I straightened my shoulders and met him straight on. “No more of a coward than you are.”
Edmund laughed, the sound deep and joyful, making the hairs on my head prickle.
“Really? How am I a coward, Joclyn, can you tell me that? I never hesitate. I fight when needed. Not like some newly awakened half-breed I know.”
I flinched inwardly at his verbal assault but didn’t let it show.
“At least I don’t kill people for sport.” The bitter taste of loss and revenge coated my tongue.
Edmund sneered at me, his lips turned up in a joyous smile.
“You’re right. You simply choose not to kill anyone.” His eyes flashed and I took a step back out of habit. I had seen that look enough in these dreams to know when to be scared of it.
This time my reaction was visible, and my movement did not go unnoticed. Cail stepped toward me, his body coming precariously close as he came between me and Edmund. I moved away only to find a wall of henchmen behind me.
“You are scaring her, Cail.” I couldn’t miss the wicked joy in Edmund’s voice.
“Let me do it now,” Cail said as his eyes dug into me.
“Be gentle with her, Cail. I am enjoying this little game. I want to see how it pans out.”
“Oh, but sir, she seems to think that her dear Protector is innocent,” Cail said, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Even Ilyan has killed, Joclyn. He has killed hundreds of times. He even killed Wyn’s Mother. Your best friend’s Mother. And yet, you still trust him?”
My hands flexed at Edmund’s words, strangely I didn’t doubt for a moment that they were true. It bothered me, but not as much as it should have.
“Ilyan doesn’t kill for pleasure, unlike you.” I tried to keep my jaw strong as I faced Edmund, but it was hard. I was so scared my insides felt as if they were quivering.
“And, you know this for a fact do you?” Edmund continued. “Ilyan sure does seem to enjoy a battle doesn’t he, Cail? He just can’t walk away from a fight. From a possible kill.”
Edmund smiled, his blue eyes flashing. I froze, I knew what he was referring to and it scared me. It was the face of power Ilyan always got, the look of pure crazy joy.
“You’re wrong.” My voice caught as I spoke, causing Cail to laugh. The deep sounds made his youthful frame rattle. I turned my head to face Cail, my angry glare directed into his dark eyes.
“Oh really?” Cail said, his tone making me cringe. “You know this for a fact?”
“Yes.” I tried to sound confident but I knew my voice had begun to waiver and my hands to shake.
“Trust him, do you?” He moved closer.
“Yes.” I kept my voice strong even though Cail’s responses felt like ice down my spine.
“Trust him to keep you safe?” I nodded once and Cail’s wicked smile deepened. I attempted to move away from him again only to be stopped by the ever encroaching wall of people.
“He can’t hide you from me forever.” Edmund said and Cail smiled evilly, a small laugh escaping at his joy for whatever was to come. His eyes moved from mine to a spot beyond where Edmund stood against the trees, the wicked upturn on his lips growing.
“Besides, I have something you want.” Edmund continued.
Something told me not to look, but I couldn’t help myself. Through the trees I could now hear grunting and gasping, and the sound was getting closer. I waited in fear for some wild animal to burst through and attack me, but I knew better. My heart knew better. And the pull of my magic told me I was right.
My eyes widened as I saw him being dragged into the clearing by his curls. Ryland fought the action, but his energy was drained. I inhaled sharply, something that did not go unnoticed. Edmund turned to me with a joyful smirk, and I took a step back, careful to keep my emotions under control.
Seeing Ryland like that triggered an alarm in me. This wasn’t right. I had felt it before, but now I knew it.
The dreams had always been distorted bits of a memory or expanded portions of my worst fears. They never deviated from my expectations. There were always memories of Ryland, enacted horrors of his death, torture, and visions of my own impending death. But this was different. This was something new.
Nothing about Ryland being dragged into a forest was a memory. Cail’s and Edmund’s taunting of me, yes. But seeing Ryland the way he was in front of me right now held no past meaning. Ryland looked up to me, his bright blue eyes pouring into mine, and I stopped breathing.
“He remembers you, you know.” I hadn’t even noticed that Edmund had come up beside me. My whole existence had frozen at seeing Ryland, my Ryland, there. “After all of my hard work, he still remembers you.”
“Jos…” Ryland gasped my name, his body barely strong enough to support himself when sitting. I breathed in a shaking breath, willing my feet to stay still.
“There is only one thing to do now, sir…” Cail’s hand ran down my arm, but I barely noticed.