Rhodack refused to let go of Rina. He didn’t want her pulling one of her little disappearing acts again.

He remembered this part of the demons’ lair and could almost smell the dark magic in the air. His gargoyle was on high alert. The gargoyles may have wiped out most of the demons, but that didn’t mean there weren’t traps laid for them.

“Do you know where you’re going?” Rina whispered behind him.

The dark tunnel that led to the lair deep within the mountain was provided shallow light by the fire scones hanging on the walls. It grew narrower the deeper they went. The damp air held a hint of magic and deceit.

They were growing closer to the necromancers.

He grunted, having memorized every place the demons had dragged him along. He would have loved to be the one who’d killed Geica but he had gained satisfaction watching Rina throw her from the dragon. It was almost as pleasing as when he’d taken the lives of the three demons who’d thought they’d be able to take him down.

Voices echoed through the caves. He slowed down, feeling the muscles in Rina’s arm tense. He strained to hear the words that were floating through the air, but he was unable to make them out.

They came to a fork in the cave, and instantly he knew which way to go. Geica had made him follow her out of the lair as if he were a lovestruck puppy.

“This way,” he murmured.

The voices grew louder as they made their way through the dark cave. What little light they had started to dissipate as they drew closer to the demons’ hidden lair. The building designed deep within the mountains would have been damn near impossible to find without clear directions.

The narrow path opened up to a large cavern, and he froze in place. Rina slammed into his leathery wings with a curse.

“What—” she exclaimed but drew silent as she peeked around him.

Before them, her father was frozen in the air, being controlled by Chukai. The other Fae warriors were petrified in place on the ground.

“Father!” she screamed.

She tried to dart past, but Rhodack grabbed her, pressing her back against his chest. He held her in place, and she struggled to break free.

“Let me go!”

“Ah, you’re just in time to see me drain the power of the king of Faery,” Chukai snarled, his light force holding the king above them.

The other two necromancers stood behind Chukai.

“Run, Larina!” the king shouted, struggling against his invisible bonds.

“No need for her to run. She will be next. My king will be pleased. Not only will we bring him the powers of the king of Faery, but that of the princess, too,” Chukai bragged.

“You will not touch her.” Rhodack’s muscles tightened.

“Oh? And who will stop me?” Chukai taunted, his eyes narrowing on Rhodack. “If you think the princess pushed the rest of the necromancer magic from you, then think again.”

“You cannot control me any longer.” Rhodack’s breath caught in his throat; the feeling of having control of his own body started to disappear. Panic filled his chest.

Not again.

He released a curse and tried to move his fingers, but they tightened on Rina instead.

She cried out from the force of his grip.

“What have you done?” he roared. He held her to him, lifting her off her feet.

“I let you think that the magic the demons put over you was gone. Do you really think it would just vanish the way it did?” Chukai boasted.

The king roared.

Rina cried out in his arms, pain evident as she tried to break free from his embrace.

The sound shattered his stone heart.

He would never knowingly hurt his mate. His gargoyle would forever protect her if it wasn’t for the damn necromancer magic. His beast snarled, feeling helpless for the first time in his long life.

“I’m so sorry, Rina. I can’t control myself,” he whispered against her ear, smelling the hint of her tears. He wanted to roar to the sky for being the cause of her pain, of the tears and any scars from his sharp talons.

As a guardian protector, there was one thing he knew he wouldn’t hesitate doing for her.

Give his life for hers.

“I know,” she whimpered.

“You have to stop him,” he gasped, trying to fight the necromancer’s hold on him, but he was losing the battle.

“But I don’t want to hurt you,” she moaned.

“Bring her to me, gargoyle,” Chukai commanded. “I think just for fun, I’ll drain her right in front of you, Khantar.”

“I will see you in Hell, Chukai,” the king snapped, his eyes filled with distain as they were trained on the necromancer’s who stood before him.

Rhodack knew he would have to sacrifice himself to save Rina.

“Do it. Use whatever magic you have to take him out.” Rhodack slowly shuffled his feet in the direction of the necromancer. “I refuse to turn you over to him.”

Chukai moved his head and let a devilish grin spread across his face while he watched Rhodack come toward him. A whimper slipped from Rina’s lips as Rhodack’s arms tightened once again. He was sure he was slowly cutting her air supply off.

“Rina! Do. It. Now!” he ordered.

Her body stiffened, and a scream poured from her. A bright light filled the cavern. The hot energy singed his flesh with the increase of her power. The strength of her energy blast shook the ground, sending his body flying through the air.

The ground was unforgiving as he landed with a thud. He rolled on the rocky ground, the rocks and earth falling all around him. Pain gripped him while he lay there, feeling himself fading to darkness.

“Rina,” he gasped, then darkness claimed him.

Rina’s eyes flew open. Pain infused her body, and for just a second she was confused.

Where was she?

She groaned and tried to move but found herself buried underneath rocks and rubble. She heard her name being called and winced at something sharp digging into her side. Something warm trickled down her flank near whatever was prodding into her skin.

“Rina!” Her father’s frantic voice filled the air.

“I’m here,” she replied weakly.

Memories flooded her.

“Rhodack!” she cried out, pushing rocks and dirt off her then pulling herself up to a standing position.

Rhodack had demanded that she use her powers to take out the necromancers. She’d hesitated at first, not wanting to harm him.

But he was a gargoyle.

He was practically indestructible.

“Rina!” her father cried out.

She squinted in the dark, seeing her father climbing over large boulders, trying to make his way to her. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, are you okay?” she asked. Her gaze roamed over her father, finding him filthy, covered in bruises, but otherwise unharmed.

He held out his hand for her, helping her down from where she’d been buried.

“I’m fine.” He gripped her to him in a tight hug.

She returned it but immediately grew concerned.

Where was Rhodack?

“What happened?” she whispered, looking around at the once-open cavern.

“You almost blew us all to smithereens,” her father replied as they took in the rubble.

“Rhodack! Rina!” a voice echoed with flashes of light, providing some illumination.

She glanced toward where the opening of the cavern that led to the outside was barely accessible. Gargoyles worked frantically to move the large boulders that filled the area.

“I’m over here!” she cried out.

Vikuth’s voice grew closer. Her father and her scrambled toward where Vikuth and his men were.

“What happened in here? We heard a large blast, and the entire mountain shook. Did a bomb go off in here?” he asked.

Rina and her father stumbled over to him.

She paused and looked around, trying to find any signs of Rhodack.

But she also realized she’d forgotten something.

“Where are the necromancers?” She gripped her father’s arm.

He turned to her with a grim expression on his face. He nodded toward the other corner and raised his hand, emitting a bright light. She followed his ray of illumination and gasped, almost losing her balance at the sight that greeted her eyes.

The three necromancers were impaled by long shards of rocks, their bodies deathly still. They slumped over the rods of stone embedded into the earth’s wall.

“Oh…my…” She was unable to form a solid sentence as she looked at her handiwork. She swallowed hard and shook her head.

Holy mother of—

“I have to find Rhodack,” she murmured, panic rising in her chest.

She turned and glanced around the cavern and knew Rhodack was somewhere amongst the destruction she’d caused.

“Wait, princess,” Vikuth shouted.

They continued working on moving the rocks out of the way. Her father began helping to shift the rubble to allow the other gargoyles to reach them.

She raised her hand, knowing that with the link they’d already shared, she should be able to locate Rhodack the cavern. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the image of Rhodack’s face in her mind.

“Rhodack. Where are you?” she whispered. Tears burned her eyelids at the empty feeling in her chest. “No, it can’t be.”

She refused to believe Rhodack’s heart was no longer beating. He was a strong gargoyle, practically indestructible.

She stepped farther into the cavern, stumbling in the dark and over the stones. She pushed her powers out around the rubble, trying to find Rhodack.

She ignored her father calling her name as she continued farther.

There was no way in Hell she’d be leaving him buried in this mountain.

She gasped.

A heartbeat.

She scurried over to a thick pile of rocks, and the beat drew stronger. She dropped to her knees, ignoring the burning in them, and she knelt on the rubble. She began lifting a few of the rocks, and a hand fell from beneath one.

Rhodack.

“I found him!” she yelled, frantically trying to remove the rocks so she could reach him. She strained to push the rock, afraid to use her powers again. There was no telling what would happen if she did.

Vikuth shouted commands as they were able to finally enter the cavern.

“Move, princess. Let us get him,” Vikuth said, rushing to her side.

Gentle hands pulled her away as he and a few gargoyles began digging Rhodack’s body out.

“Back up, Larina. Let them get him.” Vikuth wrapped her up in his arms once he’d got them to safety.

Her gaze stayed glued to where the gargoyles were working.

“He’s a strong warrior. He’ll make it,” Vikuth said.

“He’d better. I need him.”