Page 420 of Primal Bonds

She hesitated, but she must have seen the wisdom of that because her body brushed against his and she was off.

The last thing he heard was a short series of clicks. I love you, too.

He watched until she was across the pond. Already she seemed stronger. She was going to be all right.

He turned and walked out of the pond.

The night fae warriors surrounded him. A fiery purple fae ball glowed in one of the male’s hands, but he didn’t need it.

Adric knew that if he didn’t cooperate, Rosana would be back in that cell so fast his head would spin.

“Here.” The other male tossed Adric his T-shirt and pants.

“The prince is waiting,” added the female.

As soon as Adric was dressed, the three warriors marched him back to the prince’s lair. Just before he walked down the steps, he caught a glimpse of Luc watching from a stand of trees, his too-thin face unreadable.

Adric expected to be taken to the prince, but instead the warriors took him back underground. He resigned himself to being locked in the cell again, but they kept going, navigating through a series of long, twisting corridors.

He gazed around, awed in spite of himself. The earth fada were considered master miners, but this beat anything he’d ever seen. The buildings aboveground were the tip of the iceberg. The night fae had an entire city down here. It must have taken centuries to carve out.

And still, they fucked with his clan, sucked its resources.

He shook his head, disgusted.

At last, they exited in an immense, windowless hall with soaring Gothic arches. Fanciful columns shaped like giant palm trees supported the ceiling with curved stone fronds. The only lighting was a handful of darkly shimmering fae lights ranging from purple to forest green.

Adric strode barefoot to the hall’s center, the warriors on his heels.

“Well?” he demanded of the shadows. “I’m here, Prince Langdon. Now what?”

Olivier appeared in a nearby archway clad in his butler’s uniform of black pants and crisp white shirt. His bow tie this time was lavender dotted with tiny white skulls.

“My lord. If you’ll follow me.”

He turned to go back the way he’d come, but Adric leapt forward and grabbed his arm. “Where’s the prince?”

The guards clamped cold fingers on him, yanking him away with superhuman strength. Furious, he fought against their hold, but the two men dragged his arms behind his back.

An iron dagger flashed in the woman’s hand.

He glared at her. “I demand to see Prince Langdon.”

“Be still, fada.” The blade hissed across his T-shirt, slicing through the material to his chest.

He jerked. It felt like she’d drawn a line of acid on his skin.

Her dark eyes flashed an unholy red. “I can bring you to the prince whole,” she said, “or I can bring you carved. Your choice.”

Adric narrowed his eyes. “Bite me.”

“If I may, Neoma?” Olivier stepped between them, forcing her back a step. To Adric’s surprise, she allowed it. He clucked his tongue at Adric. “My lord, there’s no need for this. My orders are to make you comfortable, provide you with dinner. The prince will see you tonight.”

Neoma sheathed the knife. The corners of her mouth turned up in a way that sent icy water down Adric’s spine. “Yes. Tonight.”

“Fuck that,” he snapped back. “I want to see the prince now.”

The warriors released him. Adric’s neck tingled. He spun around.

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