Chapter Thirty-Eight
Cadence
Eamon’s gaze kept darting around the bustling marketplace, assessing the young boy carting melons back and forth to his father’s fruit stand, to the older woman kneading dough as the scent of warmly baked bread teased my senses.
“Why the sudden urgency to consult the gods, Cadence?” he asked, his hand resting on the pommel of his sword. “You don’t strike me as one of the faithful.”
Truth be told, I wasn’t. However, Melania’s source had agreed to meet me at the temple in the lower village, and I was not about to miss the opportunity to save my brother from his own stubbornness.
But I could hardly tell Eamon that.
“The more time I spend with Ryker, the stronger the urge to cleanse my soul,” I said instead.
He let out a harsh laugh, and the young boy jumped, dropping his melon. I rushed forward, scooping up the fruit and setting it on the display.
“Thank you,” he mumbled, his cheeks reddening with embarrassment.
“You’re welcome.” I leaned down and ruffled his hair, earning a sheepish grin in return.
“This isn’t the Seelie Kingdom, Cadence,” Eamon said, guiding me away by my elbow. “You can’t just run off whenever you damn well feel like it.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “I wasn’t running off, I was helping the boy that you scared half to death with your brutish nature and unfriendly disposition.”
“Yes, well, my unfriendly disposition keeps you alive, Princess, so if I were you, I’d be a little more grateful.”
“Do not call me that!”
Eamon raised an amused brow. “You’re married to the Crown Prince of the Unseelie, Cadence. That makes you a princess.”
“Don’t remind me,” I grumbled.
This time, Eamon’s laughter was disarming. His shoulders shook, and his eyes crinkled in genuine mirth.
“Always choosing the hardest path, aren’t you, Princess?”
I scowled but let it go. We walked in companionable silence until we reached the center of the market square, where the temple was located.
Eamon strode toward the entryway, his gaze scanning the inner sanctuary from the threshold before he returned to my side. He jerked his head back in the direction of the elegant redwood doors marking the entrance to the temple. “It’s safe to go in. I’ll wait for you out here.”
My lips twitched as I fought a smirk. “Afraid you’ll burst into flames if you step inside.”
Eamon shuddered. “This place gives me the creeps. My brother once locked me in a crypt on the lower level. It took my mama all day to find me. Haven’t been able to set foot inside since.”
My eyes rounded. What the hell did you say to something like that?
Eamon lowered his chin as he said, “Hurry now, Cadence. The sooner you are done, the sooner we can go.” His gaze darted around the temple once more before he moved aside, allowing me entry.
Shaking off the unease of Eamon’s story, I marched inside and took a seat in the middle of the benches lining either side of the aisle. It didn’t take long before someone shuffled in beside me.
I slid from the bench, landing on my knees, and clasped my hands together, lowering my head in imitation of prayer.
“Cadence?” My name sounded rough on the man’s tongue.
“Henry?”
“Aye.”
“I would say it was a pleasure to meet you, but under the circumstances, it doesn’t seem appropriate.”
He grunted in agreement. There was a pregnant silence before Henry said, “You’re married to the Crown Prince, and yet, you offer us aid. Why?”
The suspicion that colored his tone wasn’t unexpected. To outsiders, my place at Ryker’s side could be mistaken for loyalty. After all, I’d endured the trials and proved myself a worthy successor, at least in their eyes.
“My reasons are my own.”
“No disrespect, Cadence, but I’ll need more than your word. You could be weaving an intricate web designed to deliver my people to the crown. Forgive me if I am unable to trust you.”
The apology in his tone was genuine.
I needed this man’s help for my plans to succeed. If I were going to escape the Unseelie Kingdom with my child and my brother in tow, then securing alliances was crucial to ensure any distraction I created lasted long enough for us to slip out.
"That’s assuming you can sever the bond," my inner voice taunted.
Given that our efforts thus far had been futile, I was beginning to believe it might not be possible after all.
Even so, if I could convince Callum to leave, it would be worth it.
If Ryker tracked me down afterward, so be it.
My brother would be safe, and, with any luck, I would have delivered my child before he found me, so that Callum could take them far away from the Unseelie Kingdom.
As my thoughts returned to Henry’s question, I decided a partial truth was the only way to secure the alliance. “I am Seelie Fae,” I said. “Your Prince took a liking to me, and he kidnapped me from my kingdom. I wish to return home, to see my family and leave this godsforsaken place behind.”
Henry shifted next to me, his boots scuffing the stone floor. Whether the movement was from discomfort or intrigue, I could not tell.
I sensed his stare drilling into the back of my head, the singular weight of it heavy in the silence. But I didn’t dare to meet his gaze, for fear it would spoil our ruse. If I broke character now, the game would be over, and I would have burned every inch of leverage I’d bled to achieve.
Henry knew it too, as he tried to conceal his shock, understanding sparking like flint in the thin air between us. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
There was no heat, no disgust or anger behind his words, just the flat metallic edge of disbelief. I had to wonder how long he’d lived in the shadows, that sincerity and vulnerability were lost on him, even when used as weapons.
I gave a curt nod as a riot of anticipation and dread warred within me. Every heartbeat screamed that I had made a fatal miscalculation. That I was naive to think any Unseelie would set aside their contempt for the Seelie Fae in pursuit of the hatred they harbored for their own monarchs.
Instead, Henry released a slow exhale. “I’ll admit that one, I did not see coming.” His voice was quiet, but the grudging admiration underneath was unmistakable.
“Is that answer enough for you then?”
My voice sounded unfamiliar, scraped raw. My teeth snagged my bottom lip, drawing it into my mouth as I waited for his response.
“You have yourself a deal, Lady Cadence.”
His words landed between us, and there was a hitch in my breath, a pulse that felt a lot like triumph. I forced myself to remain calm as I said, “Tell me what you need.”