Page 127 of Dark Rival

He breathed hard again. Somehow he was tapping into the emotions of too many victims to count. He did not want to feel the horrors of a thousand strangers, unjustly destroyed by demonic hands or the capricious will of Fate. There was only one person he wished to find. Sweat poured down his body in streams.

The roiling mass of turbulent human emotion receded. The vast silence of eternity came yet again.

And then he felt a vague ripple of fear, followed by the nearly intangible rush of anger.

It was Ailios. He had little doubt. He closed his eyes, controlling his breathing, his mind. Tell me where you are.

At first there was no answer. The fragile sense of her fear and anger vanished. His heart wanted to panic. He would not let it do so. And then her fear slithered through him, intensified, and this time it was followed by the heavy weight of evil.

Royce straightened. He knew without a doubt that he had found her and she was in Moffat’s control. But where were they?

Ailios, hear me. Where are you?

There was no answer, although he waited hours for her to respond. All the while, he strained to sense her again. And when he did, the anger was gone; there was only fear and alarm. Ailios, feel me, hear me. Where are you?

It remained an incredible feat to feel her, and that told him that she was far away, in another time. How would he find her? She could be anywhere….

He was ready to give up. She was too far away for him to contact her with telepathy. He had to make contact with Moffat. He would offer a trade—himself for Ailios. And then he must pray that Moffat wanted him, not Ailios.

He whirled to go to the door and came face-to-face with Elasaid.

Royce froze. Her shimmering face was strained with worry. He hesitated and instinctively reached out to touch her, certain she was a ghost. “Elasaid?” His hand drifted through her shape and form, for she was just an image etched onto the air.

She said, “He has taken her to Eoradh.”

He was shocked. Moffat had taken her back in time to the place where Brigdhe was imprisoned. He could barely assimilate what this meant. He was about to leap when she seized his wrist. She had no corporeal form, but he felt her touch, like the caress of a cool breeze on a chill winter night.

“The gods bless you, Ruari. Go with caution into your enemy’s trap.”

SHE WAS BAIT.

“You’re frightened for your lover,” Moffat murmured. “Well, I cannot reassure you.”

Allie felt her heart hammering in alarm. “Why bother with such an elaborate trap? Why lure him here to this time? Royce dies in 2007. You murder him.”

Moffat’s brows lifted in surprise. “Is that a ruse on your part, Lady Ailios?”

He didn’t know, Allie thought, her heart jackhammering. And that meant that a modern-day Moffat had murdered the modern-day Royce. It meant that they must kill him now and forever remove the menace he posed to them.

He seized her and pulled her close. “Ah, well, it doesn’t matter. He murdered my favorite lover. Ever since, I have been planning his destruction. My trap is perfect now. I will not sit by and let him live after what he has taken from me.” Moffat let her go.

Allie backed away, rubbing her bruised arm. This was a burning vengeance, a crime of passion.

“He hates me. He won’t come.”

Moffat gave her a long look. “Oh, he’ll come.”

Allie didn’t bother to ask why he’d chosen this time and place. She already knew. He wanted to emotionally destroy Royce. He would be devastated to return here, to see his wife again, this way, in Moffat’s hands. And she knew Moffat was right.

Royce would never leave her here. Their affair might be over, but he would rescue her. He would die to do so.

She was so afraid for Royce. She did not like Moffat being there with Kael, allied against Royce. She didn’t have to understand the rules of the universe to know that if young Royce failed to destroy Kael, Royce would be killed. But everyone kept insisting the past could not be changed. She prayed now that it was written in stone.

“Let us go.”

Allie stiffened. “Go where?”

“I promised Kael you’d heal his brother. I can hardly walk into another man’s home and take it over for myself.” He took her arm. “Not even in this primitive time.”