7. Wishes were for Fools

CHAPTER 7

Wishes were for Fools

S everal minutes ago

The sound of voices pulled Brynleigh out of a restless, nightmare-filled sleep.

She'd been back in that chair. Silver daggers pierced her arms and legs. Rivers of blood streamed down her limbs. Emilia, the witch, had been taunting her with her magic, burning her over and over again until she broke down in tears.

And then Brynleigh woke up. Naked. Alone. Safe… for now.

It took her several minutes to calm her heart rate and realize the voices weren't just in her head. She dressed in the same sweater and leggings as before and tied her hair in a messy bun before moving on silent feet to the door.

Her shadows had fully returned, and their song was a soothing lullaby. Her wounds were healed, and her skin was back to normal.

On the outside, she looked like herself again, but on the inside, she knew she'd never be the same person she'd been.

Her old normal was gone, never to be seen again.

Ryker hated her; Jelisette had betrayed and abandoned her; and she would probably die when she returned to her Maker's safe house.

Maybe things were always destined to turn out this way. Maybe she'd been a fool even to pretend that she and Ryker could have a happy life together.

It was obvious now that would never happen.

Ryker's anger was palpable. It had been the third member of their conversation earlier.

His feelings were justified and understandable.

The thing was, Brynleigh was angry, too.

At first, she thought she was just angry with Jelisette and Zanri. That , at least, was obvious.

But now that she was feeling better, she realized she was angry with Ryker, too.

This fresh fury had a rawness to it that burned her heart from the inside out. During the Choosing, Ryker had told her how much he loved his family. He swore he'd do anything for them.

Why couldn't he see that her actions had been rooted in the same kind of love?

He had a right to be angry, but she did, too.

She'd suffered for weeks because of him. Been tortured by his people.

Just because she was a bad person didn't mean she wasn't allowed to be angry about their treatment of her.

Fresh anger churned in her veins as she padded out of the bedroom. For the first time since their arrival, she took in her surroundings.

The only bathroom was accessible from both the bedroom and the main living space. All the walls were bare, save for a few generic scenic shots of farmland in the Western Region. The wooden floor was worn but well taken care of. Curtains covered the windows, blocking the sun's deadly rays. The living room where they'd been earlier had a small TV, and the fireplace was unlit.

Thank the gods for that small mercy. Vampires and fire did not mix.

Ryker sat at the small kitchen table, staring at his phone. He gnawed on the inside of his cheek, and beneath the table, his fist clenched and unclenched.

It didn't take a genius to realize his mother was on the other end of the call. Especially as the Representative went on and on about how disappointed she was in Ryker .

Some of Brynleigh's anger dissipated as she studied the fae captain.

He looked exhausted. Despite the rigidness of his shoulders, his eyes were heavy with sadness. He didn't talk back as his mother berated him.

Brynleigh's gut twisted. It had been doing that a lot since she'd been freed.

A defeated, fatigued look had settled onto Ryker's face. He looked so unlike the confident fae she'd married that her anger deflated until there was nothing but frustration and sadness left in its wake.

They were both broken, both hurting, both betrayed…

And it was her fault.

Brynleigh fiddled with the bracelet, waiting for him to notice her.

It didn't take long.

His eyes slid up to hers, and he held her gaze for a long moment before hanging up his call. She thought he would ask why she'd been eavesdropping, but instead, he groaned and dropped his head into his hands.

Tension filled the air, and Brynleigh hated it.

Like everything else, this felt wrong.

She moved towards him slowly, careful not to come too close. Even the air felt fragile, like the wrong move or word could destroy everything.

Several minutes passed in silence before she whispered, "Can I ask you something?"

The question had been weighing on her ever since she entered the hallway.

Ryker slowly lifted his head, sighing. "Yes?"

"Why do you let your mother talk to you like that? Why didn't you tell her to stop?"

He could stand up against Tertia—he'd done it for Brynleigh the first night she'd met his mother, for the gods' sake.

"I couldn't." He scrubbed a hand over his face. "If I did, she'd show up here."

Brynleigh swept her eyes over his, and her brows furrowed. "And you… don't want that."

"No."

Her mouth dried. "Because of me? "

A long moment passed before he pushed back from the table. "Yes."

She had expected that response, but the pang of hurt that lanced through her took her by surprise.

She sucked in a sharp breath and pressed a hand against her heart. "I'm sorry, Ryker."

More apologies rose to the tip of her tongue.

Sorry for breaking us.

Sorry for ruining what we had.

Sorry for taking you away from your family.

Sorry that your sister killed mine.

Sorry, sorry, sorry .

Brynleigh had so many apologies that they all jammed up in her mouth. Words weren't enough to fix this—to fix them—and she couldn't decide which ones took precedence over the others.

Ultimately, she shook her head and repeated, "I'm so sorry."

Ryker stared at her for a long moment before dipping his chin. "Me, too."

Her unspoken words were so heavy that she couldn't breathe or think. She just watched him.

He strode past her into the kitchen and grabbed a glass bottle above the fridge. He took out a cup, pouring himself a generous serving of dark amber liquid before tossing it back.

When the glass was empty, he looked up at her.

"We're leaving as soon as the sun sets in an hour." He placed the cup on the counter. "It would be best if you took this time to prepare yourself."

His voice left no room for discussion, let alone apologies.

Biting her lip, Brynleigh hung her head and retreated to the bedroom.

She had one hour to figure out what the hell she would say to Jelisette.

It turned out that an hour wasn't enough time. When the sun dipped below the horizon, Brynleigh was no closer to knowing what to say. She had dozens of questions but not a single answer.

She'd spent the hour getting dressed and braiding her hair, hoping the repetitive movements would help calm her down.

They did not.

She'd finished a few minutes ago. Now she sat on the edge of the bed, fiddling with the hem of the maroon sweater she'd pulled from her suitcase.

A knock came on the door.

"Ready?" Ryker asked.

Brynleigh stared at the door. How could she be ready for this? She was almost certainly walking to her death.

However, Ryker had already made it clear this was their only path. Arguing would get her nowhere.

She had gotten out of prison. She'd slept in a real bed. She'd taken a hot shower. If this was her time to die, she would go to her death with dignity.

Brynleigh rose to her feet and walked to the door.

With this barrier between them, she could pretend everything was still okay. She could pretend they were still speaking through headphones in the Hall of Choice. She could pretend that everything wasn't destroyed.

For a single moment, she was happy.

Then Ryker turned the knob, opening the door. Her illusion shattered when she took in the hardness in his eyes.

Happiness was a distant memory, and all that remained between them was hurt.

That thought weighed heavily on her shoulders, and she dipped her head. "Yes, I'm ready."

There was no point in putting this off any longer.

He grunted a reply and spun on his heel, marching towards the front door. His posture was rigid, and he'd changed into black jeans and a T-shirt that hugged his muscles. He'd showered, his hair damp as it clung to the back of his neck, and his pointed ears were more pronounced with the haphazard way he'd styled his hair.

He moved with confidence, and power rippled off him.

If this was Brynleigh's last night alive—and that was highly likely, considering that her Maker was difficult to deal with on a good day—at least she would get to spend time with Ryker. Even though he hated her. Even though she was angry with him.

Even though they were broken, they still… were.

Brynleigh clung to that fact with all her might because the alternative was too much to consider. She was about to stroll into the lion's den, having broken all the rules, destroyed the game, and fallen in love with her mark.

She needed something to hold onto, something to give her a semblance of hope. Of life. Of love. There were worse ways to spend one's last night alive.

Ryker stopped a few feet from the front door and turned. His gaze dropped to the bracelet he'd given her and then rose to meet hers again.

"Don't try to run. I'll find you."

The words were a dark promise, echoed by the glint of violence in his eyes. The captain was a predator through and through, his natural darkness rippling off him in waves.

This was the fae male she had always expected to meet.

Too bad she'd gone and fallen in love with him.

"Where would I go?" She frowned. "I have nothing and no one. I'm alone."

She was a vampire with no family and no home. Her only friend was Hallie, and she couldn't go to her. Even if Brynleigh knew where the Fortune Elf lived—and she didn't—she assumed Therian, Hallie's husband, had told her about Brynleigh's betrayal.

Brynleigh's husband hated her, and her Maker…

Well, she would find out soon how Jelisette felt about her, wouldn't she?

That depressing thought spurned her forward. She wouldn't wait for an answer. Instead, she leaned around Ryker and opened the door, careful not to touch him.

The gentle pitter-patter of an autumnal rain greeted her as she stepped outside. The moon's silver light was barely visible through the clouds. A chill in the air spoke to the coming winter.

She inhaled deeply, breathing in the fresh forest air .

Not too bad for a final night alive.

She gripped the wooden railing, looking out over the forest from the wooden porch. Even though this rain was nothing like the raging storm River had called to destroy Chavin, Brynleigh's childhood home, it still drew forth memories of that fateful night.

Her lungs burned at the memory of nearly drowning. Her heart ached as she recalled the loss of her family.

Running her fingers over her necklace, Brynleigh traced the individual loops. Thankfully, it had survived her time in the dungeon—the one Ryker called The Pit.

Brynleigh didn't move until Ryker strode past her into the rain. He prowled through the trees like a predator, and she trailed him without a word.

They got in the car, buckled in, and Ryker asked for Jelisette's address. She gave it to him, and he punched it into the GPS.

Once the map came online, he navigated the vehicle out of the woods.

Silence fell upon them once more.

The crunch of gravel beneath the tires echoed the rain pelting the windshield, the strange symphony keeping Brynleigh company as she stared out the streaky window. Seemingly endless forests slowly gave way to fields. They passed a few cars, but for the most part, the road was empty.

And then she saw them.

The glowing triple arches that gave Golden City its name rose in the distance. They shone like beacons, their light cutting through the darkness of the cloudy night.

Cold fear settled deep within her, and she suddenly wished she'd had more blood. Her fangs ached. Her shadows sang a worrisome song of lament.

Shuddering, she drew her legs onto the seat, wrapped her arms around them, and rested her chin on her knees.

More than ever before, Brynleigh was convinced the gilded metropolis was a place of death.

No wonder the rebels took such great offense to the Representatives and their rule. Not having wanted to spiral into what threatened to be a never-ending circle of doubt and fear, Brynleigh hadn't permitted herself to think about the Black Night earlier. Now, her mind wandered in that direction.

On the surface, the rebels' cause was just.

The Representatives were a problem. They held an unfair amount of power, which allowed them to control everyone and everything. She even understood Jelisette's involvement in the movement.

If Ryker's sources were right and a Representative had killed the vampire's Bound Partner, then she had ample reason to hate the ruling class.

But Brynleigh still had so many questions.

Why had her Maker abandoned her? Why had Jelisette hidden her Binding? Why had the rebels attacked the Choosing? And perhaps most importantly, why had Jelisette kept so many secrets from Brynleigh?

These were all questions she would have to ponder… if she survived tonight.

The closer they got to the city, the less Brynleigh paid attention to what was happening outside. She focused everything she had on staying alive.

When the automated voice providing directions informed them they were a few minutes out, Ryker pulled the car into a dark, vacant lot and parked.

The silence, which had almost felt natural, took on an oppressive air. The car was suddenly too small, the rain too loud, Brynleigh's heartbeats too thunderous. Even the captain's steady breaths were like gusts of wind in her ears.

During moments like these, Brynleigh wished she was a much older vampire, one who was more detached from her mortal emotions. If she could shut down her frustration and the stress that these loud noises created, that would be fucking fantastic.

But wishes were for people who weren't broken, so she didn't even bother. Besides, if the past few weeks of her life were any indication, she wasn't certain Isvana would hear her pleas.

Brynleigh kept her arms wrapped around her legs as the fae captain reached into the center console. He withdrew a small black velvet box. Popping it open, he tilted it towards her .

Curiosity had Brynleigh canting her head just enough to peer into the box, a frown pulling at her lips. Two diamond earrings rested in a bed of ivory.

She glanced at them, then back at him. "What is this?"

She wasn't foolish enough to think she'd ever get another gift from him. Not after everything.

He confirmed her suspicions moments later when he handed her the box.

"They're earpieces. They aren't detectable by scanners, and the embedded microphones will allow me to hear everything that's happening inside."

His unspoken words were so loud that it was like he shouted them. So don't try anything, because I'll be listening .

Between the earrings and the tracking bracelet, it was almost too much. Too many reminders of her betrayal. Too many knives digging into her heart at the same time.

This was no way to live, yet what choice did she have?

Pressure built behind her eyes, but she refused to let the tears fall.

Once, Ryker had trusted her. He'd even loved her. And now, he was treating her like nothing more than a tool.

Something deep within Brynleigh fractured as she reached for the earrings and placed them in her lobes.

She hardened her soul, gathered the remnants of her aching heart, and stuffed them deep inside herself. She'd deal with these emotions… tomorrow.

If there was a tomorrow.

The cold steel in Ryker's gaze matched the metal's icy bite in her ears. Clasping the back of the second earring, she folded her hands in her lap.

"I understand." If he was going to treat her like an asset and nothing else, she would act like one. "Anything else, Captain ?"

He stiffened, his shoulders going back, and he slowly turned to stare at her. Ice hardened his gaze, and the temperature dropped in the car.

For a moment, she thought he would say something. Anything. Would he fight? Would she want that?

Yes.

She wanted them to be… something. Fighting with him would be far better than this too-strange quiet that was a heavy blanket between them.

He didn't fight with her, though. He just clenched his jaw and shook his head.

"There's nothing else. Do you know what you're going to say?"

Brynleigh scoffed. "No."

She had no idea what kind of mood Jelisette would be in or what she was walking into, and there was no real way she could plan for that.

She'd come out alive… or she wouldn't.

If tonight was any sign, Brynleigh didn't think Ryker would care much either way. Not anymore. And damn it all, but that hurt more than anything else.

She didn't let her pain show, though. She was just an asset, and an ocean of silence divided them. If he rejected her once more, she might drown in the waves of their brokenness.

"No matter what she says, you can't reveal you're working with me." He gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckled hands.

She didn't know why he was afraid. He wasn't the one going to meet with a Maker who was dangerous on a good day.

He ground out, "Is that understood?"

"It's crystal fucking clear." Brynleigh stared out the windshield. The rain had let up. "I understand exactly what's happening here, Captain. No further clarification is needed."

She had destroyed his trust, and now, she was nothing but a tool for the army to use. Just a vampire with a connection to someone dangerous.

"Okay." He sighed, and for a moment, she thought she heard a trace of pain in his voice. "Let's get this over with."

The moment Brynleigh stepped out of the car, she released her wings. They fanned out behind her, the black appendages heavy on her back as she strolled down the street .

The safe house was a block away, but she would make the remainder of the journey on foot.

Knowing that Ryker was listening on the other end, she was cognizant of every breath, every footfall, and every heartbeat.

He was still in the car, waiting where Jelisette couldn't see or scent him.

Once, this path had been familiar.

The safe house was mediocrity at its finest. Located in a nondescript residential neighborhood in Astera, a modest subdivision on the outskirts of Golden City, the house wasn't the largest on the block, nor was it the smallest.

The two-story home was well-kept but not extravagant. A white picket fence stood guard around it. A single-car garage housed Jelisette's vehicle, which she never drove. The coup de grace was the solitary light flickering in the living room. It topped off the entire facade, screaming, "Nothing to see here."

The only thing setting the safe house apart was the dark, shadowy mist constantly hovering around the base of the home. It had been there as long as Brynleigh could remember. Even now, shadows curled around the foundation. It was like they were drawn to the building, sentient beings wanting to protect its inhabitants.

For the first time, Brynleigh wondered about the shadows. Were they a remnant of her Maker's Binding? Had they always been there?

She added those questions to her seemingly never-ending list.

Brynleigh made it to the fence before she was ready—although truth be told, she would probably never be ready for this—and unlocked the gate. It creaked as she pushed it open. She stepped into the yard, her skin tingling as the wards washed over her.

There was no turning back now.

The wards were an alarm, alerting Jelisette to her progeny's presence.

Brynleigh strode up the walkway on vampire-silent feet, her movements graceful and smooth. The first time she'd come here, the homey quality had been comforting, enveloping her in a sense of peace.

That feeling was long gone.

Her shadows writhed in her veins, and although her skin was free of damage, the torture she'd endured had left chasmic gouges on her soul .

She was returning to face the woman who'd betrayed her, sent Zanri to kill her, and hadn't even had the decency to try and get her out of prison.

Jelisette was the closest approximation to a mother figure Brynleigh had left. Her sire should have looked after her, cared for her, and guided her as she learned how to be a vampire.

Instead, she had used her progeny as a fucking pawn and abandoned her when she needed her the most.

And now, Brynleigh was prey, walking into a predator's den.

Before she could change her mind or remember what a monumentally bad idea this was, Brynleigh raised a fist and knocked.

Her hand had barely connected with the wood when the door flung open.

Swathed in shadows and wearing a black sweater dress and tights, Jelisette was darkness personified. Piercing, ancient black eyes met Brynleigh's, and ruby lips peeled back in a snarl.

Danger , Brynleigh's shadows screamed. They throbbed and writhed in her veins, urging her to get away from here. But there was no backing out now.

"Inside," Jelisette snapped. "Now."

Brynleigh's heart was a thundering drum. On one hand, she didn't want to enter this house. An air of death surrounded it. On the other hand, she didn't really have a choice. Ryker had made it clear that if she didn't hold up her end of the deal, they would put her back in prison.

She would rather die a thousand deaths before letting that happen.

Swallowing the icy fear rising in her chest, Brynleigh shoved aside all her feelings and followed her Maker inside.

As soon as she stepped over the threshold, the door slammed shut.

Shadows streamed from Jelisette's hands as she turned the deadbolt. It fell into place with a terrifying thunk , like an executioner's axe hitting the chopping block.

"You broke the rules, daughter of my blood."