Callum sneered at my brother as he crossed his arms over his chest, but Riordan only grinned back.
“You speak as if I had a part in that,” he said, gesturing to the gaping hole where Cadence stood, her breasts heaving though she remained upright.
Just as the last grains of sand had fallen, Cadence thrust her dagger into the monster’s heart, ending the threat against her and outlasting the hourglass.
Now she stood tall before the Unseelie Fae.
Defiant.
I couldn’t be prouder.
The ground trembled under my feet, and a low thrum vibrated up through my boots and into my spine. Cadence didn’t flinch as the hard earth shuddered and twisted.
She remained at the heart of the crater, framed by fractured earth and fallen trees. Then, the forest rose. Not around her but beneath her, lifting her as the enormous hole disappeared.
Shattered rock knit back together, and crumbling dirt surged upward. All signs of the once vibrant woods vanished as the ragged edges of the cavern smoothed out.
Cadence now stood on level ground, and I turned on my heel as I marched toward the tunnel that would lead me to her.
“Ryker,” Riordan hissed.
I spun around to face him and followed the direction of his outstretched arm. He pointed to our father, who sat upon his throne as if he hadn’t just lost a game of his own making. A knowing smile decorated his lips, and a sinking feeling settled in my gut.
“What is he playing at?”
Before my brother could answer, the herald spoke again. “Lady Cadence, the King wishes to express his congratulations on your victory. It was most entertaining to watch.”
The movement was barely noticeable, easy to overlook unless you were paying close attention.
But I caught it.
This time, Cadence flinched.
The thought of those spineless voyeurs watching her wrestle with her own doubts — and enjoying it — made her recoil. Her shoulders sagged as she retreated inward, making her appear small and defensive, as if the weight of their gazes stripped her bare.
She looked vulnerable.
Exposed.
And I hated them for it.
Red colored my vision, and my blood pounded inside my ears as shadows leaked from my clenched fists. I wanted to end their lives, every single one of them, here and now.
When I glanced at my brother, I found him already staring at me. His eyes were frantic, and his mouth was moving, but I couldn’t hear one word he was saying.
Next to him, Callum paled, and he looked like he was going to be sick. Eamon stood abruptly, his fists clenching as he stared down into the arena. Malesh’s hand went to the pommel of his sword, and I shook my head, trying to regain my focus.
“Did you hear me, Ryker?” my brother said.
“What?”
“I said the second trial is starting now.”
My gaze darted to Cadence standing in the middle of the stadium. She no longer shrank away from the attention of the Unseelie Fae watching her. She narrowed her eyes in challenge, then squared her shoulders as if preparing for a one-woman war.
A low growl rumbled up my throat as my gaze locked with my father’s. He sat atop his throne, unable to conceal his amusement. Fury radiated off me in waves, and my shadows trailed up my arms, surging higher.
“You’re playing a very dangerous game, Father,” I said, my voice echoing around the arena like a war drum. “One wrong move, and it won’t be one you win.”
