Page 154 of Bonded Chaos

“You can get close to him. You’ve earned his trust, and infiltrated his world whether or not you intended to.”

An undignified snort escaped me at his declaration, and his brows furrowed in confusion.

“The prince does not trust me,” I clarified. “He keeps me close because he has to.”

My father considered my words, his fingers tracing his jawline as he mulled everything over.

“Then you must earn his confidence and get him to open up to you,” he insisted.

“For what purpose?”

“We require information, Cadence. We need to undermine the royal family from within as we prepare to make our final stand.”

My stomach churned, and bile rose in my throat. My father wanted me to help him stage a coup. As I glanced around the camp, I could see that their earlier anger had transformed, and a hungry glint now stared back at me.

This moment had been years in the making. The Wraith Borne had been biding their time until the perfect opportunity presented itself for them to seize control and exact their retribution.

And I had foolishly wandered right into their midst, giving them everything they had been waiting for.

Chapter Sixty-Two

Cadence

“You want me to betray him?” I whispered, aware that everyone around us was hanging on to our every word.

“I need you to do what is necessary,” my father corrected. “He is not your ally, Cadence. Nor is he your protector, your lover, or your friend. He’s the enemy.”

“He is my mate, and if you kill him, you will be condemning me to a fate worse than death.”

My father was already living the fate I described, and yet, he’d condemn me to suffer the same agony.

Anger flared in my father’s brown eyes, and I fought the urge to flee. There was something dangerous lurking behind his calm demeanor and I was in no hurry to discover what it was.

“He is the reason my mate, your mother, is dead.”

I reeled back from the impact of his words. My father’s shoulders trembled violently. It was taking considerable effort for him to contain his raging emotions, and the entire camp seemed to notice. Silence enveloped the clearing as though everyone was too afraid to even breathe.

“What are you saying?” I asked, fearing I already knew the answer.

“The prince didn’t just lead the charge against us when we attacked the palace.”

I inhaled sharply, preparing myself for the devastating blow he was about to deliver.

“He killed your mother with his own hands.”

My breath caught in my throat, and my world darkened. The sounds of the camp became muted, giving way to my thundering heart. I had always blamed Ryker for my parents’ deaths, hated him for it even. I knew he led the charge against the Wraith Borne. But knowing he took the life of the one who loved me most was a torment all its own.

Disbelief turned to rage in the blink of an eye, and I watched as an eerie grin spread across my father’s face.

“Now you understand, Daughter.”

My father rose to his feet, towering above me, but I couldn’t meet his gaze. The weight of Ryker’s betrayal was slowly suffocating me, and I didn’t know if I wanted to survive it.

“What is it you expect me to do? I am only one person.”

“You’re not just one person, you are my daughter. And you’re powerful. More so than you realize. You are Wraith Borne, Cadence. You’re a weapon he can’t control, and he likely fears you more than he lets on. Use that against him.”

I didn’t feel powerful.

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