Then a ring of red appeared in her eyes. A red that looked like fire. The ring spread. Flared hotter. The red expanded until flames consumed her eyes.

“Now you”—he had to lean forward to hear her whispered words—“run . . .”

Beneath his hands, her skin continued to warm as the fire flickered higher in her eyes.

Run.

He tried to stand, but the SP tranqs had numbed his body. He fell to the ground beside her. That was where he wanted to be. Close to her. Close.

Flames erupted, covering her flesh. The heat blasted across his skin. Several of the guards cried out, and he saw them, burning. How does it feel?

The guards hit the ground and tried to roll in an attempt to put out the fire.

But that fire wasn’t dying.

Neither was Sabine.

As he watched, she rose. Covered in those flames, she rose. The fire was flying out from her body, hitting guards, seeming to deliberately attack them while none of those red-orange streaks were coming at him.

Because his phoenix was controlling her fire.

He’d never see anything more beautiful or more deadly, and he knew that he never would again.

“Shoot her!” Wyatt screamed. “Shoot her until she goes down!”

The remaining guards were trying to shoot, but the SP tranq couldn’t penetrate the wall of fire around her.

Ryder’s eyes wanted to sag closed, but he forced his gaze to stay open. Sabine had the strength right then. This was her moment. She could . . . “Get . . . away.”

Through the flames, he saw her head turn toward him. Her hair seemed to be floating in the fire, and a rough brush of wind—hot wind—whispered over his skin.

“Now’s . . . your . . . chance,” he managed. He wouldn’t be able to stay conscious much longer. But he didn’t have to last long, just until she escaped. “Go!”

And she did. Sabine—his phoenix—turned and rushed into the woods. The flames around her dimmed as she reached the trees.

“Shoot!” Wyatt yelled.

More SP tranqs were fired at her.

But Sabine disappeared into the woods.

She’d gotten away. Hell, yes.

His head fell back against the ground. Ryder stared above him. The sun. Big and bright, and, right then, f**king gorgeous.

He could always think clearly when the SP tranq hit him. He just couldn’t move his body an inch. It took all of his strength to keep his eyes cracked open just a few minutes more.

Vampires were supposed to hate the daytime. It made most of ’em weaker.

Not him.

The tranq was doing that all by itself.

Then he couldn’t see the sun. Not because his heavy lids had finally closed, but because Wyatt stood above him, blocking the view. “Don’t worry,” Wyatt assured him. “We’ll get her back. I’m sure that last shot hit its mark.”

No!

Wyatt offered a smile. “Perhaps if you cooperate fully with my experiments, I’ll even let her visit your cell once more.”

Ryder tried to turn his head so that he could look over and see the woods. Sabine had gotten away. Wyatt was a lying sack of shit. He was—

A guard was carrying Sabine’s limp body from the trees.

“Oh, didn’t I mention?” Wyatt murmured. “I had guards waiting in the woods. Just as a precaution. They had orders to dose her with the SP tranq until she went down.”

Son of a—

“When you wake up,” Wyatt told him, “you’re going to be very, very hungry.”

His lashes were closing.

“Sorry, but I’m afraid I’ll have to drain you nearly dry. For science, of course.”

Science could f**k off.

His eyes closed.

I’m sorry, Sabine.

He’d promised her freedom. One way or another, he’d find a way to keep that promise.

Sabine was naked.

When Ryder opened his eyes, she was the first thing he saw. What a damn fantastic sight. His body hardened and he lunged for her.

Only to be yanked back—before he could touch that smooth skin of hers—by the heavy chains that wrapped around his wrists.

Sabine flinched. She lifted her head, and her eyes—dark once more, no longer flaming red—met his.

His memory flooded back. The escape. The fire. Her. “You didn’t get away.”

She just stared back at him.

Hell, did she even know who he was?

She’d pulled up her knees. Wrapped her arms around her legs. Sabine was shielding her body from him.

A good idea, because the lust cutting through him was already reaching a fever pitch, after just a few seconds.