Page 94 of A Game of Love and Betrayal

He shook, his vision clouding, as his control slipped. His own magic thrummed, eager to help him feel better. But nothing would help. Not right now. Not after last night.

“Barely!” Ryker shouted. “Her blood covered me from head to toe!”

Last night, when he’d finally stumbled into the shower, the water had run red. When the bomb exploded, a piece of silver shrapnel grazed the side of Brynleigh’s neck. If she’d been human, she would have died. As it was, she’d lost copious amounts of blood.

One moment, his vampire had been staring at him. The next, a crimson river spurted from her neck like a fountain.

Ryker would have nightmares about how Brynleigh’s face went from pale to snow white for the rest of his life. Her blood had poured out of her so fast that he’d barely had time to comprehend what was happening. Vampires were immune to many things, but silver was one of the few that could kill them.

Thank the Blessed Obsidian Sands, Jelisette de la Point had been present at the Masked Ball. She’d swooped in, bitten her own wrist, and fed her progeny her blood. It was only because of her quick thinking that Brynleigh was still alive and in a different suite, receiving intravenous blood transfusions.

“I know you’re worried, son,” Tertia said in a business-like voice. “But your vampire has the best medical care in the entire Republic. She’ll be fine. Calm you.”

Calm was not a word in Ryker’s vocabulary. He wasn’t meant to sit around and do nothing. He should be out there, searching for the bastards that built the fucking bomb. If they knew what was good for them, they’d fall to their knees and beg whatever deities they believed in that Ryker would not be the one to find them. When he did, he would tear them limb from limb for what they’d done.

Brynleigh wasn’t the only one injured in the blast. Countless people were hurt, and several lives were lost altogether, including Luca, one of the Choosing participants. The young werewolf had been a good man and hadn’t deserved to die so young.

“I need to see Brynleigh.” Ryker had already tried to leave the suite, but a guard had stopped him at the door.

He pulled his hair, hating the helplessness churning in his gut.

Ryker understood the purpose of rules and knew they were in place for a reason, but right now, he didn’t care. All he cared about was his vampire. Nothing else. Not right now. Once he saw Brynleigh with his own two eyes and confirmed she was healing, he would feel better.

Gods–damn it all. A growl rumbled through him, and he palmed the back of his neck. What were the chances he could sneak out of this suite and find the one where they were keeping her? He didn’t know the guards stationed at his door, which was likely a conscious choice on the Chancellor’s behalf, so he couldn’t talk his way out of the suite.

But maybe…

A plan started forming in his head as he mulled over the possibility of getting hold of either Atlas or Nikhail. They might be working, but if they weren’t, he was certain either would do as he asked.

Except Atlas was watching Marlowe. As much as Ryker loved Marlie, his dog wouldn’t be much help in an operation like this. That left Nikhail as the more logical choice. Ryker nodded to himself, feeling incrementally better now that he had the semblance of a plan.

He turned on his heel, intent on heading back to his room and calling the air fae.

“I hope you’re not planning on doing anything foolish, my son.” Tertia didn’t even lift her eyes from the tablet where she was typing a message. “Remember?—”

“Everything I do reflects on you,” he finished for her, biting back the urge to roll his eyes. He stopped in his tracks, though. “Yes, I know.”

He’d heard the refrain a thousand times over.

That was the burden of being a Representative’s son. His mother lived in the spotlight, and even though Ryker had spent the past six years living as a recluse, sometimes he still got caught in those bright rays.

“Are you certain?” This time, Tertia looked up. Her piercing gaze met his. “Need I remind you?—”

Thank all the gods, a door slammed shut on the other side of the suite. It saved Ryker from his mother’s impending lecture.

A slender fae jogged into the main room, her brown hair pulled into a high ponytail. Diamond studs glittered in her pierced, delicate, pointed ears, and a black ring sat in the middle of her bottom lip. She wore a neon pink t-shirt that was cropped high enough to show off her pierced navel and ripped jean shorts. The outfit was a bright contrast to Tertia’s refined apparel.

“Ryker! I’m so glad you’re safe.” River slammed into him, and he hugged her. “I wish I could have seen you last night before everything went down. It was so horrible.”

“Perhaps if you hadn’t been tardy, you could’ve seen your brother before he proposed,” Tertia remarked from the table, her voice icy.

Both Ryker and River sighed at the same time.

River’s inability to arrive anywhere on time had been a topic of countless conversations in the past. It wasn’t that his sister liked being late. She just never seemed to get anywhere when she was supposed to. Ryker had thought she would grow out of it, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“I’m sorry, Mother.” River rubbed her temples. “I got stuck at the university studying and lost track of time. But I made it! That’s the most important thing, right?”

Tertia’s face made it clear that it was, in fact, not the most important thing.

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