Page 68 of Reaper's Ruin
I’d never minded my existence in the Shadowveil. Had found comfort in the slaying of fae souls, of the monotony of my penance. But now, for the first time in eight hundred years, I found myself afraid of the silence awaiting me after she left.
Afraid of the weight of her absence.
Afraid of continuing to exist in a world that no longer held her light.
Maybe, when this was over—when she was safe and at peace—I’d confess everything to the Veil Lords. Let them erase me with one swipe of their scythes.
Not as punishment, but as mercy.
Because now that I had known her, even for this short time, I wasn’t sure how I could survive a second eternity without her.
She trembled in my arms, vulnerable and afraid, and I held her tighter, my vow to protect her against whatever came strengthening like iron forged over dragon flame. Even though it would doom me to an eternity of agony or an oblivion I would crave, I would help her find her peace so she could return to her mother and get the afterlife she deserved.
An afterlife of light and love and eternal happiness.
The one that would never come for me.
“We’ll find him,” I promised, my lips close to her ear. “We’ll discover why he targeted you. And then you’ll have your peace.”
Your way out of my life forever.
She pulled back slightly, looking up at me with those impossibly blue eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For helping me. For protecting me.”
I wanted to tell her that I would burn down the entire Shadowveil for her. That I would face the Veil Lords themselves if it meant keeping her safe. That in the brief time I’d known her, she had awakened something in me I’d thought long dead.
Instead, I simply nodded, words failing me in the face of emotions I had no right to feel.
“We should go,” I said finally. “To our new quarters. We need to plan our next steps.”
She nodded, composing herself with visible effort. “You’re right. And I need to figure out who that man is, and why he killed me.” A determined look replaced the fear in her eyes. “We’re close, Rhyker. I can feel it.”
Close to answers. Close to her peace. Close to her door.
Close to her leaving me forever.
I pushed the thought aside, focusing on what needed to be done. One step at a time. Find her killer. Understand his motives. Help her find closure.
And try not to lose what was left of my soul in the process.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Soraya
I stretched across the four-poster bed, silk sheets wrapped around me like a dream. The mattress was sinfully soft, the morning sunlight golden—but there was still one thing missing.
Rhyker.
Not beside me, not even in the same damn room.
As wonderful as the accommodations were, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment. When the prince had offered us lodging in the royal wing, I’d secretly hoped for a single room with one bed—the perfect setup for that romance novel trope I’d been fantasizing about since our first night together. But I’d been denied my fantasy again when we’d been taken to an elegant suite with a shared sitting room in the center and separate bedchambers on either side. Which made sense of course because he was supposed to be my escort not my husband, but still. I’d hoped.
Instead, we’d stayed up half of the night with him drilling Storm Court facts into my head like I was cramming for a college final. Now that we were no longer nobodies faded into the background, he was extra intent on making sure I wouldn’t say the wrong thing and get us both killed.
Again.
We’d come up with the perfect cover story. Me, Lady Soraya, raised by an overprotective single father who never let me out of the house. It allowed me to play the part of someone unfamiliar with so much of this land and this culture, only free for the firsttime with my father’s passing. I would still need to do my best to fit in, but we hoped it would smooth out any bumps we hit when I acted like a complete idiot.
I stretched, yawning as I slid to the edge of the bed, dangling my feet over and sliding them into my slippers. Memories of last night flooded back—the masquerade, the dance, the way Rhyker had looked at me with such intensity that it had stolen my breath. For one heart-stopping moment, I’d been certain he was going to kiss me. I’d wanted him to, more than I’d ever wanted anything.
