Page 48 of Bonded Chaos

My breath caught in my throat as I peered at Ryker’s desk.

A single piece of parchment sat atop it, and even though it was folded in half, I knew it was the source of the smell.

My chest tightened as I approached. I reached out to take the paper, but hesitated.

Did I even want to know what it said?

I pushed my unease aside and gripped it between my fingers. Taking a deep breath, I opened it.

The letters were written in thick, jagged strokes, and the sight had bile creeping up my throat.

The message had been written in blood, and the coppery scent turned my stomach.

My mind raced as I tried to make sense of the threat.

Was it intended for me?

I doubted anyone would be foolish enough to forewarn Ryker if they were planning an attack.

The note had to be intended for me, but I had no clue who had sent it.

“I would leave in a heartbeat if I could.”

If the situation weren’t so serious, I might have laughed at its absurdity.

Unsure of what to do next, I stood there, frozen, as I stared at the bloodied note in my hand. The silence that permeated the room felt suffocating, and I gave the collar at my throat an involuntary tug.

My instincts screamed at me to run, to flee this kingdom and escape.

But Ryker would never allow me to get far. He’d hunt me down and drag me right back here, and I’d be in the same position I now found myself.

I continued to examine the parchment, letting the words soak in as I read them over and over. The bright crimson letters indicated that the blood was still fresh as they had yet to pale and shift toward the more muted brown of decay.

I wracked my brain as I tried to come up with a list of potential suspects for the author of the note. I quickly realized it was futile. Few knew of my presence, and I had done nothing to earn their ire.

I abandoned that line of thought as I wondered whether I should alert Ryker to what I had found waiting for me inside his chambers.

What if someone knows your secret?

The insidious notion struck me without warning, and I staggered back a step.

My vision swam in front of me, and my body trembled as I willed myself not to vomit. My pulse spiked, sending adrenaline coursing through my veins, and I leaned over my knees as I gulped a lungful of air.

“Get it together, Cadence.”

No matter how much I chastised myself, however, I couldn’t rein in my terror.

The low groan of a floorboard snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts, and I straightened as I surveyed the room.

I pulled my magic around me and turned in a slow circle. My eyes flicked to the corner, where shadows deepened with the setting sun.

Even with my heightened Fae vision, I couldn’t detect anything hiding within the darkness.

“Is there someone there?”

Only silence answered me.

I crossed the floor to the large arched window, my gaze settling on the last few stragglers in the courtyard as they wrapped up their business and wandered home for the night.

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