Chapter 24 Blood on Silk
The feast hall was full of luxury. The long tables were covered in sumptuous delicacies and crystal goblets loaded with wine. The golden chandeliers shed a soft light over everything. But it felt chilly. The air was thick with anxiety, which made it hard for people to laugh and talk. The nobles were quiet, and their eyes darted nervously toward the broken doors where Ryder had just come in. Everyone in the room could feel the excitement in the air. It felt like the energy was pulsing with every heartbeat. Sienna could sense it..
She could sense Ryder's presence, even though he was a few steps away, kneeling in front of her, his huge body shaking with barely restrained power. Her heart raced, and she couldn't catch her breath. This was not the same man she had known. This was something more sinister. Something that is more risky. The aristocrats were still watching, their faces pale and wide-eyed, not knowing what to do or how to feel. But Sienna was aware. She realized that things would never be the same again. Ryder was no longer the soldier she had trusted or the ally she had fought with. The chains that had held him down were gone, but the guy she had known was too.
"Ryder," she said, getting closer to him. Her voice broke the silence in the hall. "What have you turned into?" Her remarks were soft, asking for understanding. But Ryder's eyes stayed on her, burning with a strange, wild brightness. He looked like a man who had just been freed from his chains, but he also looked like he was about to lose everything. Ryder's voice was low and his words were harsh like gravel. "I am what you made me."
"Sienna, you wanted me to be free. You wanted me to be complete. Her heart hurt in her chest. This wasn't what she had hoped for. This wasn't what she had hoped for when she had struggled to free him. Yes, she wanted him to be free, but not at the cost of this, this creature in front of her, half-man, half-beast, full of wrath and bloodlust. But before she could say anything else, the door at the end of the corridor creaked open, and footsteps could be heard through the quiet. Everyone in the room turned their heads, and their eyes widened in surprise as a stranger stepped forward. A person with a mask. He was tall and wore a black and silver cloak that flowed behind him like a shadow.
The mask he wore was beautiful and complicated, with silver filigree on it that covered his whole face. But they didn't notice his looks. He moved with grace and purpose, like a predator pursuing its prey. Sienna's breath caught in her throat when the masked figure's eyes met hers. The way he moved was familiar but also creepy, like something out of a nightmare. The nobility spoke to each other, not sure if they should be scared or interested. But what followed next shocked everyone in the hall. The masked person said, "Her Heir,"
"The one who will take her position as queen." Sienna felt a shiver go down her spine. Her Heir. He couldn't be talking about her. She wasn't a queen or a ruler. She was only Sienna, a woman stuck in a battle she didn't comprehend and a fate that wasn't hers. The masked man moved forward, and his motions were so smooth that it looked like he was gliding across the floor. He paused at the edge of the dais and kept his eyes on Sienna's face.
"You," he repeated again, this time with a trace of respect in his voice. "You are the one the First Queen chose." You have the goddess's blood in you. You are her heir." Sienna's thoughts was racing. Her Heir? What did he intend by that? The First Queen? The goddess's blood? Of course, she had heard the stories, but they were just stories. Legends that have been told for a long time. It seemed crazy to think that Sienna could be a part of that, that she could be the successor to a line of gods. But the way he talked, with such surety in his voice, made her question all she had ever known. "What do you need from me?" She asked, her voice steady even though her heart was racing.
. "Who are you?" The person in the mask didn't answer right away. Instead, he moved closer, and his eyes narrowed behind the mask as he looked at her. He seemed to be staring into her soul and seeing something she couldn't see. "Nobody," he answered finally, and his voice was full with meaning. "I am just a messenger. A servant to the First Queen and to you, Her Heir. "Stop," Sienna said sharply, losing her cool. "I'm not anyone's heir. I'm simply a woman trying to get by in this crazy world. And I won't kowtow to anyone." The masked person tilted their head, and a small smile tugged at the edges of their lips, but it was disguised by the mask. "You don't understand, Lady Sienna.
You don't have to bow. You already have the power. You are already tied to the throne. Sienna's heart raced, and the room seemed to swirl around her. What did that mean? And why did his comments make her feel so full of energy all of a sudden? It was as if what he was talking about was really moving inside her. The masked guy said, "You are a threat to the throne." His voice was colder and darker now. "And you will be hunted, no matter what you do to get away. They know you. They know what you can become. Sienna's head was spinning and her breath was shallow. The tension in the hall was getting worse, making it hard to breathe. Ryder was still there, heavy and wild, but now there was another threat, something far more sneaky.
She was being chased. And worse, the blood that ran through her veins was enough to make her a target. She could feel the might of the First Queen, the goddess, pushing at her chest and begging to be let go. "Enough!" she yelled, her voice shaking with anger and dread. "I don't know who you are or what you want, but you can't control me." None of you will. The masked figure stayed still for a bit, his head bent to the side as if he were thinking about what she had said. But suddenly, with a smooth motion, he took off his mask.
The man under it was young, with sharp features, dark hair, and eyes that were too cold and calculating for someone his age. Sienna's breathing stopped. She knew who he was. The same man who had been in the First Queen's court. The person who had let her mother down. "Why are you here?" she asked, her voice full of fear. The man's lips turned up in a smile, and he moved closer. "Because, Lady Sienna," he added softly, "the real game is just starting."