“Temptress.” Anguish filled the single word, tightening my throat.
I lifted my head to face him, tears filling my eyes.
Ryker reeled back as if I’d struck him, his stony expression faltering as he peered down at his brother. “He can’t…” he trailed off, and my heart shattered.
“Someone tell me what’s happening,” Callum said, his words frantic.
I took a deep breath and turned to my brother. “His soul is no longer tethered to his body. If I can’t anchor it, he won’t survive.”
“But you can, right?”
“It’s not that simple,” I said, my voice hoarse.
Callum’s shoulders slumped, and I could see the crushing defeat carve itself into every line of his body. When I turned to Ryker, his hands were tangled in his hair, tugging at the blond strands as his world fell apart in front of him. Malesh stood beside him, hand over his mouth, powerless to alter what was happening.
My own hands settled on my stomach and the life growing there. I had vowed to keep my child safe from every danger the Unseelie Kingdom held, including those who shared their blood. What I hadn’t foreseen was that I would come to cherish the ones I had fought to leave behind.
Not least of all was the man lying on the floor in front of me, fighting with everything he had to remain whole.
As the seconds slipped by and Riordan struggled to hold on, my decision became clear.
“Baby, I need you to know that you are so loved, and the thought of not getting the chance to meet you is a pain I could never put into words,” I whispered, cradling my belly.
“Cadence,” Ryker’s voice was raw and rough. “What are you doing?”
I blocked him out, my resolve strengthening. “But I’ll search for you in the next life and every one that comes after. If I fail, wait for me, and I promise I will find you.”
There was a way to save Riordan, but it wasn’t without risk. I could rend my soul and bind it to his, tethering him to the realm of the living. But if I pushed too far, if I tore myself open beyond what I could mend, I would join him on the brink of death, writhing in agony as it closed its hands around us both.
“Cadence, don’t you dare —” Ryker’s words died on his tongue as my palms settled over Riordan’s heart.
The connection hit like a lightning strike. Pain ricocheted through my chest, but I could sense the jagged, tattered edge of Riordan’s soul, no longer holding on to the shredded bonds that should have anchored it.
Power slammed through me, raw and electric, racing from my core and pooling in my hands. The air ruptured around me as I drove my magic into Riordan, clawing at the mangled fringe of his essence as it slipped farther and farther away.
Oxygen burned in my lungs, and my vision blurred as the strain of fueling both our lives threatened to break me.
“Cadence, stop!” Ryker said, his voice broken and desperate.
But I pushed on.
Cold sweat ran down my back, and my heartbeat slammed against my ribs, erratic and furious. My magic surged again, tearing at my insides as it forced its way out.
Then everything inside me stilled.
The tendrils of my power reached for him, grasping his soul in a gentle, almost tender embrace.
But my father’s magic wasn’t giving up, eager to claim Riordan for its own.
His soul thrashed against my power, slashing at it like shattered glass. Every pass brought me closer to the edge of failure, and the weight of what was at stake threatened to be my undoing.
“Please, Riordan,” I cried. “Work with me.”
I clenched my teeth, and still his essence slipped through my fingers, mocking my desperation as it frayed further beneath my touch. Digging deeper, I sank every ounce of my strength into the connection, refusing to give up.
If I let go, he was gone. If I held on, I might die with him.
A sharp, stinging sensation lanced through my body, intense and merciless. I choked on the pain, swallowing a scream as my magic fought against Riordan’s assault. The world tilted as the line between life and death sharpened.
