Page 76 of Her Lawless Prince

“It’s not him,” Payton whispered. Any relief she felt was short-lived. She knew those legs. “Yevgen.”

Tears rolled down her cheeks for her friend.

“Why would they burn Yevgen?” Grier finally released her as she stopped trying to claw out her own heart. “Why not disable him?”

“We have to find Nyle,” Payton said. “Fly up and see if you can—”

Grier leaped up from the ground, shifting into full dragon form before she could finish the request.

Shaking with emotion, Payton looked around the now empty clearing.

“Yevgen? Are you in there? Can you hear me?” She cleared the ash from the cyborg’s metal frame, willing his eyes to flash with light. Scorched marks discolored the metal, and heat had charred the wires. He’d come back from the dead once on Captain Rita’s ship. He could do it again. “Yev? It’s safe. You can turn back on.”

Yevgen didn’t react.

“Payton?”

She spun around at the sound.

Roderic emerged naked from the nearby trees, his fur retracting into flesh as he shifted back to his human form. His eyes darted behind her.

“Yevgen,” she said.

“Why did they…?” Roderic frowned. “Was it because he hacked their database?”

“I don’t know.” Payton shook her head. She took a deep breath and looked frantically around. “I can’t find Nyle. We must find him. Maybe they’re taking him to the ship. We have to stop them.”

“Payton, easy.” Roderic held out his hands to his sides as if trying to calm a feral cat. “You’re going to find him.”

“How?” She turned in circles.

“Feel him,” Roderic said. “He’s your mate. Feel him.”

“We’re not married. Yev…” She gestured at the cyborg. He still hadn’t turned back on. “None of this is right. This was not supposed to happen. They were safe at the palace.”

“If things were not so dire at the moment, I’d laugh at you for thinking your stubbornness was stronger than the will of the gods. I don’t care what you call it, you love him. Nyle is connected to you. That’s not something you can dictate. It just is. As real as the three suns. Now close your damned eyes and feel him.”

Payton closed her eyes. All she felt was panic and sadness.

“Picture his face. Imagine calling out to him with your mind,” Roderic said. “Which way is he?”

“I don’t…” Payton felt a small tingle along her temple. She began walking before she opened her eyes. She followed the instinct, going into the trees.

Searching as she walked, she came across a cougar guard from the Var palace lying unconscious on the ground. She leaned down to touch his neck. He was alive.

Payton saw feet poking through the underbrush. She rushed around a bush to find Nyle on the ground. Payton gripped his arm tight and forced him to look at her. Tears still wet her face, and she couldn’t stop shaking. “Nyle?”

He moaned. His legs moved restlessly as he fought to come awake. Seeing a mark, she pushed back the strands of his long black hair and found what looked to be a burn along the side of his neck.

Dark brown eyes opened to meet hers, and she released a grateful breath.

“I didn’t think I’d get to see you again,” he whispered.

“What happened?” Payton watched his mouth, wanting to kiss him even as she waited for an answer. Cupping his face with both hands, she stroked her thumbs over his cheeks. Warmth filled her fingers.

“I’m not sure.” Nyle blinked several times, his eyes turning toward the trees overhead. His lids fell heavy, and he looked as if he might pass back out.

“Hey, stay with me.” Payton moved his head to return his gaze to hers.

---