Page 107 of Bonded Chaos

As if he could sense the danger closing in on him, the man turned to face Ryker.

His hand fell away from my hair, and he stumbled as he tried to put distance between himself and the furious Fae male.

“Stay back,” he said as he waved his hands in the air.

The threat was obvious.

Should Ryker advance, he would release his magic.

Ryker smirked at the man, and his arms trembled as his resolve wavered. With a flick of his wrist, a shard made of shadow flew from Ryker’s hand before it pierced the man’s rib cage.

He was dead before he even hit the ground.

Then Ryker turned his deadly wrath on me.

“What did I tell you, Cadence?” he demanded.

I raised my chin and folded my arms over my chest in defiance.

“I killed one,” I defended.

Ryker barked out a harsh laugh. He closed the distance between us as he wrapped his hand around my throat, forcing me backward until my body collided with a tree.

“You killed a man, and then you allowed your shock to hold you captive.”

The accusatory tone of his voice had me bristling.

“Well, forgive me for not being a trained assassin!”

Ryker lowered his head, his lips a hair’s breadth from meeting mine.

“You’re forgiven,” he whispered. “Just don’t let it happen again.”

He brushed his mouth against mine in a soft kiss, and I could feel the smug smile tugging up his lips. Then he pulled away from me, turning on his heels and disappearing into the darkened forest.

“Hurry up,” he called over his shoulder, not bothering to wait for me.

“Ryker,” I hissed, but the man had been consumed by the darkness.

“Fuck!”

I let out a frustrated breath before following him.

Chapter Forty-Three

Cadence

The sound of fighting intensified, and I could hear the faint echo of weapons colliding, sharp cries of pain, and the guttural roars of warriors locked in a violent struggle.

I stepped into the small clearing where the Wild Hunt began and sucked in a ragged breath at the sight before me.

Desiccated bodies littered the ground, their shriveled and withered remains beyond recognition. There wasn’t time to dwell on the senseless loss of life, however, as the battle raged around me. There would be a chance to mourn later.

First, I had to survive the night.

“Behind you,” someone who I hoped was Riordan called out.

I spun, ducking just in time to avoid the strike meant for my head. I didn’t hesitate as I drove my dagger upward, plunging it into my would-be killer’s chest. The Fae woman fell backward as she screamed.

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