Page 78 of Facade

“Aiden! What the hell?” I demanded.

He quickly assessed me before he snapped around, averting his gaze.

“I, uh—sorry. Thought I’d heard another voice.” He sheathed his sword, still averting his gaze. “You were just quiet and then—never mind. Do I smell rosemary? And mint?”

A pit formed in my stomach.

“I found it,” I blurted. He didn’t respond, so I added, “I’ve picked wild herbs here and there—for our meals. They can get a little bland. Just thought it would be a nice alternative to use them for this. My… smell was getting to me.” Not a total lie.

“Hmm.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Get dressed. Dimitri's getting antsy. Say’s he can smell other beings, but can’t pinpoint where.”

My pulse quickened.

“Are we safe?” I asked, as if I didn’t know whose scent he'd picked up.

“You’re always safe with me,” Aiden said firmly, before disappearing behind the vines once more.

His words didn’t thrill me or assuage the doubts filling my mind after everything I’d been told. I loosed a breath and quickly got out of the water, throwing on my clothes and braiding my wet hair. I shivered—but it wasn’t from the frigid air. Something had shifted inside me with that snippet of memory. A restlessness had calmed. A sense of recognition sparked in my clouded mind.

Even Aiden’s hand resting on my hip when we mounted up back at the camp didn’t pull me from my daze. Only my memory churned with Ryker’s words close behind—Memories can twist things. Your instincts won’t. What the hell sort of warning was that supposed to be?

20

Aniah

I paced the cave, nervously waiting for Ryker to return. My body shook from the amount of power I’d used. Even with the ring. The Sapphire had dimmed after pushing it to its limit. I only hoped it was worth it.

I hated how reckless Ryker had become these past three years. It wasn’t the Ryker I knew from years before. He’s always been an extremely calm, calculated warrior. His skill in battle was legendary. Although my job as one of the Sisters was to maintain peace and fairness, there've always been great battles that couldn’t be stopped, and when Ryker was on those fields, he was fearless, cutting through enemies with hardly any effort. Unstoppable.

But not here. Not now. Not when it comes to her. He was impulsive. Reckless. Unpredictable.

I followed him earlier this morning when he had mentioned he was going for a walk. I knew he would seek her out. Fortunately for him, they’d left her unattended at the spring. Before he could do anything else that was brash, I had cast a cloaking spell over the area to mimic the sound of water moving around—as if a person were in it. Then a silencing shield. Last, the sleep incantation. I’d scolded him the entire ride back, though it tugged at my heart the way he covered her and handled her as something delicate. Precious.

The sound of a horse startled me from my thoughts.

Ryker appeared, a dark expression on his face.

“Did something happen?” I asked, worried. Always worried or concerned. Crippling feelings to allow, at times like these.

“She had a memory. She blacked out, and when she came to… she started asking if she was a Gargoyle.”

“What? Already? That’s good news, Ryker,” I said, excitement building in my chest.

“It doesn’t change the fact I had to return her to that piece of shit,” he growled, throwing his jacket on the ground, the impact sounding like a rock had struck stone.

“To have a memory that fast is incredible—”

“And if all her memories don’t return? What then?” His angry gaze sliced into me.

“Her memories will come back,” I said firmly. “She’s a fighter.” He glanced away, jaw working. “She had to go back. You know she did.”

He nodded, brows creased and eyes distant.

“It’s safer that way. Once some of her memories return and she at least knows who we are, who she is, we can get her. It’s too risky to have her with us while things are so confusing. If she panics and runs—even with Thaddeus’s help—we can’t fight the Fae. Not while she’s with us. Until the rest of the ink is gone, they can track her. And you know they’ll never stop looking for her. Not with what’s beneath her skin. If I had my magic—we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

I covered my face with my hands. But Ryker grasped my shoulder.

“None of this is your fault. It’s a challenge, but we’ll get through it.” He dragged a hand through his hair, breath unsteady. “If it helps, I feel as if I’m adrift at sea, with no fucking land in sight. I can’t stand this—the waiting. Doing nothing.”