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“To run the city,” Raevina answered, a look of disgust on her face. “His glamours give him the perfect opportunity.”

“We have to go. Now,” Arianna said and tried to rise again.

“We will,” Talon promised. “Just give yourself a minute.”

“We need to plan this out,” Raevina said. “According to Gavin, Niall has spies everywhere. If we aren’t careful, he’ll discover you’re gone before we want him to. I can’t imagine he has kind things planned should that happen.”

“First things first then,” Talon said, turning to Gavin. “When is he coming back?”

Gavin shrugged. “I don’t know. Soon, I imagine. He never stays away long.”

“Okay, then you two will leave tonight,” Raevina said, looking between Talon and Arianna. “It should give you a head start. We’ll distract him for as long as we can.”

“What are we going to do?” Ellie asked.

“Prepare. Things are about to go to hell.”

Chapter Seventy

Rion

The female’s screams echoed through the hall again, chipping away at Rion’s nerves. He knew exactly what kind of hell Niall was unleashing upon her. The male liked to play with the body, but the mind seemed just as fun to him. He’d filled Rion with so many gruesome images that Rion knew he would see them in his nightmares for years to come. Maybe decades.

The halls fell silent and Rion froze, straining to listen for any sounds. None, then keys jangled before his door and Rion tried not to let dread sweep through him when Niall sauntered through. The male greeted him with a sadistic smile.

Niall cleaned fresh blood from his hands with what looked to be a filthy rag. He carried the oil lamp but didn’t bother setting it down.

“I’ll be gone for a while,” Niall said. “The child will see to it that you don’t die while I’m away.”

“Why tell me?”

“To gloat, I suppose. I have a female to woo, so I can’t be constantly disappearing. She and her little friends will be beginning to form a suspect list and I must remain as blameless as possible. She’s quite smart, your mate.”

He crossed the room and wrinkled his nose as if smelling something foul. “I just wanted you to know that I’ll be the one standing at her side during her coronation.” He lowered his voice. “And it might take a while, but when you finally feel that spike of pleasure down the bond, you’ll know who’s responsible.”

Rion’s vision went red. He yanked at the chains so hard his wrists cracked, but Niall just stepped back, laughing. “You’ve done all the hard work for me. The bond is barely hanging by a thread. One more move and it will shatter, and I’ll be there to comfort her through it. But don’t worry,” he added. “I’ll be sure to show you everything when I return. My name will be the only one falling from her lips and she’ll forget you ever existed.”

Rion yanked on his chains again, willing those bolts to rip from the ceiling.

Niall stopped then and turned back to face him. Something in the male’s scent changed and Rion froze. Niall’s features twisted into a smile so gruesome, Rion wasn’t sure if the male before him was Fae or monster.

“And since you’ll be here for an extended stay, I figured you might wish to know the name of your noisy neighbor.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “She is my absolute favorite, after all.” Rion waited, his mouth going dry. He knew this male thrived on pain and fear.

For a terrifying moment, Rion thought he’d hear his sister’s name or Ellie’s, and his gut twisted as he remembered the female’s screams. But the words that fell from Niall’s lips had Rion’s mind reeling and heart fracturing into a million tiny pieces.

“High Lady Eimear of Brónach.” Then, with a final sneer, he slammed the iron door, leaving Rion frozen in the stillness.

His world tilted and the rage that had been burning through him shifted to cold embers.

Rion ran through his memories trying to sort and piece together how it might be possible.

It couldn’t—it couldn’t be her. Niall was just trying to get into his head and mess with his emotions so the rest of the bond would break under the stress.

But Rion hadn’t scented a lie. Was that part of his magic, too? Rion’s heart pounded faster and faster.

Niall had shown Arianna a clear image of his mother the first day he’d toured them around the garden. What if the reason Niall could recall the memory so clearly was because he’d been obsessed with her?

Rion’s father had been fiercely protective of his mate, that hadn’t been a secret. He’d guarded her with his life as any mate would. But somehow, she’d still slipped away. Had Niall used a glamour to steal her away? Had he drugged his father? The guards?