"I signed on with Ryder," he whispered meeting my shocked reaction with a sheepish grin. "Syn, we need them now."
"I signed so you wouldn’t have to Adam, why the hell would you do that!?" I screamed loud enough for the Fae outside to hear. Zahruk popped his head in from the threshold, eyes scanning the room for an axe murderer.
"Everything okay?" He asked ignoring me and looking at Adam.
"No!" I stomped my foot grabbing his attention, "You tell the fucking Fairy he better get his ass in here this instant and rip up Adam's contract or he's gonna wish he never met me!"
His eyes swung to Adam with pity as he backed up and went to go get Ryder. Ryder came in seconds later but Adam stood firm not letting either of us get a word in edgewise.
"Syn, this isn't your call. Not anymore, we're no longer a coven—fuck we're not even human! You don’t get to decide my life, I need this Syn and I'm not built like you. I don’t just take it in and put it inside a fucking box until my mind can handle it. I'm not fucking built like that and this fucking need to feed on top of everything else is already screwing with my head and we haven’t even Transitioned yet! I need this, so no. You don't get to decide my life any fucking more," he was yelling, but I could hear the tears shaking in his tone.
"Okay," I said swallowing slowly.
"Don’t fucking say—wait," Adam paused shaking his head as he rested his hands on his hips, "Did you just agree?"
"If it's what you want Adam, fine, I get it. We're changing. We lost…you lost Larissa and you need something to keep your mind off of it. I understand that. If you need time, I understand. Those are choices you have to make now. I'll be okay," I paused fighting to keep the tears in my voice from showing as he had done, we were good at hiding emotions, "I understand. I’ll be fine Adam, if you need to go—do so. I'll be right here waiting for you when you need me."
"That's not what I meant Syn," he whispered but walked out of the room with Alden close on his heels.
"He needs time, he was planning on asking her to marry him," Ryder said from where he stood beside the door.
I couldn’t stop the sob that escaped past my lips. Or the burning tears as they slid down my cheeks. They hadn't just been dating. They'd been in love. I'd been so fucking blind, I'd been more worried about how their relationship could affect our coven and he'd been in love.
I nodded and turned looking at the walls as I felt the slight tingle of magic. It wasn’t until Ryder walked further into the room that it exploded. Ryder gasped and fell to his knees. I rushed over to him but his angry look stopped me in my tracks as the room turned a violent crimson color as the walls pushed power out and into the room. Ryder's face filled with strain and anger as he ground his teeth together against the pain.
"Alden!" I screamed in fear, something was setting off the wards. A sinking feeling started in my stomach at the direction of my thoughts as my eyes settled on Ryder again.
"What?" Alden asked coming inside and cussing when he saw Ryder on the floor and red angry walls. "We have to get him out of here. Now."
We struggled with Ryder's weight, as if on cue Ristan came tearing into the house and picked him up and sifted outside. "What the hell just happened, Alden?" I gasped breathlessly.
"If I had to guess? I'd say your parents were worried with the Dark Fae coming in and taking you away," he said as his eyes went bright with second sight as he examined the wards on the wall. "Wait, this says the Darkest Fae…or worse," he examined another symbol and shook his head, "This one might say Unseelie, but I can't be sure."
"As in the Darkest Faery, from the ancient times?" I asked, I was really beginning to get scared now.
He shook his head, "I can't be sure Syn. Your parents put these up before they brought you home. I don’t know where they even got these symbols from. I’ve never seen them before. They were protecting you from something Synthia, something bad."
"Alden, that makes no sense. Ryder doesn’t even know which caste of Fae I am. I don't get it, why all this fucking mystery over me?"
"Syn, be careful. They killed to get to you before and whoever it was walked through these wards," his eyes swept to the door and mine followed.
"Ryder? You think they were hiding me from him?" I whispered fervently.
He shrugged his shoulders, but I could see the fear creeping into his eyes. He shook his head. "Let's hope not Syn, not when he currently has a contract on you and now Adam. I need to take some pictures of these wards and view them back at the Guild."
I nodded and while he took out a camera and started taking pictures. I peeked out the window to where Ristan and Ryder were arguing silently across the yard with their hands moving and eyes angry. I'd have liked to have been able to hear them but I still couldn’t tap into any magic and I wasn’t about to try to tap the leyline and see if whoever killed my parents came running to answer the call.
~~~~~~~~~~*