Page 13 of Realms of Shadow and Sun (A World of Sun and Shadow #3)

Renya paced in the throne room, her footsteps echoing off the cold stone walls. She had no idea why Cressida summoned her. They'd already had a magic lesson that morning, and the dislike and tension in the room was so palpable that the Shadow Queen stormed out after fifteen minutes into the lesson, leaving Renya with a mixture of relief and apprehension.

The clock chimed, its sharp tones reverberating through the cavernous space. Renya sighed, her fingers moving restlessly to smooth the rough fabric of her dress. Almost unconsciously, she found herself playing with the aragonite necklace at her throat. At least Cressida hadn't taken that from her. Her thumb brushed over her ring finger, and her heart constricted at the memory of her lost ring. It wasn't just another link to Grayden; it was his mother's—a family heirloom now lost to the winds. Her eyes burned with unshed tears, and she tried desperately not to dwell on the loss.

The sound of approaching footsteps from the sky bridge pulled her from her melancholy thoughts. Her mind raced back to the last time she had been in this room, and her pulse thundered with worry and fear for Sion. She'd gladly make as many promises as she needed to in order to save the people she cared about. She only hoped he'd find a way out of Cressida's clutches. But at least his life was saved, for now.

Brandle strolled into the room, his chest puffed out with an air of smug superiority. Ever since Sion's betrayal was revealed, Brandle's arrogance had only grown.

"Our queen will be here shortly,"

he announced, taking his usual place next to the throne, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Renya ignored him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response. Instead, she took a moment to try and feel Grayden through their bond. She had detected a bit of fear and worry from him earlier, and it scared her. Now, she searched, but she couldn't feel him. It seemed she could only sense him during times of great emotion. But even though she had felt his turmoil, she was glad for the knowledge that he was still alive, still fighting.

After a few more minutes of tense waiting, Renya heard the tell-tale sound of Cressida's ridiculous shoes against the glass of the sky bridge. She turned her eyes to the bridge and saw her mother begin to cross, but someone else quickly caught her eye, making her breath catch in her throat.

The Shadow Queen was dragging an elderly man behind her, his feet stumbling on the smooth surface of the bridge. He was clearly in rough shape, tired and pale, his clothes dirty and disheveled. Cressida was obviously binding him with her magic, as he stumbled and struggled in her wake, his movements jerky and uncoordinated.

Renya wasn't sure what was going on. Why would Cressida care about an old man? He didn't even look fae; in fact, he looked...human.

As they drew closer, Renya stared, a memory pulling itself into the forefront of her mind, like a parched man crawling towards a desert mirage. She took in the man's sparkling blue eyes and his filthy, yet elegant suit. Recognition dawned—it was the man from the bookshop. The owner. What was he doing here?

Then, another memory, long forgotten, surfaced. Those same blue eyes, looking down on her from above. Younger, more vibrant, but unmistakably the same. Renya struggled against the realization, not believing what was in front of her.

Cressida reached the edge of the bridge and strutted towards her throne, her every movement exuding power and menace. The man followed behind, still stumbling. She sat, and the man was finally released from his bonds, swaying slightly as he regained his balance.

Blue eyes met blue eyes across the room. Renya's head started to pound, and she felt dizzy, the world seeming to tilt on its axis. This couldn't be true. This man, he was important. A part of her. She could feel it in her bones, in the very core of her being. And then she knew, with a startling certainty that shook her to her core. This man was her father. She knew it like she knew the sky was blue or that Grayden was her soul mate.

The second Renya correctly guessed his identity, the man smiled. A sweet, fatherly grin crossed his face, transforming his weary features. Renya watched as he struggled, moving his arms as if to sweep her up in his embrace, held back only by invisible bonds.

Renya was so tired, so confused, and so broken in that moment that she wanted nothing more than to rush into his arms and collapse, desperately seeking some kind of parental comfort she had never known.

Cressida no doubt sensed the raw exchange of looks between the two. Not a word was spoken, but the air was charged with unbridled emotion.

Finally, the man spoke, his voice raw. "My Sunshine. My dear, sweet Renya."

Tears sprung in Renya's eyes and her heart hammered in her chest. She felt like every breath she took might shatter her lungs, the weight of the moment almost too much to bear.

"Well, isn't this touching,"

Cressida mocked, looking at father and daughter with a disgusted look. Her voice dripped with disdain as she continued, "It's clear who you take after. I hoped to have a daughter worthy of me, but you are just as worthless and weak as your father."

"Love isn't a weakness,"

the man retorted, his voice steady despite his disheveled appearance. "You'll never understand its true power."

Renya was shocked at how he mouthed off to her without fear of retaliation. This man seemed so gentle, so caring and warm, that Renya couldn't believe how he could have possibly been involved with Cressida.

"We'll see about that,"

Cressida sneered. "Did you wonder why I brought you here, Cyrus? It wasn't to have this touching reunion with your daughter."

Cyrus. Her father's name was Cyrus. Renya felt pieces of her soul click together, filling gaps she hadn't even known existed. She had a father. And he seemed to hate her mother as much as she did.

"I have a hunch,"

Cyrus replied, his voice tinged with resignation. "And I won't do it."

"Oh yes, you will,"

Cressida's voice turned cold, her eyes glittering with malice. "If you don't, the girl possesses no usefulness to me. I'll kill her right in front of you, and then kill you next. And once she's dead, the blood promises are broken and I'll kill her mate, and her little friend Sion for good measure."

Renya paled, her blood turning to ice in her veins. What did the Shadow Queen want her father to do? What could be worse than being pledged to Cressida?

"I won't break her bond,"

Cyrus declared, his voice firm despite the tremor in his hands. "They are sacred."

"You had no problem breaking ours,"

Cressida retorted, her voice laced with bitterness.

"It was the only way to keep her safe from you,"

Cyrus shot back, his eyes flashing with a mixture of regret and defiance. "I'll admit, I never expected to have to hide our child from you. But I knew, the second you discovered those prophecies, you'd stop at nothing to take her power and prevent her from overthrowing you."

"Too bad it did you no good,"

Cressida sneered. "You only delayed the inevitable."

"I won't break our daughter's fated bond,"

Cyrus insisted, his voice rising. "I refuse."

As his words and their meaning hit Renya's brain, she started to shake. Violent tremors coursed through her body and fear, unlike anything she had felt before, overtook her. The very foundation of her world seemed to tremble beneath her feet.

Suddenly, clearer than she had ever heard it, came Grayden's voice in her head.

Renya? Renya, what's wrong?

It only lasted a split second, and she tried to feel for him, to respond back, but he was gone, leaving her feeling more alone than ever. She choked through a sob, relieved to have heard Grayden but terrified about what Cressida was threatening. Surely her own father wouldn't do that? What would happen to her and Grayden if their bond was broken? Would she still love him? Would he love her? Would they never be able to love again? The questions swirled in her mind, each more terrifying than the last.

"You'll do it,"

Cressida commanded. "That blasted bond is the only thing keeping her from fully submitting to me. If you don't break it, I will kill her. She's no use to me if she's constantly plotting to get back to her pathetic prince."

Renya began hyperventilating as she saw her father's face fall, the light of hope dimming in his eyes.

"If I do this,"

Cyrus said, his voice heavy with defeat, "you must free me and Sion. Allow us to go to the human realm in peace."

Cressida laughed shrilly, the sound dispersing through the cool air of the open room. "That won't be happening. You are in no place to negotiate. It's simple. Break her bond, or everyone she loves, including you, dies."

Cyrus looked at Renya, his eyes pleading, filled with a lifetime of regret and love. "My daughter, please forgive me for this. I have no choice. This isn't the destiny I would have chosen for you. I tried my hardest to protect you, I even watched you from afar. When you were attacked, I was there. I couldn't stop the gossip, but I could ensure you remained untouched by evil. I watched over you the best I could, my Sunshine...I love you."

Renya thought she was going to collapse. Her head swirled and for a moment, her entire mind went blank. These revelations, combined with the fear of being severed from Grayden, was too much. The world seemed to tilt and spin around her, reality blurring at the edges.

Before she could say anything, she was tightly bound by Cressida's magic. She fought as hard as she could against the misty bonds, but her mind was so blocked that she couldn't even bring her magic forth. It was like trying to grasp smoke, her power slipping through her fingers.

She looked at Cyrus, her eyes pleading. Sadness, mixed with resolve, was evident in his expression. Hot tears trailed down her cheeks, and the fury welled up within her, a hurricane of emotion threatening to tear her apart.

"Do it, and do it now,"

Cressida commanded, her voice sharp. "If you hesitate, I'll fling her off the cliff this second."

Cyrus approached Renya, his arms outreached. Renya watched him approach, and it was like everything was happening in slow motion. He put his hands on her shoulders, and then looked into her eyes. She could see the emotion there, raw and unfiltered, and she knew, with intense clarity, that he loved her. For just a few seconds, with his hands surrounding her, she felt safe and protected, a feeling she had never known from a parent.

Then pain, unlike any she had experienced, coursed through her as she felt her father's magic enter her. Red hot and radiating, it was more painful than falling through the portal or having her magic unlocked back on the beach in the Tidal Kingdom. It felt like liquid fire coursing through her veins, threatening to consume her from the inside out.

"I'm so sorry, my dear Renya,"

Cyrus said, his voice breaking. Renya closed her eyes against the burning sensation. It felt like all of her blood was boiling in her body, cooking her from the inside out. She cried out loudly, the pain overwhelming her senses.

Cyrus moved his hands from her shoulders and placed them on the sides of her head. The pain instantly stopped, leaving her gasping for breath. He leaned in and whispered gently to her, pushing her braid over her shoulder like Grayden had done so many times before.

"Trust me, my dove. All will be right."

Then, a blinding light flashed through the room, so bright that Renya had to squeeze her eyes shut against its intensity. When it faded, she found herself unbound, swaying on her feet.

"Is it done?"

Cressida asked gleefully, her eyes alight with triumph.

"Yes,"

Cyrus replied, his voice hollow. "Our daughter will never know love again. Are you happy?"

He glared at Cressida, his eyes filled with a mixture of hatred and despair. "I've broken her bond, desecrated something sacred for the second time in my life. Because of you."

Cressida's eyes gleamed and she looked giddy, like a child who had just received a long-awaited gift. Cyrus backed away from Renya slowly, his eyes downcast and full of regret. He wiped his hands on his suit pants, as if disgusted with himself.

"I suggest you let her rest before you put her through anything else,"

Cyrus said, motioning towards Renya. His voice was weary, drained of all emotion. "That magic comes with a cost, and she'll be weak for the rest of the day."

"Fine, whatever,"

Cressida waved her hand dismissively. "Go to your room, girl. We'll start a new chapter tomorrow. Now that you are no longer fated, you'll have no choice but to fully commit to me."