Read Online Fire and Ice by Sara York - Free Book Online Page B

to be too much of a challenge. Hell only knew what torture Rafe had planned for Alexandria.
    He jerked the chains again, pulling hard, letting them clatter against the floor. His powers were diminished, his body too small to be useful, and he had allowed himself to be captured by a demon. If he didn’t find Alexandria soon, Rafe would have her secreted away in the underworld, and he’d never see her again.
    The poor girl probably had no idea what the hell had happened to her, but it would be worse if she figured out her real predicament. He couldn’t believe God had gone to these depths to make His point. Okay, so Lash shouldn’t have meddled in Alexandria’s life, but love had made him desperate. Her soul had called to him for a long time but he guessed he’d waited too long. Then she’d almost died, and the thought of her slipping from his life without knowing how much he loved her had made his heart hurt.
    Rage filled Lash and he cried out, slamming the chains down hard on the floor. He pulled them up again, banging and knocking them to the floor over and over again, until exhaustion left him spent.
    No one heard his fit. It would be weeks before anyone found him, and then only if Rafe didn’t pay his rent. By that time, this body he’d been forced into would be dead. Without his powers to transform into another being, he would die.
    “ No! ” Lash refused to allow Rafe to win this battle.
    The sound of someone bashing through the front door startled Lash. He called out, praying that whoever came could find the key to unlock the chains he was shackled with.
    Mac burst through the closet door. “Lash, what happened?”
    The guy stepped forward and began pulling on the chains, the way Lash had been doing for the last few hours. Mac yanked hard on the chain, trying to break the clamp secured to the floor.
    “The damn thing won’t budge. I’ve been trying for hours to get free.”
    “I’ll go get a hacksaw.” Mac raced towards the door.
    “No, the metal is a special alloy. Hacksaw won’t cut it.”
    “Shit, what can I do to get you out?”
    “There’s a key. It’s the only thing that will open the lock.”
    “Any idea where the key is?”
    “No.”
    “Damn.” Mac paced out of the closet, then back in. “I’m going to look for that key, then you’re going to tell me what happened.”
    Lash slumped down on the floor. How could he explain what had happened with Alexandria and Rafe? The truth was too unbelievable, and he wouldn’t lie. Mac would have to deal with Lash running out as soon as the chains were unlocked.
    Mac banged around in the rest of the apartment, opening and shutting the drawers and cabinets, making a hell of a lot of noise. It seemed like forever before Mac came back, the smile on his face huge as he held up a gold key.
    “This is the only key I found in the place. Let’s hope this works.” Mac leaned over, about to slide the key into the keyhole.
    “Wait.”
    Mac hesitated. “What’s wrong?”
    “I have to be the one to open the lock.”
    “That makes no sense.”
    “Trust me. This is the way it needs to be.”
    Mac dropped the key into Lash’s open hand. He brought the key to his mouth, casting up a prayer before kissing the cold metal. Aiming the key to hit the lock took all of his dexterity. After the third attempt, and after Mac had grumbled more than any man should, Lash lined up the key with the lock and turned it. The shackles sprang off, dropping to the floor.
    Lash jumped up, not wasting any time explaining the lock or Rafe to Mac. He had little time to fix this situation, and Mac couldn’t help. Most likely, Rafe had taken Alexandria back to his old haunt. Taking a mortal to the underworld was tricky at best. She wouldn’t be able to return to this world easily, and that scared the shit out of Lash. What if he showed up too late and Rafe had done something stupid?
    Mac raced after him, but couldn’t match Lash’s speed. Lash was nowhere near as fast as