Page 138 of Bonded Chaos

“They’re not my parents,” I repeated. “They’re my aunt and uncle.”

For a moment, Ryker’s anger faltered, and something softer shone in his eyes.

“Are you Unseelie?”

“Half,” I admitted. “My father was Unseelie and one of the Wraith Borne.”

“But I’ve seen you heal others. Fuck, you’ve healed me. How can that be if you’re Wraith Borne?”

“I’m notonlyWraith Borne. My mother was Seelie. I inherited my healing abilities from her.”

“You received both strains of magic?” Ryker asked, and I could hear the wonder in his tone.

A child usually inherited their magical abilities from one of their parents, but rarely both. Of course, the fact that most Fae married within their kingdom meant it wasn’t unusual for their parents to share similar magic.

To suggest a Seelie Fae wed an Unseelie Fae was almost tantamount to treason. But my parents had been mates, and for that, they persevered.

I nodded in answer to Ryker’s question as he continued to stare at me.

“Tell me what happened to them.”

I sucked in a ragged breath. Decades had passed since I’d lost my parents, but time did little to lessen the pain.

“They were killed in the uprising of the Wraith Borne. I was only five when it happened, and I’d been left with my aunt and uncle when they joined the rebellion. Their leader had convinced my father to fight, and where my father went, my mother followed.”

Tears pricked the back of my eyes, but I bit my tongue, refusing to let them fall.

“They died in the attack on the palace?” Ryker asked, the pain in his voice pulling my gaze to his.

“Yes,” I whispered. “It’s why I can’t embrace the bond we share. Because you led the assault that resulted in their deaths.”

“They attacked us, Cadence,” he growled as he raked a hand through his hair.

“I know,” I murmured. “And I hate the Wraith Borne just as much as you do. If not for the uprising, my parents might still be alive.”

Ryker’s shoulders slumped as though my words brought him some relief.

“Even so, I can’t forgive the role you played in their demise. Besides, it wasn’t as if the rebellion was without cause.”

Ryker’s gaze snapped back to mine as he stalked toward me.

“What are you trying to say, Cadence?”

He was within reach now, but I kept my arms locked at my sides.

“You know as well as I do that your father had been turning the Unseelie against the Wraith Borne long before the rebellion. He feared their power, and so he wove a narrative that suited his end goal, which was the cleansing of my kind. I may despise the Wraith Borne, but can you honestly say that your family’s hands are any less bloodied?”

Ryker’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and the tension coiled tight between us.

“Don’t pretend you know my story, Cadence.”

“Oh, because you’re such an open book,” I scoffed.

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him as my anger intensified, matching his.

“I never wanted this, Ryker. I didn’t ask for this magic, this bond, this fucking life. But I’m here, trying to survive it the only way I know how.”

Ryker eliminated the space between us, his hot breath fanning across my lips as he exhaled.

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