“Then we go through it,” Micha announced.

  Not giving her the opportunity to protest, Micha braced himself as the nearest vine lashed toward them with a furious intent. The thing was obviously self-aware enough to be pissed off. But so was he. All he wanted was to find Lynx, kill the bastard, and get back to his lair with Skye. Anything getting in the way of that plan was going to be destroyed.

  Waiting until the vine was mere inches from his face, he snatched the tip and started to squeeze. The flesh was spongy beneath his grip, easily collapsing. Micha tightened his grip, refusing to allow the creature to slip away. There was another shrill squeal. This time it was fury, not pain, and the remaining vines slithered forward, preparing to strike.

  Micha ignored the threat as he focused his powers on the pulp squashed in his hand. The plant was magically enhanced, but it had been created out of nature and he could sense it response to his touch. Plus, they were at the edges of the nearest Gyre. Just close enough to amp up his power.

  Releasing a sharp burst of energy, he directed it back through the vine. Usually he was attempting to mold the world around him to satisfy his needs. Like creating his cavern out of the wetlands. Or twisting the native vegetation into a lethal defense around the temple. This time, he was trying to kill. As quickly as possible.

  As if sensing it was in danger, the nearby vines swung toward him, the thorns now the length of daggers. Micha didn’t falter. It was going to be a test of endurance to see if he could kill the creepy thing before it sliced him to ribbons.

  Braced for the painful strike, Micha was caught off guard when a large stone flew over his head to smash into the approaching vine with enough force to snap it in two. What the hell?

  A quick glance over his shoulder revealed a pale-faced Skye bending down to whisper words over an even larger rock. She hadn’t been able to stop the plant with her magic, but she could give him the opportunity to destroy it. As he watched, the rock levitated off the ground and soared toward yet another vine, knocking it backward as the plant screamed in fury.

  Grimly, Micha returned his focus to the power he was pumping through the vine in his hand. It wouldn’t take Skye long to deplete her magic, and then he would be at the mercy of the thorns. And worse, there were tendrils drilling their way through the ceiling, curling down to wrap around his head.

  “We’re going to take a very long vacation in the middle of the desert when we get out of here,” he muttered.

  “Maybe Antarctica,” Skye panted. “It’s smothering in here.”

  Micha allowed his icy essence to spread outward, wrapping it around his companion. “Is that better?”

  “Not really.” Her voice was tight, as if she was in pain. “There’s not enough air.”

  Micha swore as he realized that the magic of the plant was sucking the oxygen from the room. A potent means to kill both humans and demons.

  But not vampires...

  Sending one last blast of power through the plant, he watched in fierce satisfaction as the vines shuddered in agony, swaying back in an attempt to avoid the inevitable. The one in his hand no longer struggled. Instead it went limp as a darkness crawled over the sticky flesh, destroying the plant inch by inch.

  Once he was certain the fight was over, he dropped the vine and reached up to jerk away the clinging tendrils. Then, turning, he grasped Skye’s arm as she swayed to the side, her face turning blue. He ground his fangs together, resisting the urge to sweep her into his arms and carry her from the cave. They had no idea what new horror was waiting for them. He had to be prepared to fight if they were attacked.

  Cautiously leading her past the vines that had curled into tight balls, Micha impatiently knocked aside the tendrils that continued to drop from the ceiling. They were becoming more desperate as he neared the round hole that he assumed was the only exit.

  He paused as they reached the back of the cave, debating whether it would be safer for him to go first, and risk a rear attack on Skye or to—

  The decision was made as Skye leaned forward and scurried through the cramped opening. Micha rolled his eyes as he followed behind her, wondering why he thought for a second he might be the one in charge. Skye was going to do what Skye was going to do. End of story.

  Forced to bend nearly double, Micha awkwardly squeezed into the adjoining cave, instantly shrouded in utter and complete darkness. He hissed in fear.

  “Skye?”

  Slender fingers brushed over his arm, as if seeking to find him. Then they skimmed down to grasp his hand in a tight grip.

  “I’m here.”

  Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her waist, tugging her close. He didn’t sense approaching danger, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there.

  “Did we break through the ward?”

  “The first layer.”

  Micha squashed his burst of frustration. He hadn’t expected it to be easy. As far as he knew, no one had returned to the location of the Dragon Treaty since it’d been signed and sealed in the earth. Even the crystal that had been created by the mixing of vampire and dragon blood had been hidden beneath layers of a lethal hex that had killed thousands over the centuries.

  Still, the caves were scraping his nerves raw. He’d rather battle a horde of demons than stumble from one random disaster to another. At least he could be prepared for what was coming.

  “Can you breathe?” he asked.

  “Yes, but I can’t see.”

  “Neither can I.”

  “It must be a blinding spell.”

  He heard the rustle of movement as Skye lifted her arm. Then there was a ball of light that danced around her slender fingers. A soft glow spread through the space before it was abruptly gone. Like a candle being snuffed out.

  Micha had only a brief glance around the cave before it was once again plunged into darkness, but it’d been enough to reveal that it was half the size of the last one with a low ceiling. The good news was that there hadn’t been any vines ready to attack them. The bad news was that there were cracks in the floor that were filled with boiling hot lava. And even worse news, the cracks were swiftly widening.

  “That’s not good,” he muttered.

  “I used to play the floor is lava when I was bored and waiting for a customer to come into the tent, but I never expected to actually have to navigate one.” Micha didn’t need the acrid edge to her scent to know Skye was battling a sudden surge of panic. He could hear her heart pounding as if it were threatening to leap out of her chest. “We can’t risk stumbling through the dark.”

  “We can’t stay here.” Micha lifted her hand and pressed it against his lips. “I’ll go first. I can sense the heat and where the lava is spreading. Follow my footsteps exactly.”

  Turning, he held on to her fingers. Then, reaching back, he grabbed her other hand so he could wrap her arms tightly around his waist. Before he could take a step, however, Skye was burying her face in the middle of his back.

  “Micha, no. It’s too dangerous.”

  He hesitated. Should he ask if she’d had a vision? He didn’t want to. What choice did they have but to go forward? But while he was willing to take a necessary risk, he would be a fool to deliberately charge into a death trap.

  “Skye...” The question died on his lips as there was a pulse of heat against his stomach. Glancing down in surprise, he realized one of the charms dangling from Skye’s bracelet was hotter than the others. Much hotter. “Are you using your magic?”

  She stiffened in surprise. “No. Why?”

  “You’re hot.”

  “Micha,” she chided.

  Whirling back to face her, he held up her arm to reveal the charm that was surrounded with a dull glow valiantly battling against the oppressive darkness.

  “See?”

  “Oh, you’re right,” she breathed.

  “Is the magic reacting to this place?” he asked as the glow spread to encompass them, revealing Skye’s distracted expression as she stared at the charm.

  “Yes.”

  “That’s a good thing, right?”

  She didn’t answer, her head tilting to the side as if she was lost in her thoughts.

  “Right?” he repeated.

  She slowly nodded. “I think so. It’s reacting to the spell that’s stored in that particular charm.”

  Micha frowned. There was a hint of confusion in her voice that warned it wasn’t all good news.

  “And?”

  “It’s not mine. It’s Peri’s magic,” she revealed.

  As she spoke the name of her friend, the glow stretched and thinned until it no longer surrounded them but instead weaved itself into a golden strand. Micha instinctively stepped back as the thread arrowed toward the ground. Then, hitting the hard stone, it crawled across the cave toward the distant wall.

  The strange magic didn’t glow bright enough to light up the room, but as it curved past the cracks in the floor, it revealed the rivers of lava that continued to spread. Micha abruptly realized that the thread offered a safe path through the cave. Or maybe it’s a trick to lure us to certain death, a voice whispered in the back of his mind.

  Hard to guess which one.

  “Is Peri aware of what is happening?” he asked.

  Skye moved to stand at his side, studying the golden strand. “I don’t sense her presence, but her magic is oddly in tune with this place.” There was a long silence before he felt her give a sharp shake of her head. “Why would she have any connection to the Dragon Treaty?”

  The heat in the room intensified and the sound of popping stones echoed through the cave. The cracks were widening, allowing more lava to pump into the cave. Soon they would be cut off from any hope of escape.

  “Maybe we should worry about the whys later,” he warned. “I don’t think we have much time.”

  “You’re right.” She grasped his hand. “Besides, I trust Peri. She wouldn’t lead us astray.”

  Micha didn’t possess the same faith. Not when Peri’s magic had proven to be as unpredictable as it was powerful. But he trusted Skye. If she believed, then so did he.

  Gripping her hand in a grasp that was just short of painful, he inched his way down the narrow path, angling his body to block a portion of the heat that bubbled from the nearby lava. He was fully prepared to snatch her in his arms and toss her across the cave if the lava spilled onto the pathway.

  Thankfully, his heroic urges were unnecessary as they passed through the lethal maze and reached the far wall. There was no obvious exit, but the golden strand disappeared into the center of the wall. Skye reached out, laying her palm against the rough stones. That was all it took for the hidden door to swing open, allowing them to enter a vast cavern with a towering ceiling.

  Behind them the door slammed shut, but this time there was nothing ominous in the sound. In fact, it was a relief to have the screaming heat from the lava trapped behind layers of stone. There was an even greater sense of relief to realize they’d reached the cavern that had been revealed by the magical memory.

  There was no mistaking the mosaic tiled floor or the priceless gems that shimmered in the ceiling.

  “This is it,” Skye whispered, her thoughts echoing his own. “This is where they signed the treaty.”

  He leaned down to speak directly in his companion’s ear. “And there’s the fairy,” he warned, nodding across the cavern where he could catch sight of the male as he moved between the fluted columns. “Let’s have a word with him.”

  Skye nodded, walking next to him as he crossed the glittering tiles to approach Lynx from behind. As they neared, Micha released her hand, preparing for the fairy to attack.

  Lynx hadn’t come this far only to have his prize snatched away without a fight.

  If there even was a prize.

  Halting far enough away to react if Lynx was carrying a weapon, Micha watched the fairy as he ran his fist over the tapestry that covered the wall. He had the crystal clutched in his hand, no doubt using it to try to locate the Tempest. If his stiff back and rigid shoulders were anything to go by, he wasn’t having much luck.

  “Looking for something, Lynx?” he at last drawled.

  Uttering a sharp profanity, the fairy swung around to glare at them, his handsome features twisted with a smoldering wrath. Micha arched his brows. He hadn’t been wrong. Lynx was obviously infuriated by his inability to locate his promised key to world domination.

  “How the hell did you get in here?” the fairy snarled.

  Micha smiled, a portion of his own frustration easing at the knowledge the bastard was suffering.

  “Magic,” he answered, exposing the tips of his massive fangs.

  “Bullshit.” Lynx spit out the curse even as he flicked a worried glance toward Skye. “Only the descendent who controls the crystal can navigate the labyrinth.”

  The words were recited as if he was trying to convince himself he was the hero of the story and not some delusional jackass.

  “It wasn’t so much a labyrinth as a thick hedge and smelly sauna,” Micha taunted, deliberately minimizing the terror of their journey.

  Lynx clenched his jaw. “It doesn’t matter. You’re too late.”

  Micha arched a brow. “You have the sword?”

  “It’s here.”

  “Doubtful.”

  “Afraid I’ll find it, leech?” Lynx ground out. “You wouldn’t be so cocky if you couldn’t crawl out of your grave like a nasty zombie.”

  “Zombies are technically different creatures. We don’t crawl from our graves.” Micha stepped toward the fairy. “We’re resurrected in a new form.”

  “Stay back.” Lynx held up his hand that clutched the crystal, a reddish glow appearing to surround his hand.

  “Micha, be careful,” Skye called out.

  “Yeah, be careful,” Lynx taunted. “Listen to your girlfriend.”

  “Always,” Micha retorted without hesitation, coming to a halt. It didn’t appear that the fairy knew how to use the crystal as a weapon, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous. Anything connected to the dragons was a threat to vampires. “I’m wise enough to accept good advice when I hear it. Unlike some.”

  Lynx snorted at the obvious implication. “The day I take advice from a leech is the day I slit my own throat.”

  “This place has nothing to do with your precious Tempest.” Micha continued to provoke the fairy, hoping to keep him distracted long enough to strike. With a sweep of his arm, he indicated the vast cavern. “This is the place where the Dragon Treaty was signed. It’s a shrine to that moment, not to some mysterious demon legend.”

  Lynx stubbornly shook his head. “The sword is here. It has to be.”

  “Who told you the location?”

  “It was given to me...in a vision.” He glared at Micha as he stumbled over the words. “I’m the chosen one.”

  “A lie.” Micha didn’t need his skills to realize that Lynx was inventing his supposed vision. “Someone convinced you that you were a mystical hero, and you were so eager to believe them that you were willing to risk everything to claim your precious destiny.”

  Lynx flushed as Micha’s accusation hit him right where it hurt.

  His pride.

  “I’ve always known I was special,” the fairy hissed.

  Micha took another step forward, ignoring the pulsing red glow. “Who persuaded you to steal the crystal and come here?”

  “The Tempest is a kids’ story fed to every demon,” he insisted. “I just didn’t know that I was a direct descendent to the original Lynx.”

  “So how did you find out?” Micha pressed.

  Lynx’s eyes darted from side to side, as if seeking the nearest exit. Or maybe he was hoping the sword would magically appear so he could get rid of Micha once and for all.

  When nothing materialized, he returned his attention to Micha with a sour expression.

  “I was given a private diary along with this medallion from my ancestor.” Using his empty hand, Lynx reached beneath his shirt to pull out a large metal pendant hanging on a thick chain with an opal in the center. “The diary had an etching of a fairy who looked almost identical to me.” The green eyes flared with a fierce satisfaction at the memory. “I suddenly realized my dreams of leading the demon world hadn’t been empty fantasies. They’d been a glimpse into my future.”

  “Ah.” Micha abruptly chuckled. “You weren’t Lynx. You changed your name to match the story.”

  “It seemed appropriate.”

  “And the same mystery person who gave you the diary also told you that the crystal would lead you to the sword?” Micha demanded.

  “Eventually.” Lynx took a covert step to the side. Then another. Was he going to make a run for it? Behind him, Micha felt a hum of magic surround Skye, as if she had the same thought and was preparing a spell to stop the fairy. “First I had to prove I was the genuine heir,” Lynx continued, trying to keep them preoccupied.

  Micha didn’t care why he was sharing how he’d come to believe he was some chosen warrior. Not as long as he eventually revealed who’d been helping him.

  “By deluding a bunch of outcast demons to follow you into a losing cause?” Micha taunted.

  Genuine outrage rippled over Lynx’s perfect features. “I prefer outcasts. Any demon can survive by kissing the ass of a leech. It takes genuine skill to succeed with your own cunning. My horde is a team of survivors.”

  “You took over Dexter’s horde,” Skye abruptly intruded into the conversation. “They’re a team of idiots.”

  Lynx shrugged, conceding her point. “Some are more talented than others.”

  “So how did you prove your worth?” Micha prodded him to continue his story.

  There were more cautious steps to the side. Micha allowed the idiot to believe he hadn’t noticed.

  “After years of gaining a following among the demons, I wasn’t surprised when I was approached by a demon with royal blood and powerful connections,” Lynx boasted. “It was inevitable that my brilliance would be recognized and rewarded.”