Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
I stood in front of the castle and looked at the city that used to be my home. It was exactly the same, but it felt different now. Felt like a foreign place I’d never been.
Huntley handled the conquest as if he’d rehearsed it in his head a hundred times. As if this was another city that he’d brought to its knees. Queen Rolfe took a step back, and that told me how deep-seated her hatred was for my father. This day should have been joyous for her, but the past was still too traumatic, twenty years later.
My father was taken to the dungeons, and the few men that refused to surrender were slain. The takeover was fairly bloodless, went far better than I thought it would, but I hadn’t expected it to hurt so much.
Ryker appeared in front of me, but I didn’t even see him approach.
“I know you hate me right now… I’m sorry.”
“I don’t.”
I let his face come into crisper focus, let his handsome features become clear.
“You did the right thing.”
“I did?” I whispered.
He nodded. “Everything you told me about him, I didn’t really believe it before, but when I spoke to him…I saw it.”
“Yeah…”
“And I really saw it today.”
I gave a nod.
“It’s hard to fight your enemies, but it’s even harder to fight your family. You’re brave, Ivory.”
“Brave?” I whispered. “I don’t feel brave. I feel like shit.”
“Don’t. The cycle will never end unless we break it. And if we succeed, this world will finally be different. It’s worth a try.”
“You’ve really come around.”
He gave a shrug. “The Rolfes abandoned everyone just the way Father did. That means anyone in this seat of power will do the same. If we’ve found someone who will change that, then we’ve got to support him.”
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t kill him—so your loyalty remains intact.”
“Despite everything he’s done…I could never do that.”
“I know,” he said. “Me neither.” His hand went to my shoulder, and he gave it a squeeze before he pulled me into his chest. “It’s nice that we’re together again.”
I clamped down on him and held on tight, even though his armor was hard and uncomfortable. “I missed you.”
He pulled away and gave me a smile. “Whoa, let’s not get carried away.”
My wall of sadness was shattered, just for a moment. “How’s Effie?”
“Up until two dragons headed straight for the city, she was doing well. Been staying with me in my bedchamber.”
I waggled my eyebrows. “Has she now?”
He rolled his eyes.
“Told you.”
“Guess she can’t stay mad at me forever…not when I’m this sexy.”
“Okay, we’re done here.”
Huntley had his men stationed throughout the castle, and he employed the new guards under his wing. He was busy running the place and getting everything in order, so I went down to the basement to visit my father.
If I told Huntley what I was doing, I knew he would talk me out of it, but I still had more to say to my father, things I didn’t say on the battlefield, things I didn’t want to say in front of an audience and two dragons.
I made my way down the stairs and found him in his cell.
It was more luxurious than a regular prisoner’s cell. It had a full bed, a shelf with books, an armchair, and a fireplace with a stack of wood. Other than the iron bars of the cell and the brick that lined the walls, it was practically a royal bedchamber.
He sat in the armchair in front of the fireplace, one arm on his knee, his eyes on no spot in particular.
The love between parent and child was unconditional, so even though he deserved this sentence, it still hurt to see him that way, to watch him rot in a cell for the rest of his life. It hurt to know that my own father was the source of incredible pain to the man I loved. It made me feel like shit, and then I felt even shittier for having any feelings toward my father at all.
His eyes flicked to me, stone-cold.
I stayed a few feet back from the bars, not that I expected him to reach for me.
“What will you do with Ryker?”
“Nothing. He’s free to do as he wishes.”
A glimmer of relief moved into his gaze, and that made it hurt a little more. “Good.”
I’d come all the way down here, but now I didn’t have the words.
“I know you’re the only reason they haven’t killed me.” His eyes shifted back to the fire. “While I appreciate that, death is preferable to a cage. You should know that.”
“I do know that. But this imprisonment doesn’t need to be forever.”
After a pause, he looked at me again.
“After you serve some time, I think an apology would go a long way.”
He leaned back in the chair, releasing a quiet sigh. “Sweetheart, apologies mean nothing between enemies. Apologies are meant for those you love, because they’re the only ones who will forgive you.”