by Hayley Todd
Tears streamed my cheeks as I glanced up to Damien’s mansion a final time, getting the impression that this would be the last time I would be here. I zipped down the path away from the house, using the vehicle’s Bluetooth to dial a ticket booking line.
It didn’t take me long to get to the airport. I weaved in and out of traffic knowing that if Anton and Carson caught up to me Will would be dead. Everything in me screamed that this moment was wrong, twisted in so many ways.
I had to take deep breaths to remain calm as I parked the car and headed toward the airports entrance. My duffle bag was slung over my shoulder with my only belongings so it didn’t take long to get checked through security. My flight was leaving in fifteen minutes which I hoped was long enough to head them off.
My world had finally coalesced into some semblance of happiness and I hadn’t even had a single moment to enjoy it. We had defeated Henrick in a way, overcoming his plot to break our imprint. We had actually come out stronger because of it.
It occurred to me that it was unlikely that Henrick knew that his son and Carson had survived. How would he know? He had been several floors above, fighting my mother, Gabrielle, Kellic and the forces they had brought along. All of the witches involved directly in the spell were dead now and unable to report back to him. Maybe that would keep them both safe.
My flight boarded quickly and I found my seat, stuffing my duffle bag into the compartment overhead. My mind swirled. Carson had to have discovered that I was gone by now. My heart twisted at the thought. I had betrayed him. I had left without a word, gone to the wind without any direction. I couldn’t focus on him right now or I’d risk running back.
The sun was beginning to break through the clouds as the plane taxied on the runway. I peered at the sunrise on the horizon, it’s warm golden glow touching the darkness around us. My skin began to burn under its touch so I reached the window and lowered the shade. By the time I arrived in Italy, the sun would have gone down already.
I sat my head back against the seat, tears rippling over my cheeks again. I let the panic and worry and agony fill my heart, knowing that Carson and Anton would feel it but also knowing that there was nothing they could do about it now. The flight was nearly ten hours but I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep for even a moment.
My chest felt as though it were about to burst, the pain within me crippling my every thought, every movement. I lay still, letting my mind swirl with images of Will that didn’t involve broken bones and blood, images of my Will. Memories overcame me. Moments of our lives together. Everything we’d ever done played before my eyes as though I were reliving them. For the first time since my phone had rang, I felt a moment of peace.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“Chapter 38 is dedicated to the very real best friend whose heart and personality inspired Will’s character. Some of the following analogies are true and an actual representation of the amazing person that this best friend truly was.”
In Memory of William Butler (February 3, 1993 - July 28, 2016)
Will and I had an easy relationship. We always had. It wasn’t one that required much work. It just was. We just were. I loved him like a brother more even than as a cousin or as a best friend. He was the closest person to me aside from Kellic. He knew all my secrets, my hardships, the pains I had experienced.
The image of Will, broken and beaten, was one I had to repeatedly chase from my mind. I had no idea what I was walking into, but I knew he was there and that was my sole focus. Will was family. He was family that would decimate me to lose.
Will and Kellic were ten years old when I broke my arm. I was seven. As far as we had known, our mothers were dead, our fathers not in the picture. Our grandmother stayed relatively busy with the company and its various offshoots. We spent a lot of time with just us. Grandmother had to work late one night and when the sitter hadn’t shown up at the house, we hadn’t bothered to tell her.
Kellic suggested that we go exploring in the woods, playing pirates, cops and robbers, and tag. I was thrilled by the idea. Anything to get out of the house and do something fun. Will had taken more convincing but with a giggle, Kellic pulled me by my hand and we fled into the trees. Will followed, always our protector and not eager to leave us alone.
For a long time, we just played. We picked sticks for swords and clanged them off of each other as we danced through the trees, giggling like the children we were. Will was always the best sword fighter. At that point he was much larger than Kellic and myself, already becoming more muscled and far taller than us. He had a better reach, poking his sword-stick through our defenses.
After some time--and several poking blows--we decided that pirates wasn’t fair due to his larger stature. Instead, we made a game of finding the biggest trees to climb. There was one daunting tree in the forest area that none of us had ever successfully shimmied up. It was the challenge but we didn’t dare try it. At first.
We spent hours climbing the smaller trees and seeing who could reach the highest branch, who could climb the fastest, who could see the farthest. I was good at climbing trees. Kellic was almost the same height as me at this point, making our reach far similar, but I was small, skinny and could slide through branches better than they could. Once we’d reached the top of the biggest tree we dared, Kellic and I had gotten into a serious competition.
“I think I’m the best climber,” Kellic said, hanging from a limb at the top of a thin tree. This height was still far below that of the tree and I told her so.
“This is nothing, Kel. If you’re really the best climber, you could climb that tree,” I said, jabbing a finger at the ominous oak across the clearing. I watched her face first fill with anxiety, then indignation.
“You can’t climb it either, Kyra. You’re not any better,” she said, spitting venom.
Oh, no, that wouldn’t do. Will try to break up our bickering but it didn’t really work. Kellic and I were both extraordinarily hard headed and we weren’t likely to back down from a challenge.
“I can so!” I had yelled, hanging a branch farther down than her.
She shimmied down the tree, climbing from limb to limb until she could touch her toes to the ground. She propped her hand on her hip and stuck her tongue out at me as I slid my way down to join her. “Prove it then!” she shouted back as I hit the ground.
For one solid moment, I realized how tall the tree was and my confidence quelled. I stared up its like trunk to where its branches reached eagerly for the sky. “Fine!” I screamed approaching the tree.
I place my foot on the only groove I could easily reach, making the next step up a good stretch far above my head. Will had finally gotten to the bottom of the tree he had been in and sidled up to the trunk of the giant oak. “You shouldn’t do that!” he yelled to me, but I was already higher than he could reach without coming after me.
I took the next step, reaching for the lowest limbs that I could grasp and heaving myself up a little farther. I paused in the first ‘y’ of the tree, looking down at my cousins who had grown much smaller in my vision. “See, Kellic?” I said, brandishing my climb.
“That’s nothing!” she hurled back, angrily bouncing those hands on her hips.
Fury filled me and I found another foothold, pulling on the next set of branches and heaving myself upward. I reached an intersection that neither she nor Will would’ve been able to pass but I squeezed my way through, pulling higher and higher. I had reached about halfway up when the hand holding my weight on the branch slipped.
The fall had felt like it had taken an eternity but also felt like it passed in the blink of an eye which was probably more apt. I crashed through branches while Kellic and Will shrieked below me, trying to get a grasp of anything to stop my downward spiral to no avail. Each grip I managed slipped away in a handful of leaves and bark.
Crack.
I connected with the ground with a scream of agony. I later found out I had broken my collarbone and my forearm but at the time it was just pa
in, endless pain.
Will reached me first, collecting me in his arms as best he could. He was bigger than me but not so much that it made carting me around easy. He looked over to Kellic. “Go get the wagon!” he yelled, sitting with me and holding my good hand while I bawled my eyes out. Kellic disappeared for several minutes of agony before returning with a red wagon with wooden slats for sides. We hadn’t used it much since our moms had died. They had taken us on walks in it, dragging us along behind them.
Will lifted me carefully, though the movement still forced a scream from me. He laid my back against the inside of the wagon and led the charge, pulling it along behind him.
I watched the canopy of leaves pass along above me, the sky growing dark. Grandmother would be home at any moment. Kellic ran ahead, clearing the ground of any obstructions as we went and Will chugged along, dragging my weight in the wagon.
We’d barely broken the line of trees when Grandmother’s big black sedan swept up the drive. She came shrieking out of the driver’s seat, barely having parked the vehicle. Ambulances had come after that and Grandmother had sat Will and Kellic down, asking them a million questions.
They didn’t dare tell her that it had been the tree that we had climbed. We knew that was explicitly forbidden. Will weaved a tale, preventing all three of us from further trouble. He told her that while climbing one of the small trees, I had fallen, hit a branch and landed on the ground. I didn’t know if that had actually worked but I had appreciated that he had attempted to keep us out of trouble.
In middle school, we rode the bus together, Kellic frequently on the bench behind us while we peered over an old handheld video game console. Will’s favorite was one about a guy who looked like an elf and wore a green dress/shirt. He talked about how appreciative he was of the gigantic bad guy and I teased him that he’s supposed to support the hero but he was adamant about the quality of the character.
He gave me one of his favorite games on one such occasion which I knew was still at the house somewhere, buried in storage. I would’ve loved to hold that right now, just knowing that it had once belonged to him. It had been special to him, like he was special to me.
We frequently spent nights at home, sitting in the living room across from each other, playing fighting games on the TV. True to his misnomer game roots, he always selected a character that no matter how hard he tried, I always beat. I would tease him and tell him to stop choosing Ganondork if he ever wanted to beat me.
He would always correct me that that wasn’t his name but it didn’t matter. I knew what his name was. I just enjoyed the little look of annoyance the mistake always caused. He never had beat me no matter how many times he tried. He almost had once but I had come back by the end. I wished he could play me now. I didn’t care about pride. I would let him win if only he would play with me again.
In college, we had hosted many enjoyable nights of parties at the house. We pulled an old ping pong table out of our game room, setting it up in the dining room and filling its top with red solo cups. We poured beer into the bottoms of each and each took a ping pong ball.
Will was on my team, already fairly tipsy with a cup filled with a mixture of Jack Daniels and root beer. I found it to be disgusting but he loved it and he had already gone through numerous cups and his shots weren’t getting any better.
I chucked a ball across the table, facing off against Kellic and Tyler. They laughed uproariously as my ball soared wide, sailing over ever cup and bouncing off the far wall. Tyler sent a return ball sailing back, plopping gently into the first cup of the triangle.
“Drink!” he laughed.
I gave him a playful glare as I raised the cup and turned to Will. “Your turn or mine?” I asked him, lifting the cup. He tilted his own cup in my direction.
“That’s all you, cuz,” he replied, taking a swig of his own drink.
I shook my head, laughing and tipped the cup up.
Tyler’s follow-up shot soared wide, giving us back the ball.
It was Will’s turn to shoot and to my endless surprise, his ball soared into a cup with ease. Kellic gave her brother a narrow-eyed glare and tossed the ball back to him, downing the cups contents.
Will threw again, sinking again with ease. We were down to three cups now. Tyler tossed the ball back this time, downing that cup. Will shot, sinking yet another one. Kellic tossed the ball back and before she had even finished her drink, he had eliminated another cup, leaving only the last one.
He tottered drunkenly but took the ball back, smiling his biggest grin. He stared at me while he chucked the ball again and I stared back, grinning wildly when I hear a plop from the other side of the table. One more shot and we would win.
He took the ball back and tossed it again and with insane accuracy it plopped into the cup again. He and I roared cheers his drink sloshing out of his cup as we clutched one another in a hug. He stepped away from the table to sit on a high bar stool. As he slid himself up, his balance faltered and he spilled himself, his drink, and the chair onto the floor.
We all roared laughter while I leaned down, helping him back to his feet amidst uncontrollable giggles.
That was Will for you. As if the game wasn’t fun enough, he always managed to kick it up a notch. He was a pleasure to be around, even in perfect silence.
Right after college and before I’d been gifted the Mercedes, I drove a beater. It had broken down on numerous occasions and I couldn’t even begin to count the amount of times I’d called Will in the middle of the night, needing a ride because the old piece of crap wasn’t running again.
He would listen to the engine run over the phone, diagnosing and coaching me on repairs while he was tugging his muddy boots on to come out and rescue me once again. Every time I had to remind him that his car mumbo jumbo was absolute gibberish and he would laugh, remind me he’d be there in a few minutes, and come to the rescue.
That was Will though. It was all Will. The life of the party, the knight in shining armor, the giver, the lover, the beer pong champ, the conversationalist, the silent partner, the friend, the family, it was all Will.
I may have maintained a “girly” best friendship with Kellic, but even that got messy at times. My relationship with Will was perfect. No judgment, no hate, no fighting. It was peace and it felt right. We could sit in endless silence without a second thought. We could watch our favorite TV shows for hours at a time, with or without conversation.
But that was just Will.
He was the perfect companion.
He was my best friend.
He was the best person I had ever met.
And no matter what, he always would be.
Chapter Forty
I came out of my reverie as the pilot announced our imminent descent, spouting off the weather conditions on the ground as the plane drifted closer to the Roman tarmac. Will’s image danced through my mind again and again, replaying every old memory that he had. What if Henrick didn’t wait? What if Carson and Anton followed me?
I shoved my panic back into my belly, not able to think with the swirl of emotions blinding me. Control was proving to be horridly difficult without Anton’s assistance. I wondered for a moment if I was feeling emotions that weren’t mine but I didn’t understand my own raging mess, let alone be able to pinpoint Anton or Carson’s feelings amidst my own.
I slid the shade on the window up as the plane came in for a landing. Rome unfolded before me and it was stunning. Buildings of ancient architecture stretched out as far as I could see, absolutely gorgeous. I wished for a long minute that I was here under better circumstances but I shoved it to the back of my mind.
Shut down your emotions, I reminded myself mentally.
The plane taxied down the runway, making a quick job of maneuvering the airports zigs and zags and stopping us at our gate. I was thankful for that. I had fought to remain calm throughout the flight, smothering my tears when they came and I didn’t know how much longer I could fight off my pain and anxiety.
>
I removed my duffle bag as they advised us that we were now able to exit the aircraft. I sling it over my shoulder and took a deep breath, exiting into a city I had always dreamed of seeing, even without Achillia’s influence.
I pulled my phone from my bag, powering it back on to see a slew of messages from Kellic and two unknown numbers. They were messages of panic.
Kyra?
Where are you?
Please, answer the phone!
Kyra!
Please!
Where are you?
You shouldn’t have left.
I’m begging you, please!
Kyra, I love you.
There were a total of 38 unread messages.
I swiped the notifications clear, already feeling hot tears on my face and knowing I couldn’t take anymore. I quickly flipped through recent contacts and found the number that Henrick had dialed me from.
He answered after only one ring.
“Are you in Rome?” He asked, immediately.
“Yes,” I replied. “Where do I need to go?”
“Come to the Coliseum and come alone,” he commanded and disconnected the call.
I stared at the image on the phone, taking deep breaths before flipping open a ride sharing application. I ordered a ride, using my bank account.
I knew that Kellic could see that and tie it to my location but I hoped I’d gotten enough of a lead to get to Will before they could catch up.
It didn’t take long for a car to pull up as it seemed there were many that flocked around the capital. There was an unassuming man driving, and he pulled along the curb rolling his window down. My phone dinged at the same moment with the notification that he had arrived.