21. The Couple that Slays Together

CHAPTER 21

The Couple that Slays Together

B rynleigh was pacing.

Fucking pacing like a nervous wreck who couldn't sit still. It was an odd feeling that was wholly unbecoming of a graceful vampire. Her Maker would surely frown upon this action, yet she couldn't seem to stop. Even the beautiful vampire-safe glass that allowed her to watch the sun didn't calm her nerves.

Ryker was returning home. He'd texted an hour ago that he was picking Marlowe up from the kennel and coming to the apartment.

She'd been sitting by the windows; her attention split between the book she'd stolen from Jelisette and the noon sun glowing so brilliantly in the sky when her phone buzzed. His message broke her concentration, and she hadn't been able to read a single word since then.

After her victory at Horizon and the subsequent meeting with Dimitri, Brynleigh had returned to the apartment and nursed her injuries. Several pints of blood later, both her wounds and the fight were just memories. Painful, but in the past.

Yesterday, Jelisette messaged that she'd have another job soon. She also hinted at another rebel meeting.

Thank all the gods, it seemed like Brynleigh's theft had gone unnoticed .

Brynleigh's socked feet padded silently along the hardwood floors of Ryker's apartment. Their apartment? She wasn't sure.

The blanket she'd used for the past few days was folded at the base of the couch, with her pillow on top. She wasn't returning his shirt, though. She'd claimed it as hers.

He could fight her for it. She'd probably win.

Last night, she'd dreamed of Ryker. That, in and of itself, wasn't strange. She'd dreamed of him every night since he'd left for Sandhaven. But last night had felt more… real, somehow. As if he'd really been there.

Brynleigh had dreamed of them coming together, and when she'd woken, she could have sworn she tasted him on her lips. It must've been their conversation. Talking to him on the phone and hearing him call her sweetheart had been the highlight of her week, if not her entire fucking month.

They were mending things. Every text they exchanged and every word they spoke closed the distance between them a little bit more.

That was why Brynleigh was so nervous. She didn't want to ruin all the work they had done. Not now, when things were finally improving.

So, she paced and paced and paced.

Every so often, she looked out the window. She briefly admired the sun's golden glow before continuing her path across the wooden floors.

Then she heard it.

The soft ding of the elevator, a sound she'd come to recognize over the past few days, was followed a minute later by a key turning in the lock.

They were here.

Brynleigh's heart caught in her throat, and butterflies exploded in her stomach. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply in an attempt to calm her nerves.

It didn't work.

She had always thought vampires were cold, emotionless creatures, but maybe that was something her kind learned after several centuries of life. She was as far from emotionless as possible.

A thump came from the other side of the door, and a canine growl quickly followed. The doorknob twisted.

Brynleigh's stomach contorted, and her palms grew sweaty. She wiped them on her leggings, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Would telling Ryker she'd dreamed about him last night be too forward? Should she hug him or just shake his hand? Or should she keep her distance and let him dictate the physical parameters of their relationship?

She probably should've devoted some time to these questions earlier. It would've been better than pacing. It was too late now, though. She was out of time.

The door swung open. Brynleigh's eyes widened as a big black ball of fur bolted across the room, clambered onto the couch, and leaped off the back.

Unlike their initial meeting, this time, she was prepared for Marlowe. The dog, more of a bear than a canine, sailed through the air. She widened her stance and braced for impact moments before Marlowe smashed into her.

The pup was massive. He stood on his hind legs, his front paws pressing against her chest, and he ran his enormous, wet, pink tongue up her face. His tail thrummed a rapid beat, moving so fast she was worried it would break something every time it slammed into the side of the nearby table.

"Hey, Marlowe. It's nice to see you." Brynleigh grinned, patting the dog's head.

She loved all animals, but dogs had always held a soft spot in her heart.

Even with Brynleigh's vampiric strength, Marlow was pushing her back. Good thing he was so adorable. He could probably eat her favorite shoes, and she'd still forgive him.

Probably.

She'd rather not test the theory, though.

A baritone chuckle came from the door.

"Down, Marlie. Let her breathe."

Marlowe listened immediately, dropping to the ground. His tongue lolled out of his mouth as he looked eagerly between Brynleigh and Ryker.

"Come here." Ryker pointed to the floor at his feet.

The dog obeyed instantly, running across the living room and sitting for his master.

Fuck, that demanding tone made Brynleigh's core twist. She had half a mind to cross the room and sit beside Marlowe.

Who knew hearing someone take charge could be so attractive?

Then Ryker whispered Brynleigh's name. The deep rumble of his voice was like silk caressing her skin. Talking on the phone had nothing compared to being in person.

She lifted her eyes, heart thundering as she met the fae captain's gaze. How was it possible that he was even more handsome now than before?

The corners of his eyes crinkled. "Hi."

A smile dug at her lips.

"Hey." She stepped towards him, but the couch still stood between them. "How are you?"

His chocolate gaze held hers. "I'm… happy to be home. I'm happy to be with you."

Did she imagine the way his voice deepened in the last few words? She hoped not. Gods, she hoped he was at least as fucking nervous as her, if not more.

"I'm glad you're here, too. I kept the apartment clean and didn't leave a mess. I wasn't sure where you wanted me, so I slept on the couch. I hope you don't mind, but I grabbed a pillow and blanket." Brynleigh was blabbing, but like the pacing earlier, she didn't know how to make it stop. "Was that alright? I did some laundry because there was some blood on my clothes, but I wasn't sure if you wanted…"

Her voice trailed off as Ryker crossed the room like a swift current, moving with a speed she didn't know he possessed.

Power rippled off him in waves, and darkness flickered through his eyes as they burned into hers.

"Why was there blood?"

Damn. Maybe she shouldn't have mentioned that so soon after he arrived. It just slipped out.

Judging by the pinch of Ryker's lips and the feathering in his jaw, he wasn't pleased about it. Probably not the best way to kick off their reunion .

Brynleigh swallowed. "I… uh…"

His hands landed on her shoulders.

"Who hurt you?" he growled.

Well, if she was being technical about it, two people had hurt her.

First, Jelisette had almost decapitated her. That had been a wholly unpleasant experience. But the fight against The Crimson Shade hadn't been much better.

However, Brynleigh didn't think that's what he wanted to hear.

She put her hands on his, reveling in the warmth that seeped into her.

"It doesn't matter," she half-whispered, half-pleaded. "I healed."

A fierce, primal growl rumbled through Ryker.

Seconds later, Marlowe echoed the sound. It would have been cute if the moment hadn't been drenched in tension.

"It fucking does matter," Ryker bit out through clenched teeth. "Who hurt you? Don't make me ask again."

Her tongue darted out and wet her lips. She had to tell him something.

Deciding to save the information about her fight at Horizon for later, she admitted, "Jelisette."

Had she thought Ryker was upset before?

No.

That was nothing compared to what happened next.

The temperature in the apartment plummeted. Frost crawled up the windows. Ice covered his hands, which remained on her shoulders.

Outside, thunder rumbled. The sky darkened, hiding the sun from view.

Ryker snarled, "That fanged ancient bitch. What exactly did she do?"

If Brynleigh had been a wiser vampire, she might have considered bending the truth. But she wasn't wise, and she didn't want to keep this from him.

Taking a deep breath, she wove her fingers through Ryker's freezing ones.

Bringing their joined hands between them, Brynleigh swept her thumb over the back of his hand and marveled at the ice crawling over his fingers. She probably should've been concerned about the way he was freezing everything, but she wasn't. All she knew was he needed her.

She stepped closer until the warmth of his breath danced across her forehead.

"What did she do?" Ryker repeated with a growl.

Even now, he was beautiful in a way that made thinking difficult.

"She… choked me."

If it was cold before, now it was as if they'd been transported to the Northern Region and dropped in the middle of a blizzard. Goosebumps peppered Brynleigh's arms, and she shivered.

A snarl ripped through the apartment. "She fucking what ?"

The acidic tang of magic filled the air, and a feral look flashed through Ryker's eyes. Maybe he was closer to losing control than she'd originally thought. Having already survived one life-and-death situation with an unrestrained water fae, Brynleigh wasn't keen on dealing with that again.

The sky darkened further. Black clouds rolled towards the apartment building, covering the sun.

Brynleigh's heart seized. They were indoors, but she didn't know if the windows were storm-proof. Nothing had survived River's storm.

No.

She couldn't think about that right now. She had to focus on the situation at hand. She hadn't been able to control anything that happened with River, but this was different. She and Ryker had something. She could calm him down… right?

She had to try.

"It's fine, Ryker." She spoke to him slowly, like he was an injured animal, and ran her thumb down his frigid hand.

"No, it isn't."

Brynleigh was willing to concede that he might be right. ‘Fine' was probably a slight exaggeration, but she had survived Jelisette's wrath.

That's what Brynleigh did best. She prevailed. She had survived River's tempest, the bombing at the Masked Ball, and the Pit.

It was fucking ironic that Zanri was the feline shifter because Brynleigh seemed to have nine lives .

"Maybe not, but I healed." Trying to add some levity to this tenuous situation, she quipped, "At least I got a book out of the deal."

Apparently, Ryker didn't appreciate her attempt at humor.

"I'm going to kill her." His grip tightened around Brynleigh's fingers. "Her death will be painful for touching what's mine."

Brynleigh raised a brow at his claim. At any other time, she would've contested his words.

Wife or not, she wasn't a fucking possession. She was her own person, and no one owned her, not even Ryker Waterborn with his too-handsome face, dimples, and alpha fae energy. This wasn't the time of the Four Kingdoms anymore—women had rights. The High Ladies of Life and Death had ensured that was the case.

Still, the roiling clouds outside and the frost covering the windows were a reminder that this wasn't the moment to contest her so-called ownership. They had bigger problems at hand.

Thunder boomed outside as if proving her point.

"Yes, well, you'll have to fight me for that honor, Captain." Brynleigh forced a smile on her face despite the racing of her heart. "I'm rather furious with Jelisette myself."

She wouldn't be the first vampire to kill her Maker. Long ago, the Last Vampire King had rid himself of his Maker in a famous battle for power. If he could do it, so could she.

"Maybe we'll kill her together," Ryker said gravely.

Brynleigh's jaw dropped.

It was one thing for him to be present when she killed the Earth Elf—one could argue he'd simply been doing his job—but she was pretty certain society as a whole frowned upon cold-blooded killing.

She probably should've been worried that Ryker was willing to commit murder for her, but she wasn't. Instead, something deep within her warmed at the thought that her fae captain was willing to break one of society's most stringent rules to defend her.

Fuck, something was seriously wrong with her.

Brynleigh chuckled, "You know what they say, the couple that slays together stays together."

Alas, the fae captain didn't even crack a smile at her joke. All she got in return was a stern look of warning .

Her core twisted at the sight, which was highly inappropriate considering their topic of conversation.

Brynleigh would have a chat with her body about that later. It was choosing wildly inappropriate moments to remind her that she desired Ryker. She didn't even know if they'd ever be together again. Not like that.

"You promise you've healed?" he asked.

"Mhmm. I'm good as new."

Brynleigh made the executive decision that this wasn't the right moment to mention that shock had set in after she had shadowed back here, nor did she mention the blood she'd cleaned off the wall.

That was over, and she just wanted to move on from that night.

Flicking her hair over her shoulder, she displayed her neck to him. "See?"

He pulled his hand from her grasp and trailed his fingers over her neck. They were still cold but no longer freezing.

"This doesn't hurt?"

Her skin pebbled as his fingers grazed her flesh. "No."

Neither of them pulled away as he traced her throat. His mouth parted, and his stormy scent deepened as he drew closer. His fingers pressed deeper into her skin, but the sensation wasn't painful.

Not. At. All.

"What about this?" Ryker wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and tilted up her head. "Does this hurt?"

Her heart was a drum in her ears. Could he hear it? "No, it doesn't."

He moved closer until mere inches separated them and slowly lowered his head. His gaze searched hers, and the promise in it had her core twisting.

Outside, the storm clouds lifted, but she barely noticed.

"I meant what I said on the phone," he breathed, his lips hovering over hers. "I'm so sorry."

Ryker had always been handsome, almost to a fault, but when apologizing, he looked like a god brought to life.

"I'm sorry, too," she whispered. "Not just for lying to you in the Choosing, but for everything. I want to try to be better. For us. Do you… do you think you can forgive me? "

He gazed into her eyes as if he could uncover the world's secrets if he looked at her long enough.

"There's nothing to forgive." Ryker leaned in and kissed the corner of her mouth.

By the gods, that was both far too little and too much at the same time. She wanted more.

He added, "I understand why you felt you needed to do it."

Brynleigh blinked. Of all the things she expected him to say, that wasn't one of them.

"You mean, when I planned on…" The thought was so horrible that she couldn't even form the words.

"Killing me?" A morose laugh escaped him. "Yeah. Though I will admit, I'm glad you decided not to follow through. I rather enjoy being alive."

Forming words was proving to be troublesome, so she nodded.

"I am sorry your family is gone," Ryker murmured. "I know apologies can't bring back the dead, but still, I'm sorry."

Her heart cracked.

"Me, too." A tear coasted down her cheek. "They would've liked you."

Several minutes passed in silence before Ryker drew her closer to him. The storm clouds were long gone, and the sun shone through the windows again.

"I'm the one who should be begging for your forgiveness," he said gruffly. "I never should've let them take you to The Pit. I'm so sorry for what was done to you."

Brynleigh hadn't realized how badly she needed to hear him say those words until that moment. They sank deep into her soul, the broken pieces of her heart coming together and forming a new creation. Her chest warmed, and hope blossomed like a flower within her.

This was why she had gone to Horizon, why she fought the Crimson Shade, and why she was ready to do whatever it took to stop the rebels.

Ryker was looking at her like she was his entire universe, and she couldn't imagine a world where they weren't together.

Her next words flowed like water from her lips.

"Forgiven. I just want you. The past is over. We both made mistakes. I want to look forward and rebuild what we had." Brynleigh squeezed his hands. "Just us. Me and you."

And Marlowe, who had moved to the couch and was now snoring like he owned the place.

At least one of them was relaxed.

Had time dragged on before? It was nothing compared to how she felt now, waiting for his response. They were on the precipice of something massive, and his next words could either propel them forward or forever destroy them.

Eventually, he exhaled. His lips melted in a smile. For the first time since their wedding, his dimples appeared.

She bit the inside of her cheek.

"Thank fuck." Ryker lowered his head, his breath warming her lips once again. "I want to kiss you."

Those words were the sweetest symphony, and that flower of hope burst into an entire field.

"I want that more than anything else." Brynleigh's core twisted, and those butterflies made a reappearance.

It had taken her a long time to reach this point, but she loved him. She'd given him her heart and finally accepted that there was nothing wrong with that.

Ryker groaned, and his hand tightened around the back of her neck, reminding her of its presence. He lowered his lips, and her heart raced in her chest.

Every inch between them felt like a mile until finally— fucking finally —they kissed.

Oh gods.

His mouth captured hers, and it was everything she had ever wanted.

This wasn't the passionate embrace of their wedding, nor was it comparable to the feverish kisses they'd shared that night.

This was a gentle exploration, a mutual apology, and a promise never to break them again. It was a second chance, a flower blooming after a long winter, and a fresh start.

It was fucking beautiful.

Brynleigh wasn't sure whether angels were real—probably not, considering the shit she'd been through—but if they were, they would've been singing at that moment.

Unbidden, tears rushed to her eyes. She tried to keep them inside, but there were too many. They slipped past her eyelids, trailing hot tracks down her cheeks.

Ryker pulled away and frowned.

He noticed. Of course, he noticed.

Cupping her cheek, he collected her tears on his thumb. "What's wrong?"

Despite the tears running down her face, Brynleigh smiled. "I'm just… happy."

The warmth in her chest was a foreign, beautiful feeling.

She raised her chin, wanting to kiss him again.

Unfortunately, instead of obliging her, he tilted his head and creased his brows. "You're happy… so you're crying?"

She placed her hand on his heart, silently reveling in the fact that he didn't pull away.

"Yes. I can't explain it, but I promise, I'm happy."

It was more than that. Happiness was fleeting, but this feeling inside her was different. Permanent. Joy was latching onto Brynleigh's bones, making a home inside her just as her shadows lived in her veins.

Ryker was back, and he'd forgiven her. Who knew second chances could feel so incredible?

His gaze swept over her. "I'm happy, too, but can you stop crying? I'm… not sure what to do about it. It makes me want to hurt someone for hurting you."

Just when she thought Ryker couldn't get any sweeter, he said things like that.

Laughing through her tears, Brynleigh rested her head against his chest and drew in several deep breaths. "Yes, I can."

It took her a few minutes, but eventually, the tears dried up.

He tilted up her face and kissed her softly. "You're beautiful even when you cry."

It was difficult to remember they'd ever been broken when he said things like that. He made her feel whole despite the torture she'd endured .

They spent several minutes in each other's arms before Brynleigh remembered Jelisette's book.

Tugging Ryker over to where she'd been reading, she picked up the small tome and thumbed through the pages until she found the section from earlier. She showed it to him.

"What do you think about this?"

Ryker wrapped an arm around her and held her close as he read over her shoulder. "That's interesting."

"I think it's a code," she said. "But there's no key."

At least, not that she could find.

It would stand to reason that Jelisette would have a cipher for her coded book, but where was it? Brynleigh couldn't exactly ask her Maker, and searching the safe house from top to bottom was out of the question. There was no way to do that without drawing the older vampire's attention.

There had to be another way.

Ryker released her and raked a hand through his hair. Lines creased his forehead, and he rubbed his temples.

"If she has a key…" He cursed. "I have an idea, but I'm not sure it's good."

"What is it?"

"I think I might know someone who could help, but…" Groaning, Ryker shook his head. "It's dangerous."

Of course it was. That was the story of their lives. Nothing was easy or simple when it came to them. Still, it needed to be done.

Her stomach twisted into a knot. "Tell me."

Between the attack at Jade Academy, her visit to Horizon, and meeting Dimitri, it was clear that the rebels were a far bigger problem than she had initially thought.

Brynleigh wasn't a paragon of virtue, but the rebels had tried to kill children . That was the line, and they'd crossed it. The Republic of Balance was broken, but the rebels weren't a viable solution.

"The person we need to talk to is in prison," Ryker said.

That knot turned leaden in Brynleigh's stomach. Her mouth dried, and she trembled as memories of what had been done to her ran through her mind .

"In the…" She pushed past the growing lump in her throat. "In the Pit?"

She wasn't sure she could go back there. Not after everything. Not even with Ryker by her side.

"No, not there." He moved, taking her hands in his. His touch calmed her, but the tremors remained. "I promise I'll keep you safe. No one will ever take you from me again. You are under my protection."

Brynleigh's heart raced as Ryker's words settled upon her, his vow ringing with truth.

"Okay, thank you." She dipped her head. "So, if it's not The Pit, where are we going?"

As soon as he told her, she knew he was right.

This was a bad idea.