“How is it simple, Ryland?”
“Oh, Joclyn, you are so special, and you don’t even know it yet.” His fingers trailed along my hairline comfortably. “Don’t reject what’s inside you, sweetheart.”
“But—”
“You are powerful, and amazing, and confident. You may be the one…”
“The one to what?” I pulled away from him to look at him, but he only smiled sadly at me before pulling me back into his chest.
“It’s nothing,” he whispered against my hair, cradling me against him until my body melded into his lap comfortably.
I could hear Ryland’s heart beat through his chest, feel his warm breath run along my hair. I wished I could stay there forever, but instead, Ryland’s body stiffened underneath mine, his shoulder twitching.
“I have to go.” It was almost a growl.
“No.” I clung myself to him like a child, desperate for this small sense of normalcy to stay with me.
“I have to.” He pulled my face up to look at him, his blue eyes deep and worried. “My father is trying to perform a Vym?zat.”
“Veemayzit?”
“Yes, he is trying to get inside my brain, control me. If he finds you here…” He stopped, the pain dripping off his voice. He pulled me away from him, just far enough away to see his face as a whole.
“Stay with Ilyan, Joclyn. The time may soon come that my father breaks in all the way, and when he does, I won’t remember you anymore. When that happens, I will only be a danger to you. But just remember that I love you; I will always love you. And locked inside me somewhere, I will always be waiting for you.” He spoke in an urgent rush; I could only stare at him.
His head twitched to the side, his face screwing up into a pained expression, like someone was stabbing him. As soon as the pain had come, it went; he grabbed me roughly and held me in place, so I had nowhere to look but at him.
“Promise me, Joclyn!” He twitched again, but his eyes never left mine.
“Promise what?”
“Stay with Ilyan. Remember that I love you.” He stood, his whole left side twitching now. He looked at me in agony. “I love you.” He held my hand tightly, the last contact we had, but even I could feel that slip away.
“I love you, too,” I said, the truth of my words surprising even me. Ryland’s face broke into a wide smile that lit up his whole face.
He leaned down, his hand instantly resting on the side of my face. He moved closer and my heart beat faster in anticipation of a kiss. Before he even made it halfway, his whole body twitched, sending him to the ground as he yelled out in pain.
“Ryland!” I moved to his body as he continued to twitch, my hands moving around him uselessly.
His body calmed quickly and without warning. He lay still, curled up on the floor. I tentatively went to place my hand on his shoulder, desperate to know he would be okay, even though it was a dream. My hand stopped halfway to him; it hung in the air as my fingers began to shake in fear. There, on his back, resting on the same shoulder he had wrapped during the Rugby game, was a mark; a small raised brand, almost identical to mine, even down to the dragon shaped squiggles.
“Ryland?” My voice was small. “What is this?” My fingertips touched the mark before pulling themselves away as a jolt spun through our bodies.
Ryland jumped up, his face coming only inches from mine.
“Still alive, are you?” His voice was a hiss and growl, the words dripping with venom and malice.
I jumped away from him. I knew it was Ryland, but nothing about him looked familiar. His eyes were wide and bloodshot, his face screwed up in a wicked grin. His eyes met mine, and I gasped. They were no longer the blue I loved so much, but a deep charcoal, almost a pure black. I stayed frozen to the ground, my mind sluggishly working through the shock to catch up to me.
“Not for long!” Fake Ryland lunged at me, and I leaped to the side, my fleece pants sliding me across the white space around us. My breath came in sharp bursts as my dream changed to a nightmare.
“Ryland?”
He only laughed at me, laughed at my panic. The sound was unlike anything Ryland had ever made before. It was deep and menacing; it ripped through me, sending a shiver of panic skipping through my heart.
Ryland began to twitch again, his body falling to the floor in yet another agonizing scream. He ran his fingers through his hair as he moaned, his white knuckles clawing through his curls. His hand jumped out, so fast I couldn’t move my arm away before he grabbed me, holding on to me tightly, making my heart race. Ryland looked up at me. I breathed a little sigh of relief at his eyes, now back to their regular blue. Even through the relief, my heart still beat in fear.
“I have to go.” His voice was strained between his deep breaths.
“Ryland?”
“I can’t… my father…” He leaned forward, his shoulder and arm twitching more and more.