Rylan's Heart

by Serena Simpson

  One of the kidnappers managed to breach the flame going for her neck. Rylan dragged her back, and stepping in front of her, took his flame and wrapped it around the exposed arm bending it back until she heard it break.

  The kidnapper fell to the ground screaming. The flame consumed them.

  Aviana dropped to the ground too, her body shaking.

  “We need to get out of here.” Rylan’s gentle voice touched her while she shook.

  He picked her up and began carrying her, reassuring her that Mckayla was ok.

  “How could I leave her? What kind of mother am I?” her voice shook.

  Memories of her waving goodbye when they left made her heart ache. Vick stood next to her with the other two children surrounding them but all she had wanted to do was run across the yard and scoop her up.

  She raised pain filled eyes to his. “How could I have forgotten her, even for a minute?”

  Recriminations rolled through her mind. She didn’t deserve to live. How would she go on? Images of Mckayla went through her mind. Her smiling or running to meet her. The feel of her daughter’s arms around her was so real all she wanted to do was sink into herself. Then the picture of a knife being plunged deep into her chest haunted her. She screamed as she was torn apart inside.

  No job could replace what she lost. Her dreams were so useless; the ones that mattered had been seeing Mckayla grow up strong to have the life she desired. That small seed she nursed inside—having a family with Rylan as the father of her children—cried as the petals wilted. Her heart would be scarred forever.

  “Aviana, open your eyes.”

  They were back in the underground rooms. She looked at Rylan before sinking down on the table.

  “Let me die,” she murmured.

  “You heard the female, let her die.”

  Rylan shot a scathing look at Voyager before running a gentle hand over Aviana’s face.

  “Listen to me. I told Mckayla I would protect you and I will. I also told you Mckayla would be safe. I am not a liar! You have to get up or you’ll never see her again.”

  “Leave her alone!” Voyager’s voice boomed, echoing through the space. “If she loved her child she would not let anything stop her from looking for her. She would turn over every rock to recover her body if she were really dead. But no, she would rather lie on a filthy table and wallow in her guilt. She was never a good mother and she will not make an acceptable soul-bond.”

  How dare he! Her daughter was killed in front of her. Not a good mother? She was the best; she worked day and night for her baby’s needs, at times setting her needs aside to make sure Mckayla was taken care of. Mckayla, with the contagious smile and the bright eyes that never failed to make her day. What if she was still alive? Maybe this was a trap? One she had fallen for.

  The Dares wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Rena was just as fierce as she was and her mate wasn’t anyone she wanted to meet in an alley.

  And that Voyager! She would show him. Anger bubbled through her veins as she got up. He was right about the table though, it was filthy. She brushed herself off, finger combing her hair as much as possible.

  “You!” she walked over to him poking her finger into his hard chest. “How dare you call me an unfit mother? I love my daughter. If you saw your child killed before your eyes you would have a momentary break down also.”

  “Aviana, if I were to ever have a child who was killed before my eyes, I fear the world may not survive my wrath.” Voyager’s eyes changed just for a minute promising death to whoever dared to mess with what was his.

  A shiver went through her. “What do we do? I’m ready to leave.”

  “You have chosen not to soul-bond with Rylan?” Voyager asked.

  Her eyes flew to Rylan whose shoulders squared when she looked at him. It was the sadness in his eyes that reached her.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “This is a trial, if you leave before it is over the chance to soul-bond will be lost forever.”

  She opened her mouth then closed it without saying anything.

  “So many rules. I think the trial is about tearing you down, not soul bonding.” This came out low as she followed Voyager up the steps followed by Rylan.

  Thoughts of the job she held for a few hours came back to her. It was what she always thought she wanted. A place where her brilliance could shine. The people around her who worked for her would be excited and maybe even a little awed by what she could accomplish.

  It hadn’t felt like that at all. The work was something she knew she could do, but her life had felt empty. There were no real friends she could call. Even though she’d only been there for a day, a piece of her longed for something different.

  The door that was forever open, screaming that she’d been cheated out of her perfect life, began to slowly swing shut. She didn’t have a choice about Mckayla, but she would never give her up to work in an office or to flaunt her intelligence.

  The lingering question in the back of her mind was answered. Had she made the right choice? Yes.

  Chapter Fourteen

  They walked through the city that seemed to be deserted. Aviana walked up to Rylan and bumped her shoulder against his. He looked at her.

  “Sorry.”

  “For what?” he asked.

  “For not believing you and for all the drama I just dished out.”

  “There’s no need to apologize. You love Mckayla; I would expect nothing else.”

  “I expect better of myself. Believing in another person has become harder for me. Every day I take care of her alone, and I thought that is how it would always be. It wasn’t easy for us and the world has its own problems. No one ever took the time to help. Then I find myself at Victor and Selma’s and everything seemed to change almost overnight. Friends and maybe even family came into my life. Mckayla’s laughter was like a balm to my tired soul. And then you were there.”

  “Was that a good thing?”

  “Have you looked in a mirror lately?”

  “Yeah,” his voice didn’t convey that he saw what she saw.

  “It’s a very good thing. You’re so handsome; I can barely believe you’re real. But this is about so much more than your physical looks. You’re brave and domineering. I find I like both qualities. When you…” her cheeks heated. “When you had me pinned under you the other day, I’ve never been turned on like that. Until that moment, I thought I would never respond to a male. Instead of feeling scared or used, I knew you would keep me safe. I understood you for a few moments. Your pain and your rage.”

  “I was sure I scared you away.”

  “You didn’t. What would you do if I wanted to be on top and pin your wrist against the floor?”

  “I’d give you a piece of twine to bind them together.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I trust you.”

  She smiled as her heart did a little two-step. Trust was such a valuable feeling, one you couldn’t just award to anyone, and he trusted her.

  “I trust you, too. I think we could have a strong soul-bond, but I don’t know how to do one.”

  “Neither do I. We can learn together.” Rylan reached out to stroke the side of her face.

  “We rest here tonight.” Voyager’s voice stopped them.

  They were back in a wooded area; the city had faded to woods over an hour ago. The trees stood tall letting in a sliver of moonlight. There was a clear stretch of grass where they could rest. Voyager went to a tree and pulled sleeping bags from behind it.

  He gave them a smile. “The trial provides.”

  A picnic basket filled with sandwiches and chips as well as bottles of cold water appeared.

  “Eat and drink, you will need your strength.”

  “What else can happen to us?” Aviana asked.

  “Do you really want me to answer that?” Voyager looked at her.

  She shook her head quickly and grabbed a sandwich and a bottle of water. The sat in silence as they ate. She pick
ed up a second sandwich not realizing how hungry she was. Rylan ate two more and several pieces of fruit before they cleaned up.

  “Rylan you’ve been in my mind several times. How come I never get a glimpse of yours?”

  “My head is a scary place.”

  “I still want to see it.”

  “You have my permission to come over whenever you want.”

  Her eyes closed and her head lulled to the side as she fell asleep. Rylan turned to look at Voyager who was now standing watch.

  “Wake me and I will take the next shift.” Voyager nodded leaving Rylan to reluctantly lie down. Sleep came fast drawing him into its cold embrace.

  *~*~*~*

  Aviana didn’t like this place. She closed her eyes and willed herself to stay awake, or at least have a happy dream. Upon opening them, she realized nothing had changed. It was dark; things she would see in a horror movie (if she ever allowed herself to watch them) moved around her. Listening for the spooky music, her hands went to her arms rubbing them.

  Her knees shook; a whisper hit her ears and strummed the nerves in the back of her neck. If she didn’t move she would die. Every bit of her fight or flight reflexes were saying flight. Unable to stay still for another moment, she began to run. Her mind took over her feet, directing her, making her stay silent and in the shadows. I can’t do this, she screamed internally, unable to make an external sound. You will if you want him to live. It was the same response to everything she said. Every doubt she expressed was answered with the same refrain. Now all that was left was one vital question. Who was he and why was he dying?

  Time passed, minutes, days, and months, perhaps years. She had no way of knowing. All she could do was run. Her lungs burned with the need to take an unhampered breath. Her legs were on fire. There was a stitch in her side and still she ran because his life depended on her reaching him in time.

  Time slowed as her body came to a halt. No! She had to save him. Why had she stopped running? Run! Her body fell to the ground unable to go another step. She dashed tears from her eyes because she had failed, let him down.

  Taking in big breaths of air she looked around. In the distance was a campfire. Who would want to camp out here? There were huge trees overhead whose branches looked like monsters in the darkness of night. Turning over, she managed to get to her hands and knees and began to crawl towards the fire.

  The terrain was rocky, cutting into the palms of her soft hands and causing bruising against her knees. Head up, eyes on her destination she crawled, needing the warmth of the fire and what she hoped was good company to get her through the night.

  Her gut told her to be careful. She should turn back but a force drew her closer. She was about to be one of those stupid women in the movies she hated who ran towards destruction instead of away from it. Listening for sounds she couldn’t hear anything, not even the sound of her body slowly crawling. Hopefully that meant whoever was ahead of her couldn’t hear anything either.

  Lowering herself flat on the ground behind a huge tree, she looked into the camp. Standing close to the fire was a large structure with a little boy pinned to it. Next to him stood an alien—Sudir. Her brain supplied the name for her.

  It stood with its four legs slightly elevated over the ground. Its back was to her so she couldn’t see the multiple eyes on the front of its face but she could hear him.

  “Rylan,” it took its tongue and licked the boy.

  The boy morphed and changed, became a teenager. The Sudir touched him slowly dragging his hands over his body.

  “I so love the look of you chained and helpless at my mercy. What shall I do to you today?”

  Rylan’s eyes were hard. His chin was jutted out. He looked like he was both in charge and defiant. The Sudir could do anything to him and still he would not be touched. Aviana’s heart went out to him. He endured so much and he was sharing with her, letting her take a look at his soul.

  “I will break you. Bend you to my will. You stood strong all these years but in here you are still my prisoner. Never to see the light of day. Say something!” the Sudir yelled at him.

  The scene changed and Rylan was tied, on his hands and knees and the Sudir held a whip.

  ‘No.’ Aviana wanted to scream but she was still unable to make a sound. Her muscles wouldn’t move. She couldn’t run to him and throw her body across his.

  The whip came down across his back. She watched as his shoulders stiffened and blood poured from the first wound. No sound came even as the whip struck for the second time. Soon the Sudir was whipping Rylan bloody and she lost count of the times he hit him. Rylan’s body sagged but still there was no sound.

  The Sudir dropped the whip. Crouching over him and moaning in joy, his tongue licked Rylan’s back. Her stomach revolted trying to dry heave.

  “So defiant. You turn me on. I want you.” He licked at the wounds seeping with blood and sweat.

  He pulled Rylan to his feet with the chain around his neck that she was seeing for the first time.

  “Do you remember the first time, Rylan? I do. I loved the way you could not help but scream your fury. Every time I take you like this, I love it. You are all mine. I want you now.”

  “No. no, no,” she mumbled in her head knowing what was coming. “Please no,” she begged, unable to avert her eyes even as she tried.

  A knife was stuck in her heart and twisted as she watched the Sudir violate him. She wanted to cry for him, instead all she could see was the proud tilt of his head and the strength of his shoulders as he refused to be degraded by what that monster was doing to him. He endured it all. If he could endure then she could endure also.

  When the Sudir was done, he let Rylan’s body fall to the ground as if he were the trash to be dumped.

  “One day,” Rylan’s strong voice left his tortured body, “I will kill you.”

  The Sudir laughed. “I worked up an appetite.”

  The Sudir shot his hand out and a blaze coming from it wrapped around Rylan, his body lifted and a white light came from Rylan’s body to the Sudir.

  “You taste so good and you are all mine.” Again his body was dropped when the Sudir was done. “They still look for you, your family and friends, but I will never give you up.”

  Tears streamed down Aviana’s face; this time she didn’t try to stop them. Her fingers flexed before feeling came into her body. She could move. She stood and walked into the camp where Rylan laid battered and bruised.

  “Go away.” The adult had taken the teens place.

  “No.” She walked up to him and lie beside him.

  “You shouldn’t be here.”

  “You invited me, remember.”

  “Not here. This memory, this thing, is not for sharing.”

  “I know.”

  “No, you don’t. He had me for years. He used…used me like that and so much more. There was nothing I could do to defend myself. I had to endure, believe that one day I would be free and I would stop him from ever hurting anyone else.”

  “And you did. I don’t know how you did, but I know you did.”

  “Gabe spent day after day, night after night repairing the bridge I broke between us. I knew if the Sudir broke me, it would only be a matter of time before he found Gabe. I couldn’t let that happen. He finally rebuilt the bridge and began to share my nightmare.

  It took a while but he was able to figure out where I was being held and I knew that he and the men who raised us—we thought of them as our fathers—were going to come after me. That’s when I knew I had to put my plan to kill Xolon into effect. If I waited he could take them too.”

  “You killed him.” It was a statement. She knew he would always take care of those he cared about.

  “I killed him that night. Most Sudir’s are notoriously hard to kill. The best time to attack is when they are weak, but Xolon was nerve weak. He overdosed on me like I was a drug. So I needed to attack him before he could feed.

  “He…he…,” his voice dropped off. Aviana place
d her hand on his arm.

  “He had his special time with me as he liked to call it. Then he dropped by my side and told me how good it was, as if I were nervous and needed to be reassured I had pleased him. That’s when I decided there would never be another night like this one.

  “I had learned Xolon’s secret; during intimacy he lost power, and if I was careful I could drain off some of his power. I had been doing it for a while so I had more power than he realized. Enough power to shield myself. I got up and ran. My hands were bound and a collar was around my neck, but my feet were unshackled.

  “When Gabe realized what I was doing, he boosted the power I already had. Then he brought Cal and Victor into it and they lent me power. It became my best shot at surviving. Xolon chased me, cursed me, threatened me, but I ran until I came up with a plan. Then I crawled back to him. I would rather die with him than see him live a day longer.”

  Aviana raised her hand to her mouth. Looking at him with large eyes, she encouraged him to go on.

  “He was triumphant over my defeat. So sure that I needed him, wanted him; all he could think about was feeding from me then punishing me. He gave the order to kneel. I did it willingly. He was so sure I was his, he didn’t immobilize my body. When he started to feed, I started to feed. I syphoned power from his body, at first he didn’t know but soon he felt the drain.

  “But I was stronger than him with all the power from my Arbrin kin on top of his power. I stood, allowing myself to grow bigger and bigger as I drained him of his power. To kill this way I opened myself up to darkness. I embraced it all until nothing but his cold dead flat eyes looked back at me. He never stood a chance and I relished every minute of it.”

  She reached up to kiss him.

  “You can’t.” Rylan spoke quickly.

  “Who says?” She touched his lips licking at them until they opened.

  She stuck her tongue in and gently caressed him.

  “No, Aviana,” He moved away from her, put inches of space between them. “I’m broken. What he did to me…what I did to him.”

  “It is not who you are. It does not define you. Each of us has a story where someone took advantage of us, used us, abused us…you, me, and everyone in the world. Yours is a story of overcoming despite what was done to you. Rylan, I’m broken too, but you made me remember I’m so much more than that and so are you.”