Page 185 of A Dagger of Ice and Intrigue
Yet, after how Waden had screwed my trust to pieces, old wounds instantly unscabbed.
But Waden wasn’t enough of a man to even wipe the blood off Ryker’s leather uniform and he definitely never was man enough for me.
Meanwhile, Ryker, my supposed enemy, had never made me feel unsafe. After so many betrayals, my heart rebelled at trusting even that.
But Waden was the past and I had to focus on the present to have a future.
The longer I stared at the bed, the more I became aware that I wore nothing but a silk slip–and that Ryker only had a towel on.
A different kind of danger than the one I was used to, but a danger nonetheless.
Too late to go back.
The air was colder than my room, but my skin was hot.
But I had more important issues to deal with than misplaced jealousy and nerves.
“This bedroom feels very you, in a strange way,” I said.
“In what way?” he asked, tense.
“It’s very sparse, especially compared to mine. I barely had room to walk to my bed from all the books spilling from my shelves onto the floor.” I was an absolute fiend when it came to books. My mind was constantly thirsting and no amount of pages could quench it. “But it’s all about comfort, with the barest, isn’t it? You care about the essentials, but those essentials are very important.”
Like the entire city of Solkar’s Reach. Crisp and clean and efficient in every beam and shingle.
“Guilty.” He cracked a smile, but it felt forced and only for my benefit. “I need all the energy I can get and I like to sleep well when I get to.”
“Yes, you need your energy. It must have been hard for you,” I found myself saying. “Having to take the reins of an entire Clan right after your mother’s passing.”
“It was very difficult.” His gaze trapped mine and didn’t let go. “It will be easier for you.”
I scoffed. It still sounded like a cry. “Silas made sure he cut the reins before I had a chance to catch them. And he sure as fuck doesn’t know what to do with them.”
“It’s temporary,” he said with absolute conviction.
“How do you know?”
“Because I’m starting to know you and I don’t envy Silas for when you come after him.”
I nodded. The Protectorate crown might have been out of my reach forever, but my revenge on Silas would come.
I didn’t know how or when, but the usurper needed to pay.
One long sigh later, I turned to face him once more. His entire body tensed instantly, as if he was readying for battle.
“Ryker…your realm will become mine,” I began, as gently as he’d done to me when I needed it. “If Solkar’s Reach is in danger, for any reason, I need to know.”
He nodded grimly. “Yes. You truly do.”
His shoulders bunched up, as if the truth was trying to hide itself in any crook and cranny in his body, just to not spill.
I tilted my head to the side. “I’m listening.”
“What if you don’t see me the same after you find out?” he asked, catching me completely off guard. For the first time since we’d met, he actually sounded unsure of himself.
Vulnerable.
So at odds with his powerful warrior body put on full display without a second thought.
