A single sharp wail rent the air, then silence fell as the King surrendered his final breath.
Understanding crashed over me like a tidal wave.
The warning was never mine. It wasn’t about Callum. The banshee’s cry had foretold the King’s demise, and I’d only heard it because of… the bond.
Relief, so heady it almost brought me to my knees, engulfed me, and I swayed on my feet before powerful arms encircled my waist.
“I’ve got you, Temptress,” Ryker said, and I let myself sink into the warmth of his body.
But any sense of comfort was snatched away as a slow clap sounded from behind us. The sound reverberated around the throne room, sharp and mocking.
I twisted, expecting another assassin. Instead, my father stood at the edge of the carnage, his arms crossed over his chest, and his eyes glittering with something dangerous.
“I suppose I should thank you for making my task here easier,” he said, grinning. “Although I must confess, I’m a little disappointed. I expected more from the Night Cursed Prince.”
My hands balled into fists as I remembered what Ryker had revealed about my father’s taunts while he made my mate witness the torture of his younger brother.
He would pay for what he had done. I would make sure of it.
The sound of boots hitting stone filled the hall as dozens of Wraith Borne flooded the chamber.
My father’s gaze shifted to me, lingering there as if he could peel away the layers of my mind and read my innermost thoughts. “Daughter.” His eyes widened as he took in the man at my back. “Nephew, thisisa surprise.”
“I wish I could say the same, Uncle, but Cadence has already regaled me with your tale of resurrection. It wasn’t flattering.”
My father laughed without mirth. “I’m sure it wasn’t, but your cousin is blinded by the undue influence of the mate bond. You are not so encumbered. So, what do you say, Callum, ready to join the victors’ side?”
My brother scoffed, his revulsion seeping from him like a deadly fog. “After how you treated mysister? I’m afraid I’ll have to decline.”
“So predictable,” my father said with a sigh. “I guess that means we’ll do things the hard way.”
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Cadence
My father stepped forward, his gaze raking over me as he scrubbed at the stubble lining his jaw. “After everything I’ve told you, Cadence, you still chose him.” He jutted his chin toward Ryker, who stood like a silent sentinel at my side.
I reached for his hand, lacing my fingers with his. “You told me a tale about a monster, only the true monster that day was you.” My eyes shifted to Riordan, and the ghostly pallor of his skin made my blood boil.
My father followed my gaze, and a slow, vicious smirk spread across his face. “If it isn’t the little princeling,” he cooed. “It’s been a while.”
Callum growled, placing himself in front of Riordan. “Don’t you fucking look at him.”
My father’s eyes widened in surprise before a sneer twisted his lips. “Don’t tell me you have fallen for this nonsense too, Nephew.”
“You can spill whatever vitriol you like, Uncle, but take another step toward him, and I’ll cut out your fucking heart.”
Ryker shifted beside me as he leaned in close to my ear. “I think I might be warming to your brother,” he whispered.
The sound of my father’s dark chuckle snatched my attention, and I returned my gaze to him, watching as he shook his head in disbelief. He spun toward the Wraith Borne standing at his back as he said, “My own blood, my kin.”
A low swell of disapproval rose from the crowd; their eagerness for bloodshed was almost palpable.
“You’re a coward,” I shouted. “You brutalized innocent fae and then felt wronged when they fought to survive. You were never the hero of this story, Father.”
My father turned to face me, his features twisted into barely constrained rage. “Careful, little girl,” he said, his tone belying the threat blazing in his eyes. “You’re standing on the edge of a war you cannot win.”
Ryker growled, low and dangerous. “I would caution you against threatening my wife. The last man to do so is lying at her feet.”
