by Kaitlyn Hoyt
“You won’t be seen. You’re safe with me. If anything happens, I’ll transport us away.”
I stop asking questions and just follow him. I can’t get back without his help anyway. I can’t afford to talk. It’s distracting, and I have to focus to remain on two feet. We aren’t on any trail. I have to dodge low hanging limbs, uprooted trees, large branches and twigs, and pointed roots. Larkin tries to help me as much as possible, but since the ground is wet, I also have to find the correct footing. Low branches keep getting caught in my hair and hitting my exposed skin, scratching my face, arms, and legs.
Finally we get into a small clearing. Larkin slowly creeps to the edge and crouches down behind a row of thick bushes. He motions for me to do the same. Crouching down beside him, I can see through a small opening between the bushes. Dravin’s compound is right in front of me…well part of it. I can only see one of the building’s exits since most of it is covered by trees. Nothing happens for the first couple of minutes. Larkin is watching the door, so I know that something is supposed to happen soon. I’m about to ask him what is going on, when I hear a noise. I peek between the bushes. The door to the compound is opening up.
My mouth drops to the floor when I see who walks outside with Adam.
Colton
“Where the hell is she?” I can’t take this much longer. I need to know. “It’s been over an hour.” Everyone is starting to get antsy. Emma is rocking back and forth in her chair, staring off into space. David is sitting beside her, rubbing her back, but not looking at anything in particular. Liam is tense. Very tense. However, he doesn’t seem to be in any discomfort. Bragden is standing near his brother, not really knowing what to do. I look at Liam, “Can you get anything from her?”
“She’s not hurt. That’s about all I know.” That’s a good thing, but the thought doesn’t console me at all. I understand what Liam is going through…in a way. He gave her that pendant because he’s chosen to protect her. He’s supposed to fight beside her, ensuring her safety. However, nothing can be simple with Ryanne. She’s always going or getting taken to places and not telling us where she’s going. We’re left in the dark, worrying about her.
The wait is agonizing. It feels like something is squeezing my lungs, making it difficult to breathe. This always happens when she disappears, and there’s nothing we can do. In this situation, there is no way to find her. Larkin could have told us where he was taking her—what he was doing. He should have told us something!
I’m about to take my anger out on some poor inanimate object when they transport back into the room. Gah, took them long enough. Larkin lets go of her hand when they land on the ground. Ryanne is standing in front of him, mouth open and eyes wide. Her clothes are damp, and her hair is much curlier than it was before they left. She has random twigs and leaves stuck to her. She would have looked adorable if it wasn’t for the expression on her face and her skin. Her smooth skin is marred with small scratches.
Something is wrong.
“Do you know her?” Larkin asks her, waiting for confirmation.
“Are you freaking kidding me?” Ryanne yells. Yep, something is definitely wrong. “Are you serious?” Ryanne doesn’t yell, so when she does you know it’s serious. I look at everyone else in the room. No one has any clue what is going on. She lets out a small laugh and runs a hand through her hair. She pulls out a small twig. Normally, I would have laughed at the confused look on her face, but I can see the fear in her eyes. “If I didn’t already have enough people that wanted me dead…” her voice trails off.
“Ryanne, what’s going on?” I ask her.
Instead of answering me, she turns back to Larkin. “Are you sure she’s working with him?”
Larkin reaches out and pulls a leaf out of Ryanne’s hair. “Yeah, I just wanted confirmation before I told everyone else.” Told everyone what? What was going on?
Ryanne walks backwards and leans against the back of the couch, crossing her arms across her chest. “It’s her,” she says.
“Would someone please explain what’s going on?” Emma asks. Ryanne doesn’t move, so Larkin starts to explain.
“I got news from a source of mine inside Dravin’s compound of some new recruits. There was one name that I recognized, but I’d never met her before, so I needed someone to confirm her identity for me. So, I brought Ryanne to the forest outside the compound. We had to walk for a while to avoid setting off any of the sensors that Dravin has located randomly in the forest. We watched as this recruit exited the building with Adam, and Ryanne claims that it’s the same girl.”
“Who?” I ask.
Ryanne looks up at me and whispers, “Natasha.”
Chapter Twenty-One
“WHAT?” David and Colton both jump up.
“Natasha is working with Dravin and Adam?” Emma asks. “The same girl that trashed our room? The one that you shot against the wall and then she tried to kill you? The one that I tackled to the ground?”
“That’s the one,” I whisper. I walk past everyone and start going up the stairs.
“Where are you going?” Colton asks me.
“I need to go on a run again. Liam?” He nods and walks upstairs after me to get ready. I grab a pair of athletic running shorts and a fitted black tank top. My shoes are downstairs, so I put on a pair of socks and head back down. Liam is already downstairs waiting for me.
“Why would she do that? I know she doesn’t like Ryanne or me but to you, Colton?” Emma asks. I try to ignore the twist in my stomach whenever I’m reminded of Colton’s previous relationship with Natasha. It actually hurts to think about them together. She’s gorgeous, so I understand the physical aspect, but she’s horrible. Colton can do way better than that girl.
He doesn’t respond to Emma’s question. Does he still have feelings for her? I can tell by his tense posture and tight jaw that he is fuming. Colton has two types of anger. This silent kind is the worse. I’d much rather he yell it out than keep it bottled up like this.
I grab my shoes and sit down on the bottom stair to tie them. I know Colton is watching me, but I focus only on tying my shoes. I need to get out of this house before I say something about Natasha that will anger Colton and David more than they already are. I walk over to Emma and ask for a hair tie. I always forget about pulling my hair up before exercising.
“Are you sure it is her?” she asks as she hands me the elastic from her wrist.
“Tall, blonde, and gorgeous?” I pause, “Yes, it was definitely her.”
“Could it have been Natalie?” Colton asks.
“It was Natasha, Colton,” I tell him while grabbing Liam’s arm and walking outside to stretch, leaving everyone in the living room. I quickly throw my hair into a pony tail and start stretching. I can tell that Liam is watching me, but right now I don’t want to talk to anyone. I just want to go for a run. With a sigh, he starts stretching too.
I walk down to the end of the driveway and take off running. I know that Liam is following close behind. I push myself harder than necessary, but I really need this. I need to clear my head.
Natasha is working with Dravin—with Adam. I know that she doesn’t like me. I heard everything she told me. My whole life people picked on me, even before Adam. However, senior year it got worse. Adam and Lily made sure to make my life a living hell. No one would talk to me in school. No one wanted to be around me. I ate in the library to avoid everyone’s stares and whispers. I can only take so much.
I tried to give Colton space because I thought he was interested in getting back together with Natasha. She cornered me in the hallway one day and told me that I was never going to be good enough for Colton. She said, “No one would want you for you. They want to be with the girl from the prophecy. Not you. Don’t flatter yourself with thinking that any of these people would be interested in you if you didn’t have all that magic.” I never told anyone what she said, not even Emma.
I continue running. By this time, we are miles away from the house. I c
an’t stop—just like I can’t stop everything that is going on in my life. I don’t get a rewind button here. That’s reserved for Hollywood. I can’t go back to a time before all this stuff happened. In all honestly, despite everything, I don’t know if I want a rewind. I just want to take out certain elements of my life. I want to be given the chance to live a normal life like everyone else.
But that’ll never happen.
Adrenaline rushes through me, so I push harder—enjoying the way the muscles in my legs feel with the movement. When I started running, it was sunny, but because of how mad and angry I am, it is getting cloudy. Dark clouds are battling the sunlight and winning. The wind starts picking up, but I don’t stop. The rhythmic beat of shoes behind me tells me that Liam is still behind me. I push even harder. I wish that I could run away from my problems like that. I wish that I could run away from Dravin. From Adam. From Natasha.
My lungs are on fire. I stop and put my hands on top of my head, trying to catch my breath. When Liam catches up to me, he asks, “Do you want to talk about it now?”
I shake my head right as the first couple drops of rain begin to fall. I know that I am causing this weather fluctuation, but I can’t stop it now. I sit down on the ground and pull out the pony tail, letting the wind blow my hair around my face. I pull my knees up to my chest and rest my head against them. Small drops of water land on my skin and run down my arm. When I catch my breath enough to talk, I look up at Liam. He is seated beside me on the grass. “Why does it have to be me?”
He doesn’t even pause to think about his answer. “Because you’re the only one strong enough. You’re the only one that doesn’t look at it as just having magic. You don’t want to use it for yourself. You see it as a way for protection—a way to protect others. You’re strong enough mentally and emotionally, as well as physically. You have the biggest heart I’ve ever seen in anyone. You have all the qualities to be a leader, but you don’t want to lead. You don’t want power; you want a life. And you’re willing to do what needs to be done to get that. You’re the only one that can do this, Ryanne.”
The rain transitions into a steady downpour. I don’t even care that I’m getting soaked by my own magic. “Are you guys only with me because I’m the prophecy girl?”
Liam looks at me with his mouth hanging open; his grey eyes as wide as saucers. I’ve never seen him react like this before. He seems genuinely shocked. “Why would you think that?”
“Natasha told me that once.”
“Ryanne, I gave you that pendant before I knew you were the girl from the prophecy. And I can guarantee you that no one in that house looks at you like that.”
“Now I have to worry about Dravin, Adam, and Natasha. Dravin wants my magic. Adam wants….” I shiver. “Natasha wants me dead because she thinks I took Colton from her. So I have to deal with a mad man who craves power, a sexually frustrated teen, and Colton’s crazy ex-girlfriend. All who would like nothing more than to watch me crash and burn. Everyone wants to watch me fail.”
“Ryanne, if you believe in yourself, you can accomplish anything. Anything. I know how cliché that sounds, but it’s true. Those people are just flickers in the flames. Someday the flame will burn bright again.” Liam has to shout over the rain for me to hear him. I look over at him and see that he means every word he said.
Instead of replying, I yell for Larkin.
Larkin transports beside me. He gives me an annoyed look when he realizes how hard it is raining. “Can you take Liam and me back to the house? It would take a while to run all the way back, and I don’t think I’ll make it.”
Larkin nods and extends a hand to help me stand up. I let him pull me up and wrap an arm around my waist to bring me back to the house. It’s easier for both of us that way because it helps me keep my balance when we land back in the house.
Colton
“Natasha’s working for Dravin? Conner just helped us fight him…something’s not right.” David is pacing the living room, thinking out loud. It’s been a while since Liam and Ryanne left. My eyes are drawn to the window, and this time I see the sun’s light being swarmed by clouds. Ryanne’s obviously upset.
“I never liked that girl. I knew that she would do something when you kicked her out of the house after she used her power on Ryanne. I didn’t think she would join Dravin’s side, especially after Ryanne told her what happened when she was captured,” Emma says. She is trying to get David to stop pacing. Neither one of us are taking this well. We grew up with Natasha.
“Was she with her sister? Where was Natalie?” I ask Larkin.
“Natalie wasn’t a recruit. I think that we should find a way to talk with Natasha—see why she decided to help him. I can understand why Dravin would want to use her. Her magic is a powerful weapon.”
I knew it would not turn out well when I saw Natasha standing in the kitchen with her twin sister. I was glad to see Conner, but I ended things with Natasha. I knew that nothing was ever going to come from it. I didn’t share her feelings and thought it would be better to end things than drag them out further. It’s an understatement to say that she didn’t take it very well. She yelled, fought me, threw things, etc. When I walked into the kitchen and saw how Natasha was glaring at Ryanne, I knew that I wasn’t doing a very good job at keeping my feelings to myself. Ryanne is oblivious, but that doesn’t mean everyone else is.
Larkin looks up toward the ceiling. I glance up but don’t see anything worth looking at. “Ryanne’s calling. I’ll be back.” He transports out of the room. They’ve been out for almost an hour. Ryanne probably ran six or seven miles. I don’t know how that girl does it. Despite the positive change in her attitude, she’s still pushing herself too hard. A minute later, Larkin transports back into the room holding a very wet Ryanne. He lets go of her waist and disappears again.
Why is she soaking wet? Her hair is stuck to her face in loose ringlets. Small drops of water cling to her eyelashes; the lights overhead reflects off of them each time she blinks. Water droplets drip off her skin and pool onto the floor below her. Her already tight work-out clothes cling to her slim curvy body. I try really hard to not make it obvious that I am checking her out, but I can’t. She is so…
“What happened to you?” Logan’s voice interrupts my thoughts.
“It rained,” she mumbles and starts shivering. I walk into the laundry room, grab a clean towel, and hand it to her. She thanks me and wraps it around her shoulders. Larkin blinks back into the room with Liam. Both, wet. “Sorry guys.” She looks down at the floor, slightly embarrassed, which lets us know that she’s responsible for the rain. She is more upset than she is letting on. She looks up and looks straight at me. I can’t decipher the expression on her face. Clearing her throat, she announces that she is going to go take a shower and change. Liam and Larkin both leave to do the same.
Ryanne’s been trying to control her magic lately. She is past the point where she causes unexplainable storms. Usually only one or two elements are manifested. The fact that it is pouring outside, proves how upset she really is. I want to know what is bothering her. I know this is more than just Natasha.
Larkin and Liam both come back downstairs in clean dry clothes. I look toward Liam to see if he will explain what is going on. He shakes his head choosing not to share what Ryanne is upset about. Dang it. How am I supposed to help her if she won’t tell me? Olive runs over and jumps into my lap. I reach down and start petting her. She starts purring, so I’m assuming that she likes it. I’ve never had a cat before. It would be easier if I could read her mind like Ry.
Larkin shrugs and sits down on the ground. “I don’t know. I transported to her and got drenched. She was like seven miles out.”
“She can run. I couldn’t keep up with her. It also helped that she’s angry, frustrated, upset, scared…” Liam tells us. “Just pretend that nothing’s changed.” He whispers to us as Ryanne descends the stairs. She sits down on the opposite end of the couch and reaches for her notebook. Frowning, s
he places it back on the coffee table. She is out of pages. I’ll have to go buy her a new one tomorrow.
Lying down on her back, she closes her eyes. “I pushed myself too hard,” she says. “I’m so tired.” She yawns once and almost instantly falls asleep.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Hello, darling.”
My eyes snap open and I instantly tense when I hear his voice. Slowly turning around, I find Dravin leaning against the doorway…of this room. I’ve never been in this room before. This isn’t a containment room like the cell I was in last time I was at Dravin’s compound. This room is smaller than that. There’s a small window located to my right. All I see outside of it is greenery. A small brown couch takes up the entire length of the opposite wall. Besides that, there is no other furniture in here. “How did I get here?”
“Well, you were thinking about me before you fell asleep, so I pulled you here. Granted your body is still at your house, so your little friends won’t know what’s going on.” He pushes off of the doorframe and takes a couple steps toward me. I step back until I am pressed against the hard wall.
“What are you going to do to me?” He stops walking and stares down at me. Dang, all mages are incredibly tall. He towers over me just like everyone else.
“Is Larkin with you?” That’s the last question I was expecting. “Is he blocking your trace? It’s very strong right now.” He takes another step toward me. Is he blocking my trace? What’s my trace exactly? Larkin said that he couldn’t block my magic.
“Why do you want to know where Larkin is?”
“Larkin was my best man before he betrayed me,” he growls the last part of the sentence. He’s very angry that Larkin is now helping us. There’s no way I’m going to tell him any information about him. I keep my mouth closed. Looking at him defiantly, I put my chin out, attempting to show him that he doesn’t scare me. However, inside I’m trembling.
