes still blazing with anger. Ignoring the danger, the older dragon continued toward her daughter, murmuring low words that Rya couldn't hear.

Seconds ticked past. The heat in the air eased, although the evil power continued to beat at Rya like a weapon.

Then, with a surprisingly gentle wave of magic, the infuriated dragon was surrounded by a swirl of sparkles. When they at last faded, a tall, slender female wearing a beaded robe stood in the center of the floor.

Wow. Rya blinked in shock. If Blayze's dragon was lovely, her human form was...breathtaking.

Her long black hair spilled down her back in a river of ebony, and her pale eyes were sprinkled with brilliant flecks of color. Her features were elegantly carved with full lips and a slender nose, and she had one charming dimple in her right cheek.

The last of the smothering heat dissipated, but a dark sense of doom remained.

Seemingly disoriented from her shift to human, Blayze gave a vague shake of her head. "Mother?" she murmured, warily watching the older female walk toward her.

Ravel held out her hand. "I'm here, darling."

The pale gaze moved in the direction of the black scorch marks that had once been three Sylvermyst.

"Intruders," she said, her pretty features hardening with anger.

"Yes, but you took care of them."

The pale gaze drifted toward Rya. "Not all of them."

Oh, d.a.m.n. Rya stiffened even as Torque stepped to block her from the dragon's sight, his fire moving over his skin as he prepared to attack.

"These are friends," she heard Ravel a.s.sure her daughter. "They don't mean you any harm."

"No," the younger dragon breathed. "Stay back."

"Blayze, what's wrong?" Ravel demanded.

Inching to the side, Rya glanced around Torque's broad shoulder to see Blayze hold up a slender hand, her eyes beginning to glow with her dreadful power.

"I said to stay back," she hissed.

Ravel faltered, clearly torn between the need to reach her daughter and a fear she might push her over the edge of sanity. "Listen to me," she pleaded. "You're safe."

Blayze shook her head, the floor near her feet cracking beneath an unseen pressure.

Rya shivered. It wasn't the curse that was causing the ground to vibrate or the nearby mist to swirl.

Or at least it didn't feel evil.

Instead it held an edge of desperation as the young dragon backed from her mother.

"I won't be trapped again."

"Trapped?" Ravel shook her head, her expression heart-wrenchingly sad. "No one is going to trap you, my darling. But you must be protected."

The crooning words did nothing to ease Blayze's spiraling panic.

"No more," she rasped, her ebony hair floating around her face as she created a white-hot ball of flames that danced in the palm of her hand. "I can't. I won't."

Ravel halted, glancing over her shoulder at Torque. "We can't let her escape."

Rya sucked in a horrified breath, but before she could protest, Torque was swiftly moving to stand on the other side of the increasingly desperate female.

Was the aggravating male intending to try and physically halt a full-blooded dragon?

"Torque." His name was wrenched from her lips as she took an impulsive step toward him.

Without warning, Levet reached to grab her hand, holding on with surprising strength.

"Non, ma belle."

"Let me go," she commanded, trying to tug her hand free as she watched the female dragon head toward her betrothed, the fireball growing larger as she prepared to attack. "I have to do something. She's going to kill Torque."

The tiny creature wrinkled his nose. "Not much of a loss."

"Levet," she snapped.

"Forgive me. Now is not the time to discuss your mate's unpleasant manners." He wrinkled his snout. "Not when your mother is shouting so loudly."

Rya halted her attempts to break free, instead turning to gape at the gargoyle in disbelief.

"My mother?" she demanded, waiting for him to give a small nod. "She's here?"

Levet tapped the side of his head with a claw. "Here."

"Oh, thank the G.o.ddess." Rya pressed a hand over her heart. Her mother was still alive. And hopefully close enough that she could join them. Her magic was exactly what they needed at this moment. "Can she tell you how to find her?"

"There is no time," Levet muttered. "We must do it this way."

Rya frowned. "What way?"

The words had barely left her lips when the voice of her mother hammered into her brain.

Rya.

Holy s.h.i.t.

She reeled, nearly falling to her knees as she absorbed the impact of the connection. "Mother?"

I'm here.

"Where are you?" Rya spoke out loud, unsure exactly how the magic worked.

It doesn't matter now, her mother said, her tone clipped with impatience.

Rya frowned. "But-"

She overrode Rya's protest. You must open yourself to my powers.

Rya struggled to clear her mind. She'd worry about locating her mother later. For now, they needed her magic.

"How?" she asked.

I'm using the gargoyle as a transmitter, her mother explained.

Levet made a sound of distress. "Hey, wait. I am no transformer."

Both women ignored him. Instead, Rya closed her eyes and concentrated on the feel of her mother that was nestled in the center of her brain.

Instantly she felt a sensation of peace flow through her, easing the raw fear.

Her mother had many gifts, but one of her greatest was spreading a sense of calm. She'd always thought that had been the reason Synge had been so fond of her mother. The older Shinto could offer a temporary relief from Synge's savage, sometimes downright aggressive instincts.

"Now what?" she asked.

Allow the magic to flow through you, her mother commanded.

Not exactly sure how she was supposed to let the 'magic flow through' her, Rya half expected to have to use her own powers to get things jump-started.

But even as she struggled to block out the sounds of Torque's curses and the stench of burnt flesh, a torrent of magic cascaded through her hand that Levet was still holding.

"Sacre bleu," the tiny demon rasped, his wings fluttering and his tail stuck straight out.

Rya understood his misery. She didn't have a tail, but her hair felt as if it was standing on end as she shuddered at the vast amount of power pouring into her.