Page 133 of Facade

My low, cold laugh made him stop, his jaw clenching.

“Is something funny?” he asked through gritted teeth.

“Oh, nothing.” I smiled tightly, running my tongue over my split lip as I steeled myself, refusing to let him see how much pain I was really in. How immobile. “I just think it’s funny,” I said softly, “that you believe Aniah was the only one to help me.”

The side of his mouth kicked up cockily. “If you’re speaking of Thaddeus, I already know of his disloyalty.”

I shook my head, keeping that tight smile in place.

His faltered.

“Ryker.”

He jerked back from the bars.

“That’s impossible.” He shook his head. “He’s dead!”

A vein popped up on his forehead as he snarled, the throbbing of it nearly visible. Laughter tickled my throat, though I was in no position to push him further.

“No, Aiden. He’s very much alive. And he knows what you’ve done,” I spat. “He knows that it was you who betrayed our people. You and your mother let the enemy in. Made sure everyone was incapacitated, then snuck out like the cowards you both are. I saw you,” I said, unable to hide the disgust in my voice. “I saw you both running just before the armada hit shore because I followed you.”

A muscle flexed in his jaw.

“Didn’t end well for you, did it?” he said, calmly. Too calmly. A mask of indifference he wore well. “I saw you, too, Evanee. I saw you training with him. The way you looked at him.” My stomach dropped. A lump formed in my throat that I had to push past to keep my breathing even.

A low, malicious cackle filled the increasingly suffocating space before he cocked his head, a mocking frown sliding into place.

“What, you thought I didn’t know about your secret little sessions? Nothing happens to my property without my knowing. The Witch underestimated my involvement. Why do you think I had Cressida bind Malachai’s free will? It would’ve been too easy to strip his memories and make him a soldier. No,” he chuckled, “I wanted him to know exactly who stood over him—and that he could do nothing. A fitting punishment, really. Father insulted me the moment he assigned our strongest warrior to guard that bastard, Ryker.”

I ground my teeth.

“I hate to be the one to break it to you, but the male you think so highly of happens to be my bastard half-brother.”

He waited for my outrage. For the betrayal to strike me down. Instead, my mouth curved up. The fury in his eyes turned to outright hatred.

“I was ready to lock you away before things grew between the two of you. Couldn’t have my future wife get knocked up by that bastard. Not when the power in your veins belongs to me."

“I know about the powers you seek, Aiden,” I bit back. “I know what you planned to do with me. I’d rather die than ever let you lay finger on me—”

“Those powers are mine!” he shouted, his composure slipping. “They are my birthright!”

Disgust twisted on my face as he paced in front of me.

“I was ready to let you die with our people.” His gaze darkened. “But then I saw you change.”

I stared him down, my teeth grinding as my leg and shoulder throbbed.

“Your colors… Same as his.”

I sat still as a stone as he glared down at me.

“Ryker may have been a failure, but you won’t be.” The cruel curl of his lips sent a wave of trepidation through me—no one knew I was down here. I was alone and defenseless. The increasing thump of my pulse made it feel like my heart was stuttering. Breathing became increasingly difficult as my fingernails dug into the gore I sat upon, cracking and breaking. Adding bits of myself to the horrors that had taken place here before me.

“You may have matched him. But he never carried power like you. He was a waste. But you… I saw the storm you created.”

He doesn’t know. Ryker had been careful never to let anyone see his power.

“I made a decision that night. I knew you’d run home with everyone distracted. A sad attempt to grab your mother and escape the gifted life I offered you. But I was faster. I grabbed my mother and made sure you followed us, staying on foot rather than flying. You were so focused on us, you failed to see the human messenger who’d taken word ahead to the Fae King to strike you down. It was almost too easy,” he snickered, rubbing a hand along the back of his neck.