Ryker wouldn’t hurt her… right? He hadn’t killed her when he had the chance, and he hadn’t left her in the dungeon.
She wasn’t entirely certain she was safe, but she couldn’t stay here forever.
Drawing a deep breath, Brynleigh took a trembling step off theporch. The rain hadn’t fallen yet, but the clouds were close to bursting.
When she didn’t collapse into a ball of tears after the first step, she took another. And another. And another.
Soon, she was halfway to the water fae.
Magic trickled over Brynleigh’s skin at some point, and she walked through the wards surrounding the property. She barely noticed them, her attention never straying from Ryker.
She would’ve thought he was a statue if not for the power rippling from his hands.
He funneled magic into the sky.
More, more, more, until it seemed practically impossible that he still had magic left within him.
And then heroared.
Like waves crashing against rocks, the sound went on and on and on.
Tinged with grief and despair and anguish, Ryker’s cry wrapped around Brynleigh’s heart and squeezed like a vise.
She had caused this. Once again, she’d brought him pain. How many more times would they hurt each other?
The ocean between them expanded until it seemed like it would swallow her whole. She would drown in her grief, forever lamenting the love they’d once shared.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed before he fell silent, but eventually, his voice cracked and then stopped.
The silence was louder than his roar.
Ryker’s arms fell to his sides, and he drew his power towards him. The storm clouds receded, the lightning stopped, the mist disappeared, and the traces of magic vanished.
He straightened, throwing back his shoulders.
Brynleigh’s heart raced as Ryker turned. Even though there were no visible weapons on his person, she was sure he was armed.
His face was blank as if he hadn’t just been on the brink of losing control.
“Ready?” His voice was hoarse, and his eyes were dark with the same clouds that had been swirling overhead.
Apparently, they were going to ignore his storm. That worked for her—she had enough on her mind already.
Brynleigh checked the wall around her heart—it was still in one piece, thank Isvana—and nodded. “Yes. Let’s get this over with.”
Closing the distance between them, she stopped a few feet from the captain. The sooner she did this job, the better.
“Moving through shadows can make some people feel sick,” she warned. “Don’t let go.”
She wasn’t entirely certain what would happen to Ryker in the Void if she wasn’t holding onto him, but instinct told her it would be bad.
“I won’t.”
Ryker didn’t move, though.
Awkward. This was so gods-damned awkward.
Wishing for the ease that had existed between them during the Choosing, Brynleigh raised her hand.