40. Ryker
Ryker
Our party is quiet as we make our way down into the cave that has become a home of sorts. After today, I realize this place really is a sanctuary. Raea’s been quiet, unusually so. Normally, I can feel her emotions, especially when she’s broadcasting them, but right now, there’s nothing.
She watches, as if there isn’t a single thought swirling in her mind, but I know her. We follow Carys and Riven as they lead us down a hall and then up a set of stairs. At first, I thought they’d at least let us change for dinner, but guess not.
Eventually, we arrive at a large room, a circular table set in a private dining space filled with soft light and the scent of cooked meats. My stomach grumbles. I pull out a chair for Raea as our friends trickle in.
“There they are!” Tate cheers, coming up behind Raea to hug her. She offers him a small smile. He pulls away, studying her.
“Please don’t,” she whispers.
He nods and kisses her cheek before clapping me on the shoulder and carrying on like nothing happened. He rubs his hands together as he finds a seat across the table. Kamden follows him, studying us, but continuing a conversation with Aolyn, who somehow looks worse than she did yesterday.
Gods, was it only yesterday? Time feels like it has lost meaning here.
Trysten eyes me warily as he takes the spot beside me.
Kellan doesn’t say anything as he pulls Raea out of the chair.
To my surprise, she doesn’t fight him as she’s pulled into his chest. The way she clings to his shirt as he wraps his arms around her head to hide her from the world should bug me, but right now, I realize that something is wrong and I missed it.
His mouth drops to her ear as he mutters something that has her nodding. He holds her for another minute while Ciara takes a seat two spots down. She watches them with tears in her own eyes, then her gaze falls to me.
“Hard day?” she asks.
I nod and look around the room for Clara.
Trysten must guess who I’m searching for because he says, “I’ve checked on her multiple times. She played with some other kids today out on the beach. She wanted to eat in her room and asked if I could tell you to go read her a story before bed tonight.”
I give my thanks as Brynna storms into the room.
“She’s got a stick up her ass. She’s so pissy,” Trysten mutters.
As if she can hear him, her gaze snaps to him, and the lethal glare only makes him smile. He leans back, one arm propped on the open chair beside him as they watch each other.
I bite back a smile as she somehow manages to make sitting down look like an act of war. She doesn’t break her glaring contest until Carys tells her to knock it off. Raea sniffles and sits back down as Kellan pushes her in. He takes the spot beside her.
Grabbing her hand, I squeeze once. Her red-rimmed eyes look up at me as she leans closer.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers.
“For what, love?”
“Kellan.”
I brush a loose strand of hair back and bring my lips to hers. I feel her tension settle. “No need to apologize. He’s your friend, Raea. He knows you in ways I don’t, and if he’s helping you, then I’m grateful.”
Her bottom lip wobbles as her eyes fill with more tears. She swipes them away. “I want to go down to the beach when we’re done. I want to talk. Need to talk.”
I drop my forehead to hers as I promise we’ll go wherever she wants.
When we finally pull away, Carys clears her throat.
“First off, I’d like to formally introduce myself.
I’m Princess Carys, but Carys is fine. I’ll be helping Lord Finn, and my sister, Brynna, will be here to train all of you and help organize your awakenings.
Riven—” She gestures to him as he raises a hand.
“—will be in charge of overseeing Ryker’s training.
” Her eyes land on me, then move to Raea, who relaxes.
She dips her chin, some sort of female understanding passing between them.
Finn stands. “Today, you all should have been briefed on the current war, what we’re facing, and given a tour. Raea and Ryker have met with the councils, and they will begin their own trajectories tomorrow.”
Tate raises a hand like we’re in class. “So what’s an awakening?”
Finn grins. “As you know, Raea is from a royal Elven bloodline. Ryker—” He gestures to me. “—is a royal Fae. You should have been briefed on the races.”
Our friends nod.
“The awakening is not something we have ever had to do like this. Usually, it's for prisoners of war who’ve had their magic removed by spells from the dark witches.”
“Dark witches?” Kamden asks.
“Humans who don’t have magic but can summon it through spells. Your awakening will hopefully restore your birthright and therefore your magic.”
“Wait,” Ciara interrupts.
Finn clenches his jaw as he turns to her.
“So it won’t just be Raea and Ryker with magic? If we do this awakening, do we lose our Bond?”
I answer before Finn can. “The Lumos Bonds are gone.” Her eyes widen. “When the Veil disappeared, so did the magic that made it. I’m sure the Bonds already established are fine.” I look to Carys, who shrugs. “But we won’t know until we get back. As far as future Lumos Bonds…” I shake my head.
“Dammit,” Tate declares, slapping a hand on the table. “I was looking forward to it.”
Brynna snorts. “Such a pathetic little child. Find someone you want to be with and move on.”
Kamden leans forward. “We get to choose?”
“Yes,” Finn answers. “Most Fae and Elven get to choose. The Mating Bond between Raea and Ryker is rare, and when I say rare, I mean there’s only a handful or so of recorded cases.
There’s a “Bond” of sorts that can be felt between two people, but it’s not really a Bond.
It’s more that your magic is harmonizing with the other. ”
Our friends sit in silence for a moment as Finn looks around, then they all break out in smiles. They’re all muttering to one another as Finn sits, looking pleased with himself.
Riven breaks up the muttering when he addresses them once more. “Your awakening will tell us what bloodlines you are from.”
They all nod as food is brought out by staff members. Each plate is set before us along with goblets of wine.
Riven looks at Raea and me. “In the morning, Carys and I will be escorting you to the temple at Ilythara Pass. We’ll need to leave at sunup.”
Finn gestures as he tells everyone to dig in.
Raea holds my hand as she speaks with Kellan and Ciara about their day.
Trysten fills me in on my other side about the training grounds being something out of a fantasy.
He said the warrior training had skills he’d never witnessed, not even with the quadrants. Honestly, it doesn’t surprise me.
While Astor and Calia did what they needed to do to protect us, they also inhibited us.
I know there’s more to the story, but I wish I could ask why they chose to hide us behind a Veil instead of training us to fight and use the magic we were born with.
What kind of long-term damage was done in the process?
I realize I've tuned everyone out when Aolyn stands, glaring daggers across the table at Brynna, who sits there with a smirk.
Raea inhales sharply.
“I’m not a traitor!” Aolyn growls. “I told Raea the truth. I told her when she was in danger. I told her to go home. What else should I have done?”
Brynna scoffs. “Your father was harboring her sister, who, mind you, is evil incarnate, for the better part of a year. A year! And you knew something was wrong, and yet you chose to do nothing about it.”
“Stop it,” Raea says softly. “Aolyn could have stayed with her father. The choice was hers. At the end of the day, she chose to come with me.”
“To spy,” Brynna adds.
Raea fists her hands as she stands. “I would kindly ask that you not speak about my friend. And since we all hold the same titles, she’s entitled to tell you absolutely nothing.”
“Brynna,” Carys admonishes.
Brynna rolls her eyes, leaning back in her chair as she grabs her wine. Aolyn storms out of the room. Raea begins to follow, but Kamden stops her, telling her he will go. Reluctantly, Raea agrees, returning to her seat.
“Well, this is off to a fantastic start,” Trysten mutters.
After dinner, Raea and I check on Clara, finding her fast asleep, her arms wrapped around a doll someone must have given to her. Raea kisses her goodnight before she slips back into our room.
When I head back myself, I find Raea changed into leggings and a sweater, her hair pulled up into a knot. She kisses me once, telling me she’s going to check in on Aolyn and to change so we can head up to the beach.
“I’ll just be a minute,” I say, pulling her into my arms and holding her for a moment longer. Her hands glide up my chest. I lost my jacket the moment we walked through the door. Her hands link behind my neck as we sway to the sound of our heartbeats. “What’s going on in your head, love?”
She keeps swaying. Finally, after a long minute, she pulls away, looking up at me. In this dim lighting, the candlelight catches on the gold flecks in her eyes and dances off her skin. “I love you, Ry. I just—” She shakes her head. “I shouldn’t care. I know it’s stupid.”
When she looks away, I tilt her chin back up. “Whatever it is, it’s not stupid.”
“I got jealous today and, gods…” She sighs, pulling away.
“I just haven’t felt this way in a while.
I was never this insecure at school. Women were always throwing themselves at you, and yeah, I hated it, but I was never insecure.
Then today, the king, he was practically trying to play matchmaker in front of me. ”
I bite back a smile as I close the distance between us. “You were jealous, Princess?” She tries to push me away as I wrap my hands around her waist. “How jealous?”
She scoffs and buries her face in my chest. “Shut up.”
A hum of amusement leaves me as I wrap my hands around her thighs to lift her. She locks her ankles behind me and pouts as I bring us eye level.
“Don’t,” she warns, but I can’t help the huff of amusement that tumbles out of me. Gods, she’s so damn cute when she’s feisty. “Anders Rykerson,” she says sternly.
That only makes me laugh harder.
I pin her against the wall as she mutters something about never telling me things again.
I capture her mouth with mine. “Love,” I mutter against her lips, “I don’t care if the king forced me to spend sun up to sun down with his daughter, I would never be in love with her.
I’m in love with you. We’re mated, remember? ”
“Not yet,” she grumbles, crossing her arms over her chest as she leans back further into the wall.
She looks so pissy right now, I can’t help but smile.
“You used my full name,” I tease, poking her side.
“I did.” She squirms. “I’m trying to be mad at you right now. I was being vulnerable, and you laughed.” She giggles, “stop,” when I tickle her more.
“I’m sorry, love, I shouldn’t have laughed.”
Her green eyes meet mine. “No, you shouldn’t have.” She wraps her arms around my shoulders again, toying with my hair.
I kiss her, tasting the sweet wine on her tongue before biting her lip and dragging my teeth along it until she moans. Gods that sound. I set her down and take a few steps back. “If you want to go out to the beach, I suggest you go check on Aolyn.”
“And if I stay?” she asks, her voice dropping seductively as she drags her teeth along her lip.
I groan, adjusting myself. My hands grip the edge of the sofa I’ve managed to put between us. “If you stay, Princess, I’m going to show you—you own my mind, body, and soul.”
She stays with her back against the wall, letting her gaze slowly drag over my body, biting that bottom lip once more, then she winks and heads out the door, giggling as she shuts it.
Fuck me.