Ness wouldn’t just be disappointed. She would rage against me. She would call me every dumb name in the book and tell me that I was better than this.
I missed her with a ferocity I never thought possible. The little hound shifter was likely nearby, somewhere in Lakesedge, but she seemed too far away in this moment.
Lurching away from the table bearing faery wine and fruit, I threw myself towards the stairs, so I could escape this place again. It would be just my luck that Beryl drew me back in right as I stepped outside. She didn’t summon me again, though.
Beryl let me get away. Her threat lurked in the back of my mind. Ness already had enough problems. I couldn’t make this worse for her. While I wondered if Beryl had the best intentions for Lakesedge, I doubted that Ness’s singular life meant much to her.
If Beryl could ask me to kill Harvey Combs, then Ness would be just as disposable to Beryl. I couldn’t let the fae queen use Ness like that.
That left me with only one option.
I had to find a way to kill Harvey Combs.
I hated how people’s lives were put in my hands. I’d already proven once before that I couldn’t help. I couldn’t save anyone. My clan had no leader so long as Morgan was busy hunting me. With Bri out here, they didn’t even have support.
Outside, Bri leaned against her SUV. Her eyes were still rimmed with red from the tears she’d shed. I got the feeling that she’d cried more on her way here. The thought made my stomach sink with guilt.
I said nothing as I went to the passenger side of the SUV. Bri watched me. I could feel her gaze on the back of my neck, but I ignored her.
“What’s happening here, Ryder?”
I grunted. “You don’t need to know. Go home and help the clan. So long as my brother is distracted, the clan will need you to keep them together.”
“Right now, my friends need me! You and Morgan mean everything to me. Let me help you both, damn it.” She stomped her foot in frustration.
I said nothing. I couldn’t afford to humor her right now. Bri would be safe far away from here.
The medallion on my chest thrummed, almost hungrily. The sensation reminded me of a growling stomach. Beryl’s enchantment wanted blood. The magic sank into my body and brought images of Harvey to the front of my mind. Her magic was growing strong and sharper. She would use it to take control of me, soon.
I couldn’t afford that right now.
Too many people needed me. So long as Bri stuck by my side, I would have to keep my wits about me, so I could keep her safe from Beryl. Then, there was Ness. Her pack wanted blood. They would stop at nothing until she was gone.
Though Alvin was the real threat to the Lakesedge pack, they blamed Ness as if her existence had caused this trouble. Most of them wouldn’t lift a finger to hurt her themselves, but they wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice her, either. If they thought that getting rid of her would make things easier, they would do it.
That’s what happened to a desperate pack. My own clan had huddled together in fear and left me to do all the hard work.
“Bri,” I said once a thought occurred to me.
She gave me a quick, sidelong glance as she navigated the winding Syracuse streets. “What is it?”
“Morgan. How could he have missed what everyone else saw? You said the clan knew about the Treasure Sickness. I did my best to hide it, but you all knew. How did Morgan miss the signs then?”
Bri was silent for a long while. My mind churned, trying to turn over everything I could remember about those days. The pain returned, slipping along my scars. I hissed and bit down. If Bri noticed, she didn’t say anything—which I was grateful for.
Dad had suspected everyone of treachery. He would mumble to himself about all the ways he thought the clan would turn against him. While at his side, I had to listen to how he wanted to stop them. The things he thought about doing…just remembering what he’d said reminded me of why I’d done what I did.
There were too many similarities between my father at the height of his sickness and Alvin Combs. Dad had considered using one dragon as an example so that the others would know what they were risking if they wanted to turn against him. He’d spent so many nights considering just the right victim and the perfect punishment, even though nothing had happened to spark this paranoia.
No one had said anything about overthrowing him. The clan had been happy and peaceful until the sickness had slipped into Dad’s mind. His love had soured. I’d watched his gentle hands turn into fists ready to strike anyone down.
“I think you managed to hide your father’s sickness from one person. Morgan looked to you for everything. You’re his older brother, after all. If you wanted him to believe something, he believed it.” She paused. “I think…I think that’s why he’s so hurt over this.”
I grunted. “He needs to think for himself. He will never make a good clan leader if he bends to everyone’s manipulations.”
Bri laughed. “Morgan isn’t our new clan leader. He didn’t want the position. He said he wasn’t built for it.”
I stared at Bri and fought to keep my jaw from dropping. My brother had turned down the position of clan leader? The role had been in our family for years. Thunder Pass was our home. He should have stepped up to protect it. He and I had been raised to do exactly that.