I was going to murder him. Brutally.
He swung again, but this time I was faster. I caught his fist and twisted until I heard the sweet, satisfying pop of his joint being ripped from its socket.
Then I slammed his face into the marble.
Once. Twice.
The crunch of bone was music to my ears. I barely heard the screams from the gallery above, or the scuffling of guards as they tried to decide if they had a death wish.
I was too consumed by bloodlust.
Grabbing a fistful of his hair, I dragged his body up so I could look him right in the eyes as I shattered his nose with my fist.
It was only fair to return the favor.
“Ryker!” My father’s voice broke through the chaos. “Stop!”
“You want me to stop?” I sneered, my grip tightening until my knuckles blanched. “This is me showing restraint, Father.” I twisted, my eyes never leaving his. “If you don’t release Cadence, I’ll do far worse than your cowardly mind could ever dream up.”
Ragged, uneven bursts of laughter sounded from the floor, and I peered down to see Mathias clawing at his face as if trying to contain the madness.
“As fun as this has been,” he said between breaths. “I think I’ve had enough for one day.”
Before I could respond, his hand shot forward, grabbing my bloodied palm in his own. The moment our skin touched, shadows crept in at the corners of my vision, and my knees gave way as I fell to the ground.
Behind me, Riordan shouted something I couldn’t decipher, and Callum made a beeline toward his sister. The chamber erupted with voices, each clashing in a bid to be heard.
But above it all came the hoarse, panicked voice of my mate.
“Ryker!”
My gaze darted to her, and I watched through tiny slits as she tugged at the chains holding her captive. I tried to reach for her, but my limbs betrayed me, growing heavy and weighing me down.
As darkness closed in, Mathias’s rasping tone reached me. “Do you want to know a secret?” He smiled. “I’m the one who went after your mate. And with you out of the way, there’s nobody left to stop me from finishing the job.”
Chapter Sixty-Three
Cadence
Horror gripped me as Ryker hit the floor. Panicked cries echoed through the hall, but my gaze stayed locked on his motionless body.
Ryker couldn’t fall. Not here. Not like this.
Riordan shouted my name as Callum shoved through the crowd toward me, yet I couldn’t look away.
Rough hands curled around my arms, and the chains tethering me to the floor fell away as the guards pulled me from the throne room.
“Ryker! Ryker!” I screamed until my throat burned, but he didn’t move.
“Riordan!” I scanned the hall, frantically trying to find him. He stood at Callum’s side, facing over a dozen soldiers in a vain pursuit to reach me.
They wouldn’t make it in time.
“Riordan!” Familiar storm-grey eyes locked with mine. “Get him out,” I shouted over the chaos. “Get them both out.”
His gaze flicked to his brother’s form crumpled on the ground and then to Callum before settling back on me. Hesitation seized him, and I knew I’d given him an impossible choice.
“Please!” If he didn’t save my brother and my mate, then it was all for nothing.
