Beyond the Night - eBook - Final

by Maya Banks

  He turned, no longer able to look at her, and began to walk back to the cottage. What had been the culmination of a lifelong dream was now his worst nightmare. He had found the city, but in doing so, he had lost India.

  The old man, the one who had greeted their arrival in Pagoria was standing outside the cottage when Ridge walked up. To his surprise, Maximus, his father, and Robby all stood outside with him. They looked up when he approached.

  The older man stepped forward, his hand outstretched to Ridge. “I have yet to thank you for returning Gabriel’s Bracelet. How fitting that you and your grandfather should return the final two.”

  Ridge allowed the man to clasp his arm in a gesture of thanks, but his heart wasn’t in it. How could it be when it lay on the ground back at the lake?

  “My name is Arcane,” the man continued. “Keeper of the bracelets.”

  Ridge raised his head to stare into the eyes of the man who had persuaded India to stay.

  “So she has made her decision,” Arcane said quietly. “I didn’t sway her. I merely gave her the options.”

  Ridge stiffened in surprise at being read so easily. “She’s staying,” he said flatly.

  “So am I,” Robby spoke up from behind Arcane.

  Ridge strode past the old man to stare at Robby. Anger, sadness, the combination swelled in his throat until he feared he would be unable to breathe. “Robby, no, not you too.”

  His grandfather wrapped an arm around Robby’s shoulders, lending him support. The earl stood to the side and looked no better than Ridge felt. His father’s eyes were filled with grief, pain, unshed tears.

  “I have nothing to return to. I’m not even sure I could make the journey back,” Robby said, his voice cracking in the end.

  Nothing to return to. Was everyone so hopelessly fatalistic?

  “I will take care of him,” Maximus spoke up. “He will be with family. As it should be. He will not suffer needlessly,” he added quietly.

  Tears pricked Ridge’s eyes. So the end was nearing. He had lived with some hope that Robby was wrong, that he could somehow return to England and be cured of his sickness. That he would return home without his brother or India was more than he could process.

  He swallowed the grief, thick in his throat, but it bubbled up again until a low sob escaped him. He went blindly to Robby, enfolding his brother in his arms.

  Robby hugged him back, the two brothers locked in a desperate embrace. One of farewell. A final farewell.

  “I love you, Robby.”

  “I know you do, Ridge. You’ve always loved me,” Robby whispered raggedly.

  Ridge drew away from Robby, uncaring of the tears wetting his cheeks. He would not pretend he was not utterly devastated by the day’s events. He wasn’t sure he could.

  “You haven’t much time,” Arcane broke in, his voice heavy with regret. “You must go before too much time has passed in the outside world.”

  The earl hugged Robby tightly, his face drawn, haggard, gray. “I love you, son. Your mother loves you. We are both so proud of you.”

  When they had pulled away, Robby turned sorrowful eyes on Ridge. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out with India. I know you love her.”

  “Watch over her for me, will you?” Ridge said, the effort to keep control over the horrific ache in his chest growing more difficult with each passing second.

  “Is there nothing you can say to change her mind?” the earl asked.

  Ridge looked at him surprise, surprise that he would approve of India being a match for him.

  “No. She has made up her mind.”

  The statement, the finality of it nearly broke him. He turned away before he gave in to the awful pain crawling over him.

  ###

  Phillip Ashton watched the exchange between the Hadley family at a distance, his brow furrowing in concentration. Maximus’s oldest grandson was in love with his India. Yet, he wasn’t demanding she return to England with him.

  And if he knew his daughter, she was very much in love with Ridge as well. Only she was remaining here.

  He rubbed his chin, an uneasy feeling in his belly growing until it became an overwhelming sadness.

  “Buck up, you old blighter,” he groused. “It’s time you did right by the girl.”

  He turned his gaze upward, feeling the breeze on his damp cheeks. He hadn’t cried since India’s mother had died so many years ago. He blinked furiously. It was time for him to stop being so damn selfish and consider his only daughter’s happiness for once.

  Casting a backward glance at the group of men saying their goodbyes, he set off toward the lake, wondering if India was still there.

  ###

  Ridge walked slowly, like someone much older than his thirty years. Someone with the weight of a lifetime on his shoulders.

  Each step took him farther from the city, a city he could never return to, and farther from India.

  The dark tunnel he and his father walked down seemed apropos to his vision of his future. Dark and lonely.

  “We’re almost to the doorway,” his father called back to him.

  Ridge closed his eyes. As if he needed reminding.

  A few seconds later he stepped out of the passageway into the cavern that housed the doorway.

  “Arcane said to merely lay our hand on the doorway and it would open, just as it did when we used Gabriel’s Bracelet on the other side,” the earl said as he stood in front of the great stone barrier.

  “Be happy,” Ridge whispered.

  He prayed India’s demons would finally find rest within the city, that she could let go of her pain. His was only just beginning.

  Ridge turned for one last look at what he was leaving behind. Somehow, he hoped to see India there, running after him, her mind changed. But she wasn’t there. He closed his eyes and felt dampness on his cheeks.

  He turned again to his father who was stretching his hand out to open the doorway. Then as the door opened, he followed behind the earl.

  As the door slowly closed behind them, so too did the door close on his dreams.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  India sat frozen, staring over the water, her heart and mind numb to her surroundings. If she had made the right decision, why did it feel so wrong? Why wasn’t she happy? Shouldn’t she be relieved that she could now look forward to settling in one place?

  Because it wasn’t the right decision. You made the safe decision.

  “You look troubled, girl,” her father said behind her.

  She didn’t turn, instead waiting for him to walk around and sit beside her.

  He slid onto the bench next to her and stared out over the water. Neither said anything for a long while.

  Finally, her father turned his head to stare at her. “I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to tell me the truth.”

  She still didn’t look at him.

  “That boy is obviously in love with you. Are you in love with him?

  She whipped her head around at that. “That boy’s name is Ridge. And...yes. I love him,” she said softly.

  “Hell fire then, woman, why aren’t you going back with him?”

  She blinked in surprise. “Because you’re here.” She looked down at her hands, wondering how much more she should say.

  “Spill it, girl. Don’t worry about sparing my feelings.”

  She sucked in a deep breath and returned her gaze to him. “I no longer want to gallivant all over the world. I want a home, a family, a place to call my own. Some place I can put down roots.” Tears sprang to her eyes. “I can no longer live the life I’ve led for the past fifteen years.”

  Sorrow and guilt filled her father’s wrinkle-lined eyes. “It was never a life for you. It wasn’t any kind of life for a girl your age. I knew that, but I couldn’t bear to leave you behind, and I was too selfish to give up my own pursuits to do the right thing by you.”

  She reached out a hand to his arm. �
��No! No, Papa, I wanted to go with you. Truly, I did. I’ve never regretted spending those years with you. It’s just that after what happened in India, I am afraid. I just want to be safe, some place I feel safe.”

  Saying her innermost fears, letting them out, made her feel small and very afraid. Shouldn’t admitting them, giving voice to them free her?

  He looked at her long and hard. “Do you feel safe with Ridge?”

  She wrinkled her brow, confused by his question.

  “Well, do you?”

  She nodded. “From the beginning.”

  He harrumphed and drew his lips to a fine line. “Then what are you doing here? Why didn’t you go with him?”

  She looked down again, a tear splashing onto her arm. “He wants to be like you, Papa. He wants a life filled with adventure. He’s longed for it since he was a child. And I don’t want that.”

  He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into the crook of his arm. “Let me ask you something. Have you ever really considered what life with Ridge would be like? Would traveling with him be so bad? Is it the idea of adventure with him or adventure in general that is abhorrent?”

  She opened her mouth and closed it just as quickly. In truth she had never considered how traveling with Ridge would be.

  “I hardly think Ridge is the type to leave England never to return, girl. He has responsibilities, duties, things I imagine he takes seriously. Would traveling be so bad if you had a home to return to?”

  A home. With Ridge. She closed her eyes.

  “You can’t tell me you’ll be happier here with me,” her father continued. “The look on your face is truth enough. Ridge hasn’t betrayed you. I have.”

  “But Papa, I would never see you again,” she whispered painfully.

  He framed her face in his hands. “You’ll always see me here, girl.” He moved one of his hands to cover her heart. “I’ll never leave there. You can’t live your life for me. I let you do it too long as it is. It is something I will regret for the rest of my life. But I won’t let you do it now.”

  “Well, I must say I’m surprised at your decision, India,” Robby said.

  She glanced up to see him standing beside the bench she and her father sat on.

  “They have departed?” she asked fearfully.

  He nodded, sadness lingering in his expression.

  She hung her head. Ridge was gone. Tears ran fast tracks down her cheeks.

  “He loves you,” Robby said.

  She glanced back up to see Robby shove his hands in his pockets and look out over the lake.

  “Damn it, India, I never took you for a coward,” Robby continued. “I always admired your courage. But now...now I don’t know what to think. You betrayed him once, but this time, this time you’ve destroyed him.”

  She stood up, anger rushing out at his words. “I freed him. I knew I would only prevent him from following his dreams.”

  “And what if his dream was you?” Robby asked. “Yes, he wanted a life of adventure, but he wanted those things because he wasn’t happy or fulfilled. But you completed him, made him happy. I daresay he wouldn’t care if he never saw Africa or India if you were by his side, in his bed every night.”

  She stared in shock at Robby. Had she oversimplified things? Had she underestimated Ridge’s love for her? She had focused solely on herself and the ramifications a life with Ridge would have for her, and justified her reasoning by allowing that Ridge was better off without her. But what if he wasn’t?

  God, she was little more than a selfish lout.

  She had allowed her fears to rule her for so long, her desires to dictate her actions that she hadn’t stopped to think of the life she was throwing away in the process.

  Would she honestly ever be unhappy with Ridge no matter where they lived or where they traveled? Had she ever really examined the depth of her feelings for him?

  No, no and no.

  Panic such as she had never felt welled up in her throat and swelled so that she was sure she would explode in a thousand different directions.

  “Oh God, it’s too late, it’s too late,” she cried.

  She looked at Robby, her heart breaking, shattering in tiny, jagged shards, each piercing her, drawing blood.

  “It’s not too late if you hurry,” Arcane said.

  She swung around to see him standing with Maximus behind the bench.

  “They’ve gone, and my decision was to remain here.”

  Just saying it tore deeper into her soul.

  Arcane smiled as he walked to her. “It pains me so to see you in such pain, child. I never said you couldn’t leave the city, just that if you did, you could not return. And that if you did leave, you would be returning to an unfamiliar world. We don’t hold prisoners here.”

  Her mouth dropped open, her mind struggling to comprehend the implications of what he said.

  “But I suggest if you have changed your mind, to hurry. Once they reach the gap in the rock, time will pass much quicker for them than you, and your departure may be for naught. Even now, it is likely they have already reached the gate.”

  She looked between her father and Robby, her mind whirling.

  “Go on, girl. You better go after your young man. You wouldn’t want to lose him again,” her father said gently.

  She flung herself into his arms, wincing as her shoulder bumped his chest. “I love you, Papa. I’ll always love you.”

  He stroked her hair then kissed the top of her head. “I love you too. I want you to be happy. Now go on.”

  She pulled away then ran over to throw her arms around Robby. “I love you,” she said fiercely. “I could never hope for a better brother.”

  “Take care of Ridge for me,” Robby said as he hugged her back.

  She broke away and looked at Arcane. “Where do I go?”

  “Follow me,” he said with a smile. “I’ll show you the way.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  The London Historical Society

  Six months later

  “And so gentlemen, I conclude by saying that while fascinating, the legend of Pagoria is simply that. A legend. Nothing more. It is time to turn our minds to more serious pursuits. More meaningful pursuits. Ones that will lead us to great discoveries.”

  Ridge finished his carefully prepared speech, closing the aged journal of Sir Roderick Castleton. He looked up from the podium as a smattering of applause rang out over the assembled scholars, historical enthusiasts and other interested parties.

  And so it was over. His hands shook as he collected his papers and stepped away. He spent a moment collecting himself before stepping down from the elevated platform to mingle with his peers.

  “Jolly good speech, Ridgewood.”

  Ridge nodded at the man congratulating him but didn’t stop to converse. He smiled halfheartedly, barely hearing the comments bouncing over the gathered people. He nodded when he thought appropriate, but his sole aim was to escape the assembly so he could grieve in peace.

  Six long months had passed since he and his father had left Pagoria, and not a day passed that he didn’t think of India or Robby. He missed them both, but India occupied his heart in a way no other person ever would. How did you account for half of your soul being missing?

  Today he had done his final service to the people he loved. By putting to rest the rumors of Pagoria, by discrediting everything he knew to be true of the city, he protected the people of the city. It was the least he could do.

  “I’m very proud of you, son.”

  Ridge looked up. “Father! What are you doing here? I didn’t realize you were coming.”

  The earl smiled. “Of course I wouldn’t miss your speech on Pagoria.” His expression saddened just a bit. “I understand why you did what you did. I also realize how hard it must have been for you given how long you researched the city.”

  “It had to be done,” Ridge said. “The last thing I wanted to d
o was send a flock of explorers to pillage the city when India, Robby and Grandfather are there.”

  Just saying her name sent a fiery surge of pain through his chest. He shook his head in an attempt to regain control of his emotions.

  “How is Mother?” he asked.

  The earl’s expression grew somber. “She is doing better. She still has days where she is distraught, but I have faith better days are on the way.”

  Ridge sighed. At least he and his father had a chance to tell Robby goodbye. His mother had been cheated of her opportunity, and it had deeply upset her. She still grieved for her youngest son. And Lucinda? Well, she was a woman greatly changed by the events of the last year.

  Despite his best reservations, he had looked in on her from time to time and found a very different woman. She was quieter, more reflective, wounded almost. He wondered how much losing Robby had affected her.

  “I must be going now, son,” the earl spoke up, intruding on Ridge’s thoughts. “I promised your mother I’d be home for tea.”

  Ridge nodded. “Thank you for coming.”

  He watched his father walk away and marveled at how their relationship had changed. He turned and began to walk out of the building before he was caught by another well wisher.

  He entered the foyer, the door in sight when a voice stopped him cold in his tracks.

  “Lord Ridgewood, quite an interesting speech. You’ll forgive me if I take exception to the content.”

  His breathing sped up and his heart pounded thunderously in his chest. It couldn’t be. He slowly turned around, afraid to hope, afraid to dream, afraid he would be sorely disappointed in what he discovered.

  But there she stood. Wearing a scruffy shirt and a worn pair of breeches. She looked dusty and travel worn. She looked exactly as he had left her in Pagoria. India.

  “Dear God, is it really you?” Would she disappear? Had he finally gone mad in his grief? Had he summoned her image? Was he talking to a figment of his imagination?

  She smiled, but he could see her fear. Was she afraid of him? Uncertainty was written as clearly as if someone had stamped it on her face in ink. She licked her lips nervously and rubbed her free hand down the leg of her trousers.