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It wasn’t just the warmth from his body, or the scent of amber. It was his presence that flowed through the leash she’d placed around his mind. The connection was more intimate than usual, as if he was more a partner than a prisoner, but Sofie dismissed the sensation.
She had more important things to worry about at the moment.
“What is this place?” she demanded.
“I’m not sure.” Ryshi hissed as a large bolt of lightning zigzagged from the sky, striking the ground with sizzling force. “We need to find shelter,” he rasped, his gaze scanning the desolate landscape as another bolt slammed into a large rock that instantly exploded. He pointed toward a low hill where there appeared to be a small opening into a cave. “Over there.”
He took several steps before Sofie leaped forward to grab him by the arm. “Wait,” she commanded, smelling the ozone before the lightning streaked across the lead-gray sky. The second it faded she called out, “Now!”
Together they raced forward, forced to leap over several wide crevasses before they were diving into the low cave. Directly behind them, lightning hit close enough to shower them with pebbles as it struck the hard-packed ground.
They crouched at the back of the small space, watching the lethal bolts that were systematically wreaking havoc.
“This is…” Ryshi paused when the dirt above their heads sprinkled down as lightning hit the hill. “Unexpected,” he continued when the cave didn’t collapse. “I wonder if the minotaurs created this area of the labyrinth because of me?”
“Because of you? That’s a conceited assumption, even by your standards,” Sofie mocked. “Why would you assume that you’re so important?”
He shrugged. “I’m the only demon to enter the labyrinth and not only survive, but escape.”
All right. Sofie couldn’t deny he had a point. If he was truly the one and only creature to outwit the labyrinth, then it was possible they’d taken steps to make sure he couldn’t do it again.
Not that she was about to agree with the aggravating creature. Instead, she waved her hand toward their bleak surroundings.
“Why would they create this?”
He turned his head, but not before she caught a glimpse of his annoyed expression. As if he realized he was giving away more than he intended.
“Lightning is one of the few ways to disrupt my powers,” he grudgingly admitted.
It had to be his jinn powers, Sofie silently acknowledged. A fey creature was impervious to anything that was created from nature. Except iron.
“What happens?”
“I turn to smoke.”
Sofie frowned. She thought jinn preferred to travel through the world in that form. Who wouldn’t want to drift around, completely undetected?
“Would that be a bad thing?” she asked.
“I can’t move through the exit when I’m incorporeal.”
Oh. Okay. That made sense. Still, she wasn’t prepared to pander to his ego by accepting that the minotaurs had created an entire section of the labyrinth because of him.
“You know, it’s just as likely this area was created to protect against vampires.” It was no secret that vampires were highly flammable and that a lightning strike could potentially turn her into a small pile of ash.
“True.” He turned his head to study her with a curious expression. “I wonder if the magic sensed your presence.”
“I don’t intend to stay here long enough to find out.”
“Good choice.” She sensed him preparing to leave the cave. “Wait for me here. I’ll search for the opening.”
She grabbed his arm. “No.”
He made a sound of impatience. “You have my mind trapped. I couldn’t run away even if I wanted to.” With a swift motion, he twisted his arm so he could grab her hand and press it to the searing heat of his lips. “And trust me, I don’t want to.”
Sofie jerked, shocked by the sensation of being branded by his touch. “I’m not worried about you fleeing. I’m worried about you doing something stupid and getting yourself killed.”
He turned her hand over, nuzzling the sensitive flesh of her inner wrist. Hunger blasted through her as hot and explosive as lava.
