Page 125 of Bonded Chaos

The tension grew taut between us. One wrong move, and it would snap.

“Say whatever it is you have come to say, Ryker,” my father demanded, his voice deep and authoritative.

I rolled my empty goblet lazily in my palm as I continued to stare at him.

“I have come to inform you that I have chosen to end my engagement to Lady Barrington.”

My tone was even, giving away no hint of my turbulent emotions as my shadows simmered beneath the surface of my skin.

“I will not marry Celeste.”

The silence that followed my declaration was deafening.

My father’s expression didn’t change, but Lord Barrington’s face grew crimson with rage.

“Care to repeat yourself, Son?”

I shrugged, unbothered. “You heard me well enough the first time.”

A vein at my father’s temple began to hammer wildly as he clenched his jaw. I could feel the weight of his ire like a physical presence, but he no longer held the upper hand. While I may not be salivating at the thought of provoking civil unrest, with Cadence and my child in the mix, I would face it head-on.

“I have taken another wife, and she carries the heir to the Unseelie throne. The bond has been sealed, and it cannot be undone.”

“You did what?” my father said, his voice low and brimming with venom.

I straightened to my full height and let my shadows darken my eyes as I reminded my father exactly who he was dealing with.

My father stood, too enraged to heed the warning.

“YOU DARE DEFY ME!” he roared. “I am your King. Do you have any idea what you have done?”

“I understand perfectly,” I said, letting him hear the amusement in my tone. “I have undermined your efforts to leash me, and while I can appreciate that may upset you, I would caution you against doinganythingyou’d regret.”

My voice was sharp and dangerous, denoting the threat that my words promised.

“Strengthening our alliance with the Barringtons was crucial for safeguarding your path to the throne, boy. Yet you cast it aside as if it were meaningless.”

I tossed my head back and laughed without restraint. I wondered if my father even heard himself.

As I reined in my laughter, I stared him down, letting him see the truth of my words.

“There is no threat to my ascension, Father. Even if there was, there is no Fae within this kingdom who could challenge me and win. My betrothal has always been about what benefited you. I only indulged your whims because I saw no reason to refuse them. Now that has changed.”

“Foolish boy,” my father scoffed. “You risk a civil war for some whore.”

I grinned at him, but it was far from friendly.

“Careful, Father,” I warned. “You’re dancing awfully close to death.”

Lord Barrington jumped from his seat, indignant rage mottling his features, and seemingly unaware of the tension that had built to a breaking point.

“You humiliate my daughter by ending your betrothal, and I won’t allow such an offense to go unanswered.”

He breathed in heaving pants, and sweat covered his face.

“Have the problem taken care of, and then do your duty to the Unseelie Fae and prove you’re fit to rule them,” he demanded.

I turned toward him, my shadows seeping from me as they spread throughout the room. My fangs descended, and the sharp prick of pain was a welcome distraction from the fury that was tearing through my body. I lifted my shoulders, and my wings burst free, causing the man in front of me to stumble back as he called on the gods to protect him.

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