Scorched by Darkness by Alexandra Ivy Read Free Book Online

he was, he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. Reaching out, he snapped his hands around his companion’s small wrist and squeezed until the creature gave a loud squawk.
    “Hit me one more time, gargoyle and I will turn you into a popsicle.”
    The indignant expression softened to wide-eyed curiosity as the creature gazed down at him.
    “Can you truly do that?”
    Finn muttered a curse, forcing himself to a seated position. He grimaced, and not just because of the lingering pain that throbbed behind his eyes. Nope. It was mainly in response to the fact that he was in a cramped space surrounded by walls of slick ice that towered toward a thick ceiling made up of the same ice.
    It had to be some sort of prison.
    “Christ, I must be in the netherworld,” he groused, cautiously rising to his feet.
    The gargoyle tilted his head to the side, as if he was actually considering Finn’s words. “ Non ,” he at last concluded with a twitch of his tail. “It is far too cold to be Hades’ domain. The god is old, but he can still put out some heat.” The gargoyle clicked his tongue. “The last time I visited, he singed my pretty wings.”
    Finn shoved his fingers through his hair, glaring at his tiny companion. Was the creature deranged? “What did you do?”
    Levet blinked. “Do?”
    Finn made a sound of impatience. “Where have you brought us?”
    “ Moi ?” Levet stiffened, his wings fluttering in outrage. “This is entirely your fault. I was standing next to you when a portal opened and—” He gave a wild wave of his arms. “ Voilà , we were sucked inside. Since no foe is foolish enough to dare my wrath I must presume they wished to capture you.”
    Finn scowled. Okay. It’d been a stupid question. Gargoyles, even miniature ones, didn’t have the skill to make portals. And they most certainly didn’t have the talent of forming ice prisons.
    It had to be the work of the mysterious stalker who’d been kidnapping his people. Ironic, really. He’d been doing everything in his power to find his tribe.
    Now it turned out he’d managed to fall into the same trap.
    Grimly he moved to place his hand against the slick wall that reflected his image. He had the power to endure the most brutal cold. He could also manipulate ice. But even as he released a tentative flare of magic, he knew it would have no effect on the wall.
    The ice was…odd. Almost fluid. And heavily spelled by a magic-user that Finn had never sensed before.
    “Damn,” he rasped, lowering his hand.
    Levet gave a small sniff. “Precisely.”
    Accepting he wasn’t going to be able to easily force his way out, Finn turned back to the gargoyle. “Did you see who created the portal?”
    “ Non .” Levet hesitated, as if struck by a sudden thought. “But I smelled rosemary as the portal opened.”
    “Rosemary?” Finn clenched his hands. So this was the gargoyle’s fault. “Is she a gargoyle?”
    Levet blinked. Then blinked again. “Rosemary is not a person. It is a plant.”
    Ah. Finn shuffled through his considerable knowledge of demons. He’d never heard of any of them smelling like rosemary.
    “A witch’s spell?” he at last guessed.
    Levet gave a shake of his head. “A Sylvermyst.”
    Sylvermyst? Finn knew about the dark fey, although he’d never encountered one. They were distant cousins who had been banished centuries ago.
    “I thought they left this world?” he said.
    Levet wrinkled his short snout. “A few remained in hiding, and it is possible that there were some who snuck through during the battle with the Dark Lord.”
    Finn scowled. Was the tiny demon making shit up to sound important? Or could the outrageous claim be true?
    Finn shrugged. He knew the vampires had recently battled the ancient evil. Maybe a few nasty surprises had managed to return to the world during the fight.
    It wasn’t like he had a better suggestion.
    He folded his arms over his chest. “Why would they capture frost sprites?”
    Levet gave