Page 72 of Broken

Riker just shrugged. “Figures that’s what you’d think.”

“Yeah. I know you. So what is it that you’re going after? Why free this sorceress? Surely there’s plenty of other ways to get me killed without sending Ireland into the heart of Bright Fae territory.”

“It’s the only way,” Riker said. “For her. Thanatos and the dragons can’t get the bracelets off her. You heard what he said. The binding magic in those bracelets is ancient, from before they split from the Dark Fae. They can’t even make them anymore, because it’s a mix of Dark and Bright magic.”

“I know that.”

“Think about it, though. Illyria was entombed with the Book of Twilight. It was her life’s work—explaining why the Fae needed both kinds of magic to keep the balance in their society, but also to keep their magic strong. That thing is worth a fortune—”

Cole shook his head. “It’s always about money with you. What you can get.”

Riker sneered. “And it’s also the key to unlocking the bracelets. So if Ireland’s going to be free of the Bright Fae Council, that’s where you have to go. The Fae world. You just have to make sure Thanatos doesn’t get you both killed on the way.”

“As opposed to, you getting only one of us killed? Namely, me?”

“You just got done telling me you’re more powerful than me now. Still scared?”

“I was never scared of you, Riker. Definitely not now that you’re a ghost. So now you’re going to fucking tell me everything you know about this prison—where it is, who’s guarding it, how to get there. Because I know you know.”

“Finally. I thought you’d never ask. You were so busy running and hiding from everything.”

Cole growled.

Riker said, “But there’s one thing you should know up front, when you’re thinking about Thanatos’ loyalties. Illyria wasn’t just someone he knew. He was there when it all went down. Illyria was his girlfriend.”