As if he could ever forget about that. The mantle of his future position had hung on his shoulders from the moment of his birth.
“No one else knows what Brynleigh planned,” Ryker ground out.
He’d worked hard to keep everything under wraps. Nikhail, Victor and his team, Myrrah, and a few other Representatives were the only ones who knew the truth.
Tertia’s eyes narrowed. “For now. Do you think keeping things out of the press is easy? I’ve had enough trouble with your sister, and now you addthisto my plate. Don’t you love me at all?”
“I do, Mother.” Somehow, Ryker spoke the truth.
It might not have been the same kind of love he had for his father, but he cared deeply for his mother, even with all her coldness.
“Then think of how this looks.”
That’s what it always came down to for Tertia. All she ever cared about was the public’s perception of the illustrious Waterborn family.
When she had hidden River’s involvement in the Incident and helped wipe all traces of Ryker online six years ago, it wasn’t out of the kindness of her heart.
Ryker wasn’t even sure his mother could express emotions like most people. She loved her family, but she showed it differently from Cyrus. Ryker’s father had always been there for his children, always present, ready and willing to talk. Day in and day out, he’d been available to them.
Tertia was more of the “I will provide for you, but don’t come talk to me about your feelings” type of parent.
Right now, Ryker didn’t feel an ounce of affection from his mother, and he wanted her to leave.
Brynleigh would be back soon, and the last thing Ryker wanted was for Tertia to still be here when that happened. This already volatile situation would become ten times worse.
“I will, Mother.” Pecking Tertia on her cold cheek, Ryker steered her towards the door. “Have a good night.”
She frowned, and even though Ryker towered over her by a foot, she looked down her nose at him.
“That is an impossible task when one’s children are such disappointments.”
What a loving mother.
Unfortunately, Tertia wasn’t done.
“Why did the Obsidian Sands not see fit to bless me with offspring who understand the value of their name and know how to act properly? Instead, I got you two.” Her red lips curled into a hateful sneer. “The vampire-lover and the Cursed One.”
Ryker bristled at his mother’s term for River. It was one thing for River to call her power a curse, but it was another for their mother to use that term.
Staying silent was no longer an option.
“River trains every single day, Mother.” Ryker gripped the door, wishing he could shove the Representative out of it and force her to leave. “You know she’s worked tirelessly to keep things under control.”
The temperature in the room plummeted as Tertia straightened her spine.
“Your sister trains because she knows I will not tolerate anotherblemish against the Waterborn name. Untamed, wild magic will not reside beneath my roof. Not when your father could be injured.”
It took every ounce of restraint Ryker had accumulated in his entire life not to snarl at his mother.
“She’s yourdaughter.”
Did familial bonds mean nothing to her?
Sometimes, Ryker wished Cyrus wasn’t the parent who had contracted the Stillness. It was a horrible thought and would probably land Ryker in the pits of hell, but it was the truth.
Tertia narrowed her eyes, and the look in them would have made a lesser fae run for the hills.
“I’m well aware of that fact, Ryker, thank you. One does not simplyforgetthey’ve given birth. It’s a rather painful experience.” She sniffed. “Some days, I wonder if procreating was even worth the effort of carrying on the Waterborn name.”