Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 116396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
I took off, running down the path to the gates.
“Ryker!” Effie’s voice faded behind me because she couldn’t keep up.
I made it outside the gates, across the grass, and approached him from behind. “It was all a lie, wasn’t it?”
He didn’t turn around, as if he’d heard me approach a while ago.
“She never meant a damn thing to you. Just a means to an end.”
He slowly faced me, his features hard but his eyes empty.
The dragon remained curled around Ivory, steam coming out of his nostrils as he stared at Huntley.
I came close, drawing my sword. “A man who doesn’t keep his promises isn’t a man at all. And a man who has no intention of keeping a promise as he makes it is something even worse.”
His blue eyes watched me, but his dominant hand remained at his side and didn’t reach for his sword. “I’m not going to fight you.”
“Then this will be an execution. Get on your knees.”
“Ryker, this is between her and me—”
“You killed my father, so it’s between us now.”
“You know he wasn’t a good man—”
“And neither are you.” I gripped my sword and prepared to strike him. “Now raise your sword and fight me, or let me chop you into a hundred pieces and feed you to this dragon.”
He still didn’t draw his sword. “I had every intention of keeping my promise. But when I saw my mother—”
“I don’t want your excuses.” I slashed at him.
He deflected the sword with his brace and stepped back.
“I want your death. I want this blade through your fucking throat.” I slashed at him again.
He ducked then sidestepped the next swing. “Ryker, stop this.”
I slammed my sword down and finally sliced him across the hand.
He gave a slight grimace but no other reaction.
“As your king, I order you—”
I swung wildly, coming at him for the killing blow.
He skirted away, his armor protecting the worst of the hits.
“Stop.” His mother’s voice came from behind me, deep and authoritative.
I ignored her.
“Stop, or I’ll have you killed.”
I kept my eyes locked on Huntley. “You can kill me after I slaughter this piece of shit.”
Huntley continued to move back. “Ryker—”
“Fight me!” I swung my blade down on him.
Huntley evaded it.
One of the archers fired an arrow right at me.
Huntley moved in the way and took the hit, the arrow striking him right in between his brace and his armor. “Stop.” He held up his hand to his mother and the soldiers she brought with her. “Fire again, and I’ll have your head.” He turned to me. “Drop your sword, Ryker.”
I kept it in hand because this wasn’t finished.
Huntley stepped closer to me. “I know you’re angry right now, but you’re going to get yourself killed. I can protect you, but not from my mother. If she sees someone come after her son, she won’t stop until you’re dead in the ground. Walk away now. Let this go.”
“Did you let it go?” I said as spittle flew out. “Did you let your father’s death go?”
His eyes narrowed.
“Then don’t expect me to.” I sheathed my sword then walked away. I moved past Queen Rolfe and her men and headed back to the castle. Effie had just reached the gate, a sword in her hands.
“Are you okay?”
I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her with me. “I’m fine.”
She looked over her shoulder. “You wounded him.”
“Not deep enough.”
“Don’t do anything stupid, okay? You aren’t in charge of Delacroix anymore. You could get killed.”
“I don’t care, Effie.”
“Well, I do.” She grabbed me by the arm and forced me to a halt. “I can’t lose you.”
“Ivory will take care of you if I die.”
Her eyes squinted with a look of hurt. “That’s not why.” She rose on her tiptoes and cupped my face, bringing our lips together for a kiss. “This is why. This is why I can’t lose you.”
FOUR
Ivory
I returned to the castle in the middle of the night and made it to my childhood bedroom. It was exactly as I’d left it, the sheets in disarray on the mattress, the books from the library still on the coffee table. Ryker must have told the maids to abandon this room, and they clearly listened.
The floorboard in front of the bed creaked when I stepped over it, and then I plopped down on the edge of the bed that faced the window. The curtains were drawn closed, and the bedroom was dark. I hadn’t showered in days, but now I was too depressed to care about the oil in my hair and the grime on my skin.
I didn’t want to face Ryker.
He would never forgive me.
The night passed and became morning again, and all that while, I remained in the same place on the edge of the bed. I’d slept most of the day in Pyre’s embrace, so now I was wide awake throughout the night, but my eyes were still bloodshot from despair. I eventually took a bath and changed my clothes, but I felt the grief weighing me down as if I was still covered in dirt.