Page 144 of Bonded Chaos

“It matters,” I snapped. “Especially if your intentions are more nefarious than those of the prince.”

Eleanor cackled and the sound made me recoil. “More nefarious than the prince? I’m not sure if you are aware, child, but for the past eight decades, His Highness has had sole responsibility for hunting down and slaughtering your kind.”

Her words made me flinch, but I couldn’t argue with the truth of them.

“Why?” I asked again. “Why would you help me? What do you have to gain?”

Eleanor’s crimson eyes settled on me, and something akin to rage flashed across her features.

“Because,” she spat, “this kingdom has systematically annihilated any type of Fae that possesses more power than the King. First, they came for the Wraith Borne, isolating them from the rest of the Unseelie until the perfect storm of fear, hatred, and uncertainty allowed them to make their move.”

Eleanor’s gaze was distant, as if she was reliving a moment long since passed. Then her eyes refocused on me as she continued.

“The Blood Fae learned from the suffering of the Wraith Borne, and they gradually left the confines of the palace and surrounding villages, moving far from their reach. The writing was on the wall. Once they’d eliminated the Wraith Borne, the Blood Fae would be next.”

My mind raced as I processed Eleanor’s words.

“So, you could say I’m helping you out of a sense of duty. I did nothing back then, but maybe the gods put you in my path as an opportunity for redemption.”

Despite the sincerity in her tone, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was all an elaborate ploy to lead me into another cage.

“How did you know I was Wraith Borne?” I asked, buying myself time.

“Your collar,” she said simply.

My fingers drifted back to the cool metal. “What do you mean?”

Eleanor rolled her eyes as if my lack of understanding offended her.

“When I was performing the enchantment, I may have taken a few liberties,” she said with a conspiratorial smile. “I not only tethered the collar to the prince, but also to myself. When you drew on your power earlier, I recognized it.”

Eleanor’s gaze drifted to the dead man still lying motionless on the floor. I crossed my arms over my chest and narrowed my eyes as I scrutinized the woman for any signs of deceit.

“Ryker told me only he could release it.”

“True,” Eleanor said with a shrug.

“Then how do you propose to free me?”

Eleanor’s hand disappeared beneath her skirts, and a moment later, she lifted a vial in the air with a triumphant smirk.

“What is that supposed to be?”

“This vial contains the prince’s blood,” she beamed. “I needed his blood to perform the binding, and I saved the remnants left behind in case they one day proved useful.”

The offer lingered between us, tempting but terrifying. My mind turned to Ryker, his heated gaze and possessive touch. He had promised he would protect me, but more often than not, it was him who had exposed me to danger. He took with little regard for the consequences, and he had betrayed my trust more than once.

Yet, my heart cried out at the thought of leaving him. How could I loathe someone while also needing them the way I needed my next breath?

“Tick Tock, Cadence.”

The energy radiating from her was dark, and it thrummed with a power that felt… wrong. Trusting her felt like stepping into a pit of vipers.

Eleanor smiled viciously, as though she could hear my thoughts. “What’s it going to be?”

“And if I say no?”

“You’ll remain here, shackled and suffocated, until the prince decides your fate. But I suspect you already know what your future looks like in that scenario.”

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