by T. Aleo
“Ryland?”
His name seems foreign on my lips since I haven’t spoken it in years. A grin appears on those lips as he looks down at the ground.
“I didn’t think ya remembered me,” he says, his Irish brogue so pronounced, so dreamy, and I can’t believe how much it affects me. How I missed that brogue. How I missed him, but I can’t even fathom that right now.
Because he is not supposed to be here.
Ryland Kelley died when I was sixteen.
But at this moment, I’m staring into his eyes.
“You’re dead,” I gasp, my heart in overdrive as my skin breaks out in gooseflesh. “How?”
His grin is unstoppable, just like I remember it, as he shrugs, ever so carefree. “Aye, I mean, figuratively speaking, yeah, I’m dead.”
“Figuratively speaking? Ryland, I went to your funeral,” I cry out, my eyes burning as they widen even more, unable to process this. “I watched your casket go into the ground. My heart broke for you.”
I cover my mouth, a sob begging for escape as his shoulders drop. “Don’t cry, please, not for me. I know this is hard to understand, but ya never saw me body, did ya? It was all a scam.”
Cold. I feel cold inside. “A scam.”
“Aye, but no worries, well, there are worries since I’m locked in a cell, but ya know what I mean,” he laughs. How in the world can he be laughing right now?
“Ryland, I’m sorry, but I need some help here. How, how are you here?”
“Your dad put me here,” he says it so simply, almost a little wise-assy, and I forgot how much I liked that about him. Before, not now. Now, I want to rip his head off for answers.
Frustrated, I throw my hands up, the lantern going wild in my grasp. “I mean alive!”
“Ah, yeah. Ya see, my da found out I wasn’t his, and he banished me.”
My eyes widen to the point I’m sure they’ll fall out of my head any minute now. “You’re not a Kelley?”
He shrugs. “Eh, I have the name, and my ma, she’s a Kelley, but I guess my blood comes from the Conners.”
Whoa. “What?”
“I’m Kurt Conner’s boy.”
I can only blink. “How?”
He smirks a bit as his eyes, which I can’t help but notice are such a lovely shade of chocolate, meet mine. “Well, ya see, princess, when two people like to sleep around, they come together and—”
“I know where babies come from, idiot. I mean, how in the world did this happen, and why did you have to ‘die’ because of it?”
When I hear something move, I jerk back, crouching as my gaze goes to the door, braced in case I have to attack. But nothing is there. Thank God.
“It’s probably just a rat, princess.”
Ignoring him, I wait, and when I hear nothing more, I suck in a deep breath. I’ve been down here too long. Ryland is probably right, it was just a rat, but I can’t chance it. I have to go. I don’t want to, but I have to.
Looking to him, and it still blows my mind that he is in front of me, I hold my hand up. “I gotta go.”
“Why? Don’t leave.”
“I have to. Cyrus knows I’m down here,” I say quickly, bending down to open my bag. He bends down with me as I unload my bag at his feet. His blood-covered feet. And with closer inspection, I can see the burns from the silver shackles they used on him. As I had figured, he had been hurt, so I’d brought extra cleanser for his wounds, along with towels. “Clean yourself up. I don’t want anything getting infected.”
He scoffs. “It won’t. I’m already healed.”
Meeting his gaze, I can’t believe Ryland is looking back at me. I reach through the bars, and he doesn’t move as my hand comes to his cheek. As he leans into my hand, his warmth permeates my soul, and I still don’t believe it. “Is it really you?”
His eyes soften as his hand comes up to mine. “Aye, I put on a wee bit of weight, and I grew, but it’s me. And look at you. Still so beautiful. More put together, but I see you, Bekka.”
He was the only one ever to call me anything but Rebekah.
My lip wobbles as I hold his gaze. “Where have you been?”
“A little town outside of Edinburgh. I’ve missed you.”
Unable to speak, my heart…it just hurts. I thought he was gone; I thought I had lost a friend, someone I truly cared about. Before all the Kelley drama got really bad and we learned the formula didn’t work on me, I was able to be friends with him. I was able to speak to him, and I wasn’t afraid. Even now, I’m not scared of him. I’m scared for him.
Swallowing hard, I pull my hand back and stand as he does the same. “I gotta go.”
As I turn, he takes my arm in his, stopping me. “Will you be back?”
Before he can even finish his sentence, I’m nodding. I know I shouldn’t. I know I need to stay away, but I still have questions, and I have to figure out a way to get him out of here. “I will. I don’t know when, though.”
He smiles, his hand falling down my arm to my wrist, the heat of his touch burning my wrist as if I’m the one wearing the shackles meant to keep me prisoner.
“As long as I know you’ll be back, that’s enough to keep me warm.”
Oh, heart.
Crap.
Nodding quickly, I pull away, blowing out the lamp and then running toward the bastille door. Tears are rushing down my face, over my chin, and onto my chest, and I can’t find my breath. I’m still unsure of what I just discovered and uncertain as to how I should feel. Should I be relieved? Ryland would never have hurt me. But then, he was supposed to be dead, and I don’t have any clue who that man is who stands behind those bars.
I only know seventeen-year-old Ryland.
The Ryland who cared for me.
The same Ryland I had admitted I cared for too. And then the next day, he was gone.
But now, he’s in the bastille because he shifted into Killian, a vampire, with the intention of kidnapping me.
What in the ever-loving hell am I supposed to think about that?
Reaching the door, I’m out of breath, and when I look up, thank goodness I don’t see Cyrus. Lifting the strap of my bag over my head and across my chest, I start climbing. When I get halfway, his voice meets me.
“Hey, I was just about to come get you. Are you always down there that long? Doesn’t the smell bother you?”
I fake a laugh, when all I want to do is cry forever more. Running my hand down my face as I climb, not an easy feat, I suck in a breath. “Not at all. I enjoy them. I read to them.”
When I reach the top, Cyrus takes my hand, helping me up and out. After I help him with the door, we both stand and he nods. “Ew. Anything else happen I should know about?”
I shake my head, trying so hard not to let on that I saw Ryland or that I’m freaking the hell out because he is alive. “We ate my snacks?”
He nods. “Sounds like a blast, wish I hadn’t have missed it,” he says dryly. “What are you about to do? Do I need to follow you?”
I laugh soullessly as my body shakes with anxiety. “No, please don’t. I’m just going to go nap before my shift.”
He seems relieved. “Thank God. I’ll take a nap too. Sounds like a plan since I have to go with you tonight.”
“Ew.”
“You’re telling me. Text me if you need me,” he says, and together we walk down the hall.
When we pass a guard, I make a face, turning to him. “What’s he doing?”
“Making sure you don’t go down there without me there.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m supposed to. I don’t know, Rebekah, just go with it. At least you can see the stinky dudes.”
I scold him. “Stop calling them that.”
“Whatever. They are,” he says as we start to climb the stairs. “But I spoke with Father, and since they have disposed of the guy who was sent here to kill you, he feels you’re okay to go down there, with supervision, of course.”
“Disposed?”
&nb
sp; “Yeah, killed him or something. I don’t know,” he says with a wave of his hand. I wonder if he believes that or if he is lying to me. I’m unsure, and I don’t know how to adjust to that. I don’t want him to know I know Ryland is alive or that I’ve now seen him. But it worries me. Does this mean they intend to kill him? Before I can express my fears either way, my brother says, “But whatever, don’t make my life harder, okay? Father, JJ, and Oceanus won’t be back for a couple days. They are flying to New Orleans to bring Jonas home for extra security until the threat is dealt with.”
The lump in my throat grows. “So there is still a threat?”
He shrugs. “I guess so. They got nothing from those Kelleys, but they are meeting with the Conners today, and we’ll see what happens.”
Hearing that name makes me breathless as I nod. Coming to the bottom of the stairs that lead to my room, I look up at my brother. “Okay. Well, keep me in the loop.”
“You’re the only one I have to talk to, so you’re in luck.”
He sends me a quick grin and I turn, slowly heading up the stairs. But then his voice stops me. “You all right, sister?”
Looking over my shoulder, I curve my lips forcibly and nod. “Of course. Just tired.”
Which is the lie of the century.
I’m not okay, nor am I tired. I’m wide awake, but I can’t let him know that.
“Get some rest, see you soon,” he says, his voice full of love, and I almost feel bad for lying to him.
Almost.
Taking the stairs two at a time, I rush to my room and shut the door, my head coming to rest against it as my breathing comes out in pants. I feel like everything is hitting me at once.
Ryland is alive.
Ryland Kelley is alive.
Ryland Kelley was sent to kidnap me.
He’s also a Conner.
Crap. What does that mean?
I’ve never heard of clans mixing because it isn’t allowed!
Holy crap.
Gasping for breath, I push off the wall and start to pace. Did I really see him?
Yes, you idiot.
Yeah, I did.
Crap. What do I do now? I have to go back? I have to.
But, crap!
Without realizing what I’m doing, I go to my bed. Dropping to my knees, I reach under it and pull out my memento box. Opening it, I quickly move through it, on a mission to find that picture of Ryland and me when we were younger. For what reason, I’m not sure since I just saw him moments ago, but I think it’s to reconcile what I saw. To make sure I’m right. It’s at the bottom where I hid it last time. Despite having looked at it not too long ago, it still hurts to see this picture. To see us. Especially when everything had changed in an instant.
Him, dead.
Me, alive.
Gripping the picture, I see us. There we were, young and bashful. No, it definitely was Ryland down there, and that shakes me to the core. But then I feel calmness and relief fill me within seconds. Ryland is alive. It had been so sudden, losing him, and as I drink in the details of us leaned against the schoolhouse, I can’t help but grin.
Those were good times.
Going to the School of the Works, I grew up with the shifters, the werewolves, and the witches. Since vampires can’t have children, there were never vamps that I grew up with. I knew them, Alena, for example, but I didn’t grow up with them the way I did with the Patchwork and the other three clans.
Which is how I met Ryland.
He was just this quiet kid on the playground, off to himself, playing with worms, and I figured that seemed like a grand idea. From that day on, we were inseparable. Well, at least at school. I wasn’t able to go anywhere much, but he was my best friend. When we entered high school, though, gone was the quiet kid, and in came a boy comfortable in his skin. All the girls wanted him. Thought he was funny and charming, and he was. But to me, he was my friend. My closest friend. Everyone knew he had such a crush on me since he told everyone we’d run away together one day and be happy.
I remember him and Cyrus getting into a fistfight because of it. Father hated him, but not as much as JJ did. He saw Ryland as trouble, a danger, but he was my friend. Even with the passes he made at me, I always just laughed them off because I didn’t feel the same. I wasn’t allowed to. Back then, I followed the rules. But that all changed the night of our junior prom.
Ryland and I had decided to go as friends because we didn’t like anyone else, and all the Patchwork boys only wanted me because of who my father was. With Ryland, I could be myself. We had a blast. It was fun, and I really enjoyed him. It was easy with him, and he was so funny. Dancing like a maniac, he had no cares who was watching; his eyes were only on me.
A laugh escapes my lips before I slowly run my fingers along his face. He’s right; he has put on some weight and grown taller, bigger. While I thought he was gorgeous then, nothing compares to the man who was behind the bars in the bastille. He still had his quick wit, his grin, and man, the feelings I had so long ago come rushing back, tenfold.
As I close my eyes, tears leak out the sides and I take in a deep breath. Within seconds, I am taken back to that night.
“Why ya looking at me like that? I got something in my teeth?” Ryland asked, flashing me his teeth, the whiteness blinding me as much as his eyes did. So bright and carefree.
Shaking my head, I laughed as I looked up at him. “No, no, you don’t.”
“Then, what?” he said, pausing. Within seconds, his grin was gone and his hand came to rest at my elbow. His eyes filled with concern as he asked, “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” I said as I waved him off, causing his hand to fall, but then I took it. I laced my fingers with his, and we both looked up from our hands. Our gazes met. Why hadn’t I known before? “I think I like you.”
His face changed, a grin coming back fast as ever as he laughed. “Well, good. I mean, we are best friends, eh?”
But I shook my head. “No. I mean more than that.”
He paused once more, his head falling to the side. “Aye?”
I grinned, feeling something I’d never felt before. “Aye.”
He didn’t move at first, his eyes changed, though, darker, and then he took a step toward me, his other hand coming up and cupping the back of my neck. Heat rushed down my spine as I fought for breath. His nose pressed against mine, his eyes burned into mine, and then he whispered, “About damn time.”
And then he kissed me.
It was my first kiss.
The only kiss that ever made my heart stop.
I blamed it on the fact it was my first, but then he did it again, and once more, I was breathless, heart coming to a complete stop.
It wasn’t the kiss. It was Ryland.
I thought we had forever.
I thought one day my father would change the rules so I could be with him.
But when I woke the next morning, Ryland was dead, and I knew I’d never feel those lips again.
I’d never feel like I had that night.
It has haunted me for the last three years.
But Ryland is alive.
In my bastille.
Because he came to kidnap me.
Well, shit.
I’m still not breathing normally when I arrive at the Clandestine for my shift.
And I sure as hell didn’t sleep.
Killian is Ryland.
Ryland was dead, but now he’s alive.
Yeah. This is all…freaking crazy!
Sucking in a deep breath, like I have been doing my entire shift since I can’t seem to wrap my head around this, I look up, letting the air out slowly. Maybe, maybe I imagined the whole thing? Maybe I missed Ryland so much I made him up? Imagined him… But I felt him. I saw the blood, I felt his presence… No. He’s real. Alive.
Shit, Ryland Kelley is alive.
But he was trying to kidnap me.
Damn it.
I feel erratic, almost like I don’t even know myself. Seeing him,
feeling him, his breath on mine, it all just seems so unreal. But then, I can’t shake the feeling that I always knew. I knew there was something different about Killian. I felt so safe with him, I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, and I never feel that. For obvious reasons, but with Killian it was different.
I knew him.
The real him.
Ryland.
Jesus, his name. On my lips. It feels oh so right, but so scary. I don’t know anything. I have no clue what happened or why he was banished. If that’s even what it was. I don’t know, but I have to know. I have to go back down there.
Tonight.
I have to go tonight.
When I look over at Cyrus, he’s on his phone, completely isolating himself and ignoring a very pretty Patchwork lady who has tried to talk to him not once, but twice. She isn’t like me, pieced together, because the formula clearly worked on her, but she does have a few scars. Her blond hair is up in a bun, her white body-hugging dress is very elegant and fits her perfectly. I know her. Her name is Mabel; we went to school together, and she works for my father in accounting. I’m pretty sure she has the hots for my brother, and he isn’t paying her any mind. If only he would. I could get away easily if he was shacking up with her.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Looking over at Alena, I shake my head and sigh. “I’m tired.”
“Oh,” she says, but before she can say more, I’m moving. Coming up beside my brother, I lean into him.
“Cyrus, brother, have you met my friend Mabel?”
Cyrus looks up to me then, a very disgruntled look on his face. “What?”
I gesture to Mabel, and she beams over at him. “Hey, Mabel, this is my brother, Cyrus.”
“Rebekah, I’m busy—” Cyrus looks over, and it’s like something out of a cartoon. His eyes go wide, the phone slowly hits the bar, and he’s grinning.
Aw. He’s actually adorable when he smiles.
Clearing his throat, he holds out his hand. “Hey.”
Mabel lights up, taking his hand, and as I back away, I’m two seconds from letting out a whoop and doing a jig.
Step one, done.
Turning from the newly met lovebirds, I run right into Alena. “Something is up with you.”
“Not at all, just tired,” I say quickly, moving around her and grabbing a rag to wipe the bar.