Page 100 of A Game of Love and Betrayal

A hairbrush sat on the gilded nightstand. She grabbed it and ran it through her knotted hair, trying to remove as many tangles as possible. When it became apparent that a shower would be required to return her hair to its prior silky state, she gave up and threw her hair into a messy bun on top of her head.

Then Brynleigh stood. She wobbled, her feet displeased with the task of bearing her weight once again, but she quickly righted herself. She released her shadows, letting them pour out of her. They were eager to play, crawling over her like a second skin until she was covered in darkness.

Brynleigh briefly considered the merits of shadowing to the safe house to talk with Jelisette before deciding that her initial plan was better. Besides, if The Lily was warded, there was a chance she would set off alarms by shadowing in and out. The last thing she wanted to do was bring attention to herself. Not only that, but there wasn’t a guarantee that Jelisette would be at the safe house. The older vampire had a lively social life, and she had many contacts that even Brynleigh wasn’t privy to.

Having decided, Brynleigh walked to the door on bare feet. The shadows absorbed the sound of her movements. She was as silent as the night itself.

The doorknob was cold in her hand as she curled her fingers around it and peered through the peephole.

Three figures cast in shadows stood in front of her door. This was a potential problem. She needed to leave the room the old-fashioned, mortal way: on foot. She couldn’t shadow to another part of The Lily because she had never been here before. Traveling through the Void was a valuable skill, but it only allowed vampires to return to locations they’d previously been.

Silently cursing, Brynleigh assessed the obstacle in front of her. Two of them were clearly guards. They wore the same black uniforms as the soldiers who’d guarded them during the Choosing. The Republic’s insignia was on their chests. Black guns were at their sides.

But the third…

Brynleigh inhaled deeply. Thunderstorms and bergamot flooded her nostrils.

At the same time, the last man took a step closer to the other two.

Ryker.

Her stomach somersaulted. That was a problem. So was the way her heart sped up at the sight of him. Inwardly, she groaned. To say that these bodily reactions were quickly getting frustrating would be an understatement of epic proportions.

Brynleigh had never experienced anything like this before. Why was it happening now, around the captain? It was utterly inconvenient and had to come to a quick end.

Forcing those ridiculous, out-of-place emotions aside—desire had no place here, only revenge—Brynleigh focused on the scene unfolding outside her room. Usually, she was able to hear through doors without any issue, but there must have been some protective barriers over this one to muffle sound.

Still, she picked out her fae’s voice. Wait. No. Not her fae. The fae. Despite what Brynleigh had said to Valentina, she had no real claim to the captain except that she wanted to kill him.

“Let me in. I need to see her,” Ryker said.

The guard with auburn scruff shook his head. “… orders… needs to rest… her Maker.”

Ryker crossed his arms, his muscles bulging under his black t-shirt. Fuck, that shouldn’t look so attractive. “I’m… superior officer…”

The guards glanced at each other and whispered.

Isvana must have been smiling on Brynleigh tonight. This obstacle wouldn’t be difficult to overcome, after all.

Tuning out the guards, she dropped her cloak of shadows and retracted the darkness. She reached over and unlocked the door.

“Good evening, gentlemen,” she said primly, as though she weren’t dressed in nightclothes.

The guards straightened and turned towards her. Their hands fell to their sides, and they dipped their heads, murmuring greetings beneath their breath.

“I didn’t realize you were awake, miss,” Auburn Scruff said.

“I just woke up,” Brynleigh replied. Then, there were no more words because her gaze drifted over the guards and landed on Ryker’s.

The moment their eyes met, it was like worlds smashed together. Intensity and longing filled his chocolate orbs and stole her breath. Her core twisted as he devoured her with a single look. His eyes shone brightly as if he were a dying man, and looking at her was the only cure to his ailment.

Brynleigh’s heart slammed violently against her chest. For several long seconds, she forgot to breathe. She moved to step towards him before she realized what she was doing. Who she was moving toward.

Gods-damn it.

She swallowed and grabbed the doorframe, forcing her eyes away from his. Breaking his stare was physically painful, but it had to be done.

It’s just a physical reaction, she reminded herself. That’s all.

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