Page 61

Cadence

I followed my father’s footsteps as we broke through the tree line of the dark forest. A large clearing lay ahead, where a makeshift camp had been set up. People milled about preparing bedding and tending to chores, while others sat in small groups, enjoying the warmth of the fire.

The camp appeared calm, even relaxed, but subtle hints suggested they were ready to flee at any moment. Packs were carefully arranged next to bedrolls, horses were tethered but saddled, and their weapons were all within arm’s reach, their sharp edges gleaming in the firelight.

My father led me to a nearby log, his massive frame taking up most of the space. Every set of eyes in the camp followed my movements, as if waiting for me to attack. Their distrust and resentment bore into me, making my skin prickle under the intensity of their glares.

I focused my attention on the man I had long believed dead as I tried to block out the feeling of the narrowed gazes still lingering on me. My father appeared older, a rare feat for a Fae, hinting at a life that was far from easy. His once golden skin looked weathered and was littered with scars. His piercing brown eyes, so similar to my own, stared back at me, but they lacked the warmth I’d clung to as a child.

The man before me was not the father I remembered, but a stranger forged by hardship and vengeance.

“Tell me how you’re not dead,” I demanded, not bothering to soften the blow.

He winced, but he didn’t shy away from my question.

“I was badly injured during the assault on the Unseelie Palace, and I would have died, if not for the Wraith Borne who risked their lives to bring me to safety.”

“And my mother?” I asked, unable to hide the vulnerability in my voice.

My father shook his head and averted his gaze. I watched as he stared into the fire, tracking the tiny embers as they danced along the wind. When his gaze returned to mine, all softness had disappeared, and in its place was unyielding fury.

“Dead,” he said without emotion.

I swallowed hard. This had been my reality for years, but hearing it confirmed after a glimmer of hope had taken hold was just as crippling as the first time those words reached my ears.

“So, you survived the Cleansing, hid in the shadows, and let me believe you were dead,” I accused.

Those gathered around the fire were doing all they could to pretend they weren’t eavesdropping, but the way their bodies leaned toward us gave away their intentions.

My father placed his elbows on his knees as he clasped his hands together. The firelight danced across his hollow cheekbones, and he studied me for a long moment before speaking.

“I did what I had to, Cadence,” he said, his voice calm but devoid of remorse. “Surviving wasn’t a choice, but a necessity.”

My hands curled into fists as years of grief and anger flared within me.

“And what, your only child, who had just lost everything she loved, whose world had been turned upside down, would have derailed your chances?”

“Yes,” he said, and I couldn’t mask the hurt that stabbed through my chest.

My father exhaled as he scratched at the light stubble adorning his cheeks.

“I didn’t want to leave you, Cadence, but it wasn’t safe for you to join me. This life,” he said, waving a hand around the camp, “is no way to raise a wee one. You were better off where you were.”

“It’s been eight decades! I haven’t been a child for a long time.”

Tears pricked my eyes as a flurry of emotions crashed into me. Anger, resentment, sadness, and hope all warred within me, fighting for their right to be set free.

Then my thoughts turned to my aunt and uncle waiting for me in the Seelie Kingdom. They’d been forced to leave their home and their families and settle in another village to give me a chance at a better life. Somewhere, no one would think to question my different features, allowing me to become their daughter in every way that matters. They had given me a home, a family, and an infuriating brother whom I adored more than anything, and at that moment I realized my father was right.

My anger seeped from me, and I suddenly felt exhausted from the upheaval of the day. My limbs were heavy with fatigue and my eyes burned as they begged for sleep.

“Why didn’t you ever send word that you were alive?” I asked in a small voice.

My father’s expression softened, as if he’d sensed the change in my emotions.

“Because I knew the path I was taking wasn’t one I could share with you, at least not then. I needed to stay hidden, to gather what remained of our people, and to plan. The Cleansing destroyed our world, our way of life, Cadence. The Unseelie King and those who followed him, took everything from us. But now… now it’s time to take it back.”

Murmurs of agreement broke out around me, and my gaze flicked to the Fae meandering about the camp. They were no longer pretending not to listen, but were actively following along, nodding their heads at my father’s sentiment. They looked at my father with a kind of reverence that made my stomach knot as realization washed over me.

“You’re the leader of the Crimson Enclave, aren’t you?”

My father narrowed his gaze as he studied me. His thoughts swirled behind his eyes, and it appeared as though he was assessing me, evaluating my worth, as he tried to determine if I could be trusted.

He didn’t look at me like a daughter.

“I am,” he said, and my mind whirled.

I’d heard of the atrocities the Crimson Enclave had committed, all in the name of retribution. While I understood their anger, they’d inflicted the same suffering they had experienced during the Cleansing on their fellow fae. The people they killed and the lives they ruined were as innocent as they had been.

Unease gripped my chest, but I tempered my features, not letting it show on my face.

“What do you mean, take it back?”

My father’s eyes flared with interest, and the faintest hint of a smile tugged at his lips.

“We’ve waited long enough.”

Cheers of agreement broke out around the group, but I kept my gaze locked on my father.

“We have allies now, strength we didn’t have before. But before we strike, we need an advantage.”

The way my father looked at me, as if I were no longer a person but a weapon, raised the hairs on the back of my neck. Whatever he was about to say, I was certain I wouldn’t like it.

“And you, my daughter, are that advantage.”

My blood ran cold.

I hated that I was right.

“What are you talking about?”

“The prince is your mate.”

My gaze darted to Eleanor, and the smug smirk that painted her lips had my eyes narrowing with resentment.

“You intend to kill me?” I asked in disbelief.

My father stared at me as if he was considering his options. I pulled my magic around me, ready to defend myself despite the overwhelming odds.

It had been eight decades since my father had lost his mate. There was no telling how far the sickness of his mind had progressed. I could no longer depend on him to protect me as I once had.

“While that’s one way to bring about the prince’s demise, there’s another option. One that might prove significantly more beneficial.”

His shrewd gaze assessed me, and a shiver of revulsion coursed through my body. The camp followers protested angrily, but my father’s eyes remained locked on me.

“You can get close to him. You’ve earned his trust, and infiltrated his world whether or not you intended to.”

An undignified snort escaped me at his declaration, and his brows furrowed in confusion.

“The prince does not trust me,” I clarified. “He keeps me close because he has to.”

My father considered my words, his fingers tracing his jawline as he mulled everything over.

“Then you must earn his confidence and get him to open up to you,” he insisted.

“For what purpose?”

“We require information, Cadence. We need to undermine the royal family from within as we prepare to make our final stand.”

My stomach churned, and bile rose in my throat. My father wanted me to help him stage a coup. As I glanced around the camp, I could see that their earlier anger had transformed, and a hungry glint now stared back at me.

This moment had been years in the making. The Wraith Borne had been biding their time until the perfect opportunity presented itself for them to seize control and exact their retribution.

And I had foolishly wandered right into their midst, giving them everything they had been waiting for.