Page 3

Cadence

The first thing I noticed when I woke, was the dull throbbing sensation that erupted at my temples. Light pulsed across my eyelids, sending little bursts of pain deep into my skull with each pass, and I groaned.

I tried to roll onto my side, but quickly realized my limbs were not cooperating. My body felt heavy and numb as I struggled to force it to move. I could make out distant noises somewhere nearby, but they sounded muffled, like I was hearing them from underwater.

I fought against the heaviness of my eyelids as I forced them to open, only to be assaulted by a blur of bright lights. My vision swam as a mass of indistinct shapes spun around me.

The entire room seemed to be moving, and my stomach roiled in response.

Where the hell was I?

A thick fog clouded my mind, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake it.

When my vision finally cleared, I blinked several times as I struggled to make sense of what I was seeing. An unfamiliar ceiling glared down at me, with its gilded beams and intricately carved cornices.

Panic pricked at the edges of my mind, and I forced myself to inhale deep, calming breaths as I studied my surroundings.

I was lying on a four-poster bed, the dark mahogany wood reminding me of congealed blood. A sea of finely embroidered pillows surrounded me, and I was enveloped in the most luxurious blankets I had ever felt.

I swallowed thickly as I pulled myself into a sitting position, allowing the blankets to pool around my waist. My limbs protested under the strain, but eventually surrendered to my demands.

The heavy, leaden feeling that had been holding my body captive began to slowly ebb away, and I forced myself to stand on unsteady feet. When I peered over my shoulder, I took in the black silk sheets that were now crumpled, and I ignored the fastidious side of me that wanted to smooth them out.

I had bigger issues to contend with.

My gaze darted to a large arched window that dominated one wall. I took slow, tentative steps towards it until I was close enough to peer through the stained glass that depicted some kind of crest.

In the center was a pair of black, feathered wings with twin blades that poked out between them. Tendrils of black smoke danced around the wings, and, as I leaned in closer, I realized the wings were not feathered at all. Rather, the black tendrils of smoke appeared to be emanating from them.

Unease washed over me at the realization.

I stared down at the courtyard below, where people bustled about. The vast open space spanned in every direction and was abuzz with activity. Towering stone walls enclosed the area, but the trellises of ivy growing along the stone softened the harsh exterior.

A magnificent chestnut tree stood in the center of the courtyard, its branches offering shade to those resting on the benches beneath its sprawling limbs. Birds flitted from limb to limb as they serenaded those below with the occasional burst of song.

The sound of steel grating against steel caught my attention, and I turned toward the noise. Practice areas littered the far edge of the courtyard, and two men with swords sparred in the center of one square, while others watched from the sidelines.

Next to them, straw targets were set up as soldiers perused the offerings of bows that sat alongside the weapon racks filled with arrows, swords, shields, lances, and a variety of other deadly looking instruments.

The soft laughter of children pulled my attention in the opposite direction. I glimpsed a large, ornate fountain sculpted from a pearlescent marble. The cascading water shimmered in the sunlight, which made the structure appear ethereal. Children jumped in and out of the water, squealing in delight as the cool liquid soaked their clothes.

The people below appeared unconcerned, going about their day as if nothing was amiss.

And I recognized none of it.

As I turned back toward the room, I studied my surroundings more closely as I tried desperately to recall how I had ended up here. My eyes narrowed on a desk in the corner, and my feet carried me over to it without conscious thought.

The desk held an assortment of objects — scattered parchment, a wax seal with the same crest that appeared on the window, a quill and an inkpot, a bejeweled dagger, and a half-empty goblet of wine.

I brushed my fingers over the parchment, shifting it aside to reveal a map. I pulled it free from the pile and studied it closely. A small gasp escaped me when I realized it was a map of the Unseelie Kingdom. The map noted strategic trading posts and highlighted weak spots along the border shared with the Seelie Kingdom.

Only someone high-ranking in the Seelie Court would possess such a thing.

As I glanced around the room once more, it dawned on me that I must be in the capital, where the Seelie King and Queen held court.

But I was no closer to discovering who brought me here or why.

A faint memory drifted to the forefront of my mind.

A strong aroma.

The sound of a male voice.

My failing magic.

Fear crept up my throat, making it hard to breathe as understanding settled over me.

Someone had taken me from the apothecary.

Sinister grey eyes flashed in my mind, and something stirred inside my chest, tightening and squeezing as my pulse quickened. The thrum of my heartbeat rang out loudly in my ears, each beat heavy and insistent. A cold sweat broke out all over my body, and I raced toward the door as the primal need to escape gripped me.

My feet skidded against the floor as the chamber door swung open. A commanding figure crossed the threshold, and I sucked in a ragged breath.

A man stood before me, tall and broad. His white-blond hair, which was dark at the roots, was tied in a loose bun with a few strands falling around his face.

His strong jawline and perfectly sculpted facial features were accentuated by the rough stubble that lined his cheeks, and his sun-kissed skin was smooth, highlighting the muscular contours of his shoulders peeking out from beneath his tunic.

He looked wild, yet controlled, and he was absolutely breathtaking.

But it was his intense grey eyes that bore into me, piercing me all the way to the inner depths of my soul that held me frozen in place.

His full, sensual lips pulled up into a smirk as he stepped closer to me.

Gods, the man was so beautiful that it was almost painful to look at him.

He took another step toward me, and his smirk grew wider.

My body moved on instinct, and I stepped back, trying to create distance between myself and this… predator.

Because that’s what he was. A predator. It was clear in the way he moved. The way his muscles coiled tight as if he was readying himself to strike.

I had no idea what a man like him would want with someone like me. Or more importantly, why he had brought me back to the Seelie Palace of all places.

Whatever his intentions, they weren’t good. You didn’t kidnap someone and steal them away from their home just to chat.

“My name is Ryker,” the man said.

The deep resonance of his voice caressed me like the softest velvet. The low, rumbling tone was sensual, as if he had whispered each word against the shell of my ear. My nipples puckered under the fabric of my dress, and heat crawled its way up my neck, coloring my cheeks.

“But you may know me by another name.”

He prowled closer, and I held my breath as I waited for his next words. The sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach warned me that I was in trouble. That I needed to escape this beautiful Adonis before it was too late.

“Many call me the Night Cursed Prince.”

All the blood drained from my face. It was much worse than I had imagined.

The man before me was solely responsible for the most painful moments of my life.

The Prince of the Unseelie Fae.

I’d been brought to the Unseelie Kingdom, where the streets were lawless and the leaders ruthless.

And their prince was the worst of them all.

Known for his cunning brutality, and his inability to show the slightest ounce of compassion, it was rumored that even his own father, the King of the Unseelie, was wary of him.

And now I was at his mercy.

As if he could sense my thoughts, the prince’s smirk grew into a wide grin.

“I see my reputation precedes me.”