Chapter Thirty-Five
Cadence
Callum let out a low whistle. “Nice ambiance. Definitely not haunted.”
My gaze swept over the library. Shadows stretched unnaturally long across the towering shelves, and a small groaning sound echoed throughout the cavernous space as if the petrified wood struggled to bear the burden of the old tomes.
The air was heavy with dust and something ancient, like forgotten magic or the restless memories of the past. It felt as though I carried the weight of their judgment, their eyes boring into me, warning me not to repeat their mistakes.
An icy shiver raced down my spine, and I shuddered, unable to help myself.
“I appreciate the sibling bonding session, but perhaps you could pick a spot a little less,” Callum paused, trying to find the right words, “doom-lit and death-scented.”
I couldn’t even argue; the place was creepy. The room smelled of old parchment, decaying leather, and a sharp metallic note, like blood dried long ago but unwilling to be forgotten.
“Let’s get on with it. The sooner we find what we are looking for, the faster we can leave.”
“Which would be what, exactly?”
“A way to sever the mate bond.”
“Right,” Callum said. “Nothing too onerous, then.”
My brother exhaled his resignation, straightened his shoulders, and took off among the rows of books.
I cast a glance at the vaulted ceiling above me. It looked like the rib cage of a monster long since dead. Images of the Zarythian came to mind, unbidden, and I shook my head to clear my thoughts until only the quiet remained.
The oppressive silence of the space wasn’t a comfort, though. It felt like a warning, and the sense of being watched only heightened my unease.
This was not a place to unwind or lose oneself in the pages. Instead, the Unseelie library was a sanctum of secrets. The kind best left buried, no matter how desperately they wanted to be found.
“How did you shake your hulking shadow?” Callum called from somewhere beyond sight.
“Are you referring to Eamon or Ryker?” I moved toward the first row of tomes and scanned the spines. Nothing stood out.
“Both.”
“Thankfully, Ryker has his hands full with the raids on the food stores. The council is breathing down his neck to find a solution.”
A small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth when I thought about my plans and how they would further unravel his countermeasures.
“And Eamon was summoned to run an errand for the King. I promised him I would remain safely locked away in Ryker’s chambers until he returned.”
Callum snorted. “You left the moment you could no longer hear his footsteps down the hall, didn’t you?”
“Naturally. I wasn’t about to waste a rare, yet golden opportunity.”
I could almost feel the grin that accompanied Callum’s chuckle, and my own lips split into a broad smile as I dove amongst the pages.
What seemed like hours later, my vision blurred as I scanned the brittle pages of the tome that felt too heavy in my palms.
“Anything?” Callum called from the row over.
“No,” I replied, trying to keep the dejection from slipping through.
Years of dust coated my hands, and my back ached from being hunched over. I had nothing to show for the hours we had remained hidden within the library, and I could sense our time was coming to an end.
Callum rounded the aisle. Cobwebs clung to his brown hair, and his lips were turned down as he studied a tattered volume. “I don’t think we’ll find the answers in a book,” he said, closing it.
I glanced around the shelves littered with more tomes and scrolls than I could ever wish to read, silently urging them to give me what I needed: a means to cut the thread that tied my soul to Ryker’s.
A way to free myself from the man whose presence in my life was a slow poison, seductive but toxic.
Frustrated, I shut the book I still held and returned it to the shelf. “We’re wasting our time.”
Callum closed the gap between us, placing a hand on my shoulder. “You’re not alone in this, Cadence.”
He’d meant to offer comfort, but his words only made the swirling pit of dread taking up residence in my stomach that much harder to bear. My brother wouldn’t leave me, and his loyalty would end up costing him his life.
As if summoned by my errant thoughts, a low whimper sounded in the distance. Soft at first, before growing into a mournful wail that rose with alarming speed, swelling into a scream that split my skull like a blade.
It was weaponized grief, raw and unwavering, carrying the weight of every death it had ever foretold. My hands slammed against my ears, and I was vaguely aware of Callum calling my name.
But the noise only grew louder, the last breath of a soul torn from its body, twisted until sorrow turned to rage, so sharp it could kill. The cry echoed where sound shouldn’t reach, threading through my mind, my blood, my soul.
Then, as quickly as it started, it disappeared.
The silence left in its wake was terrifying.
“Cadence?”
My gaze whipped to Callum, his brown eyes swimming with concern as he studied me.
“The Banshee?”
My eyes held everything I could not say, my silent plea for him to leave before it was too late. But I knew better than to expect my brother to flee.
“We should get back before his Royal Asshole realizes you are missing and chucks a fit.”
His deflection was the only response I would receive, and it spoke volumes.
He wouldn’t leave me, no matter the cost.
We left the library in silence, stepping into the wide corridor that would lead us to Ryker’s chambers. Laughter filled the hallway, but it was too sharp to be genuine.
And I knew exactly who it belonged to.
As soon as we rounded the corner, Celeste came into view. Her companion saw us first, nudging Celeste and whispering something only she could hear. She swung around to face us, her mouth twisted in a sneer.
She stood tall and elegant, clad in flowing blue silk that shimmered like icicles. Her pale hair was coiled like a crown, and her lips were painted the deep purple of fresh bruises.
“Well, isn’t this charming?” Celeste said, coming to a stop in front of us. “The traitorous whore and her mongrel brother, scurrying around the palace like rats in the sewer.”
Despite my best efforts, I flinched at the connection she had drawn between Callum and me, and Celeste’s smirk grew wider.
“Oh yes, I am quite aware who he is,” she said, gesturing toward my brother. “Or did you forget the pathetic display you put on for the entire court to see during your first trial?”
It wasn’t the fact that Celeste knew Callum was my brother that worried me. Rather, it was that she knew I was Seelie Fae, and by extension, so was he.
Celeste’s gaze raked over my body, her lips lifting into a sneer. “Desperation does not suit you, Lady Cadence.” The way she said my name was mocking, full of loathing and disgust.
“I don’t have time for your games, Celeste,” I sighed, feigning nonchalance.
She made a quiet sound of disapproval. “It’s rather unfortunate, really. I was very much looking forward to watching your demise during the trials.”
Callum took a step toward her, but I held out my arm, stopping him.
“I’m sorry to have disappointed you.” I lifted my chin, refusing to be unsettled by the venomous woman.
“Tell me, how did you survive The Morrígan? What happened beneath the cloud of mist?” Celeste surveyed me with suspicion, her eyes narrowing as if she could pry the answers from me with her glare.
My lips twitched with a smile as I recalled how The Morrígan had shielded me from their watchful gazes.
“I guess you’ll never know.”
“Your victory does not make you one of us,” she said, venom dripping from every word.
“You’re right, I’m not one of you.” I stepped closer, invading her space. “Nor would I want to be.”
Celeste scoffed. “And what, you think that makes you noble?” Her icy gaze roamed over my frame. “Ryker is a godsdamned fool. You aren’t bound by love, you’re bound by fate. Your union was doomed from the beginning. A bond without devotion tends to end in bloodshed.”
The harsh bark of laughter that fought its way up my throat startled her, and she stepped back.
“Don’t I know it,” I said.
Uncertainty clouded her features, and she ran her palms over her silk skirt, straightening it. “Sooner or later, you’ll be exposed for the traitor you are, and when that moment comes, I’m going to savor every second of it.”
With that, Celeste turned, her silks swishing around her ankles as she disappeared down the hall.
“Well, she’s lovely,” my brother snickered, breaking the tension.
I rolled my eyes, fighting a smirk. “Come on. You were right about Ryker losing it if he finds out I was gone. Best not to dance too close to death.”
Callum grunted before trailing after me.