Chapter 85

Ellery

I jumpedwhen the outer door slammed shut. In the sudden hush, my pulse raced as I listened for anything more, but nothing came until the door opened to reveal Ryker on the other side.

His eyes were completely black, and lightning bolts shot through the center of them. He hadn't unleashed his lightning; I would have felt it if he did, but he'd been on the verge of doing so.

He leaned against the doorway and took a deep breath as a muscle ticked in his jaw. The thick, corded muscles in his arms bulged as he crossed them over his chest.

"Are you okay?" I blurted.

"Are you?"

"I'm fine. Did he hurt you?"

"He knows better than to try something like that again. I'd kill him."

His words made me wince. I understood Ryker's hatred for the duke, but to hear someone talk so calmly about killing their father was a bit of a shock. I wouldn't mind killing the man, though.

His gaze ran over me. "Where are you going?"

"I can't stay here."

"Yes, you can."

"Ryker—"

"I don't want you to leave."

I didn't know how to respond. How could he possibly think it was okay to stay here after that?

"Ryker…."

He pushed away from the door and strode over to me. Stopping before me, he clasped my arms. I didn't realize I was shaking until his touch eased some of it.

"Don't be afraid of him," he said.

"I… uh…."

I yearned to say I wasn't afraid of the duke, but I was. The man had helped trap us all in Tempest, he'd tormented and beaten his only child, and he'd looked at me with such revulsion I could still feel the effects of it in my bones.

"I want to be with you; it's the only time I'm truly happy, but I hate this place," I admitted. "I came here for you, but this…." I glanced around the room as I tried to find the right words. "I don't belong here."

"You belong with me."

"Do I?"

The question was out of my mouth before I had a chance to think about stopping it.

"Yes," he growled. "You do."

"We're from two different worlds, Ryker."

"I hate my world."

"Maybe so, but that doesn't change things."

"It does for me."

I wanted to argue further, but I was too tired and too shaken from that repulsed look the duke gave me to continue this. I was eager to go home, hug my mother, and thank her for being so amazing before showering and crawling into bed to hide under the covers.

I couldn't live in the fantasy world I'd created for us anymore, and I didn't know how to handle that. In my fantasy, everything worked out great, but in reality, his father hated Ryker and me, and my secrets would destroy us.

Reality was awful.

"Do you think he recognized me?" I whispered.

"No."

"He stayed at our house."

"We barely saw you that night."

"He saw me at the coronation."

"You and hundreds of other amsirah."

"That look he gave me, Ryker… if he recognized me, he'll do something."

"No, he won't, and you don't have to worry about it because he doesn't know who you are. Besides, I'd never let him do anything to you."

"How could you possibly stop it?"

"I'd kill him before I ever let him hurt you."

The color drained from my face as my mouth parted. The lightning and black coloring faded from his eyes, but they still burned with a fiery intensity.

He wasn't kidding; he would protect me from the duke, but at what cost? Ryker had every right to hate that horrid man, yet killing his father would leave a bigger mark on his soul than he was willing to admit right now.

He was too angry to see that, but I did. And I couldn't let him do something to his father when he'd hate me too if he knew my secrets.

Despite his upbringing under that monster, Ryker was a good, honorable man with a code of ethics. Killing your father was one of the most dishonorable things someone could do.

Could he live with himself after?

"I can't stay here," I whispered.

Ryker kissed the top of my head. "Then let's get you home."

He released me to gather his clothes and dress before opening a portal out of the castle. We went through the portal and emerged in the woods across the street from the manor.

Scarlet was in the front yard, throwing a stick for one of the dogs while some chickens pecked the ground. Behind the manor, the rolling fields of crops were growing nicely, and some horses were in the pastures.

It all looked so perfect and normal. This was how things should be, but my world was falling apart, and I had no idea how to stop the cascade.

And what if Ryker is wrong and the duke did recognize me?

I shuddered at the possibility. If he was wrong, I had a feeling I would pay for it. I just hoped my mother and the others didn't get caught in the fallout of my terrible decisions.

"I'm sorry, Ellery. That never should have happened."

"It's not your fault, but you have to talk with him. He can make things so bad for you, Ryker."

"There's nothing more he can do to me."

I hoped that was true, but I was sure that malevolent man could find a way to make it worse.

Despite the warmth of the late spring day, a chill crept down my spine. Our future was so unsure, and I was growing increasingly certain things between us would soon end.

It was inevitable.