Despite the rest of the House going about their business, completely oblivious to the life changing experience Ryver and Ria had just gone through, the atmosphere in Soraya's suite was anything but normal.

The Princess's face was as serene as ever, but those swirling, golden eyes gave her away. Given how guarded she usually was, it constituted a massive slip in composure.

"Soraya, is everything alright?"

She plastered on a smile. "Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"

She almost convinced him, but he'd tasted her blood; their bond had deepened. He felt her more keenly. Behind the beautiful facade and the reassuring words, he felt something. He forced his senses wide and searched her aura, determined to find the truth. He found it and wished he hadn't. At the centre of her being, cleverly cloaked by other emotions, hidden from those weaker than her and those who weren't looking for it, Kaden saw a flash of bone-crushing agony.

He dropped to a knee in front of her. "Soraya, what's wrong?" He swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry.

Her smile remained, but he could swear her eyes bore the prick of tears. "Nothing," she replied.

"You forget I know you, Princess."

This time the blood-red wash of tears in her eyes was unmistakable. "It's nothing, I promise," she told him.

The dishonesty stung, but if he knew her at all, he knew she was shielding him from something. "I have broad shoulders. You don't need to protect me."

She laughed, but there was no joy in it.

Kaden reached for her hand. "Soraya, please." The idea that this magnificent creature felt even an ounce of pain was completely unacceptable.

"Kaden, I—"

The shrill ring of his mobile interrupted her.

Kaden closed his eyes and sighed. "Ignore it," he said, as his eyes fluttered open again, but the look on her face told him the moment had passed.

"You had better answer that," she said, her voice devoid of all emotion.

He looked at her for a moment longer, but the incessant ringing of his phone was difficult to ignore. Inwardly cursing whoever it was on the other end of the call, he pulled the phone from his back pocket and hit answer. "What?"

Lena squawked at him, demanding he get his fucking arse back down to the fucking command centre. "I'll be down in a minute," he snapped. Returning the phone to his pocket, he looked back at the Princess.

"My sister-in-law has a way with words, does she not?"

A wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I'm sorry. I have to go."

"Never apologise for doing your duty, Kaden."

That she did mean—he could feel it—but he also sensed sadness in her. "Are you sure you're okay? Whatever Lena wants can wait if you need me here."

Her gorgeous golden eyes widened, but she didn't reply, merely shaking her head instead.

"If you’re sure?"

Still no words, just a curt nod.

Kaden squeezed her hand, rose, and took his leave.

Arriving in the command centre, he was greeted by one pissed off looking Lena.

"Where the fuck have you been?" she shouted.

"None of your business, Steward." The use of her title was deliberate. She may be about to become Queen, but even so, this was his command centre. "What's happening?"

"You'd know if you were here," she replied, crossing her arms.

"Oh wind your neck in and just tell me."

She huffed. "The Pixie radioed in."

"And?"

"And she wants to talk to you."

Kaden rolled his eyes, pushed past her and grabbed a headset. "Malandra? You there?"

"I'm here, Kaden," Malandra replied over the radio.

Kaden had been keeping tracks on her in his mind's eye. He knew she'd been as far down the service tunnel as she could get. The closer she got to the Osmium in the walls of the main building, the harder it became for Kaden to see her properly. Right then, she was pacing back and forth just outside the entrance, carving a path for herself through the undergrowth. He could see her clearly.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Honestly, I don't know," she replied. "I've been in there, mentally screaming at a solid wall of Osmium. I feel like a fucking idiot."

"There's no way through?"

"Hello? Did you not hear the part about solid Osmium?"

"Just checking." He'd seen the way she'd disintegrated the door to the tunnel on her way in. Osmium blocked almost all Fae powers, but then Malandra Ravenborn wasn't most Fae. She was old breed, and Kaden was well aware he'd only witnessed a fraction of her power.

She stopped pacing in his mind’s eye. "Not a lot that gets past you, is there?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lena asked from the comms desk.

Kaden ignored her. "No. There isn't," he replied.

Malandra nodded. "Understood."

"You get any sense of them at all?"

She threw her arms up. "No. Yes. Maybe. God knows. I'm not a bloody telepath, Kaden!"

Kaden puffed out a sigh. Malandra wasn't blood bonded to either Ryver or Ria, but he was. He and Ryver had been bonded for decades, and Kaden had spent most of the day trying to force some of that bond Malandra's way in the hope it would help. It obviously hadn't. He ran a hand through his hair. Just once...

"Kaden?"

Lena appeared at his shoulder and nudged him.

"What?" he said as he glanced back at her.

"Well she isn't talking to me, is she?" Lena replied as she tapped her ear and gave him a quizzical look.

"Kaden?" Malandra said again.

"I'm here."

"What do you want me to do?"

Kaden checked his watch and shot a look at the UV monitor. "Hold your position. I'm coming to you."

* * *

Ryver sent his senses out wide. The sun was just sinking, the sky losing its orange brilliance as the inky-blue of night crept in. He couldn't see it, but he didn't need to. He knew it with every fibre of his body. It was time.

As soon as he thought it, Ria tensed. "I don’t think I can do this," she whispered.

Ryver grabbed her hand and squeezed. "You can. You're stronger than you know."

"But—"

"No buts. I'm going to be right here." He kissed her hand. "Right beside you, I promise."

She nodded, but he could feel her deep-seated fear.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

Her response was immediate. "Yes."

"Good." He took her by the shoulders and helped her to her feet.

"Now focus on Mal—"

* * *

A smile spread across Ryver's face and some of the tension left his body.

"What? What is it?"

"Kaden."

Her brow began to knit until she realised what he was talking about. Another presence had joined the Pixie on the other side of the seemingly impenetrable wall. She knew he was there, could feel him, sense his aura. His mind, however, was a veritable fortress, a bastion of invincibility whose walls were rock solid. Not even a sliver of light penetrated those shadowy places he kept so tightly guarded. It didn't seem to matter how hard she tried, all she got for her effort was a splitting headache and the answer to the value of y in an equation she had no hope of understanding.

She heard Ryver actually snort and whirled around to face him, eyes wide.

He didn't need to say, "I told you so." It was written all over his face.

"There's no need to look quite so smug," she told him.

"You'll get nothing from Kaden unless he wants you to hear it. Trust me. I've had decades of practice and I reckon I can count the times I've caught him off guard on one hand."

"But quadratic equations? I thought you were joking!"

"I wish. It used to be regular multiplication and I thought that was annoying."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

The silence that fell between them felt awkward, and it weighed heavily on her as she tried to find something to say. God bless him, she knew he was waiting for her to take the lead, trying not to rush her even though he was desperate for them to leave. She was guilty of ignoring the elephant in the room. The arrival of Ryver's brother had been a brief but very welcome distraction. Too brief, unfortunately. Right then, despite her fear that she would completely fuck it up, she had run out of excuses to delay the inevitable. She sucked in a deep breath, but found she was unable to tell him she was ready.

Because she really, really wasn't.

Ryver took her hand and placed a delicate kiss on her knuckles. She expected some sort of rousing speech and words of strength and encouragement. They weren't needed.

She gasped as his immense power sped through her, galvanising, reassuring, lending her the courage and strength she needed.

He released her hand and splayed his fingers across her chest, right above her heart. Even through her shirt, his touch scorched her. "Everything you need is right here."

Unable to form words for completely different reasons, she nodded.

He took her hand. "Time to go."

Ria took a shaky breath and did what he'd told her to do: concentrated on Malandra. She visualised herself standing by the Pixie' s side.

Still holding Ryver's hand in a vice grip, her only life raft in a sea of terrifying uncertainty, she felt her body begin to split apart. Her molecules detached themselves from each other, flying through a wondrous in-between place where the colours blinded her and she had no concept of space or time. She could have floated there forever, or she might not have been there at all. As she tornadoed towards her destination, she had no idea which way was up and which was down. She could do nothing except pray and trust that Ryver's faith in her was not unwarranted.

Flashes of brilliant violet appeared before her eyes a pixel at a time. Like some giant puzzle,

Malandra materialised in front of her as Ria's body and soul reunited and knitted themselves back together.

Her friend beamed at her before the smile fell from her lips and her eyes filled with worry. "Ria? Are you okay?"

She meant to say yes. She was perfectly fine. Instead she threw up, narrowly missing a pair of large boots.

Once she'd thrown up everything she'd ever eaten or was ever likely to eat, she finally managed to stand up straight. She met the coolest set of ice-blue eyes she'd ever seen. The stare they bestowed on her was so intense she couldn't help but take a step back.

"Mistress Dalton," he said with a curt nod. His voice was clipped and not the least bit friendly.

His formality threw her a little and she wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"Now, now, Keeper of the Watch. Is that any way to greet your new sister?" Malandra chided with a smile.

Kaden's demeanour didn't change. If anything, his expression darkened.

"I'll be more than happy to throw my new sister a bloody homecoming parade once she explains where the fucking hell my brother is."

A wholly involuntary laugh sprang from Ria's lips, such was the ridiculousness of the question. She squeezed Ryver's hand. "Are you blind? He's right the—"

Ryver wasn't where she thought he was.

In fact, he was nowhere to be seen. She looked aghast at her empty hand as her legs buckled and she collided with the ground. Still staring at her hand, she realised too late that he'd deceived her.

He couldn't. He wouldn't.

Another thought quickly followed, drawing a sob from her lips: Oh God! He's still in there.

* * *

Kaden wasn't blood bonded to Ria, and in that moment, he thanked the Goddess for it. He could feel her pain and grief and it was bone-deep. If he had been blood-bonded to her, he wasn't sure he'd still be standing. He gulped as her aura pulsed and tendrils of dark, black emotion, threatened to engulf all three of them. Instinctively, he took a step back, not wanting those emotions to touch him. He'd seen the effect of mating in Lena, but that was before she and Thorn claimed each other. This wasn't the eldur Lena had suffered before her mating. This was something altogether different and he had no idea what to do.

He shot a look at Malandra who stared back at him, violet eyes wide with worry. Inclining his head toward Ria, he hinted the Sentinel should go to Ria's aid. He wasn't equipped for this in the slightest.

Malandra dropped to her knees at Ria's side and reached out a hesitant hand to comfort the girl. "Ria?"

Ria started mumbling, muttering unintelligibly, still staring at her own hand. She didn't seem to hear Malandra at all.

Kaden crouched down beside the Pixie. "Ria," he said. "Can you hear me?"

Nothing. No acknowledgment at all.

"Ria, honey. It's me, Mal... I mean, Jessie. Talk to me, darling."

Kaden arched an eyebrow at the other woman. "Jessie?"

Malandra shrugged. "She's known me as Jessie far longer than she's known me as Malandra. I thought it might help."

It didn't. Whatever had a hold of the poor woman wasn't going to let go without a fight. Kaden moved position, walking around Ria and kneeling in front of her. He gave her shoulder a firm shake. "Ria?"

She stopped mumbling for a second, but she didn't look away from her hand.

Kaden looked skyward and sent a prayer to the Goddess of Fae. He was sure if Soraya were there, she'd know exactly what to do, and she'd be a damned sight gentler than him.

But she wasn't.

And Ryver was still trapped inside a damned Fallen stronghold.

Thinking of his brother hardened his resolve, and he gripped both her shoulders and forced her into a sitting position. Opposite, he saw Malandra balk at his heavy handedness, and he shot her a warning look. He didn't intend to hurt the girl, but he didn't have the luxury of time. Refocusing on his brother's girl, he saw that the change of position had done little to alter her catatonic state. He gave her a hard shake, ignoring Malandra's theatrical admonishment. "You will hear me."

The girl's head rolled around on her shoulders, doing nothing for the guilt knocking on Kaden's conscience, but he would not be beaten. She needed to snap out of whatever the fuck this was, and he needed to get his brother back.

He tried again, shaking her more vigorously.

"You do that one more time, Keeper, and I'll break your fucking neck. You hear me?" Malandra squawked.

He ignored her. Instead he leant right into the stricken woman, his face just inches from hers. She would see him. "Ria!"

Kaden saw the change in her eyes, her pin-point pupils dilating, her eyes widening as she regained her focus. Her body stiffened under his hands and she jerked back from him. "Who are you? W-what do you want?" she stammered as she scrabbled away from him.

Kaden made no sudden movements. If mating lore was right, Ria now possessed both her own and her mate's power. One wrong move and she'd likely rip his bloody head off. As if facing a wild animal, he lowered his head a little and splayed his hands, showing he meant her no harm.

Ria scrambled back further and shrieked as she collided with Malandra, who was still kneeling at her back. She looked around wildly, her aura quickly changing from black to furious red, a snarl forming on her lips.

"It's me, Ria," the Pixie whispered.

Kaden stayed where he was, quietly calculating the distance and route he'd need to travel should Ria not recognise her friend and decide to attack instead.

Malandra was smart. She appeared totally relaxed, her body language open and unthreatening. It took a minute, but slowly, muscle by muscle, he saw some of the tension bleed out of Ria too. She glanced back at him and he saw the recognition in her eyes.

"You're Kaden, aren't you?"

He inclined his head. "At your service."

"Ryver's brother," she whispered.

He nodded.

"Ria, honey. Are you alright?" Malandra asked.

The half-breed frowned, as if unsure how to answer.

"Are you hurt?" Malandra tried again.

The girl rubbed her sternum as her frown deepened. "I don't think so."

Kaden rose and moved to Malandra's side. "There's something I need to ask you, Ria."

The Pixie looked up at him, violet eyes swirling with an angry magenta, and shook her head.

He did feel sorry for Ria—really he did—but Ryver was his Guardian, his brother. His responsibility. He returned Malandra's stare. "Me seyf, me amicitia, in me learen ua nean," he hissed, reminding her of the oath she'd sworn not a week ago.

She flared her nostrils but said nothing further.

Kaden returned his attention to Ria. "Where is my brother?"

Ria sucked in a breath that sounded more like a sob and he winced. "He's still in there."

Kaden closed his eyes. Fuck.

"You're sure?" Malandra asked.

The expression on Ria's face changed and she cocked her head like she was listening to something neither he nor Malandra could hear.

"Why?" she hissed.

"Why what?"

She didn't reply, but her facial expressions matched those of someone having a conversation.

It suddenly dawned on him. "Jesus fucking Christ, you're talking to him, aren't you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Malandra asked, giving him a look that clearly meant she thought he'd lost his mind.

"She's talking to Ryver," he said, tapping his temple with his index finger.

"Are you serious?"

They both stared back at Ria. Tears rolled down the poor woman's face and Kaden had to admit his initial thoughts that she'd abandoned his brother to save herself were clearly mistaken.

He dropped to his haunches in front of her. "You tell that man of yours to get his arse out here right now. And you can tell him that's an order."

Orders given by proxy didn't hold nearly as much weight as those given directly, but Ryver was a man of honour, and it was worth a try.

"He says he can't," she whispered.

"Why the hell not?"