“Retreat!”
My head whipped around, my eyes scanning the thicket.
Iknewthat voice.
“Fall back! It’s the Prince. Retreat!”
Those still standing heeded the call, turning and fleeing without a second glance. My gaze fell on a figure farther up the hill, his face obscured by the hood of his cloak.
My upper lip lifted in a sneer, and I sent my shadows racing toward him. Our eyes locked for the briefest moment, his chocolate-brown ones clashing with my storm-grey. Everything seemed to go still as we stared at each other.
The soldiers, the rebels, the wagons — they were all forgotten as a silent conversation passed between us.
In that instant, it all became clear.
The leaked intel.
Failed traps.
Stolen supplies.
It had never been an insider, at least not in the way we had thought.
The realization must have been written all over my face. He froze, understanding flashing in his eyes.
He knew every secret he’d held was now exposed.
Then he turned and fled.
But he wasn’t fast enough.
My shadows snaked around his boot, pulling him back as I recalled them to me. I took no care with my prisoner; his body collided with anything in my way.
When he was within my grasp, I reached out, grabbing his tunic as I pulled him close to my face.
“Callum,” I said, the threat unmistakable in my tone.
Instead of fear or hatred, only stunned silence greeted me.
“Callum?”
He sucked in a harsh breath, his lips stained red with blood. Confusion furrowed my brows as my gaze trailed over his body.
A thick, twisted branch jutted from his gut, its broken ends forming jagged, razor-sharp points.
Callum coughed, blood splattering his chest as his eyes rolled back in his head.
“Don’t you dare fucking die on me, Callum Tiernan,” I said, lifting his limp body into my arms. “I’m not through with you yet.”
One final time, I let my shadows loose, their black tendrils encasing me as I stepped into the darkness.
Chapter Fifty-Four
Cadence
Fear tasted foul on my tongue. My chest was too tight, and my heart was beating so fast that I feared it would give out before my brother returned.
I paced the length of Ryker’s chambers, my soft slippers barely making a sound on the stone floor. It was a stark contrast to the endless noise inside my head. The invasive thoughts that told me I’d been a fool to risk my brother’s life on such a dangerous task played on a loop, taunting me.
