Descending Darkness (The Prophesized #3)

by Kaitlyn Hoyt

  A look of protectiveness crosses Mr. Howick’s face as he watches her. Ryanne’s strong and fully capable of protecting herself, but she looks so small and fragile. Being close to his daughter’s age, it’s understandable why he’d feel a protective instinct come over him. “Please, I need your help,” she pleads again. He and his wife share a look at her plea.

  “It’s what Rebecca would want,” she whispers. Her words catch as she mentions her daughter’s name, but it is enough for Mr. Howick to agree with us.

  “What do you need us to do?”

  “That’s it?” Mrs. Howick asks.

  “We’re not sure when everything is going to play out, but I know that it’ll be soon,” Ryanne explains. “There’s been little stuff going on lately, and Dravin is starting to get very impatient. We need to be ready. I’m just going around and asking people for help. I need to get back out into the world and find out for myself what is happening.”

  “We’ll help recruit some people,” Mr. Howick agrees. I reach out and grab Ryanne’s hand again. She looks up at me and smiles. I know that Mr. and Mrs. Howick are watching us, but I don’t care. I’m so proud of her right now. I know that she feels uncomfortable being the center of attention, but she’s pushing her feelings aside and doing what is right. I pull her toward me and kiss her temple. Mrs. Howick smiles at the blush forming on Ryanne’s cheeks.

  “Can I ask you a personal question?” Mr. Howick asks. Ryanne slowly nods, hesitant because she knows what it’s going to pertain to. “What did they do to you?”

  Ryanne bites her lip and looks down at our hands. “Mr. Howick, please don’t reopen those wounds,” I say. “She’s been through enough recently.”

  “It’s fine, Colton,” Ryanne whispers. I glance down at her, but she’s not looking at me. She’s looking at Mr. Howick. I tighten my grip on her hand as she asks, “Which time?”

  “How many times have there been?”

  With a blank expression, she answers, “At least six. Possibly more.”

  “Oh my goodness,” Mrs. Howick exclaims.

  “Look, I don’t want your pity. You want to know what happened to me?” Ryanne starts. I clench my jaw and look out the far window. I hate hearing about this. “I was kidnapped. I was thrown into this tiny cell, where men would come in and ask me questions. When I didn’t respond, they beat me. I was hit, kicked, dropped, thrown into walls, punched…you name it. I’ve broken many ribs and other bones, had a couple concussions, black eyes, bruised skin, split lip, malnourished, dehydrated, etc. I’ve had Dravin’s mind power used on me multiple times. I’ve relived the day my mother died twice now. I was given enough truth serum to make me throw up for an entire day and then sleep for nearly two. I’ve been stabbed through the stomach once and asphyxiated twice.”

  She’s trying not to think about the specifics of what happened. I squeeze her hands again, attempting to comfort her, but she doesn’t acknowledge it. Her mind is on Dravin. “I know of death, and I know of pain, but I’m pushing forward because I don’t want to live in a world where I’m surrounded by that forever, and I know that you probably don’t either.”

  “We’ll help you, Ryanne.”

  “Thank you,” she says as she looks over toward James. It is nearing afternoon, and there is still another house we want to make it to today before checking into the hotel tonight. James nods and stands up, politely telling the Howicks that we have to leave.

  Ryanne walks over to Mrs. Howick and gives her a hug. Standing on her tiptoes, she whispers something into her ear. Mrs. Howick leans forward slightly, listening to what Ryanne has to say before nodding. As Ryanne steps away, I see a few tears appear in Mrs. Howick’s eyes. Ryanne walks backward until she runs into me. I wrap my arm around her shoulders and walk toward the door. James stays back and talks to the Howicks while I take Ryanne out to the car. Liam gets into the car first, and I help Ryanne into the vehicle. Scooting over, she gives me room to sit down in the car.

  “How’d it go?” Emma asks. “What happened after Mr. Howick tried to punch Colton?”

  “You mean after Ryanne threatened him?” I add. Ryanne blushes beside me but doesn’t say anything. I can see the smile that she’s trying to hide.

  “You threatened him?” Natalie asks.

  “He was going to hit him, so I politely told him that no one hurts my soulmate,” Ryanne explains. Emma laughs and playfully hits Ryanne on the shoulder.

  Tom turns around in the driver’s seat. “Are they going to help?”

  “Yeah, they are. James is still in there talking to them now.”

  Ryanne leans forward and rests her head in her hands. “What’s wrong?”

  “I tried to block their thoughts, but I couldn’t at first. They were basically screaming at me. I could see what Rebecca looked like. I could see her…dead,” she gasps. She saw this while she was in there? How did she keep her composure like she did?

  I reach out and pull her to me. She turns and buries her face into my shirt. I can feel her tears spreading through the cotton. Rubbing her back, I tighten my arms around her. No one really knows what to do. “I’m so sorry, Ry. I’m sorry you had to see that.”

  “That’s supposed to be me,” she whispers. A chorus of disagreements echo through the vehicle.

  “Do not say that,” I demand. Ryanne lifts her head and looks up at me. Her tear-streaked face conveys so many different emotions. She looks so scared and confused...and lost. “What he did to her has nothing to do with you.”

  “It has everything to do with me,” Ryanne says. “Don’t you get that? Emma, you should agree with me! You were almost in the same situation as she was. You know that he’s searching for me. You know that it’s me he’s after. Their daughter wouldn’t have died if it weren’t for me. If I would have just given up my magic, she would have survived. She would be alive right now.” Ryanne stops and looks toward Liam. “One sacrifice for the lives of many,” she whispers.

  Liam shakes his head. “Ryanne, don’t do this to yourself.”

  “Just another thing that Valdus was right about,” she says quietly. Biting her lip, she looks away from him and crawls over my lap, opening the car door.

  “Ryanne, where are you going?” I ask her.

  “I’m going to ride with James to the next place. I need time to think about everything.” I reach forward and grab her hand. Pulling away from me, she starts backing up. “Alone, Colton. Please.”

  I watch as my soulmate chooses to walk away from me…chooses to leave me. “Don’t worry, Colton. They’ll keep her safe.”

  “They better,” I mumble as Ryanne gets into James’s car and closes the door, leaving my sight. If Larkin takes her anywhere… “Or they’ll have to deal with me.”

  *****

  Walking away from him was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. If someone would have told me last year that I was going to find my soulmate and try to stop some crazy mage, I would have laughed in their face, yet here I am doing exactly that. I know that Colton is still staring at the door that I just shut, but I can’t go back there. In here, Larkin can read my aura, but I’m not surrounded by my soulmate, protector, and someone who can read my emotions.

  “Ryanne, what are you doing in here?” Larkin asks as I crawl over Bragden and sit down. I’m sandwiched between the two of them.

  “I’m riding with you guys to the next house.” I don’t provide any further explanation. They don’t need anything more. Larkin knows that something is wrong, but I’m not going to elaborate. I just need a break from everything. I know that they’ll all ignore me and let me be alone. I’m hoping that the protective enchantment I have on myself will be strong enough for me to be away from Colton. I didn’t want to leave him, but I didn’t want everyone to try and cheer me up. My emotions are what allow me to act. I need to be angry and upset for my powers to be stronger.

  “Are you alright?” Larkin asks as he bumps his shoulder into mine.

  “Yep, just fine,” I say without lo
oking at him.

  Reaching out, he grabs my chin and turns me toward him. “No, you’re not.” I know that he means well, but I don’t want to be comforted right now.

  “I will be,” I whisper. “Please, Larkin.” He releases my chin and nods. “Thank you.”

  No one says anything for the first thirty minutes of the ride. It’s like I don’t exist. Larkin and Kyril talk quietly amongst themselves while Bragden, Conner, and James all talk strategies. My eyes start to feel heavy…I guess I’m going to see how strong my enchantment is. I lean over and rest my head on Bragden’s shoulder. He moves so that I can move into his side like Colton does. I close my eyes and let the car’s movement lull me to sleep.

  “Ryanne, don’t push anyone away. You need them.” I open my eyes to find I’m back in the field of dreams again with Claire.

  “I know. I just needed some time away from everyone. My powers work best when I rely on my emotions. I have all this pent up anger, sadness, and guilt, but I’ve pushed them back so far that it’s difficult to bring them to the surface sometimes,” I explain. “I’m not trying to push anyone away. I just didn’t want to be comforted.”

  “Your powers will work just as well if you let someone comfort you. You have enough pent up frustration toward Dravin that any confrontation will heighten your abilities. Don’t worry about that. What really is the problem, dear?”

  I bite my lip and sit down on the ground. I run my hands through the deep green grass, letting the cool waxy blades tickle my fingers while I try to process my thoughts. “I don’t know.”

  “Yes, you do.”

  “No, I don’t!” I yell as the tears come to my eyes. Claire sits down on the grass next to me and waits for me to calm down.

  “You have to let it out.”

  “I don’t want to lose him,” I whisper. “I just have this feeling that everything is about to get real crazy, and I know that I can’t protect everyone. I. Can’t. Lose. Him. I saw the Howicks’s memories of their daughter. She was tortured and killed because they were looking for me. Me. What if something happens to Colton because of me? What if I have to watch him die again? I can’t live through that. Not again. It freaks me out how much I feel for him. What if Dravin finds a way to capture him…or anyone else for that matter,” I say as I wrap my arms around my knees. Burying my head, I let the rest of the tears fall.

  Claire wraps her arms around me and hugs me. “Nothing is going to happen to Colton, honey. I promise. You need him right now, and I know he’s upset that you walked away from him. He’s scared that he’s going to lose you too.”

  “I know,” I hiccup and lean away from Claire. “How do you keep showing up in my dreams? I’m not complaining. I’m just curious…”

  “I’ll always be here when you need me; never question that. Now wake up, and go talk to your soulmate.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Colton

  This ride is agonizing. I can’t sit still. I can’t think straight. I’m not listening to what anyone is saying. My mind is completely focused on Ryanne. She walked away from me. She’d only done that when someone was in danger before. She wouldn’t let me comfort her. She chose to wallow in her in her guilt rather than let me attempt to make her feel better. She’s in no way, shape, or form responsible for what Dravin is doing.

  Natalie places her hand on my arm and tries to calm me. “There’s nothing you can do until she’s back here with me,” I say. No matter how long she tries to calm me, I’ll still worry. I never thought I’d be the clingy one in a relationship, but I am. I’ll admit it. I’m not going to stop worrying until I know that Ryanne’s okay.

  Liam hands me his ringing cell phone. Why would he give it to me? I look at the caller I.D. It’s Bragden. “Hello.”

  “Colton?”

  “Yeah, how’s Ry?”

  “She’s sleeping. What’s wrong? She wouldn’t talk to anyone. Larkin tried talking to her but she wouldn’t say anything.”

  Ryanne’s asleep… “Does she show any signs of injury on her? Dravin always attacks her in her sleep.” I can hear shuffling on the other end of the phone and then Ryanne’s sleepy groan, but I can tell that she doesn’t wake up.

  “No, she’s fine. She’s just sleeping.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yes, I’m positive. She’s propped against my side and looks as good as new…well almost.”

  “What do you mean almost?”

  “She’s frowning. Even in her sleep, she’s upset, man. Are you guys fighting?”

  “No, we’re not fighting. She feels guilty about Rebecca’s death and won’t let anyone comfort her. She had nothing to do with it, but she still feels responsible.”

  “Who are you talking to?” I hear Ryanne in the background.

  “Colton,” Bragden says. I grimace. He should have lied and said Liam.

  “Can you tell him I’m sorry?” she whispers, barely loud enough for me to hear.

  “Why don’t you tell him?” Bragden says. I can hear shuffling as if Bragden’s handing the phone away.

  “Colton?” Ryanne’s soft voice asks.

  “I’m here,” I reply. I can almost see her clutching the phone to her ear.

  “I’m really sorry I walked away from you. I didn’t want to, but I saw everyone watching me, and I freaked. I needed some alone time. No one in this car knew what I was thinking about. I feel like you and Liam always know what I’m thinking, and Natalie can read my emotions, so it’s hard to keep anything from you guys.”

  “Ryanne,” I start.

  “JAMES!” Ryanne shouts right as the sound of crushing metal and glass breaking resonates through the phone. I can hear Ryanne scream in the background before everything cuts off.

  “Ryanne?” Nothing. “Ry?”

  Silence.

  “We have to turn around,” I demand.

  “Why?”

  “They were in an accident. Ryanne shouted for James right as something crashed into them. I could hear metal breaking and glass shattering, and Ryanne screamed. Then the call ended.”

  “Oh my gosh,” Emma says. Tom pulls into a parking lot and turns around. Pulling back into traffic, he flies down the road. James was a couple miles behind since he left the house after us.

  If she’s hurt…I can’t breathe. Black spots start to fill my vision as I imagine Ryanne lying bloodied in the car. Natalie jumps forward and places both of her hands on my shoulders, calming me. Air rushes back into my lungs, but the worry remains. It won’t end until I see her safe and unharmed.

  Two miles back, I see their car. James’s black sedan is lying on its side in a ditch with smoke coming out of the engine. From this distance, I can see James crawling out of the side window, but I don’t see anyone else yet. There are no other cars around, so what hit them?

  I look toward Liam in the back seat. He’s not reacting, which can mean two things: that Ryanne’s unconscious or…Tom slams on the break and stops the car. I hurtle out of the side door and run toward their vehicle. I can hear everyone following behind me.

  James falls to the ground outside the vehicle and winces as he tries to get up. We need to get everyone out of there before it goes up in flames. The left side door is completely smashed in. I run past James on the ground and look through the driver’s window. Ryanne’s not inside the car. Where is she? Bragden looks the worst out of everyone. He’s awake but trapped to the side. James walks up beside me and rips the side door off its hinges. Throwing it to the ground, he starts to help pull Bragden out. Larkin transports out of the car and lands in the grass behind me.

  “Where’s Ryanne?”

  “There was,” he gasps for breath and winces, “a man who came and grabbed her…out of the car.” He grimaces again as he stands up. “She was unconscious. He transported away. He was a traveler too.”

  “She was kidnapped?” Liam runs past me and helps pull his brother out of the car. David rushes past them and helps Logan crawl out of the side. Natalie rushes toward the car a
nd reaches for her brother. After helping Bragden out, Liam stops and reaches for Natalie as she runs past him. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulls her backward and away from the smoking car.

  “I have to help him!” she yells as tears come to her eyes. She starts struggling against Liam’s strong grip. Natalie may be strong, but Liam is stronger.

  “I’ll save him, Natalie,” Liam says as he tucks a strand of hair behind her ear…something I would do to Ryanne. Her attempts to get past him stop, though her eyes keep flickering to the car. With a nod, she resigns and backs up toward Emma. Moving towards my brother, I help him get Logan out of the car. Logan’s leg is heavily bleeding from where a piece of metal stabbed into it. I wrap his other arm around my shoulder and pull him out. He cries out as we move his leg.

  “What happened?” David asks as we set Logan gently on the ground.

  “I don’t know. I remember listening to Ryanne talk to you and then out of the corner of my eye, I saw a car come out of nowhere. It literally came out of nowhere. We were the only people on the road. He t-boned us and then drove off. I don’t know how there wasn’t any damage to his vehicle. I saw everything. Shards of glass were flying everywhere. Bragden turned his body and blocked most of the glass from hitting her, but she still hit her head against the ceiling when the car flipped. She was buckled, so I don’t know how that happened. Then suddenly there was another man in the car with us. He grabbed Ryanne and transported her out of the car. She was unconscious, so she couldn’t fight back at all. The rest of us were kind of in a daze. It all happened so fast.”