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Ryker

The hallways of the palace were silent as I walked through the towering columns, my footsteps echoing off the marble floors as I went. It was as if the entire palace could feel the energy radiating from me in waves and steered clear of my destructive wrath.

That wouldn’t spare my father, though.

I pushed through the heavy wooden doors that led to his private study and took in the scene before me. My father sat perched in his armchair by the fireplace, and occupying the seat next to him was Lord Barrington.

Two for one, perfect.

I headed over to the wine cabinet and retrieved my father’s favorite vintage before pouring myself a generous serving.

“By all means, Ryker, help yourself,” my father drawled.

Ignoring him, I raised the goblet to my lips and drank greedily. The earthy taste slid over my tongue, and I savored the mix of flavors as I organized my thoughts.

After I had drained the contents, I lowered my cup and met my father’s icy stare. His demeanor was cold, as though he could freeze the very air around him. He leaned forward in his chair, his piercing gaze fixed on me.

“Well, boy, don’t keep us in suspense,” my father taunted, and Lord Barrington snickered.

A malicious smile lifted my lips, and Lord Barrington cleared his throat. I ignored him, instead meeting my father’s gaze.

The tension grew taut between us. One wrong move, and it would snap.

“Say whatever it is you have come to say, Ryker,” my father demanded, his voice deep and authoritative.

I rolled my empty goblet lazily in my palm as I continued to stare at him.

“I have come to inform you that I have chosen to end my engagement to Lady Barrington.”

My tone was even, giving away no hint of my turbulent emotions as my shadows simmered beneath the surface of my skin.

“I will not marry Celeste.”

The silence that followed my declaration was deafening.

My father’s expression didn’t change, but Lord Barrington’s face grew crimson with rage.

“Care to repeat yourself, Son?”

I shrugged, unbothered. “You heard me well enough the first time.”

A vein at my father’s temple began to hammer wildly as he clenched his jaw. I could feel the weight of his ire like a physical presence, but he no longer held the upper hand. While I may not be salivating at the thought of provoking civil unrest, with Cadence and my child in the mix, I would face it head-on.

“I have taken another wife, and she carries the heir to the Unseelie throne. The bond has been sealed, and it cannot be undone.”

“You did what?” my father said, his voice low and brimming with venom.

I straightened to my full height and let my shadows darken my eyes as I reminded my father exactly who he was dealing with.

My father stood, too enraged to heed the warning.

“YOU DARE DEFY ME!” he roared. “I am your King. Do you have any idea what you have done?”

“I understand perfectly,” I said, letting him hear the amusement in my tone. “I have undermined your efforts to leash me, and while I can appreciate that may upset you, I would caution you against doing anything you’d regret.”

My voice was sharp and dangerous, denoting the threat that my words promised.

“Strengthening our alliance with the Barringtons was crucial for safeguarding your path to the throne, boy. Yet you cast it aside as if it were meaningless.”

I tossed my head back and laughed without restraint. I wondered if my father even heard himself.

As I reined in my laughter, I stared him down, letting him see the truth of my words.

“There is no threat to my ascension, Father. Even if there was, there is no Fae within this kingdom who could challenge me and win. My betrothal has always been about what benefited you. I only indulged your whims because I saw no reason to refuse them. Now that has changed.”

“Foolish boy,” my father scoffed. “You risk a civil war for some whore.”

I grinned at him, but it was far from friendly.

“Careful, Father,” I warned. “You’re dancing awfully close to death.”

Lord Barrington jumped from his seat, indignant rage mottling his features, and seemingly unaware of the tension that had built to a breaking point.

“You humiliate my daughter by ending your betrothal, and I won’t allow such an offense to go unanswered.”

He breathed in heaving pants, and sweat covered his face.

“Have the problem taken care of, and then do your duty to the Unseelie Fae and prove you’re fit to rule them,” he demanded.

I turned toward him, my shadows seeping from me as they spread throughout the room. My fangs descended, and the sharp prick of pain was a welcome distraction from the fury that was tearing through my body. I lifted my shoulders, and my wings burst free, causing the man in front of me to stumble back as he called on the gods to protect him.

I tsked as I prowled toward the sniveling man, and his face contorted with terror. The smell of piss filled my nostrils, and I peered down at the man’s trousers, which were steadily growing damper.

My lip curled in disgust. I’d pity the man if I were capable of such an emotion.

“You forget yourself, Lord Barrington,” I taunted, as I moved closer. “For far too long, you have bathed in the false radiance of the crown, believing yourself untouchable.”

“P-please,” Lord Barrington stammered.

“But you forget the true power of the Unseelie Kingdom hides in the shadows. And try as you might, there is no keeping the shadows at bay.”

With a flick of my wrist, I sent my shadows surging forward. They extinguished the light in the room as they wrapped around Lord Barrington with terrifying speed, holding him in place.

The man struggled against his bindings, and his fear fueled my power.

“Not so demanding now, are you, Lord Barrington?”

His struggles became frantic as I plunged the chamber into darkness, my shadows spreading to each corner, swallowing every remnant of light.

“You thought you’d leashed the Night Cursed Prince,” I said as I barked out a laugh.

The sound was unhinged, deranged, tortured even. I should have been concerned that I was enjoying myself so much.

But I wasn’t.

Instead, I let the madness in and embraced it like an old friend.

“You thought you could intimidate me. You thought you could pull on my leash, and I would bow my head in submission,” I mocked.

My shadows pulsed as they snaked around the man’s throat, and a strangled sound passed between his lips.

I cocked my head to the side as I listened to Lord Barrington beseeching the gods to save him.

“Lord Barrington,” I teased. “I never knew you took your faith so seriously.”

I could hear my father calling out to me, begging for me to put an end to things as he struggled to see past my shadows.

Moving around the trembling Lord, I positioned myself at his back and brought my lips to the shell of his ear.

“I’ll let you in on a little secret,” I whispered, as desperate sobs wracked the man’s body. “The gods aren’t listening.”

I threw my head back and slammed my fangs into the side of his neck, piercing his jugular. Blood gushed from the wound, drenching his tunic, and I felt his pulse slow as his life left him.

When his heart ceased beating, I retracted my fangs and let his body fall unceremoniously to the floor.

I didn’t bother to clean the blood smearing my face as I recalled my shadows, letting the light flood the room once more.

My father’s gaze landed on the crumpled body of Lord Barrington, and he sucked in a ragged breath. He lifted his head to look at me, and his eyes were wild with fear.

“What have you done?”

I stalked toward him, planting myself right in front of him as I stared him down. My father shrank away from me, and the action gave me a sick sense of satisfaction.

“The same thing I will do to anyone who threatens my wife or child,” I growled.

I waved my hand in Lord Barrington’s direction, and my father’s eyes followed before he could stop himself.

“Let this serve as a warning,” I said, never taking my eyes off him. “Father or not, if you come after Cadence, I will end you.”

With the threat of my words hanging between us, I stalked from my father’s study, eager to return to my wife.