A few days before Winter Break began, Aylie was just about to leave the school when Marcus stopped her in front of the lockers.
“Hey Ayles” he said, his brows knitting together in concern. There was no trace of his usual, disarming smile. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine,” she said, attempting to brush past him.
He grabbed her arm gently, preventing her from getting to her locker. “I don’t think you are,” he said. “Your friends are really worried about you. Hell, I’m even worried.”
“There’s nothing to worry about,” she said. “I’m just trying to finish the semester well so I can get that scholarship.”
“You’re avoiding everyone, Aylie. Lacey and Ren are beside themselves with worry. They’ve tried calling you at least a dozen times in the last two days, alone. You haven’t returned a single call.”
“What are you, the sheriff?” She retorted.
Marcus looked hurt and shocked. “Aylie, this isn’t like you at all. What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” she said, pulling her arm out of his grip.
Just then Ren and Lacey came around the corner. They saw her talking to Marcus and stormed over. “Why haven’t you answered any of our calls?” Lacey demanded, hands on her hips.
“I’ve been really busy,” Aylie defended. “You know, end of semester exams and all—they’re kind of important.”
“You have straight ‘A’s,” Ren pointed out. “You don’t need to spend every waking minute studying when you already know everything.”
“You know how much that scholarship means to me,” Aylie said, trying to convince herself as much as them. “I can’t be stuck here in this crappy town forever.”
Lacey raised her perfectly sculpted brows. “Where is this coming from, Aylie?”
“Nowhere,” she said, rolling her eyes. “And I don’t appreciate being ganged up on by my best friends.”
“We’re just concerned,” Ren said softly. “You haven’t hung out with us since the ice skating rink and that was almost three weeks ago.”
Aylie realized how much she was upsetting them and felt a little guilty. It wasn’t their fault Ryder was gone. They deserved better from her. “Okay, how about tonight?”
Lacey perked up. “How about the Gathering Spot?”
“Sure,” Aylie agreed. “What time?”
“Ren and I will pick you up at six O’clock. We can grab something for dinner and maybe see a movie afterwards.”
Aylie nodded, promising to be ready on time. She hurried out the door to meet her dad in the parking lot. He’d been taking her and Sam to school for the past week, now that the snow was knee-deep and the roads were too icy to walk on. The sun was setting earlier too, making the days seem much shorter. She climbed into the passenger seat, tuning out Sam’s recount of the day’s activities. Fourteen days. She thought. It’s been fourteen days since I last talked to Ryder…since he kissed me in his silver Camaro. Fourteen days since his arrest. Fourteen days since my life turned upside down. How could everything get so messed up in only fourteen days?
Aylie stared blankly out the window of her dad’s Silverado. Sam was still babbling on about the basketball team and the fundraiser that was taking place over the weekend. She couldn’t wait to get out of the truck and escape to the solace of her bedroom for a few hours before Lacey and Ren arrived to drag her out of the house for an evening of fun. She bolted for the stairs the instant they got to the ranch, slamming her bedroom door behind her. A few moments later, she heard a knock at her door. She ignored it at first, but the knock came again.
Ugh. “What is it?” She called.
“It’s your mom, Aylie. Open the door.”
Annoyed, Aylie stamped over to the door and unlocked it, returning to sit cross-legged on the end of her bed.
Mrs. Bryant came into the room, carrying a plate of chocolate chip cookies covered in plastic wrap.
“Thanks, but I’m not hungry,” Aylie muttered.
“They’re not for you,” Mrs. Bryant said, with a wag of her blond head.
“Who are they for, then?”
“I thought maybe we could take these to Ryder. He’s been locked away in that rusty old jail for two weeks now, with no friends or family to visit him. After all he’s been through, I think it’s the least we can do.”
“Really?” Aylie tried not to sound too eager. She didn’t want her mom to get suspicious.
Mrs. Bryant nodded. Aylie slid off of her bed and went to get her shoes, stopping to check her reflection in the mirror before following her mom down the stairs. She was so happy at the thought of seeing Ryder that she didn’t even care about the fact that her friends would probably find out about it. If they wanted to gossip—let them. Besides, it had been her mom’s idea, so she was technically in the clear.
They got into the suburban and drove toward the Silvervane County Jail. Aylie was trying to maintain her composure as they navigated slowly through stoplights and snowdrifts all the way there. She was impatient to see Ryder, but she knew that she had to keep calm or she’d blow their cover.
“How long have you been seeing him?” Mrs. Bryant asked softly.
Aylie’s head jerked around. “What?”
“I wasn’t born yesterday, Aylie.” Mrs. Bryant replied with a knowing smile. “I know what lovesick looks like…you’ve hardly eaten since Ryder’s arrest.”
Aylie started to protest.
“I don’t need to know all the details, but I’d like to know how long it’s been going on.”
“We’re not dating,” Aylie insisted. “That’s the honest truth.”
Mrs. Bryant glanced fleetingly at her daughter, quickly returning her gaze to the road. “How long have you liked him, then?”
Aylie blushed. She’d never talked to anyone about Ryder before and the timing of this conversation couldn’t have been worse. She tried to think back to when she’d realized that she had feelings for him, but it all seemed like a blur. “I don’t know, maybe a month ago?”
“Have you two been spending time together outside of school?”
Aylie wasn’t sure how to answer that. If she said yes, her mom would want to know where and when—both incriminating answers. If she said no, she’d be totally lying. She looked down at her hands, twisting them nervously in her lap. “I thought you didn’t need to know the details?”
“I just want to make sure you’re being safe. This boy has a very troubled background.”
“So you think he’s guilty?”
“If I genuinely thought he was guilty of murder, I wouldn’t be taking my daughter to see him, now would I?” Mrs. Bryant replied pointedly.
Aylie turned her gaze back to the passenger window, watching the cars whiz by impatiently.
“You need to be careful, Aylie—even if Ryder is cleared of all charges, which I firmly believe he will be.”
“Why?”
“I know Ryder is charming, but that boy has secrets. Dark secrets, I suspect.”
Aylie studied the side of her mom’s face. It was the first time she had ever alluded to being concerned about Ryder’s background. There was something about her warning that made Aylie wonder if she knew things about his notorious ancestry. And if she knew things about Ryder’s bloodline, maybe there were things about her own that she wasn’t sharing.
“Why are you so supportive of this?” Aylie asked suddenly. “Of my visiting Ryder in jail, I mean?”
Before Mrs. Bryant could answer the question, they were pulling into the parking lot of the county jail and courthouse. They had to pass through security at the gate and again on their way to the front desk of the reception area. They passed through metal detectors and were screened at another checkpoint before they were given a chance to sign in and state whom they were there to see. The officer at the front desk looked at them curiously when she saw Ryder’s name on the line.
“You can have a seat right over there,” she said, pointing to the gray, plastic chairs in the waiti
ng area. “We’ll let you know when you can see him.”
Nearly twenty minutes later, another officer appeared at the door on the other side of the waiting room. He called their names, escorting them into a small room with a large window and a table in the center. They sat down in the metal folding chairs on one side of the table and waited. Aylie nervously clasped her hands in her lap. She had no idea what she was going to say to Ryder, especially with her mom in the room. She wasn’t even sure if he’d be happy to see her, but she had to know how he was doing. She had to make sure he was okay.
Just before they brought him in, Mrs. Bryant signaled to the officer watching on the other side of the window. He entered the room immediately.
“I’m sorry, officer,” she said. “But I really need to use the restroom. Will my daughter be safe here with the boy if he comes in while I’m out of the room?”
“Of course, Ma’am,” the officer replied. “He’ll be escorted into the room in handcuffs. There will be two of us watching right here on the other side of this window,” he said, pointing to the large pane of bulletproof glass on the left. “We can wait until you return, if you’d prefer.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Mrs. Bryant said with a wave of her hand. “I trust my daughter will be in safe hands.” She smiled and followed the officer out of the room.
Aylie stared after her, knowing that she’d made up an excuse to give her a chance to talk to Ryder alone. Tears came to the surface, but she held them back. She didn’t want Ryder to see her crying when he came in.
When the door opened a moment later, Ryder walked into the room wearing a faded orange jumpsuit. His hands were cuffed in front of him, with two large guards positioned on either side. They made sure he was seated on the opposite side of the table before asking if she was okay to be left alone with him.
Aylie nodded.
“You brought cookies,” he said out loud, with only a slight smile. In her mind he said, What are you doing here, Aylie?
“My mom baked them, actually.” I had to see how you were doing. It’s been two weeks and I was getting worried about you.
You shouldn’t be here, he said, the tone of his thoughts alarmingly insistent. They have the dagger you were holding—the one above the fireplace in my room.
Aylie swallowed, her eyes growing large. She hadn’t even realized the dagger they’d recovered was the one she had touched when she’d sleepwalked. The shock of what he’d just told her was slowly sinking in. Her mind spinning, but all she could focus on was the boy in front of her. Well they haven’t arrested me yet.
“Did your mom come with you, then?” He asked out loud, keeping up the charade.
When they check it for fingerprints, Aylie—yours will be on it. You need to get out of here.
“Mom’s here somewhere. Visiting you was actually her idea,” Aylie replied. I don’t care about me. It’s been miserable for the past two weeks, she admitted.
Ryder smiled. You must miss me pretty bad.
Aylie sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. This isn’t funny, Ryder. You’re in jail for a murder you didn’t commit.
“How’s school going?” He asked, locking eyes with her reassuringly.
“I’ve been really busy—exams start Wednesday.” Is there anything I can do to help, Ryder? Anything at all?
You can contact my uncle. I wrote to him, but I don’t know if he’s written back yet. His address is on a piece of scratch paper on my father’s desk. Write to him and tell him what happened. Maybe he can get me out of here.
Aylie was slightly alarmed. You want me to go to the Mansion—alone?
You don’t have to, he replied silently. But my uncle might know how to get me out of here.
Aylie took a deep breath, nodding almost imperceptibly. I’ll do it.
Just then Mrs. Bryant walked into the room. She smiled pleasantly at Ryder. “How are you holding up?”
“Not too bad, all things considered.” He said. “Thank you for visiting and bringing…cookies.” His eyes lingered on Aylie a second too long.
Aylie blushed, looking down at her hands.
Mrs. Bryant smiled warmly. “I’m so sorry all of this has happened to you,” she said. “We’ve all been worried—especially Aylie. I brought her to see you, hoping you might be able to convince her to eat something and maybe relax a little. She’s not been herself lately. I figured she might listen to you since it seems you’re one of her good friends now.”
Aylie shot her mom a look.
Ryder seemed both pleased and amused. “I’m not sure anyone can tell Aylie what to do. She’s got a bit of a stubborn streak, if you know what I mean.”
Mrs. Bryant laughed out loud. “I know it well and it’s probably my own fault, too.”
“But seriously, Aylie,” Ryder shifted his gaze, looking deeply into her eyes. He leaned forward in his chair. “Take it easy, there’s nothing to worry about. You’re going to do great on your exams.”
She chocked back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. Here he was, trying to comfort her, when he’d spent two weeks in jail for a crime he wasn’t guilty of. All she could do was sit here and have a shallow conversation with him, pretending like his life wasn’t hanging in the balance. It was so unfair she could hardly stand it. She longed to reach across the table and hold his hands, comforting him the way he was trying to comfort her.
You forget that I know what you’re thinking. His words interrupted her thoughts. It comforts me to know how you feel about me. His eyes were shining under the glare of the florescent lights overhead. The door opened suddenly and two guards reappeared to escort Ryder back to his cell. He stood to his feet, following them to the door. He paused in the doorway, looking over his shoulder at her. Aylie, I….
She smiled sadly, returning the look as they led him away. Her heart ached when he disappeared through the door. She followed her mom back to the car, lost in thought. She didn’t even know how to process the fact that her fingerprints were on the murder weapon. She knew she should probably be more concerned, but she just couldn’t bring herself to care about that right now. She had to get Ryder out of jail. She didn’t know how she was going to do it, but she was determined to track his uncle down if it was the last thing she did.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
T he next morning, Aylie came downstairs for breakfast earlier than usual. Her parents were talking in the kitchen in hushed voices and it was obvious they didn’t want anyone to overhear what they were saying. One of the most annoying things about living in an older ranch house was the way sound carried. She paused just around the corner, unsure of whether to make her presence known or to tiptoe back upstairs and give them a little more privacy.
“I just wish you would have talked to me about it first,” Mr. Bryant murmured.
“You knew this time was coming, Lawrence. It’s inevitable at this point—there’s nothing we can do to stop it.” Her mom’s voiced argued back. “We agreed to this.”
“There’s no need to encourage it,” he replied sternly. “It’ll happen with or without our help.”
“Exactly,” Mrs. Bryant whispered. “And I’d rather she feel supported by us. It’s going to be hard enough when she finds out that we’ve been keeping this from her for so long.”
Aylie’s blood was rising. She couldn’t help thinking their argument was about her. She rounded the corner, purposely cutting their conversation short. “Good morning,” she said, pretending not to sense the tension in the air as she moved to pour herself a bowl of cereal. “I need to know how to track down someone’s telephone number,” she said, directing the question to her dad. Her parents looked at each other awkwardly. Her mom turned to make a fresh pot of coffee.
“Who’s number are you trying to find?” He asked, furrowing his dark, bushy eyebrows.
“It’s an international number,” she said, ignoring the question. “Can you help me?” She didn’t know what their conversation had been about, but she was guessing
now was the perfect time to enlist her dad’s help.
He looked a little baffled, but nodded. “Do you have an address?”
“I’ll have it by tomorrow,” she informed him, taking a bite of her cereal. “Oh, and I’m hanging out with Ren and Lacey today after school so I don’t need a ride this afternoon,” she said, walking out of the kitchen to avoid further questioning.
After school Aylie made up an excuse to ditch Lacey and Ren and headed straight for the Mansion instead. It was an absurdly long walk that left her feet aching and blistered. She didn’t even want to think about walking five miles back. She couldn’t get her parents’ conversation out of her head. What had they been talking about? What were they hiding from her? She was beginning to feel like things were unraveling all around her and she didn’t understand why. She reached the tall, iron gate that guarded the Mansion and stopped, staring up at the hulking outline of the gloomy, stone-faced castle. Ryder is worth it, she told herself.
She pushed the call button and waited, but the gate didn’t open. She pressed it again and waited for another minute, before deciding to climb it. Fortunately, she was a good climber or the whole plan would’ve fallen apart before she’d even reached the house. She jumped down on the other side of the gate, avoiding the sharp points of the spires, and followed the gravel drive up to the front door of the Mansion. Even in broad daylight it looked haunted.
Aylie gathered up her nerve and knocked on the door, softly at first, then harder. She waited several minutes but no one answered. She knocked again as loud as she could—still no answer. She knew the housekeeper and butler were there, at the very least. Either they were too busy to answer the door or they were ignoring her knock on purpose. With everything that had happened at the mansion lately, perhaps they were leery of strangers. She wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, but she also really needed to get inside to find that address.
She walked around one side of the Mansion, peering in through the only window that was low enough for her to see through. She couldn’t tell what she was looking at, but the furniture seemed to indicate that it was some kind of sitting room. She cupped her hands around her eyes so she could see better. The young maid Aylie had seen on her first visit to the mansion walked into the room with a duster in her hand. She began to dust the surface of one of the coffee tables, but was interrupted almost immediately by the grim housekeeper. The old lady looked cross, like she was about to scold the girl for something. Aylie ducked to avoid being seen.
WAKENED (The Silvervane Chronicles Book 1) Page 15