“No.” I stepped back until Cali was slightly in front of me, taking comfort in her shadows. “I don’t trust myself around you.” My gaze flicked to Bastian. “Any of you. Distance is what we all need while we figure this out.”
“Bullshit,” Ryker growled and moved towards me, only for Cali’s sword to prick at his throat.
“I think I’ve heard enough,” she said in a tone that promised violence to anyone who argued. “Rynn and I will be leaving now.”
The cold pain that filled my chest was unbearable. Like all the fires were being snuffed out. I met Warrick’s hard stare. “You’ll make sure they get out okay, right?”
“They’re my pack,” he said coldly. “I’ll always take care of them.”
It was strange, but I took a little comfort in that. Warrick might despise me but he never lied to my face.
My gaze slid to Bastian. “I trust you’ll hold up your end of the deal and support me when I go to Cade with my offer.”
“You can’t just leave,” Bastian argued. “We need to deal with this.” He pointed to where Alexis was still unconscious on the floor.
“You’re good at spinning things to your advantage,” I said calmly. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
I started towards the door, assuming we’d get outside and Cali would fly the two of us away before returning for Nyx, but she grabbed my arm and pulled me back. Shadows danced around us, moving faster and faster.
“Cali . . .” I gasped as I started to feel a little light-headed.
“Just don’t let go.” She grinned wildly. “Told you I leveled up.”
The world seemed to tilt on its axis, and I heard Warrick yell before clawed fingertips dug into my arm. Then everything went black.
“What the fuck was that?” I choked out, staggering back from Cali as my stomach tried to turn itself inside out.
I didn’t make it far on account of the person still holding my arm.
“Fuck,” Ryker rasped. “Your magic is fucked up, Furie.”
“Why are you here?” I stared at him.
“Because you are.” He straightened and released my arm as he took in our surroundings. “Where are we?”
“Badlands temple.” Cali leaned against the wall. “That was a lot harder with two people.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and counted to ten, trying to convince my body that we weren’t in fact dead. It seemed to help a little by the time I opened my eyes. The room was dark, and it took my sight a second to adjust, but we were definitely in the Fae temple beneath the badlands. In one of the extra bedrooms, if I had to guess.
“You alright?” Ryker stepped closer to me. I took a step back. Was he here to bring me back? That had to be it. I’d run, so he’d chased.
My emotions were a whirlwind of frustration, hurt, and anger that made thinking hard. Bastian had been playing me these past couple of months, and both Cade and Ryker had known.
“I’m not going back.” I summoned my axes. “You’re not going to like what happens if you try.”
The pain in my chest sharpened.
Ryker eyed my axes. “Tempting. We’ve never fought with weapons before and I’m curious how good you are with them.”
I tensed. Cali was still leaning against the wall, golden eyes glowing faintly as she watched Ryker. She wouldn’t let him take me.
“So what do we do now?” Ryker asked casually. “I’ve never run away from my pack before, so I’m not sure how this works exactly.”
Confusion cut through the anger. I opened my mouth. Closed it. And then tried again. “What?”
Ryker gave me a lopsided grin. “I’m not here to bring you back, Rynn. I’m here because I’m choosing to be with you.”
“You . . . you can’t do that,” I stammered before giving Cali a bewildered look. “He can’t do that.”
