by Kaitlyn Hoyt
“Yes, it’s me. There’s no reason to be sad. You had nothing to do with my death. I knew what was going to happen that day. It had to happen that way for everything to play out like it is. And I’m still here.” I take a step away from her, confused. She touches my chest where my heart is. “In here.” I bite my lip and look away. I don’t want her to see me cry.
“Wait, what do you mean that there’s more to the prophecy?”
“Her two warriors are destined to put an end to the war,” she says as she steps backward. I finally get a good look at her. She looks amazing. Her blonde hair is pulled into a bun at the base of her neck. She’s wearing an ivory sundress with a tan scarf belt and light pink sweater. “When I first read the prophecy, I thought it was talking about David and Colton, but now I think it’s referring to Colton and Liam. Colton’s your soulmate—congratulations on that by the way. I could tell that his feelings for you were more than just a crush. His soulmate side wants nothing more to keep you safe, so his mage side compensates for that. You’re his trigger. He needs to protect you and keep you safe. Liam is your actual protector. Your two warriors are going to stop Dravin. You’re just going to inspire them to do so.”
“So, I’m not going to be the one to actually end the war?”
“No, you are. You’re the unifying factor. Colton and Liam are supposed to be the ones that fight against Dravin. You’re needed somewhere else.”
“Where?”
Claire’s image flickers. “I can’t give that away just yet. You’ll know when the time comes.”
“Don’t leave yet!” I yell as she starts fading away.
“It’s time. I’m so proud of you all. Please let everyone know that.” I watch as she completely disappears, leaving me alone again in the dream field.
“Ryanne, babe, what’s wrong?”
I sit up and rub my eyes, trying to get a bearing on my location. I am still in the car sitting on Colton’s lap. He reaches out and grabs my chin, forcing me to look at him. With his other hand, he tucks a strand of loose hair behind my ear and waits for me to fully wake up. “I just saw Claire,” I say with a yawn.
“You what?” Tom asks form the front seat.
“I saw Claire,” I repeat. “She said that there’s more to the prophecy. I’m not the one that actually brings about an end to the war. I’m just the one that inspires others to bring about an end.”
“What?” Colton asks.
“You and Liam and the ones that officially end the war,” I tell them. Liam leans forward and rests his arms across the back of Colton’s seat.
“We,” he motions between Colton and himself, “are the ones who end the war?”
“The prophecy said that her warriors were the ones who were to end the war. You two are the ones that stop Dravin, not me. I’m the unifying factor, but I’m apparently needed somewhere else at the end.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know. She said that I’ll know when the time is right. Oh, she wanted me to tell everyone that she’s proud of us all.”
“Communicate with the dead,” Emma mutters into David’s shirt. “Check.”
I roll my eyes and lean back into Colton. He’s being awfully quiet. I glance up at him. He’s looking in my direction but doesn’t seem to be looking at anything in particular. “You okay?” I whisper to him. I know it’s pretty much impossible to seek any sort of privacy in a large vehicle, but something is up.
His arms tighten around my waist. He blinks back into awareness and looks at me. “Yeah, yeah. I’m good. Just thinking. Nothing to worry about.”
“I’m sorry that she contacted me.”
“No, Ry, I’m not upset that she contacted you instead of me. It’s not that. I’m glad that she contacted someone. It’s just that sometimes I forget that she’s actually gone.”
I rest my head against his chest, turning so that I can hear his heart beat. I wrap my arms around him and whisper, “I’m sorry. I wish I could go back and do something else that day. Save her somehow.”
“Ryanne, there’s nothing I would change about that day. Claire always told us that everything happens for a reason, and after all that has happened, I still believe that. We are who we are today because of the events of our lives. Claire knew what she was doing that day, and I don’t think she would change anything if she could. She wouldn’t want you to wonder about that either.”
He tightens his arms around me and continues, “You saved me that day, and then I saved you. I had to watch you die to fuel my anger for the Gadramicks and gain a better appreciation for human life. You had to deal with Claire’s death to fuel your anger which strengthens your power. Everything happens for a reason, and those reasons have brought us to this moment.”
“How do you always know the right thing to say?” I mumble as I bury my face into his neck. I feel his body shake with silent laughter.
“I don’t. I just choose my words carefully.”
“Well, glad you do I am,” I whisper.
“What?”
Gasping, I shoot up and look at him. “Yoda?”
“Like Star Wars, Yoda?”
“I was speaking like Yoda! I said that I was glad that you choose your words carefully. I’d hate to have a soulmate that was bad with words…though one that doesn’t understand Star Wars references isn’t much better…” I giggle at him. “Disappointed in you, am I, Colton. Hmmmm.”
Liam and David laugh at my comment, which confirms the little privacy theory, but I’m glad someone appreciates my humor. Colton shakes his head and smiles but doesn’t say anything else. He leans back in his seat and closes his eyes.
Might as well…
“We’re here, Ry.”
“How do you always wake up before me?” I mumble sleepily as I slowly get up. Rubbing my eyes, I try to get rid of the sleep that threatens to pull me back. With a long exhale, I look around at our surroundings. It’s nighttime, and we’re parked in front of a large apartment complex. I thought all mages would live in seclusion somewhere, so it surprises me that James lives in the middle of town.
“Where are we exactly?” I ask Tom.
“We’re at the Riverplace Apartments, just outside of Portland.”
“James lives in the city?”
“He can fully control his magic, so he doesn’t need to live away from people like some other mages.” Oh, that makes sense. James’s power is strength, and I’m sure that he’s gotten control of it now, so he can be around people all the time.
Tom gets out of the car, opens the side door, and helps me off of Colton’s lap. Colton exits after, and then everyone else follows. With our hands laced together, Colton pulls me to his side. I go to him easily, accepting his protection. There is something about James that confuses me…I just don’t understand what.
Entering into the lobby, I squint to adjust to the lights. The outside of the apartment complex looks simple, but the interior is just the opposite. The lobby has a nautical theme. The carpet is a dark blue, resembling the majestic waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Off white walls reflect the bright twinkling lights that parallel the imagery of water droplets falling from the sky. Fabric is cascading from the ceiling, duplicating the appearance of boat sails while wicker couches and chairs are precisely located throughout the room with navy blue accent pillows. A large red brick fireplace is built into the wall off to the right. Two old rustic oars decorate the mantle, and bottles of sand and shells decorate the small tables. The soothing sound of the ocean is playing quietly through speakers camouflaged and randomly dispersed throughout the room.
Tom guides all of us past the front desk and over to the elevator. We all pack into the elevator like a can of sardines, and Tom pushes the tenth floor button. James is located on the highest floor.
Fancy.
Piling out of the elevator, we all turn to Tom for guidance. He’s the only one that knows which room belongs to James. We follow him down the hallway and to the right. Stopping in front of the room at the end of t
he hall, Tom steps forward and knocks on the door. I glance up at Colton, who has yet to say anything since we arrived here. He’s very tense and glaring straight at the unopened door with a clenched jaw and the hand not holding mine balled into a fist. “Relax,” I whisper to him. His eyes flicker down to me but return back to the door shortly afterward.
The door opens, and James is standing there, staring at all of us with sleep laden eyes, shocked at our sudden appearance. No one informed him that we were coming. Rubbing his eyes, he leans against the doorframe. “Tom?” he asks. I look down at the carpet, trying not to blush. James is standing in the doorway only wearing flannel pants. I look over and see Emma and Natalie doing similar things. I may not like James very much, but there’s no refuting his attractiveness.
“Can we talk to you?” he asks.
Without saying anything, James steps away from the door and walks back into a room off to the side. Tom looks back at the rest of us, shrugs, and enters his apartment. When we are all in the room, James comes back out of the room, dressed in a pair of black jeans and fitted black t-shirt. Do mages ever wear bright colors? Goodness, all the guys dress so dark all the time.
“Since none of you really like me, I’m assuming this is important.” His eyes scan all of us before they stop on me. “Ryanne, always lovely to see you.”
Colton growls at him. I bite my lip to hide my smile. It’s weird, but I find it incredibly sexy when Colton does that. James’s eyes move down to our laced hands. I swear I see him smile, but it leaves as quickly as it came. What is going on?
“Ahh, I see some new faces in your group,” James says while looking at Natalie. She flinches and takes a step toward Liam.
“James, this is Conner, Natalie, and Kyril,” Tom introduces everyone. “I believe you’ve met everyone else.”
James sits down in a chair and faces everyone else in the room. Since we’re all standing around awkwardly, I decide to take control of the situation. This was my idea after all. I let go of Colton’s hand and walk toward James. Colton exhales loudly and reaches for me, but I throw up a shield so he can’t. David scoffs, and Colton grunts, but no one says anything.
“James, where is Phillip?” I ask.
“I honestly don’t know—probably helping Dravin do something. We got into this argument about you vs. Dravin, and he picked Dravin. So he left. I haven’t spoken to him since that fight at the house.”
“So, you know he’s working with the Gadramicks?” I drop the shield. James isn’t going to try anything. I trust him.
“I had a feeling. He’s always been a little angry at everything. He doesn’t think that you’re capable of accomplishing what the prophecy claims. He sees a small girl with magic and not much training. The prophecy doesn’t say how you’ll put an end to the war. It doesn’t have to be in a fight. There are many ways to end a conflict. Though, I’ve seen you fight. You have a lot of potential, and I’m sure you’ve come a long way since I saw you last.”
“Phillip attacked her, and she knocked him out…twice,” Liam says behind me. I turn around and smile at him briefly, before returning my attention back to James.
“Serves him right. I’ve experienced a little bit of your magic myself,” he says. “Sorry about your wrist.”
“Breaking my wrist must run in the family,” I mumble as I step back toward Colton, who is still glaring at James. Wait, did he just apologize to me? What the heck is going on? I narrow my eyes at James, and he smiles at me. I must be catching onto something.
James winks at me before getting up and walking toward Natalie, who is now standing off to the side. She stands up straighter the closer he gets to her. James glances at Liam briefly before reaching out and grabbing Natalie around the waist, crushing her to him. She squeals and tries to push away from him. Conner jumps up, but before anyone can react, Liam punches James square in the jaw.
James lets go of Natalie and grabs his jaw. Liam’s grey eyes darken as an angered look crosses his face. I run and jump in front of James before Liam can do anything.
“You’re protecting him, now?” Colton says.
I flinch and prepare to get hit as Liam moves toward James again. With his arm raised, Liam pauses and stares down at me. “Move, Ryanne.” Colton runs over and grabs Liam’s fist and pulls him back a little, away from me. Liam moves away but doesn’t lower his fist. Natalie is staring between James and Liam, shocked.
“I knew it wouldn’t take you too long to figure it out,” James says as he straightens up. He points down at me. “She’s smart. No one has ever been able to figure it out before.”
“Figure what out?” Colton demands as he finally lets go of Liam’s fist. Liam flexes his hand out and slightly winces. Seeing his wince, Logan moves to heal him.
“He has another power,” I say as I step away from James, positive that no one will attack him.
“That was a good punch, man. If I didn’t have my extra strength, that probably would have really hurt,” James says. Liam’s still staring at him like he could kill him but doesn’t make a move toward him. Natalie moves toward Liam and grabs onto his forearm. His harsh features instantly calm into the Liam we’re all used to. He nods at her but refuses to take his eyes from James.
“What’s his other power?” Colton asks.
I look behind me at James and wait for him to elaborate. I haven’t quite figured that much out yet. I’m one step ahead of everyone else but still far enough behind that I don’t know everything. “Some might call me Cupid.”
I know that my mouth drops. “You’re cupid?”
“Not in the literal sense, but I can tell when two people are meant for each other, and when they refuse to acknowledge it…well, that’s where I come in.”
“So, when you attacked me in the hallway..?” I start.
“I was trying to get him,” he points to Colton, “to react. The connection between the two of you is one of the strongest, I’ve ever encountered. I could have told you that you were soulmates when I first saw you two together. I go about things a little non-traditionally, but my practice is effective.”
“So, Liam and…” I look toward Liam and Natalie. Natalie still has her hand on Liam’s forearm, keeping him calm. Both of them are staring at James. Natalie’s mouth is hanging open and Liam’s eyes are extremely wide. When Natalie realizes that we are all watching them, she closes her mouth and takes her hand away from Liam’s arm. Looking down at the carpet, I can see the blush rising onto her cheeks. Liam looks away from James and focuses on Natalie. He looks back at me, probably remembering what I told him earlier. Sometimes there’s never a better time than the present. I smile and nod at him.
Liam takes a step toward Natalie. When she sees his movement, she looks away from the carpet. Everyone in the room is silent as we wait and see what is going to happen. Stopping in front of her, he reaches out and pulls her to him. She collides into his chest and gasps at the sudden movement but smiles up at him. Without wasting any time, Liam puts a hand under her chin and tilts her head up as he leans down. Natalie melts into Liam and kisses him back. Conner scoffs and looks out the window in the back of the room. I smile over at Emma, who’s elated at them. We’ve only been telling both of them that they would be perfect together for a while now.
Diverting my gaze, I scan the room, looking for the cat carrier with Olive inside. I haven’t been able to spend much time with her recently. Just call me a horrible pet owner. I spot the green carrier in Larkin’s arms.
“It’s never that easy,” James whispers to me.
“Emma and I have been trying to get those two together for a while now,” I tell him.
Colton walks over to me and pulls me away from James. I look up at him questioningly. “I don’t care if he only acted to get me to react, I still don’t like him.” I roll my eyes at him but stay by his side.
“Ok, so I think we should get to business now,” Tom says from the back of the room. I kind of forgot why we were here to begin with. I glance back over
at Liam and Natalie. Natalie is biting her lip, smiling. Even Liam has a small smile on his face. It took them long enough.
“I’m guessing the end is getting close?” James says while sitting back down in a chair. Colton walks over to the couch and grabs my arm as he passes me, pulling me after him. Sitting down as far away from James as he can, he pulls me into his lap. I laugh at him but move so that I’m sitting directly beside him.
“Yes. Ryanne believes that we need to become more involved with other mages. We need to find out what is going on and formulate a plan on how to stop all this,” Tom explains.
This is where I come in.
“Look, Dravin has found a way to extract magic from mages who can push their magic out. Natalie and I are the only ones that I know of that can do this, but I’m sure there are others. Dravin wants more magic, and he’ll do anything to get it. He’s becoming more ruthless, and he definitely needs to be stopped. I’ve had it with him, and I know that he’s torturing people to find information out about me, and that needs to stop. I don’t want anyone to go through what I’ve been through because of him. This last time, I thought I was done for. I would have been killed if Valdus didn’t change his mind.”
At his confused expression, I quickly explain who Valdus is. “I can’t just sit around and wait for Dravin to come to me anymore. I’ve been training. I’m prepared for the challenges ahead. In fact, I’m looking forward to them. I want all this to end. I don’t want to live in fear anymore. I want to prove to Dravin that I’m not going to take everything lying down. I can fight, but I need more people. We need more people. All mages need to stand up and fight if we want to stand any chance. The Gadramicks numbers are too large. Can you help us?”
James regards me curiously. I can’t tell what he is thinking based on his expression. I can read his mind…
“She’s something, isn’t she?” Tom says behind me. I turn around and look at him, but he’s not looking at me. He’s looking at James. When I turn around, James is still looking at me with a slight smile. Colton reaches out and wraps his arm around my shoulder, basically showing James that I’m his. James laughs at his reaction but nods.