large room filled with old mining equipment. Ariel stopped, stricken by the sight. She heard Jarrett mutter a low curse.
Her father sat in a corner, surrounded by the other Fae. Pale light spilled from their eyes. The irises were pale and glowed gray. Ariel raced over to her father and fell to her knees by his side.
“Father, tell me, why are you here?!”
“The land,” Cael mumbled. “It’s tainted. The meadow. Jarrett’s meadow, fenced off…”
“I know. What happened?”
“Can’t kill it, can’t eliminate it. Not us. Only Jarrett.”
Then he fell forward, collapsing to the ground. A moan came from him. “Can’t stand the sunlight, the exposure, too bright, too much, hurts my eyes. Keep it dark. Safe. The monster.”
“What monster? Father, please!” Ariel shook his shoulder but he did not respond.
Jarrett squatted down and gently propped Cael upward. He felt his pulse. “He’s alive. For now. We have to get him out of here.”
Lifting her father as if he weighed no more than a child, Jarrett started out of the mine. But the minute sunlight touched Cael’s face, he screamed.
She felt a jolt of agony rush through her, her father’s pain her own, a cold knife sliding over flesh. “Take him back into the dark!”
Jarrett ran back into the mine and gently laid Cael on the ground. He rubbed the back of his neck as he stood. His expression was humble and contrite. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I don’t know what this is, how to cure it…”
He took a deep breath, punched the rock wall. Shards shattered under the impact. Jarrett studied his bruised and bleeding knuckles.
Then he glanced at Ariel and his eyes widened.
“The Luminaire,” he said hoarsely.
Ariel lifted the charm in her hands. But its light stuttered, like a flame disturbed by a breeze.
A slow, sluggish feeling invaded her limbs. She felt her muscles cramp with coldness, and turned as she heard a screeching howl rush from deep inside the mine.
Ariel pushed Jarrett against the wall as the black mass whirled forward. Then it slammed into her, engulfing her in icy coldness. She saw the truth hidden in the darkness, howling like a banshee. The reason her people were dying.
The last thing she saw was Jarrett’s face, stricken and pale, as he shouted her name.
Then the grayness rose up and she fell into it.
Ariel sagged against the cave well, listless and desolate.
Frantic, Jarrett clasped her shoulders and shook. “Ariel! Come back to me, sweetheart. Don’t fade away.”
Fear clogged his throat, stealing away his breath just as it had when he’d gathered Chloe into his arms, begging her not to die. Watching the blood trickle from her forehead and spill onto the cold ground. The earth would not claim Ariel as it had claimed Chloe.
Jarrett dug his thumbs into her shoulders, squeezing hard. Hating the sound of her pain, but knowing he must force her into consciousness. If she slipped away, she might never wake up.
She was light to his darkness. Life was about balance, she’d said. Light and dark. Violence and peace.
“Making war and making love,” he’d teased, and she’d blushed.
Making love. The antidote to this dead coldness. Fill her with warmth, heat her with passion and chase away the demon darkness.
“Ariel.” He bent his head, brushed his mouth against her cold lips, chilled as the granite surrounding them. “My Ariel. Come back to me. Come on, sweetheart. You can do it.”
He deepened the kiss, coaxing a response.
She did not move. Her mouth was icy and he recalled kissing Chloe one last time, life leaving her body, her mouth growing cold.
Never again. Jarrett fisted a hand in her hair, held her still and blasted all his passion into the kiss. Desire had flared between them like a roaring flame.
He would not let the fire die.
The beast inside, trembling with need and sensing a loosening of restraint, growled in approval.
Jarrett thrust his tongue into mouth and crowded her against the wall. He let
Her father sat in a corner, surrounded by the other Fae. Pale light spilled from their eyes. The irises were pale and glowed gray. Ariel raced over to her father and fell to her knees by his side.
“Father, tell me, why are you here?!”
“The land,” Cael mumbled. “It’s tainted. The meadow. Jarrett’s meadow, fenced off…”
“I know. What happened?”
“Can’t kill it, can’t eliminate it. Not us. Only Jarrett.”
Then he fell forward, collapsing to the ground. A moan came from him. “Can’t stand the sunlight, the exposure, too bright, too much, hurts my eyes. Keep it dark. Safe. The monster.”
“What monster? Father, please!” Ariel shook his shoulder but he did not respond.
Jarrett squatted down and gently propped Cael upward. He felt his pulse. “He’s alive. For now. We have to get him out of here.”
Lifting her father as if he weighed no more than a child, Jarrett started out of the mine. But the minute sunlight touched Cael’s face, he screamed.
She felt a jolt of agony rush through her, her father’s pain her own, a cold knife sliding over flesh. “Take him back into the dark!”
Jarrett ran back into the mine and gently laid Cael on the ground. He rubbed the back of his neck as he stood. His expression was humble and contrite. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I don’t know what this is, how to cure it…”
He took a deep breath, punched the rock wall. Shards shattered under the impact. Jarrett studied his bruised and bleeding knuckles.
Then he glanced at Ariel and his eyes widened.
“The Luminaire,” he said hoarsely.
Ariel lifted the charm in her hands. But its light stuttered, like a flame disturbed by a breeze.
A slow, sluggish feeling invaded her limbs. She felt her muscles cramp with coldness, and turned as she heard a screeching howl rush from deep inside the mine.
Ariel pushed Jarrett against the wall as the black mass whirled forward. Then it slammed into her, engulfing her in icy coldness. She saw the truth hidden in the darkness, howling like a banshee. The reason her people were dying.
The last thing she saw was Jarrett’s face, stricken and pale, as he shouted her name.
Then the grayness rose up and she fell into it.
Ariel sagged against the cave well, listless and desolate.
Frantic, Jarrett clasped her shoulders and shook. “Ariel! Come back to me, sweetheart. Don’t fade away.”
Fear clogged his throat, stealing away his breath just as it had when he’d gathered Chloe into his arms, begging her not to die. Watching the blood trickle from her forehead and spill onto the cold ground. The earth would not claim Ariel as it had claimed Chloe.
Jarrett dug his thumbs into her shoulders, squeezing hard. Hating the sound of her pain, but knowing he must force her into consciousness. If she slipped away, she might never wake up.
She was light to his darkness. Life was about balance, she’d said. Light and dark. Violence and peace.
“Making war and making love,” he’d teased, and she’d blushed.
Making love. The antidote to this dead coldness. Fill her with warmth, heat her with passion and chase away the demon darkness.
“Ariel.” He bent his head, brushed his mouth against her cold lips, chilled as the granite surrounding them. “My Ariel. Come back to me. Come on, sweetheart. You can do it.”
He deepened the kiss, coaxing a response.
She did not move. Her mouth was icy and he recalled kissing Chloe one last time, life leaving her body, her mouth growing cold.
Never again. Jarrett fisted a hand in her hair, held her still and blasted all his passion into the kiss. Desire had flared between them like a roaring flame.
He would not let the fire die.
The beast inside, trembling with need and sensing a loosening of restraint, growled in approval.
Jarrett thrust his tongue into mouth and crowded her against the wall. He let
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