Staring at Ryker, that same anxiety built in my chest and spread through my body. I sensed we’d set a series of events into action, and like a row of knocked-over dominoes, they were rapidly cascading beyond our control.
I couldn’t lose him. The idea of it made breathing difficult. Maybe things weren’t as bad as they seemed.
“How do you know Samay was amongst the burned?” I asked.
“I ran into Samael and Gaius while in Nottingshire. They informed me of what happened.”
This also explained more about his possessive behavior. He didn’t like Gaius at all.
“What is he going to do to Tempest to find me?” I whispered. “How many innocents will he destroy to get his way?”
“It’s a war, Ellery; we’re going to lose a lot of amsirah by the time it’s over.”
“But they don’t have to be tortured, and Ivan will brutalize them.”
“He can’t torture the entire realm.”
“He can do a ton of damage to it because ofme.”
“It’s all because ofhim. He’s the one who brought this on Tempest.He’sthe enemy, not you.”
“I feel like we’re all the enemy now.”
In three strides, Ryker closed the distance between us. Clasping my chin, he lifted it so I had to look at him.
“Wewillget through this, and Iwillprotect you. I don’t care what I have to do, they’llneverget their hands on you,” he vowed.
His mercury-colored eyes burned intensely into mine. He would do anything to keep me safe, which scared me more.
“I can’t let others suffer because of me,” I said.
“We’re all going to suffer to win back our realm, but the amsirah will rally around you for this fight. You saw how they looked at you in the clearing last night; everyone else in this realm will do the same when they learn who you are and all you possess.
“But, no matterwhathappens, you cannot hand yourself over to Ivan and the aristocrats. What they’ll do to you….” His words came out as a low growl as lightning flashed through his eyes. “No one will touch you in such a way.”
“I won’t hand myself over to them… unless necessary.”
I wanted to give him what he needed by vowing never to do such a thing, but it would be a lie, and we both knew it. And we’d promised never to lie or keep secrets from each other again.
“Ellery—”
“I won’t do anything reckless, but I can’t stand by and watch others suffer if I can stop it… and neither could you.”
He didn’t reply because he knew I was right.
“You can’t do anything reckless either,” I told him. “I can’t lose you.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I’ve survived far worse than Ivan and the aristocrats; they’re the ones who will suffer this time.”
“What about being reckless?”
He smiled as he caressed my chin. “I made one rash decision, and look where it got us; I won’t be making any more in the future.”
I gripped his forearms as I rose to kiss him. I was about to say something more when the thud of hoofbeats on the dirt road silenced me.
Someone was coming.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
