I turn my head away, blinking fast as an image of his brother on top of my unconscious body takes over me. My magic pulses beneath my skin, hot and volatile, roaring to be unleashed.
I clench my jaw so hard it aches, trying to hold it back. One wrong move, one more second of his breath on my neck, and I’ll lose control.
He doesn’t move, his grip tightens. My heart slams against my ribs.My breath stutters as I press my free hands against his neck in a futile attempt to create distance.
Don’t explode. Don’t explode. Don’t?—
“Why didn’t you choose the dress I sent?” Ryker whispers, his voice thick. He doesn’t see it, doesn’t feel the danger building in me.
I open my mouth to warn him, prepare to shove him away while doing my best to control the magic already crackling in my blood.
“Because the dress you sent was shit.” The voice cuts through the air like lightning, and Ryker freezes.
Kaelzar.
His voice is a lifeline thrown across the chasm, dragging me back from the edge. It seems to come from everywhere at once.
“Now, the lady just asked you to let her go. I suggest you listen, before she decays every one of your grabby fingers.”
Ryker’s eyes widen as horror floods his face. He releases me instantly, stepping back. His hands lift, open, like a man surrendering, but his eyes stay locked on mine, pleading.
“Ray, I’m so sorry,” he says. “I didn’t mean to scare you….”
For a second, I want to believe him. I want to believe that the tremble in his voice is regret, not damage control. That the guilt in his eyes is real.
But then I remember how quickly he closed the distance between us. How his leg slid between mine. How he saw me unraveling and pressed closer anyway.
Kaelzar’s silhouette behind him is a reminder of every time Ryker said he loved me and still chose comfort of denial over truth.
The softness in me vanishes.
“I keep trying to protect your feelings,” I say, my voice low and steady. “But you’re not a child, Ryker. You don’t need my protection.”
He watches me, silent. His mouth is a flat line, but the tension in his shoulders betrays the storm beneath.
“I wasn’t lying. Mael drugged me,” I say, allowing the words to hang there for a beat. “He also tried to marry me in secret.”
Ryker’s breath catches as his eyes search mine like I might take it back if he looks hard enough.
“It can’t be,” he whispers. He blinks, slow and stunned.
“And if it’s not already obvious,” I add, “I’m no longer interested in celebrating my birthday by your side. You can leave now.”
His mouth opens, probably to argue, but one glance at Kaelzar silences him. He gives a stiff bow and turns, retreating into the night, his footsteps swallowed by the gravel and the hush of wind through the garden.
The moment he’s gone, I exhale a long, shaky breath, and my shoulders slump as the tension bleeds out of me.
“What a coincidence you happened to be nearby,” I mutter, glancing at Kaelzar.
“I’m never too far when you need me,” he replies softly.
I absently run my thumb over the ring on my finger, knowing he must have felt my discomfort through it.
The music from the ballroom drifts faintly through the crimson air. Its soft, haunting melody feels almost too elegant for this wild, secluded place. I start pacing along the gravel path, the crunch of my heels echoing in the silence. My hands tremble as I try to shake off the heavy tangle of my emotions.
“This was a mistake,” I say, not bothering to hide the sharpness in my voice. “A stupid, humiliating mistake. I should never have come.” My throat tightens, but I force the words through.
I gesture bitterly toward the shimmering fabric of my dress. “Hours spent bathing in oils, getting my hair done, my nails painted, and for what? To be mocked? Dragged into the shadows and reprimanded?”
