Page 114 of Bonded Chaos

One moment, I was fired up, righteous anger engulfing me. In the next, a torrent of fresh tears streamed down my face at the thought of Ryker in pain.

Gods, what was wrong with me?

“Cadence, I’m… not sure what to do here,” he admitted.

He moved closer to me, but I held up my palm to stop him.

“I don’t know why I’m crying, Ryker, but right now, your presence aggravates me, and I need you to leave.”

“All right,” he drawled. “I’ll give you some space.”

He glanced towards the door, and I sensed that he couldn’t escape the room fast enough.

I didn’t acknowledge him as I threw myself on the bed and screamed into the pillows.

The sound of the door shutting behind him was a welcome reprieve, and I let all of my pent-up emotions flow free.

All I needed was a good cry, and I’d feel better.

Well, that, and a long nap.

Chapter Forty-Six

Ryker

I stormed toward the practice grounds, sword in hand, ready to release my frustration. Arguably, my brother was not to blame for my darkening mood, but I wouldn’t pass up the chance to put him in his place.

I didn’t bother with the usual pre-training exercises, instead opting to dive straight in. Riordan raised his sword to meet mine, and the clang of steel rang out around us, sharp and rhythmic, like the heartbeat of battle.

Dust stirred beneath our feet, our relentless attacks not giving the well-worn ground a moment to settle.

“Correct me if I’m mistaken, Brother, but it seems you are aiming for blood on this fine day,” Riordan grunted. “My blood, to be precise.”

I didn’t answer him as I adjusted my grip on my sword, the leather-bound hilt slick with sweat. My strikes came fast and furious, the weight of my anger carrying every blow.

“Of course not, Riordan,” my brother said in a mocking tone as he danced out of reach with infuriating ease. “I’d never do anything to harm you under the guise of misplaced rage.”

His grin was as wide as a crescent moon, and I ground my teeth together to stop myself from taking his head off.

“Come on, Ryker. Not even the hint of a smile.”

A growl worked its way up my throat, and my jaw tightened as I redoubled my efforts. The sun was high in the sky as it bore down on us, and the relentless heat had my tunic soaked in minutes.

But I hardly noticed as I focused all my attention on my little brother.

“Stop grinning like an idiot, Riordan. You crossed a line, and you know it.”

I feigned left but brought my blade down on Riordan’s right. He stumbled back but caught himself in time to parry my strike, and the clash of our swords reverberated through the training yard.

“Ryker,” Eamon called, the concern evident in his tone.

I hadn’t even noticed his presence when I’d marched into the square. My mind had been consumed by the thought of Cadence in Riordan’s arms.

“Stay out of this, Eamon,” I warned. “This is between me and my brother.”

I lunged forward, aiming my sword at Riordan’s midsection. My simmering rage had boiled over, making my movements reckless.

Riordan barely deflected the strike before he spun out of reach. His eyes darted down to his stomach, and pain pinched his features as he stared at the red substance seeping through his tunic.

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