He scoops me off my feet, twirling me around in the air before placing me safely back on my feet. “Beautiful and gracious. Rhune really knew what he was doing when he stole you away.”
At the reminder of my situation, my expression shutters, and I pull back from a very confused-looking Nyx. “So… we going to continue with the tour?”
Nyx inspects my expression for another few moments before nodding. “Of course. Follow me.”
He leads me down a long icy tunnel, the walls made of the same dark blue ice-rock as Rhune’s bedroom. As we walk, I seeseveral darkened doorways—some bare, others covered with the same tan-colored hide Rhune had in front of his entryway.
I look forward and notice a speck of light at the end of the tunnel, growing larger with each passing minute.An exit.
My heart soars, and I begin formulating an escape plan. If I can distract Nyx somehow, I can make a break for it. Then I just have to find one of those weird portal things, and I can go home. Easy.
I try to keep my excitement under wraps as we near the exit of the tunnel. I take a deep breath, squinting in anticipation of the sun. Except, there is none.
What I believed to be an exit is simply another large chamber deep in the ground. The space is larger than twelve of Rhune’s bedrooms, and the walls are a far lighter blue color. It’s much brighter in this space, which is why I thought it was the exit.
I turn in a slow circle, taking in the towering walls, the sloped ceiling. My eyes catch on a dark tunnel at the opposite end of the room, and dread hardens in my gut.That can’t be the exit…
Slowly, I walk over to the tunnel, feeling Nyx’s watchful eyes on me the entire time. Crouching down, I poke my head inside, turning so I can see where it leads. There’s a tiny speck of light at the far end—theactualsun—and the sight makes my dread turn to despair.
“How far down are we?” I ask.
“I never thought to measure. Twelve lengths of my cocks?”
I pull myself out of the mouth of the tunnel to glare at him. “More like a million, I bet.”
He chuckles. “You wound me. Would you like to put your theory to the test?”
“I’d rather not.” My cheeks heat as I remember the long, hard lengths of his cocks pressing into my back earlier. “So… hypothetically speaking… there’s no way for a human to get out of here?”
His smile grows. “Now that you mention it… no. There’s not.” He leans in, whispering, “It seems you’re trapped here with me.”
I shiver, desire coiling low in my stomach. I’m confused, and don’t know why I’m reacting to him this way—but I’m powerless to do anything about it. It’s like my soul is reaching out to him, desperate to touch and taste and be one with his.
But that’s insane.
Just then, a loud yowl breaks out over my shoulder, startling me out of my lust-filled haze. I jerk away from Nyx, putting some much-needed space between us. Ignoring how my heart clenches in protest, I turn my attention past Nyx’s shoulder.
A large panther sits at the edge of the shadows, its glowing feline eyes glued to my frame. Its fur is a beautiful turquoise shade—thick, shiny and soft. Just like Rhune’s capybara, there is a distinct symbol glowing from beneath the hide on its chest, but it’s not anything I recognize from earth.
I yearn to reach out, to run my fingers through its pelt to see if it’s really as soft as it looks. But then I remember it’s a dangerous feline that could rip my throat out with one swipe, and I think better of it.
“Um… Nyx?”
He turns his head, and his eyes seem to glow brighter the moment he notices the panther. “There you are. I was wondering when you’d come and greet our guest.”
The panther steps forward, its massive clawed paws silent on the icy floor. It slinks right up to Nyx, pushing its head against his leg as a deep purr rumbles through the air.
“Easy, girl.” He reaches down, scratching behind the massive cat’s blue-green ears.
“She’s yours?”
“My familiar. Her name is Circe.”
“She’s beautiful.” I watch in awe as Circe begins licking at Nyx’s palm.
“She’s cunning and fickle. This is merely a tactic to entice me to give her some of the welwig sap I keep in my room.”
Her brows rise. “Sap…?”
