“Are ye saying he has found a way to break through the time barrier?” Trevor shook his head. “’Tis not possible. Even Queen Aaibhe has lost that ability because of the curve …”
“Well, he hasn’t done it yet, but I have this awful feeling that he will—and soon. He was very confident.”
“Was he now?” Chance wrinkled his nose with a sneer. “And I’m still wanting to know why he took ye off alone and showed ye all this—and why didn’t ye escape him sooner?”
“I—he talked some nonsense about ruling the world and me at his side, and I stayed as long as I could bear it to find out what he was planning.” She grimaced at him and hurriedly added, “And as to why me—I am, in spite of what you think, a powerful Royal Seelie, and he no doubt believes he can entice me to his side and use my Seelie magic.”
“And were ye—enticed to his side … ?” Chance was bending to her, touching her arms with both his hands, and looking into her eyes.
She felt his penetrating blues search her face. What was he doing? What was wrong with him? Didn’t he believe her? She frowned at him. “No—how could you ask such a thing? What is wrong with you?” She shook her head and pulled out of his touch—it was so … too distracting to think when he was so close and looking so penetratingly at her.
“Right, so he is working his black magic to find a rift in time. Let’s put the Lugh Orb to work and see just where he is now,” Trevor said, calling them back to order.
“Aye then—have at it.” Chance turned away from her as Trevor took the Orb back from Royce and set it on a nearby high, flat stone.
Royce was all too aware of Chancemont LeBlanc. He sent shivers of pulsating excitement through her system, and something in the tone of his voice made her want to look at him all the time and listen to his every word.
She moved away from him, thinking she had to get some semblance of control over herself. She was behaving like an infatuated schoolgirl. Was she? Was she infatuated with him? A sigh escaped her; he was just loaded with way too much testosterone, his hormones were revving up hers, and that was much more than infatuation …
She had to get her mind off him and onto the subject at hand. She looked at Trevor, who sat cross-legged near the Orb. They followed suit and waited.
Trevor was a Prince of the House of Lugh, so the Orb would respond best to him. When it did just that, it startled Royce into a jump, for its voice was strong and clearly male. “I am the Orb of Lugh, and you are the young Prince Trevor.”
“Yes,” was all that Trevor responded, and Royce knew he was following proper etiquette.
“Yes, young Prince. Tell me what you need.” The Orb’s voice was low and self-assured.
“Well, I am not so very young—I don’t know why you have to address me that way,” Trevor objected.
Royce almost giggled and looked to find Chance rolling his eyes, but they both waited.
“You are the youngest. Prince Danté is the eldest,” the Orb answered logically and without emotion.
Impatiently, Trevor sighed and demanded, “Orb, this is important. Can you locate the Dark Prince Pestale?”
“I can locate him, yes,” the Orb answered.
Trevor grinned and looked at Chance, who gritted his teeth before he said grimly, “Then do it!”
“Shall I?” answered the Orb, addressing Trev.
He grinned and shot a superior look at Chance, who slapped him alongside his head before Trev laughed and said, “Yes, at once.”
Royce realized she was holding her breath as the Orb began to fill with colors. She released a moan of anticipation as she attempted to calm herself. Could it be this easy? It just couldn’t be this easy, could it?
And it wasn’t that easy.
The Orb worked to do its job, while waves of energy splintered throughout her brain.
A vision that began its process in the dark opened into lighter shades of gray and displayed Pestale’s face. He was laughing as he reached for someone. With a start, she realized who he was reaching for: her—he was reaching for her.
In the vision, Pestale pulled her into his arms, and she knew she was with him of her own volition. How was that possible?
She would never surrender herself to the Dark Prince. Never.
She watched as though her vision presented a stage with her as the star. She almost gasped out loud as she saw him take her into his arms and heard him whisper, “Now, my Princess—to bed!”
She jumped, and the vision was gone. She held a hand to her forehead.