"Yes." The word barely had time to leave her lips before there was a shudder beneath their feet and the mist closed in even tighter. Kai hissed in pain. "Let's hope it's not too late."

"s.h.i.t," Finn muttered, refusing to believe they could be squashed when they were so close to escape.

Kai glanced around. "We need to stabilize the s.p.a.ce. Do you have any ideas?"

Did he? Finn sucked in a deep breath, trying to use his magic to reach out to Rya. He could feel the portal. He could even latch onto it for a brief moment. But the rippling movement of the dimension made it impossible for him to breach an opening.

Which meant he couldn't get them closer to Rya.

He had to keep them alive until she could reach them.

Easier said than done.

He glanced toward his companion. "Can you clear the mist around us?"

The female gave a slow nod, her brow furrowed. "Yes, but that won't help us."

"Do it," he commanded. He didn't have time to explain that the mist was a distraction.

She lifted her hand, discharging a burst of magic. "Do you have a plan?"

Continuing to hold Adair in his arms, he lowered himself to his knees.

"I can use my magic to create a bubble of ice," he said.

Pushing back the mist so they were standing in a circular clearing, Kai lowered herself next to him. "It won't last for long."

"Hopefully we'll only need a few minutes," he muttered. "Hold still."

Releasing his magic in a fierce burst, he created a dome of thick ice to surround them. For a second there was a blissful respite from the crushing pressure. But even as Finn took in a deep breath, there was a series of pops as the ice began to fracture.

They would have only moments before it collapsed.

"Let's hope they hurry," Kai muttered.

Finn glanced down at the unconscious Adair. "No s.h.i.t."

Rya grimaced. Any hope that they could step into the portal and discover her mother standing directly in front of them was instantly destroyed.

Instead they walked straight back into the unnerving mist.

c.r.a.p.

With an effort, she tried to ignore the voice in the back of her head that screamed at her to run out of the portal and never look back.

It was even worse than when they'd been lost in the creepy fog the first time.

Now the squeezing heaviness was nearly unbearable.

No. Not nearly. It was unbearable.

And cold. Soul-crushingly cold.

"Rya," Torque rasped from behind her. "We can't bear this for long."

"I know," she muttered, her heart giving a tiny jump as she caught the scent of her mother. "She's this way."

"Are you sure?" he demanded as she darted at an angle through the fog.

"Yes," she a.s.sured him. "She's not far."

Torque moved until he was at her side, wrapping them both in the heat of his dragon.

"I smell a sprite," he said, his eyes glowing.

She gave an absent nod. "Finn," she said, her pace never slowing.

"And..." Torque sucked in a harsh breath. "Sylvermyst. Be careful." He reached to touch her arm. "They already released a crazed dragon. Who knows what else they might do."

Rya shivered. The fear of the dimension collapsing was bad enough without adding in the fear that there were dangerous Sylvermyst lurking in the mist.

Trying to distract herself, she concentrated on the only good thing that had come out of their first trip into this miserable s.p.a.ce.

"She wasn't actually crazed," she said.

"What?"

"The dragon. Blayze wasn't crazy."

Realizing he'd just insulted her sister, Torque sent her a rueful glance.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

She shrugged. She couldn't blame Torque for his less than stellar opinion of Blayze.

Trying to kill someone didn't make the best first impression.

"It's still hard to believe that my father had a true mate." She altered her course as the ground moved beneath them, keeping her senses fixed on her mother's scent. They were getting closer. Even if it did feel as if they were struggling through mola.s.ses. "It seems so out of character."

Perhaps realizing that she needed to keep her mind off the danger that surrounded them, Torque gave a short laugh.

"Yeah, he's not really a romantic sort of male."

Her lips twitched. She'd heard her father described as a beast and a savage and a ruthless predator.

But never, ever as a romantic.

Then her amus.e.m.e.nt faded as she remembered the achingly terrible loss he'd suffered. Was it any wonder he'd become so vicious?

"It must have devastated him to lose his mate and daughter," she said.

"True." The sapphire eyes darkened. "I never thought I would say this, but I actually feel sorry for the ill-tempered brute. I don't know how he endured the pain."

Neither did Rya. And worse, she hadn't even realized the burden he carried.

"Hopefully my mother can keep Blayze asleep long enough for them to find a way to break her curse."

"It doesn't bother you?"

She turned her head to meet Torque's curious gaze. "The curse?"

"Your father's happiness in discovering his full-blooded daughter," he clarified.

She was baffled by the question. How could she be anything but overjoyed for Synge?

"Of course not," she breathed. "I'm delighted he has Ravel and Blayze back in his life. Plus, I have a new sister." She wrinkled her nose. "Or at least I will once the curse is broken."

Torque reached to run a finger down her cheek. "You're an amazing female."

She shook her head. As a half-breed she'd been treated with far more care than most.

In truth, she'd been pampered and adored her entire life.

"Not really. I accept that Blayze will hold a special place in Synge's heart, but that doesn't mean he doesn't love me," she said, sending Torque a smile. "And now I have you. That's all I need."

Fire smoldered in his eyes. "True."

She turned back toward the swirling mist. It was becoming almost impossible to breathe as the compression nearly took her to her knees.

Time for another distraction.

"Do you have any siblings?"

"Hundreds." He shrugged. "Possibly thousands."

The number wasn't shocking. Dragons were capable of impregnating a wide variety of demons. And most males kept vast harems filled with willing females.

But she hadn't missed the disdain in Torque's voice when he spoke of his father.

"Pyre wasn't very paternal?"

Torque snorted. "As far as Pyre is concerned, his children are nothing more than a.s.sets to be bartered to the highest bidder."

She reached to grasp his hand. Instantly his warmth jolted up her arm, arrowing straight for her heart.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

Anger simmered deep inside her. Torque had been shortchanged when it came to family. His mother had done a disappearing act, and his father was a typical dragon.

But that was all about to change. She intended to offer him all the love he could possibly need.

Clearly reading her mind, he sent her a rare smile. "I'm not. If my father wasn't a greedy b.a.s.t.a.r.d, he wouldn't have given me to Synge and your mother might not have had her vision." He squeezed her fingers. "We would never have become betrothed."

Rya shook her head. She'd wasted so much time resenting her mother's vision. Now she couldn't imagine a future without Torque.

"Fate works in mysterious ways," she murmured.

Torque's smile faded to a grimace as he gave a low grunt of pain. Every step was a misery.

"Rya." He tried to pull her to a halt. "We have to go back."

"No." She pointed toward the thinning mist. "They're right there."

Yanking free of his grasp, she stepped through the edge of the mist to discover Kai bending near the ground along with Finn and an unknown female cradled in his arms. The three of them were covered by a thin dome of ice. Or at least they were until it abruptly shattered in a spray of frost.

Rya rushed forward, wrapping her arms around her mother as soon as the older woman managed to rise to her feet. "Oh, thank the G.o.ddess," she breathed.

"Rya." Her mother fiercely returned her hug.

"I was so worried," Rya muttered, pulling back to study her mother's pale face.

She couldn't see any visual injuries, but that didn't mean she wasn't hurt.

Kai reached up to pat her cheek. "I'm fine, but we need to get out of here."

"My thought exactly," Torque muttered.

Kai glanced toward the prince of frost sprites as he straightened, the pretty young fey tightly clutched in his arms. "Finn, you go first with Adair."

Torque scowled. "You're taking the Sylvermyst?"

Finn instantly bristled, a fine cloud of frost swirling through the air. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Rya arched a startled brow. Hmm. She'd seen Finn flirt with every female in his vicinity. Including herself. It was never serious.

But this time...

He was clearly territorial when it came to his Sylvermyst.

"Did you forget it was the dark fey who trapped us here in the first place?" Torque demanded.

Finn stepped forward, and Rya swiftly moved to stand between the two males. Yeesh. Could two alphas ever be in the same s.p.a.ce without trying to start a fight?

She laid her hand on Torque's chest. "Later," she murmured softly.

Fire smoldered in his eyes, but he gave a grudging nod of his head. "Fine."