Storm’s eyes narrowed. “I wonder what he’s hiding?” he mused, steering back to the conversation at hand.
Kade’s head dropped slightly. “I don’t know. I was never given access to that information. The last time he forced me to torture a so-called ‘traitor’ in the dungeons, he mentioned if the Fae wouldn’t turn willingly, he could choose between dying by my hand or being used to feed his weapon at Firestone.”
The haunted look in Kade’s eyes broke my heart. He’d need time to process whatever Thames had forced him to do. All he ever wanted was to escape the monster his father created him to be, and here he was, forced to be it once more. One day, when this atrocity was behind us, he would never have to be the Monster of Mysthaven again.
“That volcano always did creep me out.” Raya shivered. “Nothing good can come from this. A weapon of any kind isbad, but something created by a sorcerer as powerful as Thames could have more implications than we can fathom.”
Storm folded his arms across his chest. “We’ll just add it to the growing list of questions we need to answer.”
The door to the Knotted Willow slammed open, and a warm breeze whispered across my back, urging me to turn around.
A tall frame filled the doorway, light shining around him and through his blond hair in beams. He looked like an avenging angel.
“Ian!” I shouted, jumping up. I tried to move past Raya, who sat stiffly in her chair and didn’t make space for me to pass. I didn’t wait for her to move as I shoved her chair to the side so I could run to my oldest friend.
He wrapped his arms around me. “Fates, Lan. It’s so good to see you.”
“I was worried about you,” I said into his neck, not releasing him. Too many times we’d been separated, and I’d faced the thought of not seeing him again. I hated it.
He pulled away, inhaling deeply. “Just happy we're together again.”
I ushered him into the room, closing the door behind me, while he greeted those closest to him. He even gave Kade a warmer acknowledgment than I’d imagined. Though that was probably because he didn’t know what had happened in Mysthaven.
Ian stepped in front of Raya. His hand twitched at his side, and he slowly brought it toward hers. Raya took a small step away. “Glad you’re back,” she whispered before turning around and moving away. His gaze followed her, lingering for a second too long until he closed his eyes. I frowned, looking between the two of them. I would’ve thought he and Raya would be on friendlier terms, considering she could talk to Ian in her mind.
“Drink,” William huffed, shoving a glass of water into Ian’s hands.
Kalliah appeared from behind the bar door, carrying platters of food in both hands. Her face lit up as soon as she saw Ian and then quickly turned to shock upon seeing Kade. Her eyes kept dancing between the two, clearly unable to decide which story she wanted to hear first.
Before we even had time to celebrate our reunion, the inn door swung open once more. Ryland Lockbane strode through, removing his hat with a flourish as a wide grin spread across his face. “I heard you were in need of a swordsman.”
My entire body stiffened.No.
Ryland had been in the hallway with Casimir. They’d been conspiring about something. Casimir most likely had been trying to convince him to work with Andras against Brookmere.
He couldn't be here. If Ryland was here, then surely Andras was not far behind the traitorous contender.
“No,” I seethed before pointing at Ryland. “You’re a traitor.”
Kade immediately sent his shadows to the man, shoving his back against the wall and forming a shadow hand wrapping around Ryland’s throat. He sputtered for air, a confused expression on his face.
“Lan.” Ian hurried to my side.
I ignored him. “I saw you working with Casimir that night.” Seeing Kade’s shadows hold him in place allowed me to feel a bit of boldness. I wasn’t the same woman who’d felt trapped in a panic attack in that hallway anymore. Not at all. “How dare you come here with Ian?”
Turning to Ian, I shook my head. “We can’t trust him. If he was working with Casimir before, then he is working with Andras now. I will not allow anyone into our group unless they can be trusted with complete certainty, and Ryland Lockbane is not one of those people.”
Ryland’s face turned from red to blue, and Storm and Jax rushed to Kade’s side. “Whoa, whoa there, brother,” Storm said, working alongside Jax to calm Kade and the angering shadows. “Let him speak.”
“If my queen says he is not to be trusted,” Kade seethed, a dangerous expression flashing across his face, “then I can’t be held responsible for what my shadows do or don’t do.”
Ian shouted, “Stop, he’s on our side.” Shoving past me, he knocked into Kade’s back, forcing him to stumble for a moment, which loosened his shadow grip, but not completely. “Kade, let him go.”
Hearing Ian vouch for Ryland made me pause.
“He was with Casimir so many times in the trials. I gave him the benefit of the doubt then, but I refuse to be caught off guard again, Ian,” I warned, imploring him to see reason.
“Hear him out,” Ian requested.
