“Not forever.” He shook his head. “But, right now, I need to be. The civilians are scared and they need a strong hand to guide them.”
“That’s true,” I said evenly. “Just–just make sure you don’t steel yourself too much.”
“You heard them.” There was a strange curl to his lip. “Nobody wants the duty, but everyone has an opinion.”
I huffed a small laugh. “That sounds like something I’d say.”
“What can I say.” The tightness of his mouth softened as he blinked at me. “You’re rubbing off on me.”
“I, for one, loved both of your little speeches,” Dax said. He’d finally let go of his dagger, the tension in his neck loosened. “More steel, less sentiment.”
“Leave us alone, please,” was Ryker’s reply as he kept staring at me.
Dax opened his mouth to argue.
“Now,” Ryker said.
Dax huffed, but turned on his heel, vanishing down the labyrinth of corridors.
Finally alone, Ryker sighed. “Nadya’s working with the same person who attacked Evie’s wedding and wants you all dead.”
A sharpness compressed my lungs.
The danger never ended, did it?
“That means that someone’s been plotting against you, the Blood Brotherhood, and Protectorate foryears.” I bit my lip, exhaling noisily. “The ledger discrepancies only go back two years. At least what we found so far.”
“Nadya came here before that. Sent by an heir.” His jaw ticked. “An heir who ordered her to kill people and whom she still highly regards. Apparently, nobody should dare speak about him.”
My mind flashed back to Beren’s deceptive eagerness to claim Ryker as one of their own. “An heir?”
“A secret, misunderstood one that promises glory.” He cracked his knuckles. “Whom I am very keen to meet.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way.” I hesitated. “But what are the chances you might actually have siblings?”
He let out a sharp breath, the ghosts of the past fighting with the present over which could wound him more. “I can’t guarantee my father didn’t populate this world more in distant lands, but my claim on Solkar’s Reach comes from my mother.”
“Beren was trying hard to convince me otherwise during our negotiation.”
A corner of his mouth ticked up. “Intimidation meeting.”
“Whatever that was, he really pressed the issue of you two being related,” I said. “Could he be aware of this heir and use him against you?”
“He’s foaming at the mouth to usurp me, but for his own gain.” He shook his head. “I think Beren’s in over his head and whoever sent Nadya is playing him. If he kills me, this heir wins.”
My fingers curled in his hand. “Who in the bleeding stars would want both you and me dead?”
“And Zandyr,” he said. When I furrowed my brows, he went on, “He’s the Dragon.”
Zandyr. Zandyr and Evie. Evie and Zandyr. No, it didn’t flow.
“Even his name is pompous.” I wrinkled my nose. “But if he's on the kill list too, then…”
“This strange heir is targeting other heirs.” Ryker shook his head. “Fabrian’s already dead, so the Serpents are sorted.”
“But whoever’s after us fought alongside the Serpents against the Blood Brotherhood.”
“Yes. Sound familiar?”
