Page 95 of Facade

“Evanee, are you alright?” He reached out, gently placing a hand on my shoulder, his white hair falling across his forehead.

“Yes…. No. I don’t know.” I pushed my hands through the loose, tangled strands of gold that weren’t my hair. “I had a memory.”

Nausea twisted. A scream clawed at my throat that I couldn’t release.

“What of?” Aniah asked urgently, as she sat on a wobbly chair at the table. I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself.

“I’ll start a fire,” Ryker said, leaving us to talk, although I knew he would hear every word.

My legs shook as I sat across from Aniah and told her of the memory.

She nodded along, intently listening. I even told her of my argument with Aiden afterward. My accusation that I knew what he and Malachai were. I thought I saw her flinch when I mentioned Malachai, but I was too exhausted to be sure.

The fire crackled and hissed, quickly heating the small space. At some point, I moved in front of the flames, though I didn’t remember moving. Too much had happened, and my mind hardly had time to process it all.

“What now?” I asked.

Ryker seemed to keep his distance, hovering near Aniah. They were tired, too. Ryker’s smooth face was covered with stubble and hollow. He was paler than when I’d seen him before, but that could be from carrying me so far while still healing from the useo’s poisonous bite. Even Aniah had a lighter pallor, making the dark circles beneath her eyes stand out.

“We get you away from this realm. Take you home,” Ryker said, leaning on the wall, arms crossed over his chest.

Home.

Even knowing I was a Gargoyle, the Western Realm wasn’t my home. Not yet. Not when I couldn’t remember anything about it.

A strangled, harsh laugh scraped up my throat.

His sharp eyes flared, the silver blazing dangerously.

“Is there something amusing about that?”

“Ryker…” Aniah warned.

“No, nothing at all.” Sarcasm dripped from my voice. “Except for the fact that I still can’t remember everything. Only scraps.” My fists tightened at my side. “I can’t even shift. And tonight I learned that the male leading me to my next prison was my betrothed.”

They stared on in silence. Aniah with understanding. Ryker, something darker.

“Now you want me to trust two strangers—one who already lied to me and the other, a sister to the very Witch that cast this curse on me—who say they’re taking me home. I don’t even know what home looks like.” I paced before them. “Maybe I should have stayed with Aiden.” My words were edged with bitterness. I caught Ryker’s jaw flexing, eyes simmering, but pressed on. “I know him from before, after all, and—”

Ryker shoved off the wall hard enough to cause an old frame to clank to the floor, making me jump.

“Have you any idea the sacrifices Aniah and I have made to find you?” His fangs flashed as he scowled. “To save you?”

“But why?” I yelled back, tears burning my eyes. “Why bother if the male I was to match with is here—”

“If you want him,” he said, the words dangerously calm and low as he gestured toward the door, “then go. But don’t pretend you don’t know what waits for you. You don’t need your memories to know what type of male he is.”

I flinched at his words. Because he was right.

“Ryker! That’s enough,” Aniah reprimanded, pushing out of her chair, expression pained.

He gritted his teeth, jaw working as he raked his hands over his face and paced.

“I need to gather some herbs for Ryker’s wound,” Aniah said softly into the thick silence.

Her feather-light touch landed on my shoulder. “I made you a tincture. It’s imbued with my magic. To take that glamour off. It should also break the remaining bits of the proximity spell.” I partially turned, seeing her offer me an apologetic smile as she held a mug of dark, brown liquid inside. I accepted it, mumbling my thanks before she left. Ryker still had his back to me as he rifled through a bag.

I swirled the contents once, then drank, grimacing as the gritty texture scraped down my throat. Instantly, my scalp tingled, and I watched the blonde strands that draped over my shoulder turn black once more.