Page 57

Cadence

Ryker had confined me to his chambers, disappearing without any hint of where he was going, and left me to stew in my roiling emotions.

Again.

He’d cut me off from the outside world with no means of escape, holding me prisoner until he decided my fate.

That thought churned in my mind as I paced before the locked door.

My body was rigid with tension, and the collar that adorned my throat felt tighter and tighter as the minutes ticked by. I pressed my fingers to the cool metal, and a shudder raced down my spine. The delicate twists and knots were a cruel reminder of the power Ryker held over me.

Shuffling behind the door halted my pacing mid-stride.

Had he returned?

Was he alone, or was I about to face my execution?

My ears strained as I pulled my magic around me, ready to defend myself no matter what odds I faced.

Fear gnawed at my gut, and my heart pounded in my chest as I waited for the telltale snick of the lock. When it finally came, I sucked in a sharp breath and stepped back.

The door swung wide, but instead of an army ready to seize me, a tall woman with raven-colored hair and crimson eyes greeted me. Her pale skin shone under the light pouring into the room, and her smile sent a ripple of unease through my body.

Every instinct told me to run, but before I could, the woman spoke.

“Cadence, I presume?” she asked as she stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

Her voice was smooth and unhurried, and her posture radiated quiet confidence.

“Who are you?” I demanded as I created distance between us.

“I’m here to get you out.”

Her words were as unexpected as they were alarming. I narrowed my eyes at the woman as I gripped the edge of Ryker’s desk.

“Who are you?” I repeated. “And how do you know my name?”

Her lips curled into a wicked smile as she sized me up.

“I am Eleanor, and I’m one of the last Blood Fae to serve the palace. I have learned many things about you, Cadence, since creating that shackle for the prince.”

Eleanor pointed to the collar around my throat, and I bristled.

“You made this?” I snarled, as my fingers gripped the metal.

Eleanor nodded, not at all alarmed by my hostility.

“When the prince demanded I make that collar, I took it upon myself to learn everything I could about the woman he held captive.”

She stepped toward me, and I mimicked the movement as I backed away.

“You had to be important for His Highness to invest so much energy to keep you contained,” she mused.

My breath hitched, and my pulse quickened. There was something not quite right about the woman before me. I sensed her magic in the room, dark and wicked.

“You should go,” I said, sounding more authoritative than I felt.

Eleanor took a step closer. “If I leave, who will spare you from the executioner’s block?”

I reeled back as though I’d been struck, and I could feel the blood draining from my face.

“Don’t look so alarmed, Cadence,” she chuckled. “I am not here to harm you, and I have no intention of revealing your secret. As I said, I’m here to help you.”

“Why?”

I cursed myself for the tremor that accompanied my words. Something warned me that showing weakness to this woman would be a fatal mistake.

“Does it matter?” she asked as she raised a brow. “If I can free you from this place, from him , are you in any position to refuse me?”

She was right, and I hated it.

“It matters,” I snapped. “Especially if your intentions are more nefarious than those of the prince.”

Eleanor cackled and the sound made me recoil. “More nefarious than the prince? I’m not sure if you are aware, child, but for the past eight decades, His Highness has had sole responsibility for hunting down and slaughtering your kind.”

Her words made me flinch, but I couldn’t argue with the truth of them.

“Why?” I asked again. “Why would you help me? What do you have to gain?”

Eleanor’s crimson eyes settled on me, and something akin to rage flashed across her features.

“Because,” she spat, “this kingdom has systematically annihilated any type of Fae that possesses more power than the King. First, they came for the Wraith Borne, isolating them from the rest of the Unseelie until the perfect storm of fear, hatred, and uncertainty allowed them to make their move.”

Eleanor’s gaze was distant, as if she was reliving a moment long since passed. Then her eyes refocused on me as she continued.

“The Blood Fae learned from the suffering of the Wraith Borne, and they gradually left the confines of the palace and surrounding villages, moving far from their reach. The writing was on the wall. Once they’d eliminated the Wraith Borne, the Blood Fae would be next.”

My mind raced as I processed Eleanor’s words.

“So, you could say I’m helping you out of a sense of duty. I did nothing back then, but maybe the gods put you in my path as an opportunity for redemption.”

Despite the sincerity in her tone, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was all an elaborate ploy to lead me into another cage.

“How did you know I was Wraith Borne?” I asked, buying myself time.

“Your collar,” she said simply.

My fingers drifted back to the cool metal. “What do you mean?”

Eleanor rolled her eyes as if my lack of understanding offended her.

“When I was performing the enchantment, I may have taken a few liberties,” she said with a conspiratorial smile. “I not only tethered the collar to the prince, but also to myself. When you drew on your power earlier, I recognized it.”

Eleanor’s gaze drifted to the dead man still lying motionless on the floor. I crossed my arms over my chest and narrowed my eyes as I scrutinized the woman for any signs of deceit.

“Ryker told me only he could release it.”

“True,” Eleanor said with a shrug.

“Then how do you propose to free me?”

Eleanor’s hand disappeared beneath her skirts, and a moment later, she lifted a vial in the air with a triumphant smirk.

“What is that supposed to be?”

“This vial contains the prince’s blood,” she beamed. “I needed his blood to perform the binding, and I saved the remnants left behind in case they one day proved useful.”

The offer lingered between us, tempting but terrifying. My mind turned to Ryker, his heated gaze and possessive touch. He had promised he would protect me, but more often than not, it was him who had exposed me to danger. He took with little regard for the consequences, and he had betrayed my trust more than once.

Yet, my heart cried out at the thought of leaving him. How could I loathe someone while also needing them the way I needed my next breath?

“Tick Tock, Cadence.”

The energy radiating from her was dark, and it thrummed with a power that felt… wrong. Trusting her felt like stepping into a pit of vipers.

Eleanor smiled viciously, as though she could hear my thoughts. “What’s it going to be?”

“And if I say no?”

“You’ll remain here, shackled and suffocated, until the prince decides your fate. But I suspect you already know what your future looks like in that scenario.”

My mouth felt dry, and sweat beaded on the back of my neck. She was right. I knew exactly what my future held if I stayed behind. Ryker had shown me as much when he told me I could trust him in one breath and then locked me up like a prisoner with the next.

Decision made, I straightened my shoulders. “I’ll come with you, but if this is some kind of trap, I won’t hesitate to end you.”

Eleanor smiled as if my murderous intentions pleased her. “I’d expect nothing less.”

She moved to the desk, rummaged through its contents, and found a small bowl. With one swipe of her hand, she sent all sorts of instruments, parchment, and ink sailing to the floor. Eleanor emptied the vial of Ryker’s blood into the bowl and looked up at me expectantly.

“Come,” she said as she clasped my hands in hers. “It’s time.”

My heart pounded as Eleanor chanted, her voice low and melodic, as her words wrapped around me like an embrace. I glanced at the bowl and swallowed the bile creeping up my throat as I saw the blood boiling.

Eleanor’s chanting grew louder, and her brows furrowed in concentration. Then, without warning, a searing pain burned my neck as the metal of the collar heated. My hands moved instinctively as I clawed at it, trying desperately to free myself from its fiery grip.

“Hold still,” Eleanor chastised, but I was beyond hearing her.

I could smell the acrid scent of my flesh burning as Eleanor’s magic surged, igniting the collar anew. The metal burned hotter, and I sank my teeth into my bottom lip to keep from succumbing to the pain. I couldn’t afford to lose consciousness or be otherwise distracted when I still wasn’t sure if I could trust her.

A deafening snap filled the room, and the collar broke apart before falling to the floor.

I was panting heavily, the pain slowly receding, and when I glanced in Eleanor’s direction, she appeared to be faring no better.

“We have to go,” she said between ragged breaths.

“Where are we going?”

“Somewhere he’ll never find you.”