The Knight (The Heir #1.5)

19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

D arkness was all I saw for some time—until a melody floated over to me, stronger than anyone else to exist. I knew it had to be a dream. I was probably on my way to the Ancients. Cade had defeated me. I felt the pain shooting through me and wondered if my failures as a knight had brought so much dishonor to me that I would remain forever with the corrupt—but no, if I was in corruption’s grasp, I wouldn’t be hearing her melody. I was being shaken, shaken awake, and I saw her green eyes, gazing into mine as she sat me up and started tending to my cuts. I wasn’t dead. I was still alive, but why was she there? I wanted, then more than ever, to kiss every inch of her skin, to hold her close and never let her out of my sight.

“You shouldn’t be here, Em,” I mumbled, in a voice that I did not recognize. I turned to the side, spitting blood onto the damp ground, my entire body trembling. I could tell that she was sad, seeing me like that. Her face held so many emotions. Even if I couldn’t unshield my melody enough to know her feelings, I knew her well enough to know her face, to know the thoughts she expressed with her facial expressions.

Emma wrapped a towel around my shoulders and rubbed at my arms, attempting to create warmth for me, but each movement of her hands caused the cuts to hurt even more; still, I didn’t have the strength to tell her. Her caring, her gazing on me with that love and concern in her eyes was all I needed.

“Of course, I should be here—as if I can’t help to rescue people, too. Honestly, you boys are all so ridiculous,” Emma finally answered.

“Emma, please. He will, he will—” I wasn’t able to use my voice fully. It was hard to get the words out at all. My efforts were useless.

“Please, Ry, don’t talk. We will take you back and get you all cleaned up and feeling better soon. I was so worried about you. I love you, Ry. I am so glad you are alive.” Her eyes locked onto mine as her hand touched my cheek, flooding me with a warmth that was purely hers. That's when I noticed that her melody was toned down, and I saw a small crystal around her neck. Relief overcame me, for even if I died, at least, she had a melody inhibiting crystal, a seekers crystal, and it would help protect who she was. I covered her hand with my own.

“It is so good to see you, Em. I didn’t think I would—” I tried to speak clearly.

“Shhh—I am here, and we will get you out of here; no one will hurt you anymore.” She caressed my arm. “Can someone tell me why, or better yet, how our secret weapon, that is our undefeatable-warrior-Keil, was bested? I’m not sure I buy into this ancient warrior thing,” Emma spoke scornfully.

“I was not bested, and besides, Ryker isn’t an honorable cause anymore,” Keil answered. Nothing had been more true. I was a total and complete failure in more ways than one.

“What does that mean? I thought you were fighting for me?” Emma questioned.

“Ryker can fill you in when he is feeling better, but I was chained up rather quickly, and we have been left here for hours. Ryker says that their leader is Cade,” I heard Keil speak, but I didn't take my eyes away from peering into Emma’s eyes, which were also locked onto mine. When she looked away, it was the first time I noticed that Shad was there, too. I wanted to curse him, but I noticed that he was working to loosen the bonds on my legs, and I decided that it wouldn’t help the situation to have him upset with me right then. He had a sword, and I was chained, broken, bruised, and cut. I was no match for him. Although a fight with Shad did sound fun, I would also enjoy a fight with Cadian, but after I was healed.

“Cade? Are you sure? How is that even possible?” Shad’s voice seemed dark and worried. I enjoyed seeing him worried, and I nodded.

“Who is Cade? Did he—was he the one who caused my parents—did he cause the crash?” Emma asked and turned her head.

“We should not have come,” Shad said, as he finished with the chains around my ankles and moved on to Keil, intentionally ignoring her question.

“Who is Cade?” Emma asked again in a whisper, this time, clearly irritated as she tried to sit me up straight. I wasn’t aware that I had started to slip back down. I was so drained, so tired. It took most of my energy just to keep my soul shielded. My head rested on her shoulder, leaving bloody smears on her shirt. It was taking everything in me to pay attention to the conversation. “He is the prince who has been searching for your melody,” Keil answered, sadly as if the information was painful to extract from his vocal cords.

“He's the one who killed my parents, too?” Emma asked, but I was starting to lose consciousness again. It was hard to keep the blackness at bay.

“And, unfortunately, this is all a trap. We are not going to make it out of here alive,” I heard Keil say.

“Welcome, welcome,” I heard Cadian’s voice from the far edge of the room. My body shook from instinct, readying for the corruptor's blade to inflict even more damage to it. “It has been a long time, has it not, brother?” Emma was torn from my arms, and I fell into Keil’s embrace with a grunt. Unaware of what was going on, I tried to focus on the words, but soon, and far more quickly than I wanted, blackness overtook me, and the cold stone floor was beneath me once again—so much for Keil’s help. I found myself transported back in time in my mind once again.

“You didn't even know him!”

“Know him? I do not have to know him, Em. He isn't good for you. Just stop being so difficult.”

“I’m not difficult. Stop trying to keep me away from everything! I’m allowed to have other relationships.”

“I am not going to talk about this anymore. I did what I had to do, Em, to keep you safe.”

“Safe from Brian?”

“Yes, from Brian. It was clear that all he wanted was to make out with you.”

“So! What if I wanted that!” she was shouting, and her anger made her eyes very bright. I tried to hide a smile. Her father and her mother had let her melody out a bit again, and of course, as soon as they did that, she was out flirting with boys and going on dates. Her emotions were back, and she could feel things again.

“Emma, calm down. It's not a big deal,” I said, pushing hair out of my face. She sat beside me in the back seat of my dad’s car, and I could see in her melody that her anger was fuming. I could see that she wanted to be kissed; she wanted to know what a kiss felt like. She turned to me, and I tried to hold back a smile as she glanced at my lips, wondering not for the first time what a kiss would feel like—from me.

“If you would have just kissed me that summer like I asked you to—” she trailed off, and I felt her melody swirl around me, and I knew that she really wanted to try kissing. She was a curious little thing, I would give her that.

“What about sweet sixteen? Isn't that important to girls?” I asked, gripping the door handle to steady myself from kissing her senseless that moment.

“Ah, you’re impossible. That’s three years away.” She leaned against the seat.

“Some things are worth waiting for, Em.” I said, trying not to imagine what her lips would feel like pressed to mine.

“If you say so,” she grunted, folding her arms.

“How about I promise that when you are sixteen and I’m seventeen, if you still want to kiss me, I’ll kiss you?”

“You mean it?” her voice was excited as she turned to me.

“Sure, but you know that usually people kiss because they like each other.”

“I like you, Ry; you are my best friend,” Her smile made it hard to breathe, but somehow, I managed.

“So, you'll wait to be kissed until you are sixteen then?” I asked, as my dad pulled into her driveway.

“Yes,” she said with a nod and turned to look at me. She took my hand in hers and squeezed it before she slipped out of the door and ran up the porch to her house. At least, she would be safe for the next few years. After that? Who could know what I would have to do then?