Chapter 3

Ellery

Ryker Locke.A name that struck terror straight into the soul of all those who stood in his way and most certainly to those who robbed him…

Like I was doing.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

The word ran on a loop in my head as I stared at the striking man across from me. He sat on the plush, red seat with his head tipped back and his long legs spread out before him.

It had been six years since I last saw him in person. At one time, it was rumored he died in the Ghoul War; then, it was said he was a prisoner in Doomed Valley. After that, word spread he'd returned home.

And now, the Scourge of the Ghouls, a man who scared those monstrous beasts, sat across from me while I held his money in my hands. I should turn and flee, but I found myself as captivated by him now as I was six years ago.

I'd almost forgotten how good-looking he was. Those many years ago, after he first left our manor, he'd sometimes pop up in my dreams, but as the years passed, he became a hazy figure lacking detail. All those details returned to me now.

He'd also changed a lot since that day six years ago.

Then, he wasn't as heavily muscled but war had a way of creating muscles that weren't there before. His dark, hickory-brown hair was also shorter then. Now, it tumbled around his face in waves that almost touched his shoulders.

Clean-shaven, the man's jaw could cut glass, and from what I'd heard, he'd sliced through the ghouls with unrelenting purpose. His full lips compressed together as his eyes remained closed.

My heart raced as it had the first time I met him, on a snowy night when a magnetic storm trapped him and his father on their way back to Locksley castle. The blizzard made it impossible for them to open a portal, and when they came across our manor, my father invited them to stay the night.

My parents welcomed them into our home, and my mother had the servants make a meal fit for a king. We sat around the table, laughing and drinking while I cast surreptitious glances at Ryker. I was only seventeen, and my mother allowed me a small glass of wine; I wasn't as intoxicated as them, but I felt giddy.

Growing up on our large farm, safe among the servants and immortals who worked the fields and helped care for our prize-winning horses, I'd still been too young to venture into society. I also wasn't in any rush to do so.

I was happy to remain at the manor, play in the woods, and run wild with Scarlet. Society was still a scary, foreign word for me back then.

At twenty-one, I would make my way into society and have my debut. I would dance at the parties, drink all the drinks, and try not to make a fool of myself, all while looking forward to returning home.

Except, none of that happened. The Ghoul War started, my father died, we lost or released most of our servants, and my life was tossed into chaos. Our whole realm was.

There were no more parties and no chance for me to enter society and dance in King Leonidas's palace. I never got my coming out, but I wasn't sad about that.

Instead, my mother and I took charge of the manor; the king went to war, where the ghouls captured him, and his corrupt, asshole brother seized the throne. Once in charge, Prince Ivan raised the taxes and plunged most of the amsirah in Tempest into poverty to ransom his brother.

I didn't believe Prince Ivan ever planned to ransom his brother. I doubted that any of the money he raised ever found its way to those who'd held King Leonidas prisoner. I'd bet it was all still sitting in Prince Ivan's coffers.

The prince was a leech—one who had drained his brother's kingdom dry and was slowly destroying all the immortals within it.

Prince Ivan didn't pretend the higher taxes were for a ransom anymore; it was difficult to do so when everyone in the kingdom knew King Leonidas was dead. Prince Ivan claimed the money would rebuild the kingdom, but I'd yet to see proof.

Hence, why I was here, putting my neck on the line with the Scourge of the Ghouls' money in my hands. I had to get out of there!

A shifting inside alerted me someone else was in the carriage. My eyes widened when I spotted the woman kneeling between Ryker's legs, and my stomach plummeted as I realized the woman had her mouth on his….

I jerked away from the window as my heart slammed against my ribs. How had I missed that detail of what was happening inside?

Easily, I was completely distracted by the mountain of a man within. And he was so focused on getting his dick sucked that he hadn't noticed me, which was a blessing considering I'd been standing there, gawking like an idiot instead of getting off this carriage.

I checked my mask and ensured my black hood still covered my hair, but it didn't matter if my formfitting black clothes helped keep me hidden, I was already out of view of the couple in the back. If, for some reason, one of them did look out, they'd only see a slender man preparing to flee since my hair remained covered, and I'd strapped my breasts down to keep them concealed.

Trying to forget about the man who had entranced me since I was seventeen, I gripped the money against my chest and leapt off the back.