Page 15

Cadence

A week had passed since Ryker had uprooted my life and dragged me to the Unseelie Kingdom. I didn’t even know if he had delivered my letter to Callum, but I chose to believe that he had.

Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy overhead, and I watched the tree branches sway in the breeze as I meandered through the surrounding woodland. Small patches of gold dappled the forest floor, reminding me of my last day in the market back home.

A sense of longing settled in my stomach, but I pushed the feeling away as quickly as I could, fearing I would succumb to it and break apart where I stood.

A masculine grunt came from behind me, drawing my attention to the six guards following me as I explored the palace grounds. Malesh’s presence among the men gave me no small measure of relief. The man had glued himself to my side since I had saved him from certain death.

I had tried to convince him it was all in a day’s work, but he refused to hear it. When I pleaded with his wife to get him to stop, she only encouraged him further, telling me he had a debt to repay and that anything short of kissing the ground I walked on wouldn’t do.

The memory brought a smile to my lips.

If circumstances were different, I was certain I could have become fast friends with Melania. But I would never form connections in this kingdom, not with the band of gruff men stalking my every move.

They didn’t exactly give off welcoming vibes.

They were all trained soldiers, muscular and tall, and each carried enough weaponry to start their own army. People took one look at them and scurried in the opposite direction.

I’d hoped to discreetly test the collar’s limits, but my companions quickly dispelled that thought.

As I continued my stroll through the woodland, I relished the cool air that caressed my skin. It wasn’t my intention to wander so far from the palace, but when the scent of damp earth and pine filled my lungs, I was pleased that I had.

The deeper I ventured, the quieter the world around me became. I hadn’t realized how much I needed the silence until I had left the palace walls. Gone were the sounds of the busy courtyard. Deep within the forest, only the rustling leaves and the distant call of birds remained.

It soothed my aching soul and revitalized my senses.

The sound of water trickling over stones, gentle and persistent, caught my attention, and I headed in the same direction.

A thick grove of trees came into view up ahead, and I imagined they were ancient beings standing sentinel over the woodlands. Their trunks were wide and draped in moss, and their low-hanging branches seemed to lean toward something unseen, as if they were guarding the forest’s secrets.

As I parted the limbs, stepping through the natural barrier, a surprised gasp escaped me as I took in what lay before me. Beyond the trees was a small clearing, the bright sun lighting up the area and falling on a pool of shimmering water.

I couldn’t contain my excitement at the sight of the spring.

The water was crystal clear, and I could see the smooth stones lining the bottom. A wall of tall, thick ferns and boulders partially concealed the spring, almost as if the primordial forest sought to protect the hidden sanctuary.

I rushed toward the water and dipped my fingers in.

It was cold but not biting.

“Cadence, be careful near the edge,” Malesh warned.

Lost in the spring’s beauty, I’d forgotten about the men trailing me. I turned to appraise him, and a wicked grin spread across my face. Malesh groaned as if he already knew what was coming next.

“Eyes downcast.”

His panicked tone made me chuckle, but their obvious discomfort did not dissuade me. The spring was so inviting that it felt wrong not to bask in nature’s beauty.

I wasted no time as I kicked off my boots and slid my dress from my shoulders until it pooled in a soft heap on the ground. When I reached for my undergarments, I hesitated, debating whether or not to remove them, knowing Ryker would lose his mind if he learned I was naked in front of his men.

Then I reminded myself that Ryker was a bastard, and I didn’t care what he thought about my choices. He could do with some discomfort in his life. The gods knew he had more than earned it.

I slipped out of my panties and stepped toward the spring. The smooth stones were cold against my feet as I slowly waded into the water. A shiver raced through me as it reached my knees, then my thighs.

I took a deep breath before diving forward until I was fully submerged beneath the cool liquid. When I broke the surface, my wet strands clung to my skin as droplets streamed down my cheeks.

I tipped my head toward the heavens as I let the sun warm my face. Swimming to the center of the pool, I rolled onto my back and allowed the gentle current to move me as I floated on the surface. The weightlessness of my body was freeing. For a moment, I could forget everything and allow my mind to escape.

I laughed softly to myself, and the sound echoed in the stillness.

I didn’t know how long I lay there, letting the water lap at my bare skin as it loosened my tight, achy muscles.

The feeling of unseen eyes raked over me, and I dipped beneath the water. Not that it would do much to conceal my nakedness, given its pristine state.

I glanced toward the shore, and my eyes clashed with murderous, grey ones.

Ryker stood before his men, his corded arms crossed over his broad chest as he clenched his jaw tight. I fought the urge to slink away from the fuming prince. He had no right to be upset. I would make the most of my gilded prison, irrespective of his fragile feelings.

“Come here, Cadence. Now.”

His voice rumbled over my flesh with a ferocity that was more tantalizing than it was intimidating, and gods damn it, my nipples pebbled.

I waded toward the shore and raised my chin before striding out of the water, making no effort to conceal my nakedness.

Ryker’s gaze darkened as he took me in, and then, remembering we had an audience, he growled, “If you value breathing, you will keep your eyes off my mate.”

The violence that dripped from his tone should have terrified me, but it didn’t.

Instead, my core throbbed, and liquid fire pooled at the apex of my thighs.

Ryker stormed toward me, and I heard him mutter, “I cannot kill my men. I cannot kill my men. I cannot kill my men.”

His large hands reached for me, and he pulled my damp body against his chest. Ryker’s warm breath fanned across the shell of my ear, and he whispered, “Oh, sweet Cadence. You are in so much trouble.”

Before I could respond, dark shadows formed around us, and then everything disappeared.