Destined for Deception ✔️

Chapter 1

Ryleigh knew how to lie better than most, but getting lied to was something else entirely. She might have appreciated the irony, had the truth not hurt so much. Not only was her mother alive, but she was a traitor who had taken dozens of Shadow Walkers off the battlefield, preventing the slaughter of some but sealing the fate of all others.

She sauntered over the Shadow Walker pack's clearing, or what was left of it. Her eyes were drawn to the blackened skeletons of burned buildings, the dead dirt underneath her feet, the ravaged forest. She had vouched never to return, and now she had returned twice already.

Sticking her hands in her pockets, she let her feet guide her to what had once been her home. There was nothing left of it – nothing identifiable, in any case. She kicked against a pile of dead wood. Once upon a time, this mountain of ashes and destruction had been a school building. Upon impact one of the brittle beams cracked straight through the middle.

How many people had Cerise taken off the battlefield? It had to be dozens. Did they go willingly? Ryleigh couldn't imagine it. Shadow Walkers were many things, but they were loyal. That was what made them so dangerous. They stuck together.

Ryleigh left the clearing behind her and moved towards the river. The weather was calm that day. The only wind was a gentle breeze stirring the treetops. The water rippled calmly, the sound almost soothing.

"I wondered when you were going to come back here."

Ryleigh halted but didn't turn around. She had sensed Cerise's memory minutes ago. Not that she could read them. Cerise had done a good job at raising her walls high, and so had Ryleigh. Without their magic to rely on, it would be a battle of wills, and a battle of fists if that didn't suffice.

She sucked in a breath, slowly, savouring the air seeping into her lungs. Her feet turned and she turned with them, tipping her chin up and fixing her eyes on Cerise. Dark gaze met dark gaze, faces smooth and pale as marble, lips set in unsmiling conviction. Ryleigh knew and had always known that she had inherited the worst of her parents' traits. She had her father's resentment, his temper, his inability to communicate, and her mother's stubbornness, coldness, and, clearly, talent for lying. No wonder nobody loved her.

"A double lock," Ryleigh said, nodding. "Clever."

Cerise smiled, but the gesture didn't convey any gladness. "I thought you would figure it out sooner. I suppose I underestimated your grief, or overestimated your skills. You never looked back; never revisited any of the memories with your magic. If Corbin hadn't told you to erase your own memories – which, by the way, was incredibly stupid – you might never have found out at all. Well, not until I wanted you to."

"The irony isn't lost on me. My desire to forget made me remember. It might have taken a while, but I do remember now, and that means you have a problem."

Cerise nodded her head away from the pack grounds. "Let's take a walk." She awaited no answer and started, and Ryleigh followed.

"You haven't told Corbin yet," Cerise said. It was no question, and Ryleigh didn't bother to answer it. "I thought you would run straight to him. But then I suppose things haven't exactly been going great between the two of you. Him manipulating your mind was a low move, but effective."

"I would ask how you know so much about us, but I know the answer."

Cerise inclined her head in agreement. Ryleigh stuck her hand in her pockets. Her fingers itched to wrap themselves around Cerise's throat, but killing her was not an option. If she did, she might never find the others.

"How many?" she asked.

"Why should I tell you?"

"What does it matter? You already know everything about us, and there's no wealth of information we could get that would level that playing field. And undoubtedly you have more people than we do, so you have an advantage in every way. Surely giving me a number cannot hurt you."