49
My body feels like it’s been squashed by a building, my chest and back aching and throbbing. Like every part of my body bears its own heartbeat.
I open my eyes slowly and try to move. I bend each joint carefully, making sure there’s nothing broken before I go further.
The explosion came out of nowhere.
I was running towards the soldiers behind Maeve when I saw the bright orange flames and was flung back against the stone floor.
Fuck, Maeve.
Adrenaline floods my body at the thought of her. What if she’s hurt, or worse—
I don’t let myself finish that thought, or allow that to be a possibility. I haul myself up, the aches roaming through my body as I’m finally on my feet.
The rubble is settling and there’s dust all around the room. I bring my hand up to shield my face and try to see through it.
I tear my gaze around desperately in search for her, yet I can hardly make out a fucking thing.
“Xander?”
It’s Cole I hear calling my name from somewhere next to me. I take a deep breath, I’m thankful he’s alive but I need to find Maeve.
“I’m okay.” I say quickly, “are you injured?”
I hear grunts from beside me as Cole tries to move closer and I can finally see him through the dust.
“Just… my leg.” He grunts out, clearly in pain by the hoarse sound of his voice.
I look down and see a massive piece of stone shrapnel sticking out of his leg. Dark, thick blood is already pooling around it.
I take off my suit jacket and move closer to him, pressing it on his wound.
Cole groans at the pressure, his skin becoming clammy.
“Hold that there.” I say and then look around me, “I’m going to find Maeve.”
With my commander's nod of approval, I get back up.
My body is still aching from the hits it took and being thrown back after the explosion.
But none of that matters when she’s missing.
I look around as the dust starts to settle. There’s a sea of red covering the floor. Many of Hidale’s soldiers are dead and the ones that made it, must be long gone.
My stomach drops.
“Maeve!” I call out as loud as I can.
I wait for an answer while walking around, my pace increasing and heartbeat rising.
“Maeve!”
My search is frantic now as I double check all the bodies.
She still hasn’t responded.
“Maeve!” I shout again, desperation rising rapidly.
“It’s no use.” A familiar voice answers.
My body tenses as anger rises through it. I clench my fists and turn around, ready to face the man that I know that voice belongs to.
I see Raylin standing there unharmed, not even a fucking scratch.
“They’ve taken her, she’s gone.” He says, far too casually.
I say nothing as I stalk towards him, my nails biting my palms as my fists clench further.
“You did this!” I shout, “you turned her in!”
He puts his hands up in defence. “Not without cause.”
I curl my fists tighter than what should be possible, before drawing back and slamming one into his face.
Raylin buckles over clutching his now bleeding nose and swears under his breath.
I don’t give him another second to recover before grabbing him by his shirt and hauling him up to look at me.
“You loved her, you wanted her back.” I sneer at him, my words careful and slow. “How the fuck could you turn her in?”
Raylin stares down at me, no fear in his eyes, just sorrow.
“They had my mother.”
I drop him in an instant. Raylin fumbles, unable to get his footing and falls to the ground.
He winces as his hands meet the stone floor before his face. I watch his blood drop onto the ground, the noise a satisfying tap escaping from the silence around us. Raylin turns his gaze towards me, his eyes laced with anger.
“Stand.” I command him.
He does slowly, eyeing me with curiosity, like he doesn’t know what I’ll do next.
When he’s standing in front of me, I place my hands either side of his head, preparing to read his mind and watch his memories.
“What are you—” He mumbles out.
I stare him down and watch as Raylin’s eyes go wide as he finally realises what I’m doing.
“No.” He says desperately as he tries to wriggle away from me. But he struggles against my hold, my hands too firmly gripping his head.
“You can’t—” He’s cut off by his eyes rolling back into his head as I’m successfully in his mind.
Flashes start to form in front of me and I see the destroyed ballroom around us transform into places and memories of his life. I sort through them trying to find exactly what I’m looking for.
I see flashes of different parts of his home and different people, most I’ve never met.
Until Maeve comes into frame.
My breathing stops for a second as I see her walk towards me, smiling shyly.
The sun from the arched open windows around us shines on her brown hair. My breath hitches as Maeve’s big green eyes light up when she looks at me, in a way that leaves me mesmerised. Maeve’s freckles dance in the sun rays and her skin radiates in shades of gold as she comes closer.
I say her name softly, unable to believe it’s her, that she’s right here. That she’s looking at me like this.
Maeve laughs before swinging her arms around me, holding me tight.
My breath all but escapes me.
She feels so warm and light in my arms that I melt.
I’m ready to do anything I can to make this moment last forever, to hold her for eternity.
I wrap my arms tighter around her waist, sighing as I let my body relax and my eyes close.
“I love you Raylin.”
Maeve whispers into my ears and I almost say it back before suddenly withdrawing and pushing her away.
My eyes trace hers, but she doesn’t falter, doesn’t look surprised at all. In fact she doesn’t even register that I’m here.
That it’s me, not him.
Raylin.
I’m still in his fucking head.
This isn’t real, none of it was.
My stomach twists at the realisation that this was his memory, their moments together, their history.
Pain drives into my chest like a blade and I struggle to pull it out.
Maeve’s not here, she’s still missing, still in danger.
How could I have let myself get so enthralled?
I start filtering through the memories again, quickly moving past all the ones that involve Maeve. Not wanting to see more of their relationship but also not allowing myself the chance to get lost again.
Finally, the King of Hidale comes into view as the meeting room in Faystra’s castle generates around me.
Raylin’s family are all sitting around the birch wood table while Hidale paces back and forth, slowly.
My gut twists when I stare down at the face I hadn’t seen in so long.
The face that I can’t wait to bury.
Castor is at the head of the table and looks angry, he shoots glares at the King of Hidale every time he walks by.
Gone is any trace of subtly, he wants Hidale to know how much he hates him.
I look down at his hands and note the letter in them. The piece of parchment bears my own handwriting, the envelope on the table has my name sprawled across it. The letter must be the one that I sent all those weeks ago, asking to meet with them.
“How do I know you will return her?” Castor demands Hidale.
He stops pacing and turns to look at Castor, a menacing glare in his eyes.
“You don’t.”
Castor slams his hands on the table in an instant, flattening the letter as he stands up.
“But.” Hidale adds as he holds up one finger, “you don’t have another choice. Don’t give me Maeve, she dies. Give me Maeve, she may live.”
I find myself standing up now, or I guess Raylin did.
“You can’t do it father! You can’t trust him!”
Castor looks across to his son, there’s no forgiveness in his eyes. “It is done.”
I watch as I slam my own fist into the table and turn to walk out of the room.
“Get back here now boy! This meeting isn’t over.”
It’s Hidale that voices this command and surprisingly Raylin listens. Whether it’s out of fear or acceptance of his fate, I don’t know.
Castor looks towards his son and then to Hidale.
“I want more than just my wife back.” He says coldly.
“I want to know my land and my people will be safe in your pursuit of power. I want an alliance.”
“What?” Resson exclaims, face twisted in outrage at his father.
“I think we can arrange that.” Hidale says with a sinister smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.
“You can’t!” Raylin exclaims and sends papers flying around the room, his family's hair whipping wildly with a sudden outburst of his power.
Raylin’s older brother stands up, ready to side with him, while the youngest stays quiet.
“I can and I will.” Castor says to his sons, a quiet command in his eyes, saying obey or else.
Castor turns to Hidale. “My wife will remain unharmed and will be returned once you have Maeve and then we will offer our services to help you rise to power.”
Hidale smiles slowly, like he has them exactly where he wants them.
“Deal.” He says as he walks over and extends a hand to Castor.
With a look towards his sons and then back to Hidale, Castor takes his hand and shakes it, their fate sealed.
I thought Raylin would leave, would stand against his father. But I guess the future should have told me differently. Raylin shares a stern look with his older brother before taking a seat.
Giving in.
I draw back, ripping myself from Raylin's head, having seen enough. I throw his pathetic ass to the floor, his impact on the stone not hard enough for what he deserves.
Raylin rolls forward, using his hands to hold his chest off the floor as he catches his breath.
“You knew.” I spit out at him.
“You knew she was with us from the start, knew she was doomed from the start.”
Raylin stares up at me, his eyes filled with guilt but still, he says nothing.
No attempt at denial, a quiet confirmation.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you?” I demand, a lethal calm dripping from my voice.
Raylin’s expression changes from guilt to sadness as he continues to stare up at me, his chest heaving and body shaking ever so slightly.
“Because I know where they took her.” He gasps out, still struggling for air. “I’m worth more to you alive—”
Raylin stops for another breath.
“Than dead.”
I stare down at him, wanting nothing more than to break his neck.
Maeve has trusted him, twice now.
And all it has gotten her is a blade in her back.
My eyes narrow at Raylin, at the man I can’t wait to end.
“For now.”