“That’s right,” the Chief muttered condescendingly. “And how exactly did you hear your father gasping for breath all the way from the third floor?”
Ryder was seized with the sudden urge to hit the Chief square in the jaw. Or at the very least, leave him with a black eye. This man had all the tact and sensitivity of a ton of bricks, and he needed to be taught a lesson.
“As I’ve already said at least a half-dozen times, the butler heard him moaning and sent one of the maids upstairs to wake me,” Ryder said through clenched teeth.
“Right,” the Chief nodded. “Then what did you do?”
“I ran downstairs as fast as I could.”
“And when you got there, he was lying on the floor with a knife sticking out of his chest?”
Ryder nodded mechanically.
“The knife was sticking out of his heart?” The Chief specified, rather than asked, as he scribbled more notes.
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t see anyone lurking around? You didn’t bother to search the grounds to see if you could find his attacker?”
Ryder took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He could feel the blood in his veins beginning to boil. If he lost his temper it wouldn’t be good for him or the Police Chief.
“No, I didn’t. I was a little preoccupied with the blood spurting out of my father’s chest and the fact that the floorboards were soaked in it,” he retorted with a glare.
“You said your father died only minutes later. Why didn’t you look for the killer then?” The Chief probed, with infuriating coolness.
“I don’t know, maybe it was because my father’s incident was the fifth murder I’ve witnessed in my own family in the last five years. Perhaps I was in shock, like any normal human being in that situation would be,” Ryder spat. “Or maybe I did it myself. Is that what you’re waiting to hear? Because I don’t have time for this.”
Chief Blair raised a critical eyebrow, “Is that an official statement?” He stared accusingly into Ryder’s eyes, trying to provoke a confession.
“Think whatever you want,” Ryder said, keeping his tone even and civil. “I’m done answering your questions. If you need anything else, you can go through my attorney. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get to classes.” He spun on his heal and strode from the room, leaving the Police Chief to find his own way out.
Ryder took his time getting to school. He wasn’t worried about the consequences of being late—surely everyone had heard about his father’s death by now. He would be excused from classes for at least a week. No one would expect him to show up today, and no one would care if he didn’t. He knew the drill…he’d been through it four times already in the past five years.
He scowled as the centuries old campus came into view. How he longed for the day when he would never have to return to it! Four years in the prestigious academy was about all he could take, with its strict rules and superior, elitist faculty. Silvervane Preparatory Academy was the most elite secondary school and post-graduate program in the Northern Hemisphere. Most of the student body was composed of International student boarders, but there were a small percentage of students who lived locally and commuted to the school each day. All students were forced to adhere to a very strict code of conduct, which included the wearing of school uniforms and participation in all campus-wide activities and school-sponsored events.
The school was split into two large, scenic campuses—one for secondary students and one for students attending post-graduate school. The secondary school provided gender specific dormitories for their student borders, while post-graduate boarders were housed in co-ed dormitories, with the exception of the housing options that existed for the many fraternities and sororities represented on campus. Both campuses were located on the outskirts of Silvervane, a small historical town with a mysterious and sordid history. Still, the rich legacy and academic excellence of the school was so well known around the world that its reputation remained unchallenged, in spite of its remote location.
The town of Silvervane was nearly off the grid to the rest of the continent and, making it an ideal location for students seeking a focused learning environment. Student life on campus was enriched by the many activities, clubs, and opportunities provided by the school and there was very little for students to do outside of these campus-initiated activities, which kept them out of trouble and under constant supervision.
Ryder silently braced himself to face the same predictable, teenage clichés of self-centeredness and shallow concern he had encountered every day for the past four years. No one would care enough to inconvenience him with condolences or concerns for his wellbeing. This was just fine with him, because Ryder despised pity with all of his being.
His secret desire was to make it through the day without having to talk to anyone at all.
CHAPTER TWO
A ylie Bryant slid into her desk just as Mrs. Fletcher began taking attendance. She’d been sick with the flu and had missed almost an entire week of classes. The timing of her absence couldn’t have been worse, with first semester finals looming so close on the horizon. She leaned over to nudge her best friend with her elbow; her long, blonde hair partially covered her face as she spoke.
“What did I miss?” She asked.
“A lot,” Lacey whispered dramatically, the excitement of juicy gossip glinting in her light green eyes. Their sparkle was a stark contrast to her dark, ebony skin. “Did you hear about Ryder’s father?” She pushed her long, straightened black hair behind her right ear.
Aylie shook her head. “No. What about him?”
As if on cue, Ryder Payne strode into the classroom, passing right in front of Mrs. Fletcher without so much as a glance. He kept his eyes forward and avoided eye contact with everyone as he took his seat.
Lacey leaned in closer. “His father died last weekend.”
“His dad, too?” Aylie glanced over at Ryder. “I don’t understand why everyone in his family keeps dying .
Lacey huffed. “I don’t feel that bad for him, he probably just became the richest person on the planet.”
Aylie frowned, her ocean-blue eyes filled with sympathy. “But he’s all alone now, Lacey, money can’t fix that.”
“Well, you know what they’re saying….”
Aylie raised a questioning brow.
“The police think Ryder might have something to do with it…with all of the murders.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Aylie hissed. “He’s only a teenager.”
“Well, he’s the only one still alive so that’s got to mean something. Think about it—first his mom, then his brothers, followed by his grandfather, and now his dad? They were all murdered in that Mansion, but somehow he survived?” She theorized dramatically. “Besides, everyone knows he’s mental so it makes perfect sense, in a twisted, sadistic sort of way.” Lacey shrugged and turned her attention to the front of the classroom.
Aylie blocked out the droning sound of Mrs. Fletcher’s gravely voice and studied Ryder’s expression. He looked solemn, but not exactly sad. He held his head high, as if to convey a sense of self-confidence. His demeanor definitely didn’t scream serial killer.
Most girls considered him a forbidden sort of eye-candy, the epitome of the ‘bad boy’ stereotype. His messy, brown hair fell across his left eyebrow, partially concealing his high, perfectly sculpted check-bone. His brown eyes were deep and guarded. He was also one of less than a handful of students who commuted to the school each day, rather than attending as an out-of-state boarder. He hardly talked to any of his classmates and rarely participated in school activities, which made him even more mysterious.
Aylie tried to imagine what he must be feeling. She had an uncanny ability to sense the emotions of people around her, sometimes even before they were aware of what they were feeling themselves. She liked to understand people—to figure out what made them act the way they did. This secret talent usually gave her a distinct advantage in that department.
; She studied his rigid profile and the tired, weary look on his face. He wore a white, uniform oxford shirt unbuttoned at the top, which would normally be a demerit, but the rules didn’t seem to apply to the Paynes. They were considered royal blood and the wealthiest family on the continent. They didn’t socialize much with the outside world, and their interactions at the academy were very limited, in spite of its superior social status.
I don’t believe you had anything to do with your dad’s murder, she thought decidedly.
Suddenly Ryder’s head jerked in her direction.
Aylie’s eyes widened and she blushed, lowering her gaze to the wooden surface of her desk. She could feel him looking at the side of her face and found herself silently wishing to disappear. Not that staring at Ryder Payne was something out of the ordinary. All of the girls ogled him from time to time—some were more obvious about it than others. He was, without question, the most attractive boy in Silvervane, but Aylie had never really paid much attention to him because he wasn’t in her circle of friends. He was an unsolved mystery. A loner, dark and brooding. Definitely off-limits to any girl with a sense of self-preservation.
Besides, he wasn’t her type at all. She hadn’t dated very many guys, but the ones she had gone out with were charming and friendly; well-mannered boys her parents would approve of. She couldn’t help feeling mortified that Ryder had caught her staring, the one and only time she’d ever glanced in his direction. When he finally looked away, she let out a deep breath—she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding it. For the rest of class, she forced herself to focus on what Mrs. Fletcher was doing at the front of the room and went back to the version of reality where Ryder Payne didn’t exist.
At lunch, however, he was the topic of conversation at every table. Aylie wondered how he’d feel about it when he came into the dining hall, but he never showed. She felt secretly relieved, for his sake, and silently listened to the wild theories spreading all over campus.
“How did his dad die, again?” Asked Marcus, a tall, blond boy who happened to be Aylie’s ex-boyfriend and captain of the hockey team. He was one of the players who made up her close circle of friends.
Kyle, a rather self-absorbed hockey player with spiked brown hair and hazel eyes snorted mockingly. “Probably the same way as his grandfather.” He drew a circle around his neck with his index finger tracing an imaginary noose, and pretended to choke as if he were hanging. He nudged his buddy, Chance, in the ribs.
“The police are calling it another murder,” Lacey chimed in. “I think there’s definitely something wrong with that place. Have you ever noticed that every person that’s ever lived in that Mansion ends up dead?”
“Technically, it’s a castle,” said Rene, rolling her dark eyes. “Obviously you think Ryder did it.” She was a petite, dark-haired girl from the Philippines and everyone called her Ren. She lived in the dorms at Silvervane Prep and her older brother, Derek, lived on the post-graduate campus.
Lacey frowned. “I’m not the only one who thinks so,” she retorted. “My mom is the principal, after all. She’s been talking to the police chief and the detectives on the case for years. And anyways—It’s not like they’re dying of old age, Ren—they’re dying of unnatural causes. Their bodies are ripped apart, or mangled, or…hanging from things.” Lacey shuddered and went silent, staring blankly at her salad.
Aylie couldn’t help feeling sorry for Ryder in the face of all the accusations. “Do you think anyone is checking in on him?”
“What for?” Marcus laughed. “He’s eighteen. He’s practically a man now, I’m sure he can take care of himself.”
“I wonder if they have servants or something up in that castle of theirs,” Kyle mused.
“Of course they do,” Lacey said, condescendingly. “Have you ever seen pictures of it? It’s enormous.”
“He’s lucky he doesn’t have to live in the dormitories,” Chance said wistfully. His real name was Chancellor and he was from Wales. He was easy-going and by far the friendliest guy on the hockey team—everyone loved Chance.
“It’s not that bad,” Ren murmured. “There’s always something fun to do on campus.”
“Don’t you ever miss your family, though?” asked Madison, as she took another bite of her salad. She was a tall and confident volleyball player with highlighted light brown hair and she was Kyle’s girlfriend.
“Of course,” Ren replied, “But at least I get to see them during the summer months—it’s better than what Ryder has to deal with.”
The bell rang just then, signaling the end of break. Everyone hurried to dispose of their lunch trays and get to class before the tardy bell to avoid a demerit. Too many of those made for a very unpleasant weekend at Silvervane Prep.
The rest of the day seemed to drag and Aylie had listened to all the gossip she could take. She loved her friends, but sometimes their chatter made her head want to explode. She felt relieved when it was finally over and she could walk home from school in silence. She enjoyed the natural quiet of the outdoors and reveled in the long walk immensely. She felt extremely lucky to be one of the few who had the privilege of attending such a prestigious school while being able to live at home with her family.
It was early November, and the temperatures were quickly dropping by mid-day. Silvervane would soon be overtaken by frigid winds and heavy snowfalls. The trees would be covered in icicles and the walk to school would be treacherous. Her father would have to drive her and her little brother Sam to school everyday, just like he did every year around that time. Sometimes she opted to stay with friends on campus, rather than taking the mountain roads home in extreme inclement weather.
Aylie didn’t mind the winter. She looked forward to the sound of crackling fireplaces and the woody scent of burning cedar at the Bryant Ranch. She didn’t even mind stacking and carrying armloads of firewood. The only thing she really detested was cleaning out the ashes, and that was her little brother Sam’s job, anyway.
She reached the edge of town and took the unpaved road that led to her family’s ranch. She paused to look out over the rugged mountains that stretched along the horizon line in every direction. To the right of the ranch, lay the opening of the Silvervane Forest. The Payne Estate was tucked away about five miles into the forest. She couldn’t help thinking of Ryder now as she gazed down the deserted mountain road. Far off in the distance, high above the treetops, she could see wisps of billowing smoke rising from the castle chimneys. What would it be like to live alone at such a young age? To lose everyone you loved and cared about… to be stuck in a haunted, gloomy Mansion all by yourself?
Aylie shuddered. Just the thought of it filled her with a sense of isolation. She wished there was something she could do. She didn’t know Ryder at all, so it’s not like she could just check up on him to make sure he was okay, but she felt that someone should. Maybe she could talk her dad into driving out there one day next week….
Suddenly she heard something behind her, like the sound of a thick tree branch snapping in two. She spun on here heel. There was nothing there but tall prairie grass and a few trees. Her heart started to beat erratically, filling her with a sense of alarm. She strained her eyes and couldn’t see anything in the distance, but she was certain she could feel something…or someone. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a dark shape moving through the tall grass. She took a few calculated steps forward, trying to identify it. She stood completely still and held her breath, but the animal must have sensed her presence. It turned its head in her direction and quickly darted into the forest before she got a chance to see what it was.
Disappointed, Aylie slowly turned back toward the Ranch. There were bears and mountain lions in the area, but they usually didn’t stray this far from the forest in broad daylight. She couldn’t imagine what else could be out there, but the thought of not knowing made her quicken her pace. A breeze was beginning to blow, and the trees along the roadside were swaying forcefully. Ma
ybe the sound she’d heard had merely been the wind picking up speed.
She was considering the probability of this explanation when she heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps crunching on the gravel behind her. She turned again in surprise—no one ever ventured this far outside of town, except for an occasional relative or close family friend, and they never visited on foot. Who else would have a reason to come this way?
Aylie did a double take.
Ryder Payne was walking toward her.
She stared at him, bewildered. She had never talked to him before and she wasn’t sure what to say. How do you greet someone who has just lost his entire family? What is the protocol for consoling a teenage boy who suddenly wakes up and finds himself an orphan? She stood frozen, debating what to do.
Ryder slowed to a stop a few feet away from her and cocked his head to one side, narrowing his chocolate-brown eyes. “Are you lost?” He asked.
She opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out. His voice was strong and resonate, with the slightest hint of a European accent. She was surprised that he sounded like a foreigner even though he’d lived in the area for most of his life.
Ryder waited for her reply expectantly. “Are you afraid of me?” He asked after an awkward pause.
Aylie blushed, shaking her head. “No, of course not. My house is just down the road about a mile or so. I was walking home from school….”
Ryder nodded.
“What are you doing out here?” She asked, finding her voice and a little more nerve. She was anxious to turn the conversation away from her awkward behavior.
“My house is this way,” he said, with a look that implied it should be obvious. “How else would I get home?”
“You walk all the way home from school?”
Ryder looked slightly amused. “Well, so do you….”
“Yes, but I just live over there,” she said pointing toward the Ranch. “The Mansion…I mean, your house, isn’t it miles from here?”
WAKENED (The Silvervane Chronicles Book 1) Page 2
