Page 115 of Bonded Chaos

Riordan’s gaze snapped to mine, and he scowled. He launched himself at me, attacking with renewed ferocity as our swords met in a flurry of sparks and grating steel.

“You’re mad, Ryker, and I get it.”

I parried, returning the intensity of Riordan’s strikes.

“Do you, Little Brother? Because if you were anyone else, you would be dead with your entrails spread across my chamber floor.”

Riordan swung his sword in a wide arc before bringing it down on my blade in a vicious assault. I pushed back, our faces meeting in the middle of our swords before I shoved him away, only to advance on him again.

“This is only practice,” Eamon yelled, but we both ignored him.

“You upset her, and I stumbled upon the mess you’d created. Would you have preferred I left her to her misery?”

Anger surged through me like wildfire, consuming everything in its path.

“I did nothing to upset her! She told me she had no idea why she was even crying.”

Riordan reared back before slamming his head into mine. Blood burst from my nose, dripping down my chin and onto my tunic.

“Riordan,” Malesh called, sounding almost panicked.

I didn’t know when he had sauntered into the training grounds, nor did I care. My little brother had drawn blood, and I was about to show him why that was a very bad idea.

The look on my face must have betrayed my intentions, because Riordan’s scowl deepened as he tightened his hold on his blade.

“You deserved that,” he shouted. “Blood for blood, Brother.”

With a flourish, I prowled toward Riordan, and he settled into his stance, ready to meet my attack head-on.

“Oh, no you don’t! No creepy shadow eyes. You face me like a man.”

My control was slipping.

Cadence may very well be the death of me.

Recalling my shadows, I raised my blade and swung hard. Riordan deflected as he spun. He came at me from my other side, and I stepped out of range before advancing on him. Once again, steel grated against steel. Our movements became a blur as we traded blows, neither one of us willing to concede defeat.

We were both panting heavily as we circled each other.

“What did you expect would happen, Brother?” Riordan demanded. “That Cadence would simply fall into life here at the Unseelie Palace and forget that she had ever had a home before you?”

Yes.

Now that he said it out loud, it did seem a little unrealistic.

“You may have done nothing in particular to upset her on this occasion, but she’s hurting all the same.”

I wanted to argue, to deny his accusations, but how could I?

Everything he said was true.

Before I could respond, a wave of dizziness washed over me. My head felt light, and as I glanced around, my world tilted.

“Are you all right?” Riordan called.

I couldn’t answer him. Nausea twisted inside me, sharp and relentless, unfurling from my gut like a serpent coiling tighter with every breath. I stumbled, and I lowered my sword before my knees buckled.

Had I been poisoned? Was this the way I would leave this plane?

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