“This isn't your fault. We’re stumbling through it, Syn. While we know what I am, we still have no idea how to get your powers open. Think of it like a box, one you have to unlock. You have to want it to open, and right now you don't know how to get to that place in your head. You’re starving, I can feel it; you want to go home, you want everything to stop and just go back to the way it was. It won't. We both know that. Ryder said that these feelings—”
“I heard him, I heard everything. I know he ordered the hit on Adrian. What I don't know, is why?” I left out the part where he was using me, because it hurt still, and I didn't want to hear it, didn't want to feel it—or worse, to have Adam feel it through the bond.
“I don’t know. Hell, all I heard was Zahruk saying he would kill him again if he couldn't keep his hands off of you. My guess is that Ryder's been trailing us for a while. That he's been watching and waiting. Watching you, Syn. Alden said Marie left a letter saying that in the event of her death, Alden should contact Ryder. What I don’t know was why she would think he could help you.”
“Ryder told me that Marie sent him a letter a few years ago too, but it just said something about protecting me, and that I was different from the rest of the Witches. You think she knew what we were?”
“I think she, at least, suspected it, or why leave the letter? Unless she thought she was helping you, she wouldn't have left it. She loved you. She loved us all. She was well respected and an elder, and I’ll bet she covered Alden's ass from the get go about us.”
I nodded considering it. “You have a fucking Fairy family,” I said with a cheeky grin after a minute of silence.
“So do you, Syn; somewhere. I can't imagine they hid you for spite. The Guild doesn't allow Fae to hide their own within the ranks unless someone pretty fucking important had asked them to. Even then, it would have had to have been something that involved the Guild for them to have lifted a single finger to help.”
“Or, someone took me and lied to the Guild. It's the Fae, Adam. They are notorious for lying and fucking each other over. They get off on it. They don’t trust one another, and war is always looming on the horizon for them. Eventually, it will bleed over into this world, and then God have mercy on us because the Fae won't.”
We sat for what seemed like hours, talking to ease the unease. The mansion shook several more times before anyone came down to the room, and, when they did, it wasn't with good news. Zahruk stood in the doorway covered in blood, his face nicked in several places from fighting.
“Get ready to move. We have injured men. We are heading to Faery to be safe.” He glared at me before sealing up the entrance to the shelter behind him, as if we’d escape if the seal was down.
My heart hit the floor. What the hell had I done? How could I have been so stupid to tap the line, even if I hadn’t meant to? This was my fault. If I hadn’t been so tired, or denying the hunger I felt, this wouldn’t have had happened at all. I felt hot tears as they dropped from my eyes to run down my face. Tears of shame that I’d been so childish to place others in danger over my own stubborn pride.
“They’ll be fine, Syn. They are immortal,” Adam tried to reassure me.
My heart had sunk in my chest, and for a few moments I wasn't sure it was even beating. I felt sick to my stomach and almost numb with disbelief. This couldn't be happening. What the hell had I been thinking to tap a line? I felt tears falling down my cheeks, even as Adam kissed them away.
Ristan came to the door and weaved his hands before he stepped through, and looked right at me with the most sober face I'd ever seen on him. “We need to go to Faery. It's the only place with the medical supplies to heal the men.”
“Ristan, get the boy. Syn…you get to be my Pet, for now,” Zahruk said with a wicked tilt to his mouth.
“Who is injured?” I asked, and felt hot tears pushing with the need to be released.
“It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with, Synthia. Right now we just need to get to where it’s safe, so we can take in the extent of the damage, and evaluate the information we gained about these assholes.”
Chapter Fifteen
We sifted from the shelter into a room that was dark and swallowed in shadows. The room was elegant, even in the cover of darkness. I could see a medium sized bed pressed up against the wall, as usual. Blue silk sheets that looking inviting and soothing, adorned it. I could smell Ryder’s masculine scent, and watched as Zahruk stood awaiting orders. I was wary about being alone with Ryder, since I’d caused his men injury that could have easily been avoided had it not been for stubborn pride.
“Leave us, Zahruk,” Ryder said from across the room.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered into the shadows, knowing he would hear it.
“Come here, Synthia,” he replied without emotion, which sent butterflies to my stomach as chills began to race down my spine.