Tears shown in her violet eyes as she nodded, “I know you will try, my love.”
“I will do more than try. Don’t give up now. I have a few tricks up my sleeve.” He winked, pushing love and reassurance through their mating bond. There was no way he was going to fail now that he had her in his sights. “I love you, Audrey Dobresou, and have every intention of making you mine forever. Now, sit tight while I figure this out.”
“I love you too, but please be careful. You don’t know what Adramelech’s capable of.”
“No, mo chroi’, it is he who does not know what we are capable of.”
Opening his mind up to his brethren, Rian joked, “So, fancy meeting y’all here.”
“Shut the hell up, kid, and tell us what you need us to do,” Maddox grumbled, but Rian could hear the smile in his voice, only proving exactly how crazy the old dragon truly was.
“Royce, can you still communicate with that little mate of yours?” Rian was careful not to say Kyra’s name lest Adramelech use it to harm her or any of those they’d left topside.
“Just barely. Seems like the bastard has put some sort of dampening on us.”
“Yeah, it’s the same between Sam and me,” Lance answered along with Liam and Jace about their mates.
“Calysta said I could use the Rose Quartz to contact her, but I have to be touching it and it’s in my pocket.”
Trying to think of a way for the pendant Calysta had given him to touch his bare skin, Rian’s thoughts were interrupted when Rory said, “I have an idea.”
Praying his younger brother wasn’t joking as usual, Rian asked, “And?”
“You and Kell are gonna have to do a little acrobatics, but since you’re already pirouetting over there it should be easy.”
Trying to contain his irritation that even hung up like a side of beef in the lower levels of hell his youngest brother could joke, Rian sighed, “Go on.”
“You’re gonna need to turn yourself to the left and face Kell.”
Turning on his toes, Rian stopped as he faced his scarred friend who had done the same. Rory then instructed, “Now, Kellan, take off your boot.”
“What the…? Exactly why do you want me to take off my boot, cause if this is one of your practical jokes, the Demon Lord will be the least of your worries.”
Laughing aloud, Rory continued with the sound of their hellhound guards snarling behind them. “You really have to learn to trust, man. You have to take off your shoe to be able to push the Rose Quartz in Rian’s pocket hard enough to tear through the lining and touch his skin underneath.”
“Oh, all right.” Kellan sounded surprised.
“Wait, Kell. I think you’ll be able to push harder with your boots on.” Then admitting something he’d never thought he would, Rian said to Rory, “Good job, bro.”
“I knew the O’Reilly brain was in there somewhere,” Royce quickly added.
“Yeah, screw you too, Roy,” Rory chuckled.
“Only the O’Reilly brothers could joke around in hell,” Lennox sighed.
“All right boys, you can blow sunshine up each other’s butts when we get outta here alive,” Drago grumbled. “Just hurry the hell up. From the little bit I can make out from Alicia, she says they have a plan, but Calysta has to talk to you, Ri, to make it happen.”
Kellan immediately took charge, “Lift your feet, Rian. I’m gonna swing your way and push your back against the wall then hold you there. We’ll have enough stability for me to push that stone through your pocket and for you talk to the Priestess and get us out of here. Sound good?”
Nodding his head, Rian was once again amazed by his friend’s ingenuity and willingness to do whatever it took to get them out of whatever situation they landed in. Kellan was a good man and a good friend, and had the scars to prove it.
Lifting his feet as instructed, Rian prepared for impact as Kellan moved his body back and forth until he was swinging like a child on the monkey bars. Watching his friend gaining momentum, swinging higher and higher, the Dragon Leader took a deep breath.
“Next swing, Ri.”
At Kellan’s words, Rian slowly exhaled, forcing himself to relax and go with the impact he watched hurdling towards him.
“OOMPH!” The air was forced from his lungs as his friend’s knees connected with the Dragon Leader’s midsection and then, “Shit!” flew from his lips as his back slammed against the stone wall.
