The meeting continued much as it had begun, with accusations flying while the council members scrambled to shift the blame.
But my attention lay elsewhere.
It had been almost an hour since we’d arrived, and Lord Barrington was becoming increasingly uncomfortable by the minute. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his hands trembled as he mopped it up with a handkerchief.
His gaze slid around the room, unfocused, as though he didn’t know where he was. His breaths were labored, and saliva foamed at the corner of his mouth.
He stood abruptly, pushing away from the table as he clawed at his neck. Then his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed, convulsing on the floor.
“Lord Barrington,” the King cried, and several councilors rushed to his side.
“Eric, can you hear me?” one of them said, and I hid my grin behind my glass.
Another placed his fingers at the man’s throat, and I watched in anticipation as his face paled and his mouth dropped open. “He’s… dead.”
A chorus of shocked gasps swept through the room, the council scattering in disarray as they fumbled for a response.
When the healers looked into Lord Barrington’s death, they would blame it on declining health. The concoction I had used was undetectable, its effects mirroring the signs of a failing heart. Nothing more.
Chaos followed, and I drank it in, relishing my victory. But my elation faded when I felt Ryker’s gaze on the side of my face. I didn’t turn to look at him, but that never deterred Ryker.
He leaned in close, his nose pressing into my hair as he inhaled. His lips brushed the shell of my ear, and he whispered, “This better not have been your doing,wife.”
Chapter Forty-Five
Ryker
I offered Cadence my open palm, and her eyes darted around the room, searching. For what, I had no idea. There wasn’t a single fae within the realm that could save her from me.
She swallowed before placing her delicate hand in mine. Shadows encircled us in a dizzying rush, and before Cadence could even draw a breath, we were back in our chambers.
She swayed on her feet, and I wrapped my arm around her waist to steady her. “Easy,” I murmured.
I didn’t allow her to get her bearings, though. Instead, I lifted her into my arms and carried her to the mattress, setting her down. My shadows unfurled, following my every command as they snaked across her skin, securing her wrists and ankles to the bedposts.
Cadence glared at me from her position on the bed as I strode toward the door.
“What are you doing?”
Ignoring her, I informed the guards stationed outside that we were not to be disturbed, no matter the circumstances. I had plans for my wife, and the Wraith Borne could burn the entire Unseelie Kingdom to the ground before anyone would interrupt me.
On my way back, I grabbed a dagger from the mantle above the fire, playing with the sharpened tip until I drew blood. Cadence watched me as I approached. She didn’t allow her gaze to drop to the blade in my grip, despite every instinct telling her to look.
She was defiant, my wife. And no matter how much my presence affected her, she’d rather die than let it show.
“What game are you playing at now, Ryker?”
Again, I ignored her as I climbed onto the bed, crawling up her body until my thighs straddled either side of her hips.
Cadence was a beautiful woman. Her chocolate-brown eyes radiated warmth, drawing me in. Each glance threatened to pull me under, as though I could drown in their depths and never find the surface again.
Her chestnut hair gleamed as I caught a few loose strands, rolling them between my fingers. Its silkiness beckoned me, and I ached to nestle my face in it.
I wanted to bury her beneath my skin, to infect my body with her presence, my blood, my fucking soul. There would never come a day that I didn’t needmoreof her. She was everywhere, all around me, and yet, it wasn’t enough. It could never be enough.
“You’re hiding things from me, wife.”
She didn’t deny it. Instead, she raised her chin, glaring at me.
