She’s a painful sight to look at. Her once beautiful, glossy hair is knotted around her harsh features.
Ryder shifts at my side.
None of this would have happened if Ryder hadn’t wanted a small amount of revenge on his step brother.
He wouldn’t have been caught trying to meet this woman, he wouldn’t have been imprisoned, and … I would have never met them.
We all would have lived out simple lives. Simple and easy, but awful lives.
Alone.
I almost want to thank her for sinking her claws into Ryder.
“He’s hiding.”
Those words catch my attention.
“He’s hiding?” Ryder echoes.
“Where?” I take a single step closer to her and she flinches away from me.
Her head turns toward the sea, the wind blows her messy hair back to reveal dark lines around her throat. My attention lingers there on the violent mark against her skin. Pain shoots through my tightly clenched jaw when I force myself to look away.
The sky is a billowing hue of ominous colors behind her.
“There.” She points to the few ships lining the coast. “He’s waiting for your arrival. He’s waiting to destroy you before you even arrive.” Three large ships rock against the shore. They’re nothing but shadows of details from up here.
A wary feeling tingles down my neck.
What if she’s lying?
What if this is all a trap?
But really, what would she have to gain by lying to us? Tristan seems to have caused her more pain than any one person should ever feel in their life.
And yet she stays.
I don’t know if she’s lying or not.
“I’ll come back for you.” I take another step closer to her until my boots are skimming against the dirty ends of her long dress. “If you’re telling the truth, I’ll come back to save you.” Her head tips to up to me, trying hard to see my features through her swollen eyes. “But if you’re lying,” my words are spoken carefully and with dark meaning, “just know that I’ll still come back for you. But it won’t be tosaveyou.”
“I—I, I’m not lying.”
My gaze trails over the fearful tremble of her lower lip.
I walk slowly away from her. When I’m close enough, Ryder slips his hand into mine. It’s a reassuring and strong feeling of readiness.
I hold my gaze on the tears that fall from her bloodshot eyes. Her sadness and fear push right into me even after Ryder pulls us away.
We land quietly on one of three ships. In a chance of magic, we land right before the king of Juvar. It’s as if we were drawn to him. It’s as if Ryder’s magic was somehow linked to this man’s magic.
And here we stand. Looking up at the one person we’ve been searching for.
Lucky us.
The sharp angles of his face look down on me with manic interest. A wild look is blazing in his eyes as a smile slashes across his lips.
I had forgotten how terrifying his happiness is.
