My father’s grin grew wider, and his eyes danced with sinister glee.
“Few people know how he gained so much power.” My father sucked in a breath, enjoying every moment of recounting the tale. “While the Prince was safely nestled inside his mother’s womb, he consumed her magic. After he was born, she grew weak and never fully recovered her strength.”
Nausea swirled in my stomach, and I placed a hand over my abdomen, as though I could feel the child growing there.
“As the years passed, the Queen slowly deteriorated. Without her magic, the gifts of her fae heritage, health, and longevity were lost to her, until she eventually succumbed, disappearing from this plane entirely.”
Ryker… killed his mother?
“Is the Prince truly who you want to align yourself with? Knowing what you have learned.”
My head was swimming, and my father pressed his advantage.
“How do you know he won’t do something similar to you, too? He’s already tricked you into carrying his heir, who’s to say he won’t take it further?”
“How did you know about that?”
My father’s smile was victorious, but he didn’t answer my question.
A horn sounded somewhere in the distance, and he glanced out the window. “I’m afraid our time has come to an end.”
He strode toward me, and I stiffened. My father placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed gently as he lowered his lips to my forehead.
His touch contrasted with his demeanor, leaving me unsure whether I should feel comforted or alarmed.
“Think about what I have told you. You need to choose a side, Cadence. Time is running out.”
With his parting words lingering between us, he slipped from the room and vanished.
Chapter Fifteen
Cadence
I’d barely had enough time to recover from my father’s surprise visit before I heard footsteps sprinting down the hall. The dagger slipped from my grasp, clattering to the floor, as I moved to stand by the window, trying to appear unaffected.
The instant Ryker crossed the threshold, I released the breath I didn’t realize I was holding. Until that moment, I’d had no way of knowing who or what was racing towards me.
“Temptress,” he rumbled when his eyes landed on me.
He stalked toward me, closing the distance in a few steps.
“Is it over?”
Ryker ignored my question as he gripped me by the nape, tipping my head back. His lips descended on mine, his tongue invading my mouth, conquering me like the enemy he’d been fighting all along. My arms wrapped around his neck instinctively, and a small whimper escaped between my lips.
Someone cleared their throat behind us, alerting me to the fact that we weren’t alone. I tried to push against Ryker’s firm chest, but he ignored my efforts to break free as he devoured me. When he finally let me up for some much-needed air, my cheeks were warm, and my breath was coming in ragged, uneven pants.
“Cadence?”
Hearing my brother’s voice almost brought me to my knees. He was alive. He had fought against the Wraith Borne, but he’d survived.
“Leave us,” Ryker said.
Callum began to object, but Riordan steered him out of the room. “You really don’t want to stay for what’s coming next.”
Once they were gone, I turned my attention back to Ryker. “What the hell happened out there?”
He didn’t respond. Instead, his hands glided down my thighs until he reached the back of my knees. He lifted me effortlessly, forcing my legs to wrap around his waist as he marched toward the bed.
