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one of the few prisoners Noir had taken who’d
    survived. He, Delphine, who had been instrumental in saving them, and Zeth, one of the evil Oneroi Noir had
    turned, were now the leaders. And while Delphine led them, in this, he knew Madoc was his best hope.
    As for D’Alerian, he’d been the Dream-Hunter Noir had tortured and kil ed to find out that Solin had been
    the one who hid the key in the world of man. Bloody bastard for not keeping his mouth shut. And in the end
    what had it gotten him?
    A slow and painful death.
    Madoc pushed himself upright and crossed his arms over his chest. Annoyed, he let out one feral breath.
    “Fine. I swear on the River Styx that I won’t destroy the key. Now where is it?”
    Solin swal owed as another wave of pain ripped through him. He blamed himself for this. He should have
    known what would happen. But it was too late now to focus on what should have and could have been done.
    They had to fight and fight hard.
    “It’s currently in the hands of Noir’s guardian.”

CHAPTER 6
    Lydia paused as the demon reappeared in the room with her. Even though he stood as proud and fierce as
    he always did, she saw the shame and self-loathing in his icy blue eyes before he blinked and averted his
    gaze, then slowly limped to his desk.
    As he sat down in the ornately carved chair, she started to ask him if he was al right, but didn’t want to
    wound his pride any worse than it already appeared to be. There was no need to ask that when she could
    already tel he was embarrassed and upset.
    And it was painful y obvious that he wasn’t al right. He was hurting and she didn’t mean the physical pain
    of his injuries. An air of hopeless despair, and utter grief and sadness clung to him. She’d never seen
    anything like it. Not even in nightmares.
    Without a word, he careful y wiped at the fresh blood trickling from the corner of his nose and swol en
    mouth. There was more blood from his ear, running down his neck in a bright red stripe that matched his
    makeup. The fact that he ignored it completely told her just how often this happened to him. He no longer
    reacted to it.
    For some reason she couldn’t name, that image of him sitting there, looking so lost and yet fierce,
    touched a part of her heart and made her ache for him as if it were her own pain.
    He wore a mask of tough, unshakable power and yet …
    She didn’t see the demon’s painted-on face right now. She only saw the man who hid himself behind it.
    And even though they were enemies, she wanted to soothe that side of him.
    Maybe, just maybe, if she could reach it, he might help her and Solin. The gods knew he had no reason to
    side with Noir. Not when the bastard abused him so.
    There was a flesh and blood man inside his soul. One in eternal pain. And having been wounded and
    orphaned in a world that was suspicious of and angry at her kind, and hateful beyond belief, she understood
    the need to draw inward and hide. The proclivity to strike out and hurt them before they hurt her.
    It was a survivor’s instinct. A fighter’s way.
    But for Solin and his love, she wouldn’t have been any better or kinder than the demon was. There was no
    tel ing what she would have become ultimately.
    One person could make such a difference in someone’s life. Either good or bad. With their actions and
    words, a single individual had the power to save or destroy another.
    She’d been so lucky. Solin had appeared when she needed him and taken away her pain. He’d taught
    her to laugh again and to love, even when her past told her to keep her heart closed.
    But the demon …
    He didn’t have a Solin to hold him and tel him that everything would be al right. That he would kil anyone
    who harmed him, and protect him no matter the threat. A Solin who promised him that in time the pain of the
    past would fade to a dul ache and that he would learn to love and laugh again.
    Solin had been her greatest gift.
    Instead, too many had attacked this demon and