Ryder glared down at me, “You think you’re the first fucking person to try killing him? He can’t be killed; your parents are sending you on a fucking suicide mission.”
“My father didn’t ask me to do it, and I won’t let him hurt me. There’s a way—there has to be a way to kill him,” I argued.
He was right, it was a suicide mission, and while it sounded impossible, there had to be a way to do it. If not, how had the last Horde King managed it?
“I’m coming to get you, so get any thoughts of killing the Horde King right out of that mind of yours.” He lowered his mouth and kissed my forehead gently before his hand slipped between us, and ran over the flesh of my abdomen. “Promise you will let me save you and then we can figure out what to do about the contract.”
“I can’t promise you that,” I whispered and searched his eyes.
“Dammit woman,” he growled before claiming my lips in a bone melting kiss. “I’m coming to get you. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Ryder, I need you,” I moaned hungrily, but noticed he was moving away from me to stand up.
“Be a good girl for me and I’ll save you from the big, bad Horde King. I’m coming to get you, Pet, so remember you just admitted that you need me. Watch for me tomorrow, and don’t let these people talk you into doing anything stupid…like killing the Horde King who can’t be killed by just fucking anybody.”
“You gonna scale the walls and be my Prince Charming?” I asked, raising a delicate brow in question.
“No Pet, I’ll be your Prince Fucking Charming,” he smiled wickedly and disappeared.
I allowed a single sob to escape my chest, but it wasn’t until someone else started to form that I really sobbed. She was beautiful with long blonde curls, and blue-green eyes. An un-controllable sob racked my body as she looked around surprised until her eyes landed on me.
“Synthia,” she whispered and ran toward me as I stood and opened my arms.
I was still dreaming, I knew because she was dead. I’d killed her myself by deflecting the bullet she had aimed at me on that horrible day. There. I was sure I was dreaming, because, here, she had no blood from the gunshot, and no evidence of the horror that she’d endured at the hands of the Fae.
“Momma,” I whispered, afraid she’d disappear on me.
“Oh, Baby, you’re so grown up now,” she whispered and moved to close the distance between us.
“Momma,” I whispered and threw myself in to her arms. God, she felt so real. “I’m so sorry!” I sobbed, finally letting it all out.
“Synthia, you were only five years old. You couldn’t have saved us from the Fae. You did as I told you to, and it’s the only thing I wanted you to do that night. I need you to know that we have never blamed you for what happened to us. Never has it crossed our minds, Baby. You gave us what we couldn’t give ourselves; a beautiful daughter who, even though she was shy, she loved us in her own way. You gave us the innocent love of a child, and that itself was the greatest gift we could have ever known. We always knew that someday someone would come to try and take you away, but you were the one thing in our lives worth dying for. I wouldn’t change my life. I was a mother, and you make me proud to call you mine.”
“But I could have saved you both. I was strong, even then. One spell and we could have all been protected—we could have all lived,” I cried, pulling away from her.
“And if you couldn’t? We made a choice that night, Synthia; one that ensured that you would survive. A mother never takes a chance with her child’s life. I knew what they wanted when they came to the door. I could feel their hatred even before they knocked on it, and kicked it in. I knew how evil he was then. There was no way in hell I would allow him to find you.”
“I’m being given to the Horde King tomorrow, so you died for nothing,” I swiped the tears away furiously.
“I know, but you won’t end up unhappy, Baby. You will find your love; I promise you that. Synthia Raine, listen to me carefully. Hear what I am saying. Someday someone is going to look at you with a sparkle in their eyes as if you are the most beautiful woman alive. They’ll look at you like you are everything they’ve ever wanted, everything they’ve ever dreamt about. Wait for it, my daughter, for he will be the light that brings you to life, and lights your way through the darkness.”
I smiled through the tears. “I want what you and daddy had,” I replied softly.