Page 70 of Kingdom of Briars and Roses

Then a blade swung out, cutting the smoke off, and I gasped as the supply abruptly ended. I coughed, my chest burning as the power spread inside me.

“Are you all right?” a male voice asked roughly.

I blinked up at the figure who’d saved me, and my heart stopped.

Rydian.

Dark, deadly, handsome as ever—and covered in Obsidian blood.

His eyes met mine, and for a moment, it felt like the world had tilted on its axis. The same stony expression hardened his face, but those eyes… I couldn’t get them out of my head.

“You,” I breathed.

Had he seen what I’d just done?

His eyes narrowed. “This isn’t what I had in mind when I told you to make it right,” he growled.

I stiffened at that, trying to decipher if he was referring to the dark magic I’d just used or the fact that I’d seemingly taken his advice to honor my vow to Callan.

Before I could respond, Callan appeared beside us, what remained of his soldiers fanning out to secure the area. His gaze flicked from the dead Obsidian to Rydian, and I watched as something like relief crossed his face.

“Nice work,” he said, and it took me a moment to realize he was speaking to Rydian. “This asshole was particularly lethal. Glad you were close.”

“If you’d stuck to the route I gave you, we wouldn’t have needed to deal with them at all,” Rydian told him, and the derision in his voice bordered on disrespect.

I blinked, stunned to hear anyone speak to a prince that way, and even more shocked when Callan merely rolled his eyes and sighed. “The day is already fucked up enough without you lecturing me.”

“What’s going on?” I demanded, impatient and confused and very aware of the blood spattered across the front of my clothes, not to mention the layer of sweat and grime coating my skin.

Why did I care that Rydian was seeing me like this anyway? He looked just as dirty—except the blood and battle scars only made him more alluring. Ugh.

“Aurelia,” Callan said. “Meet my brother, Rydian Nytherra.”

Brother.

The word rang in my ears as I fought to make sense of it. No one had ever mentioned a second prince in the Autumn Court. But here he stood—after saving my life, no less—and yet, he still stared at me like I was the worst kind of surprise.

“Rydian, this is Princess Aurelia Valeen of Sevanwinds. My fiancée.”

Rydian’s expression didn’t change. He merely nodded, his eyes cool and distant. “Your Highness,” he said as if he didn’t recognize me at all. Or maybe he didn’t want Callan to know he did. I couldn’t imagine why he wouldn’t, but I didn’t feel like explaining myself either.

I swallowed hard and forced a smile, though it felt like a mask. “It’s nice to meet you,” I said, trying to keep my voice light. “And thank you for your help.”

“Rydian’s just doing his job,” Callan said, waving away the fact that I might’ve died if not for his brother.

Rydian frowned but said nothing.

I decided to focus on Callan, as annoying as his attitude was about a battle that had just cost some of his soldiers their lives.

“What job is that?” I asked.

“Rydian leads one of our elite units,” Callan said. “His team specializes in tracking and eliminating Obsidians.” Callan’s chest puffed up when he called Rydian’s unit elite—like he was claiming their formidable skillset for himself.

I forced myself to glance at Rydian as I asked, “Have you faced other Obsidians like these before? With enhanced magic and strength?”

“A few,” he said darkly, and I thought of how he’d found me just as I’d killed that one in the Broadlands. Something told me he was thinking of that too.

Callan chuckled, unaware of the storm raging beneath the surface. “Rydian’s been tracking these creatures along ourborders and all the way through the Broadlands to Midnight and Lightshore.”

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