Bound By Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #8)(70)
Author: Alexandra Ivy

Elwin’s lips tightened, clearly annoyed by the sharp rebuff. But Ariyal didn’t miss the fact the man didn’t call for his bow or pull the sword holstered around his narrow waist.

“Then why the hell are you here?”

With a low hiss Toras shifted to stand next to Elwin, his pale gold eyes perfectly matching his hair, which had been cut to shoulder length.

“Can’t you guess?” he growled.

Elwin paused; then his eyes narrowed as his gaze shifted from Ariyal to the silent Jaelyn.

“Mated,” he spat out. “To a leech?”

Toras pointed a finger of condemnation at Ariyal. “He’s here to turn us over to the bloodsuckers.”

“And you call us the traitors?” Elwin sneered.

Ariyal leashed his burst of anger. Later he would teach his brothers the penalty of showing anything less than respect for his mate.

For now nothing mattered but getting them safely out of the caverns.

“I’m here as your prince to offer you safe passage out of these caves.”

“Straight into the arms of the vampires?” Elwin’s hands fisted, a jaded distrust smoldering in his eyes. And who could blame him? He’d first been convinced to trust Morgana le Fey, and now he was trapped in the caves with a leader who verged on madness. Why wouldn’t he assume that Ariyal intended to betray him? “You can’t lie to us—we know they’re up there.”

“Yes.” There was no point in trying to lie. The vampires had made no effort to hide their presence. “They’re preparing to rescue the child and to send the wizard back to hell. I requested they hold off their attack until I could speak with you.”

Toras snorted. “So now you’re allies with the leeches?”

Ariyal shrugged. “For as long as it takes to halt the return of the Dark Lord.”

“Have you forgotten that he’s our master?” Elwin demanded.

Ariyal didn’t miss the edge in his brother’s voice. Elwin might mouth the right words, but he was no longer drinking the Kool-Aid.

“I’ve forgotten nothing, which is why I intend to do whatever necessary to keep him banished from this world.” He paused to turn slowly, capturing each of his brothers’ gazes until returning to Elwin. “I have no intention of bowing to another master ever again.”

A tense silence swelled through the cavern, the future hanging in balance.

Ariyal barely dared to breathe as he absorbed the mishmash of emotions that battered against him. The wariness, the fear, and the fragile hope that could be so easily destroyed. And running beneath it all, the steady comfort of Jaelyn’s presence. Without saying a word she was assuring him that she had his back.

Always.

At long last Elwin cleared his throat. “Say that we’re stupid enough to trust you, what happens to us?”

He waved a hand. “You’re free.”

“Free?” The pewter eyes narrowed. “We can just walk away?”

“Yes.”

“What of our duty to you?” Toras demanded.

Ariyal arched a brow, every inch the prince they’d forced him to become.

“You have revealed yourself to be unworthy of my trust.” His voice held pinpricks of magic that reminded his brothers of his power. He hadn’t become the leader of his tribe because of his winning personality. “If you wish to return to my tribe, then you must earn your place.”

The Sylvermyst shifted behind him, wise enough to realize that his words were hardly designed to lure them into a false sense of security.

Not that they were ready to jump on the bandwagon. Even if any of them knew what the hell a bandwagon was.

“This is a trick,” Toras muttered, proving his point.

Ariyal stepped toward the golden-haired Sylvermyst. “Have I ever lied to you?”

“No, but—shit!”

There was a sudden burst of magic that made the Sylvermysts gasp in pain and Jaelyn scowl in confusion.

“Ariyal,” she rasped, “what’s happening?”

There was only one explanation.

“They’ve found the mage,” he muttered, grimly accepting that they’d run out of time. Things were about to go bad in a hurry. All he could do was salvage what he could.

“Elwin.”

The Sylvermyst snapped to attention at Ariyal’s commanding tone. Some things were just instinct.

“Yes, sire?”

“Take the men and get the hell out of here.”

The man wavered, concern etched on his slender face. “What about the vampires?”

He reached to grab his brother’s arm, holding his gaze. “You have my word they won’t harm you so long as you don’t do anything to provoke them. Will you trust me?”

Elwin paused, then gave a slow nod of agreement. “Yes.”

“Good.”

There was a collective surge of relief from the gathered Sylvermyst, as well as a barely leashed yearning to rush from the dark caves to breathe the fresh air. But Elwin didn’t immediately leave the cavern. Instead he regarded Ariyal with a frown.

“What of you?”

“I have to get Tearloch and the child.”

Elwin gave a shake of his head. “He won’t listen to you. He’s under the thrall of the wizard.”

Ariyal shrugged. “No one gets left behind.”

Something shimmered in the pewter eyes before Elwin was abruptly dropping to his knees, his head bent in regret. In less than a heartbeat the rest of the tribe were also kneeling, their swords being drawn and tossed onto the stone floor in a gesture of surrender.

“My lord,” Toras breathed. “Forgive us.”

“We have all made mistakes,” Ariyal assured them. “Now we must hope that we can learn from them.”

Elwin lifted his head. “If we survive this, I pledge that I will do whatever you ask of me to return to our tribe.”

Reaching out, Ariyal firmly pulled the Sylvermyst to his feet, his expression somber.

“All I ask is that you take care of our brothers.”

“You have my word.”

Elwin placed a hand on Ariyal’s shoulder in a silent pledge. Then with a sharp whistle he had the rest of the tribe on their feet and racing silently from the cavern.

With a silent prayer that they would make it out safely, Ariyal turned toward his mate, knowing better than to even suggest she join his tribesmen in their flight from the darkness.

He might not be Einstein, but he wasn’t stupid.

“Are you ready?”

She held her sword in her hand, her fangs fully exposed. “Let’s do this thing.”