Ryker turned his steel-grey eyes on his brother, and a silent conversation passed between them. A hint of mirth lit up Riordan’s gaze, and a broad grin spread across his face. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
Ryker’s smug expression made me curl my hands into fists. The least the bastard could do was fill me in on his plans.
“Think of what?” Callum demanded.
Ryker ignored him and turned to face me. “We have a family heirloom, a relic passed down through my mother’s line.”
“And?” I had no idea how that knowledge would assist me.
“It’s a ring. It used to belong to her, and her mother before that.”
“What’s so special about this ring?” I asked.
“It is imbued with her magic, and that of her ancestors.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Anyone who possesses it can wield it.”
My breath caught in my throat as the implications sank in. “Are you saying I could use her magic?”
“Temporarily, yes.” Ryker’s eyes never left mine. “The ring would allow you to channel the power stored within it. Enough to pass whatever test they throw at you.”
Callum crossed his arms, his skepticism written all over his face. “And what’s the catch?”
“No catch,” Ryker said, but something shifted in his expression. “Just a solution to our problem.”
Riordan opened his mouth to speak, but Ryker cut him off with a single look.
“Where is the ring now?” I asked.
“Safe. Hidden where my father cannot find it.” He stepped closer, his voice dropping to that low, dangerous tone that always made my pulse quicken. “Riordan will retrieve it before the trials begin tomorrow.”
“That takes care of the magic test,” Eamon said. “Cadence has been training hard, and we can arm her with every weapon she’s competent with. That leaves the test of the mind.” His gaze swung around the room. “Any ideas?”
Ryker moved to my side, his large hands falling to my hips as he pulled me close to him. “I’m afraid that one’s on you, Temptress.” An amused smirk tugged up his lips. “But given your smart mouth and violent wit, I have every faith in your ability to triumph.”
“We don’t know which trial will open this farce, so Cadence needs to be ready for all three,” Malesh said. “Once it’s complete, we can regroup and discuss tactics for the other two.”
“With any luck, we’ll have more than a day’s notice for the other trials,” Eamon grumbled.
“I wouldn’t count on it,” Riordan said. “In case you haven’t noticed, my father is an asshole.”
Callum grunted his agreement before turning to face me. “We have a plan?”
“We have a plan.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Cadence
“Eamon, if you stuff one more dagger in my belt, I won’t be able to walk, let alone make it through the trial,” I groaned.
“You can never be too careful, Cadence. Besides, there’s no such thing as too many daggers.”
“Maybe if you’re the size of a mountain.”
Eamon chuckled, but that didn’t stop him from fastening a final blade to the inside of my right ankle.
