I pulled my way through the door to hide in the shattered remains of Ryland’s kitchenette. I felt my organs knit themselves back together as I sat hiding behind a displaced cabinet.
So, fighting him may not have been such a good idea. While I was more than powerful enough to do away with Cail, I could not guarantee I wouldn’t hurt someone in the cave or collapse the cave itself. While part of me hoped Ilyan would place me somewhere logical, chances were higher that he would be so worried he wouldn’t leave my side. His instincts as my Protector wouldn’t let him. So if I couldn’t fight, then I had only one option, hide and find a way out...
“What are you doing here?” My head snapped up at the voice, relaxing to see Ryland’s frame towering over me.
“Ryland?” Everything in me relaxed until I registered the panic on his face and the anger lines on his forehead.
“You’ve got to get out of here.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me up, not saying anything before dragging me behind him and out the door.
We moved back toward the main kitchen, our feet slipping and catching on debris. Before we had gotten too close to the kitchen, Ryland deviated, pulling us out of the servants’ quarters and into the main living space.
Large rumbling bangs sounded through the house as we moved. It reminded me of the battle, when we fled this place leaving Ryland behind. I had just caught sight of the main ballroom before Ryland dragged me into a large office, shutting the door behind us.
The door had barely clicked shut before he turned back to me, the anger on his face now mixed with fear.
“What are you doing here? I told you to break the bond.” Ryland’s hand shook as he moved hair away from my face, his eyes staying on mine for a moment before darting around the room. The movement of his eyes and the shake of his hand put me one edge, his paranoia contagious.
“What do you mean?” I asked. Where was our happy reunion?
“I told you not to come back.” His hands dug into me, his grip pushing me against the wall.
“I know, I needed to see you…” I reached up to touch his face, my hand stopping half way at the look in his eyes.
“Why didn’t you break the bond?”
“I was going to, after...”
“You waited, and now it’s too late. He’s going to kill you, Jos! Do you know what I risked to warn you? What they did to me? To Wyn? To your Dad? We risked it all and you didn’t listen.” His anger cut through me. I could only stare at him wide eyed as I tried to make sense of what he was saying.
“I know! I’m sorry, alright,” I stammered.
“Being sorry means nothing!” he yelled, slamming his fist into the wall by my head.
I jumped and tried to move away from him, but his hands kept me restrained.
“What do you want from me, Ry? I’m trying, okay?” I couldn’t help but yell. The anger and fear inside of me bubbled out, directing itself at Ryland.
“Trying to what, Jos? Not Listen? I’m trying to save you and you can’t even let me do that. Why did I even bond myself to you?” His words were loud and echoed around the empty room. I wanted to sink away into nothing. I had asked myself the same thing a million times because of the doubt that I had felt, the hopelessness that the Z?lství had caused me... us. Because of the pain, the torture, I had felt it all and asked the same question, but hearing it from him still hurt.
“Why did you?” I asked, my voice soft.
“Because I can’t live without you! I couldn’t see you with someone else, ever. I was hoping I could take Ilyan’s place if I sealed myself to you!”
“Take his place?”
“You can’t love him, Jos. He’s not the one for you. I am.”
I stared at him, my mouth hanging open. I loved Ryland, but he stood there admitting that he knew what I was born for. He knew what the mark meant. And he still bonded himself to me. I didn’t know if he did it because he wanted to protect me, or because he really did love me, or because he wanted the power.
“I love you,” he said, his hands strong against my forearms.
“Love me? Then why did you do it? You knew what I was. You knew I was meant for Ilyan. What did you have to gain...?” My words trailed off at the memory of the riddle Ryland’s possessed body told me on a roof top. It couldn’t be...
“No!” I yelled, pushing him away from me.
Ryland couldn’t have bonded himself to me for his own gain.
I repeated it to myself, almost willing the words to be true.
“Leave me alone!” I yelled as I turned away from him, his fingers curling around my forearm like a vice and stopping me in my tracks.
“Is that what you want? For me to leave you alone?”
“Yes!” I spat, ignoring the knife like stab in my heart.
“Wish granted!” He pushed me away from him as I stumbled, my head spinning as the room shook, another explosion sounded, this one closer and more aggressive then the last. Ryland swore loudly before grabbing my arm and dragging me through the manor.
We didn’t get far before Ryland shoved me into a closet just as footsteps approached. I moved my body into the corner as Cail yelled out, his voice loud in the tiny space.