He stepped forward, shoving past the others as he dropped to his knees, pressing two fingers against his pulse point. “He’s alive, but only just.” His attention turned to me. “Why aren’t you doing anything?”
The accusation in his tone was my undoing. Tears filled my eyes, and before I could stop it, a broken, wretched sob tore from my throat.
Riordan lifted his gaze to his brother, his face awash with confusion. “What the hell is going on here?”
Ryker didn’t flinch. He released my chin, moving his hand to my nape, holding me in place as if I were a wild animal about to bolt.
The tension in the chamber was thick enough to choke on.
“Let her heal him,” Riordan said.
My sobs grew louder, the pain hammering through my chest until it stole my very breath.
“You don’t give me fucking orders, Riordan,” Ryker growled. “You have no idea what they’ve done.”
Riordan’s eyes narrowed, full of challenge. “I know you’re acting like a fucking madman.” He rose from Callum’s side,shadowed by purpose. “Let her go, Ryker. Or are you going to allow Callum to bleed out just to prove a point?”
“Stay the fuck out of this, Brother. It doesn’t concern you.” Ryker said, his teeth bared. His shadows writhed, eager for violence.
Riordan moved before Ryker had finished speaking. The air snapped with power as he lunged, his fist crashing into Ryker’s cheekbone with a sickening crack. Ryker returned the blow, hard enough to split Riordan’s lip wide open.
They collided in a blur of muscle and rage; the impact shook the chamber. Fists slammed into flesh. Bone cracked. Shadows coiled around Ryker, while Riordan engulfed himself in flames.
Ryker shoved Riordan against the wall, forearm braced against his throat, unaffected by the heat of his brother’s flames.
“You want to challenge me, Little Brother?” His tone was cold, piercing my fragile heart. “For a traitor!”
Riordan’s eyes widened, and he glanced toward Callum’s crumpled form before shifting his gaze to me.
Ryker chuckled, the sound terrifying. “Now you see. We wanted to find the traitorous spy, well, there you have it,” he said, gesturing to me. “They were right beneath our noses the entire time.”
Riordan’s storm-grey eyes begged me without words to prove his brother wrong.
“Cadence?”
“I… I…” My chest heaved, unrelenting sobs racking my frame.
“I met your precious Callum on the battlefield, working with the rebels,” Ryker ground out, releasing his brother.
Riordan shook his head, jaw clenched so tight it looked like it might shatter. But whatever he was feeling, he quickly pushed it aside.
“Save the dramatics, Ryker. Remove her cuffs and let her work. We can dissect the whys and hows later, but if you want answers, you need him alive.”
“Ah, but my wife plays a far prettier captive, don’t you think?”
“Ryker, let Cadence heal her brother.”
My husband’s furious gaze settled on me, and despite my fear and heartbreak, I met his glare with one of my own.
“If he dies, you will get nothing from me.” I straightened my spine, my hands curling into fists in the fabric of my skirt.
“You’ll never know how far this goes, or who is plotting against you.”
I prayed Ryker couldn’t detect the lie slipping between my lips.
His answering grin was full of menace.
“You want to play games, wife, then let’s play.” Turning to face his brother, he said, “Your knife, now.”
