Brynleigh could’ve tried to listen in, but her mind was still spinning from their conversation.
Ryker was her everything. Even with the current state of theirrelationship, she was drawn to him. She’d never felt safe or at home with anyone else.
Mulling over the recent developments, she helped herself to more blood. Before the wedding, Ryker had told her that his mother never hired vampires, so she assumed she’d be the only one drinking it. It would be wasteful to leave it in the fridge.
She had it cold while waiting for him to return.
For the first time in weeks, Brynleigh felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, this wouldn’t be the end. Maybe they could still have that life they’d discussed in the Choosing. They could play chess late into the night, with Marlowe asleep on the rug by their feet, as they laughed and talked about everything and nothing.
A slow smile stretched across her face.
Maybe all was not lost.
Maybe—
“There’s been another attack.” Ryker’s baritone rumble broke her from her thoughts.
She sucked in a breath and spun around. “Where?”
“Sandhaven,” he growled.
Dark storm clouds roiled in Ryker’s eyes, and a pit formed in Brynleigh’s stomach. This was bad. She could already tell.
Even though she didn’t want to know the answer, she asked, “What happened?”
The temperature dropped in the kitchen.
“There was another bomb.” He dropped his phone on the counter and curled his fists. “The Black Night hit a fucking boarding school.”
Brynleigh recoiled, her vision clouding. Attacking the Choosing was one thing, but this…
“You mean… they went after children?” she asked, her throat dry.
Some things in life were off-limits. There were unspoken rules that even killers like Brynleigh followed, and staying away from children was one of them. Children were the fucking future of theRepublic. No one touched them. Except now, the rebels had done just that.
Ryker raked a hand through his hair. “Some were injured, but none of them died.”
Relief rushed through Brynleigh, and her legs knocked together.
She gripped the counter. “Thank Isvana for small mercies. How old were they?”
“Teenagers, mostly.” He looked as distraught as she felt. “The students of Jade Academy were putting on a concert for their parents.”
“Oh, gods. So young.” She swayed, the counter the only thing keeping her upright.
How could the rebels do that?
“They’re insane, that’s how,” Ryker growled.
Brynleigh hadn’t realized she had spoken the last part out loud. He was right, though.
The rebels had officially lost their minds. There was no other reason anyone would attack youth. The Representatives were terrible, but this…
This was no way to go about forcing change.
Fuck them all.
Fury replaced the horror running through Brynleigh’s veins, and her grip tightened on the countertop. “You said it was a boarding school?”