Page 42

Cadence

Ryker was a godsdamned animal.

A dangerous beast who couldn’t be tamed. He showed no regard for my discomfort. In fact, if the knowing smirk he wore was anything to go by, he reveled in it.

I yanked the laces of my boots tight, nearly snapping them, before straightening and snatching up Riordan’s cloak.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Ryker growled.

I stared at him in confusion, unsure of what had offended the unhinged asshole now. Ryker scowled, then marched over to me and ripped the cloak from my hand.

“You’re not wearing that.”

My mouth dropped open, but no words came out as I gawked at him.

“You can’t be serious,” I protested. “He’s your brother.”

Ryker stalked closer, eliminating the little space left between us. “Oh, I am. And if you want to see just how serious I am, continue to press me, Cadence. You are my mate, and I won’t see you draped in the clothing of another man. Brother or not.”

“Ryker, there is something seriously —”

My words were cut off as Ryker’s calloused palm covered my mouth. I struggled against his hold but stilled when he whispered in my ear.

“We’re not alone in these woods.”

My eyes widened as I glanced around, trying to locate any movement in the shadows, but the forest was silent.

“Wraith Borne,” Ryker hissed.

The venom that dripped from Ryker’s tongue had my spine straightening and my magic stirring to life beneath my skin.

“Don’t make a sound,” he murmured as he let his hand fall away.

He reached down, his fingers disappearing inside his boot, and reemerging a moment later with a small, pointed dagger.

“Take it,” he said as he pressed the cool steel into my palm. “And Cadence.”

I raised my eyes to meet his grey ones, and the concern I saw reflected there made my brows furrow.

“If anyone comes near you, you end their lives, no hesitation. Understood?”

When I remained silent, he added, “Tell me you understand.”

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and nodded. “I understand.”

Ryker’s mouth crashed against mine, and his tongue pushed at the seam of my lips until they parted for him. He kissed me like he was going to war, and I was the enemy. Ryker conquered me with his tongue, destroying me until I yielded to him.

All too soon, he pulled away, leaving me breathless and wanting.

Ryker pressed his forehead to mine, his hand moving through my hair until he found the nape of my neck.

“No one takes you from me, Temptress. Not even the gods. Remember that.”

I watched in awe and slight trepidation as Ryker’s emotions drained from his face, only to be replaced by deadly determination. His shadows bled into the whites of his eyes until only obsidian remained. The black wings that had embraced me earlier sprang free, but there was a distinct lethality to them now. The tips were pointed and sharp, and as he unfurled them to their full span, the surrounding space seemed to darken. It was as though every beam of moonlight had been consumed by his presence.

I took in the sight before me. Ryker was terrifying, yet beautiful.

Instinctively, I stepped back, my heart racing. Ryker tilted his head as he considered me before his gaze fixed on something in the distance.

His lips curled into a snarl, revealing the tips of his elongated fangs. When he spoke, his deep voice vibrated with power.

“Stay behind me,” he commanded. “They’re coming.”

As if on cue, a shrill shriek broke through the silence of the night. An icy wind raced through the branches surrounding me, carrying the faint scent of decay.

Those who could mend bodies or preserve life could always detect the acrid smell of death. After all, we worked hard to deny the God of Death his rightful bounty.

I gripped the hilt of my dagger, its silver blade catching the moonlight that dared to pierce the darkness of the night. The crunch of leaves and the rustle of footsteps surrounded us — a haunting chorus that drifted through the trees, growing louder with every step the enemy took in our direction. I fixed my eyes on the tree line ahead, but I still couldn’t make out anyone approaching.

The clash of steel meeting steel rang out, and I gripped my dagger so tight that my knuckles turned white, almost translucent.

“I won’t let any harm come to you, Cadence,” Ryker murmured, misunderstanding my anticipation for fear.

This moment had been a long time coming.

Ryker stepped forward, his power rippling through the forest as his shadows coiled around him. The tendrils writhed and pulsed, eagerly awaiting his command. He raised his hand, and his shadows surged from his palm. They glided through the night effortlessly, twisting and dancing as they became one with the darkness.

A low hiss sliced through the air, followed by an ear-splitting scream.

I swung my head back in Ryker’s direction, and the cruel smile making its way across his lips left me shivering.

I didn’t get the chance to question what he had done as a dozen of the Wraith Borne charged through the underbrush. One figure lunged for me, his hand swiping at my chest, his blade missing me by mere inches as he tried to end my life.

I twisted out of reach, stumbling over my boots in my haste, but I righted myself before I crashed to the ground. Flicking my wrist as Malesh had taught me, I slashed my dagger at my attacker, grazing his cheek before he jumped back.

I didn’t hesitate as I darted forward and sliced my blade through the air once more. The man blinked in surprise, and I mimicked the action, unsure I could trust what I was seeing. Crimson droplets beaded across the man’s throat like rubies as they danced along his skin. The red substance gleamed under the dim light, and the macabre display was both dazzling and disturbing.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away as I watched the color leach from his face. His ragged breathing was the only sound I could hear as he struggled to fight against the inevitable. My hand moved without my permission, and my fingers slid against the wetness coating his skin. His blood was hot and sticky, and I could smell the metallic tang in the air, intermingled with sweat and fear.

Horrified, I jumped back and hastily wiped my hands against my dress, desperate to rid myself of the slick substance. The man fell to his knees, gravity pulling him to the ground, where he collapsed, unmoving.

As if I had been holding my breath, oxygen filled my lungs so rapidly that it felt as though they might burst. Grunts of pain and cries of terror reached my ears, but they were muted by the buzzing that had started up inside my head.

Shit, was I going to faint?

Tingles broke out all over my body, and a cold sweat quickly followed.

I was definitely going to faint.

I didn’t have time to panic, though, because someone yanked on my hair so hard that black dots marred my vision.

“What do we have here?”

A man leered down at me, and I shook off any lingering dizziness as revulsion took over. Before I could make a move against him, however, I caught sight of Ryker, covered head to foot in blood, as he stared me down.

He was the embodiment of deadly wrath.

His whole body vibrated before dissolving into a swirl of darkness. A moment later, he reformed behind the man in front of me.

As if he could sense the danger closing in on him, the man turned to face Ryker.

His hand fell away from my hair, and he stumbled as he tried to put distance between himself and the furious Fae male.

“Stay back,” he said as he waved his hands in the air.

The threat was obvious.

Should Ryker advance, he would release his magic.

Ryker smirked at the man, and his arms trembled as his resolve wavered. With a flick of his wrist, a shard made of shadow flew from Ryker’s hand before it pierced the man’s rib cage.

He was dead before he even hit the ground.

Then Ryker turned his deadly wrath on me.

“What did I tell you, Cadence?” he demanded.

I raised my chin and folded my arms over my chest in defiance.

“I killed one,” I defended.

Ryker barked out a harsh laugh. He closed the distance between us as he wrapped his hand around my throat, forcing me backward until my body collided with a tree.

“You killed a man, and then you allowed your shock to hold you captive.”

The accusatory tone of his voice had me bristling.

“Well, forgive me for not being a trained assassin!”

Ryker lowered his head, his lips a hair’s breadth from meeting mine.

“You’re forgiven,” he whispered. “Just don’t let it happen again.”

He brushed his mouth against mine in a soft kiss, and I could feel the smug smile tugging up his lips. Then he pulled away from me, turning on his heels and disappearing into the darkened forest.

“Hurry up,” he called over his shoulder, not bothering to wait for me.

“Ryker,” I hissed, but the man had been consumed by the darkness.

“Fuck!”

I let out a frustrated breath before following him.