*Ella*Three days passed. Three days we spent hiding in the cave waiting for Granger then running like hell to Granite Rise at his behest. The rest of the time we spent sitting around with no news about what happened in the clearing after Ryatt forced us to leave. For three days, I’ve gone over every harsh word I’d ever said to him, wondering if I’d been wrong. We’ve been in Granite Rise for a little over twenty-four hours now. I’ve barely left the house–Amanda’s parents’ house–since we arrived. Hannah continues her endless slumber in a bedroom downstairs, overseen by the occasional healer who dribbles water and broth into her mouth just to keep her alive. She still has that sleepy smile on her face, but her skin has become pale and glassy, and her once bright, tightly curled pale golden hair is now lackluster. I move away from her bed for what feels like the hundredth time today, my finger curling around the doorknob as I glance at her over my shoulder one last time before I forc
*Ryatt*Ella moves between the canvases in her studio, sunlight dusting over her bare shoulders. She tucks a strand of her lush, dark brown hair behind her ear, revealing her paint-smeared cheek. Tear stains shimmer in the sunlight drifting through the angular windows like little silver pieces of thread that trail down her jaw and neck. “I’m sorry,” I tell her, again and again. How many years has this been happening now? My nightmares bleeding into her own? I can’t stop it from happening. I’ve tried, trust me. I’ve taken every potion and tonic to put me into a complete stupor to stop my mind from drifting when I finally close my eyes, but that bond we share against our will ignites almost every night, tethering us together across realms. I watch as she opens a can of black paint. She pulls a vial from her pocket that glistens in the sunlight–pale white with tinges of blue. “Don’t, please–”Too late. She empties the vial of her tears into the paint and mixes it well until the conten
*Ella*I used to bring myself to tears to get what I wanted. It never worked on my mom, not once. But my dad… he was a sucker for my tears and always bent to my will if I let them flow. But I was a different person before I left my kingdom behind to come here. Now, my tears are real, and I do, in fact, feel like I’m falling to pieces. Since Hannah is still in a coma, Amanda is my only friend in this place, if I can even call her that. And right now, she’s on house arrest, or whatever the equivalent of grounding is in this Goddess forsaken place. Ryatt slowly turns around, his face shrouded in shadows. Rain patters on the top of his head, making his dark hair twist into curls. His gray eyes are sharp and focused on mine. “Go back inside.”“Are you coming with me?” I ask, hating how desperate I sound, but I am desperate. Desperate for anything from him, despite the walls I’ve built around my heart. He exhales through his nose and glances at the cottage over the top of my head. “For a
*Ella*Ryatt goes totally still. “I’ve never–I’ve never done this–” He pulls away, and I feel like someone has just dumped a bucket of ice water over my head. I snap my legs shut, a furious blush crashing over my skin like a tidal wave. Even my hair stands on end as a deep, cutting embarrassment shreds me apart. I look at him only once. His eyes are dark now, his expression made of cold stone. “I’m sorry,” I breathe, and his eyes snap to mine. “Don’t be. This was my fault. I lost control.”“No, it was mine–”The door in the front of the cottage opens and several male voices drift our way. I suck in a surprised breath, but Ryatt has already turned and left the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him before anyone can see me in my state of undress. My heart is thundering in my chest as I quickly cover my thin nightgown with a robe and head to the door, but I stop, my hand curling around the knob, when Ryatt’s voice lifts above the rest of the muffled conversation in the next ro
*Ryatt*Ella’s lips are warm and supple against mine, but there is nothing soft or gentle about this kiss. Our teeth clash, and she bites down hard on my lower lip as I lift her up so her legs are wrapped around my waist. Goddess, I would have lost control. I would have laid her on the cold, hard ground and fucked her like the bond wanted me too, like I wanted to, had it not been for the thick, metallic scent of magic in the air. She’s going to hate me for this trick. I already regret it, but what choice do I have when we’ve been followed by hellhounds for the last ten miles? She has no idea that I’ve walked us backward toward a large, jagged rock that juts out from the ground and looms behind us. She has no idea there’s a cleft just big enough for three people–her, the fox, and her maid. I break from the kiss, gasping for breath, and then turn toward the opening. In the darkness, it’s nothing but a shadow against the granite face of the rock. I toss her into it, and she chokes o
*Ryatt*My men are doing exactly what I told them to do. Run. Run in circles around camp. Try to get the hounds to funnel between the two huge rock formations we camped between. Trap them on either side. I try not to think about the bloodshed, not yet. There’s only a few of us left after battling with my father’s men. Everyone is in their wolf forms except for me. I wield the sword–an ancient weapon that belonged to my mother’s family and was passed down to me. A sword from the first war, the same war that decided the fate of this land. A hellhound in the form of a bear charges for me, chasing two of my men. The wolves bank in opposite directions as I raise my sword and swing, sending the blade across the bear's back. Its cry of agony rains down on us as sparks fly in my sword's wake. Somewhere in the forest, a scream echoes off the trees. A female scream, one of pure, unadulterated frustration. I turn to the sound, panting, blood and sweat dripping from my brow as I narrow my eye
*Ella*“What the fuck is going on?” Ryatt seethes. He steps in front of me, his sword of pure darkness clutched in one hand so hard his knuckles turn white. The cloaked woman’s mouth ticks into a tight smile. “It’s been a while, Alpha.”Ryatt tilts his head, his eyes narrowed and murderous. “Do not make me ask you again.”She slowly motions toward the cloaked figures behind her. Further in the trees, I can see two glowing beasts standing totally still. More hellhounds. “We sensed a threat a week ago. One of our hounds took care of it.” Her eyes land on mine again with interest. “But I see we may have been mistaken in our actions.”I’m still holding Granger’s head in my lap. He groans, coughing weakly. It’s a wet, bloody sound. “He’s really hurt, Ryatt,” I whisper, my voice shaking as I keep my eyes on the woman–the witch. “This could be perceived as an act of war, Ravenna. Are we not allies? Am I not your king?” Ryatt’s voice is sharper than I’ve ever heard it before. He’s pissed. R
*Ella*Ryatt’s injured, but he doesn’t let it show while we walk into the city belonging to the Moonrise coven. Ravenna disappears before we approach the first buildings–little cottages and outbuildings coated in vines–and instead, we’re ushered into the city proper by other witches of varying ages. I watch with narrowed eyes as an unfamiliar man lifts Hannah up and cradles her like an infant. He turns, being directed by three witches in black cloaks, and carries her into a tall building made of wood and stone, its windows lightly frosted and gleaming in the morning sunlight. Then Granger is lifted to his feet and helped into the same building by Thorne, whose clothes are shredded and caked in blood. I hope it’s not his own. Ryatt stands beside me in total, unnerving silence. Ahead of us, Amanda speaks in hushed tones to one of the witches, a pretty blonde woman with startling sharp gray eyes that leave Amanda’s face to gaze at me and then Ryatt. Amanda turns from her and walks ov