Page 74 of A Kiss of Flame
Tears welled up, her throat tightening. "Yes," she whispered. He’d nearly gotten himself killed trying to protect her countless times and was covered in the scars to prove it.
Merlin shook his head, a conflicted sigh escaping him. "I will tell you where to find him under two conditions,” he ground out.
Levian's heart surged with hope. "What? Anything."
"When this is over, you will return to me," he demanded. "And you will double-cross Vane." Levian hesitated, uncertainty filling her.
"You were right," Merlin said. "I should have told you more before sending you to Vane. I won't make that mistake again. Vane will expect a double-cross—it's what I would do. You merely have to think steps ahead of him. You’re not as naive as the last time you faced him, but the location will give him an advantage.”
Levian narrowed her eyes. “You want me to trick him?” she questioned.
“Vane likely has spies in Council,” Merlin guessed, “so you’ll have to be careful there until this is resolved, or he may make good on his threat.” Levian’s stomach heaved. “This whole affair is messy and wreaks of petty vengeance, which means it’s likely Vane is acting beyond the scope of his master. It’s even possible he will be punished significantly for losing what you’ve taken if he doesn’t recover the items quickly.”
Levian closed her eyes, trying to push out visceral agonizing visions of Barith being tortured and in pain. She needed a plan, a way to outmaneuver Vane. She had nearly escaped before, thanks to a few pixie flash bombs. Vane wasn't invincible—He was arrogant. She could use that against him. A rough plan began to take shape in Levian’s mind.
"He may have spies in the Council," she said, opening her eyes, her voice steady, "but he isn't the only one with friends."
Merlin smirked at that and stepped closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "And Vane seems to forget that even though I'm locked away in this forsaken place, unable to wield magick, I am still Merlin." He looked at her, his gaze fierce. "And I do not take kindly to him threatening my daughter or the dragon that holds her heart."
Chapter Twenty-Four
Barith let out a deep growl as he came to. Even in his haze, his body pulsed with distant pain, every muscle reminding him of their existence. Tsuki glared up at him with disgust.
Oddly, this wasn't the first time Barith had been strung up like this. His hands were bound above his head in thick, unbreakable fae silver chains, fastened to the center of a high stone archway. His feet dangled off the ground, his body tightly wrapped in an enchanted dragon net of the same fae silver. Each movement made the net constrict tighter, like a snake intent on crushing its prey. Every breath was a fight against the crushing weight; every shift of his wings sent jolts of pain radiating through him.
"It's about time," Vane grumbled as he stepped into the dim ring of torchlight, his tone dripping with bitterness. "I thought I might have to cut off more limbs to get you to rouse.”
Barith's fury simmered beneath the agony, his vision swimming as he fought to focus. The net tightened around him, squeezing mercilessly. Pain gripped him from every direction, but he could feel his limbs—each one still attached, though throbbing. Even his wings, smashed against his back, were still there. He tried to glamour them away, but the net's enchantmentheld firm, its cruel magic cutting off his power. Barith attempted to wriggle his tail, and sharp, piercing pain shot up his spine. He didn’t need to look to feel the end of it was missing.
With a primal snarl, Barith glared down at Vane, his eyes blazing with fire that matched the rage surging through him. Vane looked utterly amused, his vile rumble of laughter echoing off the cavern walls. The half-fae raised his bandaged right hand, where several fingers were missing thanks to Barith’s sword.
"You're lucky Tsuki convinced me not to take your wings instead," he said bitterly. "Or at least, not yet."
Barith roared, his fury blurring his vision. He jerked against the net, only for it to squeeze tighter, crushing his wings. The pain was excruciating, but he refused to give Vane the satisfaction of seeing his fear. Vane chuckled, sauntering toward the edge of the wide stone circle stretched beneath the arch.
Even through the fog of pain, Barith sensed they were underground. The air was cold, damp, and stale. Beyond the torchlight surrounding the edge of the stone platform, darkness loomed, heavy and impenetrable. A barely visible narrow path touched the edge of the stone and led into the gaping darkness. There was a round pit about six feet wide in the center of the stone just before the arch—the darkness within it defied the light, shifting unnaturally.
"What do you want?" Barith rasped, his voice hoarse and raw. There were four more cloaked figures beyond Vane and Tsuki—each obscured by a glamour and a black mask.
Tsuki glanced at Vane, who was busy adjusting the silver cufflinks on his dark grey suit. "Should I gag him?" she asked, her voice cold.
Vane huffed, snapping his fingers. Shadow coiled around Barith's mouth, silencing him instantly. Barith struggled, rage boiling within him. The net responded to his anger, tightening around him until he heard a sickening crunch from one ofhis wings. Pain exploded in his back, radiating through his entire body. He snarled, forcing himself to still, knowing each movement would only make it worse.
"We'll see if she managed to convince Merlin to give up our location,” Vane mused, his lips curling into a smirk.
Barith's heart jolted at the mention of Merlin. Relief and dread fought within him. Levian wasn't captured, but now he understood why he was being held captive like this: he was bait. The realization twisted his gut, filling him with a fresh fury. Barith had to stifle the urge to shift in his desire to tear more of Vane’s limbs from his body.
"We shouldn't have involved Merlin," Tsuki muttered, her eyes narrowing as she glanced at Barith disapprovingly.
Vane shot her a withering glare. "You're never any fun," he grumbled sourly, his irritation evident. He spoke loudly, addressing all the masked figures, “Even if Merlin convinces his daughter to stay away, I plan to get the blade and ring back from Council. Either way, we’ll succeed.”
Tsuki's scowl deepened. "If Merlin sends her, he won't send her unarmed," she pointed out, her voice tight.
Vane rolled his eyes. "Merlin is useless in The Prison, and his daughter is nowhere near his level. She's a spoiled, headstrong brat." Barith's blood boiled with flames in response to how he talked about Levian. "But I hope she'll beg Merlin to give up our location. If she doesn't, you can find her and finish what you should’ve the last time.”
Tsuki’s expression darkened, her lips pressing into a thin line at the sharp reminder that Levian had survived her Dökk blade attack in Manchester.
One of the masked figures stepped forward from the shadows, their voice muffled by the mask. "The Order will be displeased if we do not recover the items quickly."