Page 34 of A Game of Love and Betrayal

“Damn,” Ryker growled. He didn’t want to say goodbye. Not now.

“Our time’s up already?” Brynleigh sounded as surprised as he felt. “It feels like we just started talking.”

“Doesn’t it?” He capped his pen. “I really enjoyed this, Brynleigh. I hope we’ll get to talk again soon.”

A pause, and then she breathed, “Me too. You know, Ryker, you’re nothing like what I expected. This was… nice.”

“It was.” He raked a hand through his brown hair. “Have a good day.”

“You too.”

Later that night, as Ryker replayed their conversation, he tried to picture the vampire. Was her hair dark like his or light like his mother’s? She must have had the same black eyes that all vampires did, but what did her face look like? Was it round or heart-shaped? Was she tall or short? Curvy or slim or somewhere in between?

Even as he considered the possibilities, he rolled over and buried his face in the pillow. It didn’t matter what she looked like. Not really.

All that mattered was that the vampire was occupying more and more of his thoughts.

The next day, after lunch, Celeste connected Ryker with Valentina. “Good afternoon, Ryker. I’m so glad we get to chat again.”

“Likewise.” He opened his notebook and turned to the page where he’d been keeping notes about the fae. “I find it interesting that we’ve never crossed paths before.”

There weren’t millions of fae in the Republic of Balance, and even fewer ran in the upper echelons of society. Unlike the other species that called this continent their home, the fae hadn’t always existed here. Their ancestors had made the Great Migration from the Obsidian Coast after a series of natural disasters had destroyed much of their land. They’d brought technology with them and shared it willingly. Their technological advancements had shaped the Republic into the country it was and earned the fae seats on the Council of Representatives.

The Republic of Balance was divided into five regions. Each had a Representative from each species. These formed a council, which was ruled over by the Chancellor. The position used to be elected, but that hadn’t been the case for several hundred years.

“It is strange, isn’t it?” Valentina hummed pensively. “I must admit, Mother was a little… strict with my upbringing.”

“I can relate to that.” Ryker’s mother wouldn’t be considered warm by any stretch of the definition.

“It’s ironic, considering Mother’s position, but she doesn’t like the press,” Valentina said. “She wouldn’t let anyone take pictures of me, and I spent most of my youth in private schools.”

Ryker palmed his neck as memories of running from the press flashed through his mind. After dealing with the fallout of the storm, he learned the value of privacy. He probably would’ve started living at work if it weren’t for his dog.

The last thing he had wanted was to run into one of the so-called journalists from the Daily Dragon or any other news outlet in the Republic of Balance. They fed off salacious information like starving sharks. He was certain that if given the chance, they would drag his family through the mud.

He sighed. “That, I understand. The press is?—”

“Awful,” Valentina interjected, at the same time that Ryker said, “Terrible.”

Ryker didn’t trust the press. They always asked questions about his family, always wanting information, and they never took “no” for an answer. He’d always been worried they would pierce through his shroud of privacy and destroy everything he’d carefully built.

Valentina snorted. “Yes. The press is a… necessary evil.”

He wasn’t sure they were necessary, but they were a part of life. Every Representative and their family dealt with them.

Settling back in his seat, Ryker twisted the top of his pen. “I’m glad we finally had the opportunity to meet.” He liked Valentina’s frankness. “Where did you go to school?”

“Mother wouldn’t settle for anything less than the best. When I was six, she enrolled me in prep school,” Valentina continued, telling Ryker all about how she attended Highmountain’s School for Young Fae, a renowned preparatory school for girls in Golden City.

The Chancellor’s daughter was everything a Representative’s wife should be—well-educated, polite, and of a good pedigree. Ryker knew his mother would be overjoyed if he brought someone like her home.

But even though he tried to focus on Valentina and learn more about her, every so often, Ryker’s mind slipped back to Brynleigh. He wanted to know more about the vampire, too.

Two weeks had passed since the Choosing started. Ryker stepped out of the shower, rubbing a towel over his hair as he mentally prepared for the day ahead.

Who knew dating was so exhausting? They weren’t even leaving the Hall of Choice yet, for the gods’ sake. But apparently, being emotionally and mentally available for days on end took a toll on one’s body that was similar to the most stringent military training.

Whenever his parents talked about their Choosing, they never mentioned being this tired. Ryker felt as though he’d scaled the Koln Mountains with his bare hands, not spent the past fourteen days talking to women.

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