Chapter Five
DALLIN HAD NEVER FELT so hounded.
He understood why his brothers were worried, but that didn’t mean he wanted to talk to them every minute of every day.
In fact, he’d be happy being left alone with his thoughts.
But they wouldn’t let him.
He wasn’t sure what had happened.
Until a few days ago, they’d all been happy to focus on their dragon and on trying to find Sol.
Something had shifted, though, and Dallin was racking his brain, attempting to find out what that something was.
He hadn’t asked for everyone to coddle him.
He hadn’t asked for special treatment.
Hell, he hadn’t asked for anything.
He glanced around the corner to check if anyone was there.
He was trying to get back to his room, but fifteen minutes ago, Ansley had been standing in front of his door.
Dallin hadn’t wanted to talk to him, so he’d turned around and hidden in a broom closet for a while.
It was ridiculous, but it was the only way for him to have a little peace.
Dallin loved his brothers.
He even loved that they were worried about him and that they wanted to help him.
What he didn’t appreciate was them hounding him.
He loved that they cared, but he needed time alone to deal with his feelings about what was happening to Sol, and they didn’t seem to be able to give him that.
Either that or they didn’t want to.
Maybe they didn’t understand that he wasn’t like them. Maybe they couldn’t see that he just needed some peace.
The coast was clear.
He grinned as he rushed toward his bedroom door.
He needed to get there before another one of his brothers magically appeared.
He wouldn’t put it past any of them to be hiding somewhere to pounce as soon as they saw him.
He got to his bedroom door without any trouble.
He grinned as he pushed it open, but of course, he couldn’t be that lucky.
“There you are,”
Tyne said from behind him.
Dallin sighed.
“Where were you hiding?”
“I wasn’t hiding. I was looking for you, and I’m not the only one.”
“Has any of you stopped to think that maybe there’s a reason I didn’t want you to find me?”
Tyne snorted.
“Oh, I know there’s a reason for that. Doesn’t mean we’ll let you hide.”
Dallin narrowed his eyes.
“You’re one to talk. Are you done hiding?”
“I’m not hiding.”
“At the very least, you’re hiding from Meyer. Or have you talked to him yet?”
“None of your business.”
“Isn’t it?”
Tyne scowled.
“We’re not here to talk about me.”
“Why not? It would be better than talking about me.”
“Are you done worrying everyone?”
Dallin crossed his arms over his chest.
“Are you done avoiding Meyer?”
“I’m not avoiding him.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Dallin hesitated. He didn’t want Tyne to think he was sticking his nose where it didn’t belong, even though he kind of was.
“You can talk to me, you know?”
he offered.
Tyne wrinkled his nose.
“I don’t need to talk about what happened so many years ago. I’m over it.”
“Are you? Because the fact that you’re holding it against Meyer, who had nothing to do with it, points to the opposite.”
“He had everything to do with it. He’s the one who was going to leave me.”
“No, he’s not. Peyton was going to leave you, not Meyer.”
“It’s the same thing.”
“It’s really not. Meyer isn’t Peyton, just like Sol isn’t Kent. We knew they wouldn’t be after finding Parker, so I don’t understand why you can’t accept it.”
“I’m not here to talk about me.”
“But I want to talk about you. There’s nothing to say about me. Am I sad and worried that Sol isn’t here? Of course I am. Am I giving up hope? Sometimes, but not really. I get discouraged, but I’m not giving up on finding him and getting him back. What else do you want from me?”
“Everyone’s worried because you’ve been isolating yourself.”
“What am I supposed to do? You’re all distracted by your dragons and your work. It hurts to see, even though I’m happy for you. I’m not sure I’ll ever get Sol back, though, so forgive me if I need a little time away from everyone being so lovey-dovey.”
Tyne grimaced.
“I get it.”
He probably did. He had to watch everyone be so happy while, at the same time, keeping Meyer at arm’s length. It was his own fault, but Dallin wasn’t sure that repeating that to him would help.
That wouldn’t stop him from trying.
“But I don’t have a choice, Tyne. Sol isn’t here, and there’s nothing I can do about that. You, on the other hand, have your dragon here. You have a chance to make things right with him and to have the relationship you didn’t have with Peyton.”
Tyne was already shaking his head.
“That’s not how it works.”
“Isn’t it? I know that Meyer has Peyton’s face. I know that looking at him probably hurts like nothing else ever has. Meyer is not Peyton, though. He doesn’t have any of Peyton’s memories. He’s not the man who was going to leave you.”
Dallin desperately wanted to know why Peyton had been leaving, but he was pretty sure that even if he asked, Tyne wouldn’t answer. It was an extremely personal question, and it was clear it had caused Tyne a lot of pain over the years. Dallin couldn’t even imagine what that had been like. The rest of them had been struggling because they’d lost the men they loved, but Tyne had already lost Peyton before their fight with Carlyle. He’d never told any of them. He’d never asked for support.
“How about this,”
Dallin offered.
“I’ll stop isolating myself if you talk to Meyer.”
Tyne grimaced.
“I don’t know if I can. What am I supposed to tell him?”
“The truth. Give him a chance to make things right and show you that he’s not Peyton. It would’ve been easy for him to leave the castle when you pushed him away, but he’s still here, and he’s still trying to talk to you. I’m not saying that getting over what happened with Peyton will be easy or even possible, but you won’t know if you don’t give yourself and Meyer a chance.”
“You promise you’ll stop isolating yourself? Because Keylon and Penley are driving me nuts. Every time you don’t come to lunch or dinner, they wonder what’s happening to you and how they can help you. Jarvis had to nix a fireworks show the other day.”
Dallin snickered.
“I wouldn’t have hated fireworks.”
“I think we're all still slightly traumatized by the forest fire, and Jarvis probably didn’t want to risk a second one.”
Tyne’s expression softened.
“Seriously, though. We’re all worried about you and Sol. I know that spending time with us won’t help you get him back, but you don’t have to face it on your own.”
Tyne was right. It might hurt to see the others with their dragons, but until the mess with Carlyle was over, Dallin wasn’t going anywhere. He should get used to seeing the dragons around the castle. Even if he left, the other mages would always be his family. He didn’t want to lose them just because he was jealous.
“You talk to Meyer and give him a chance, and I’ll stop hiding,”
Dallin said, unwilling to compromise.
Tyne rolled his eyes.
“I’ll try talking to him. That’s all I can promise.”
It wasn’t what Dallin had wanted, but he supposed it was better than nothing. “Deal.”
SOL WAS STARTLED AWAKE by the sound of a key in a lock. Before he’d been taken, he wouldn’t even have noticed that sound, but he’d learned to be hypervigilant since Carlyle had dragged him away from his apartment.
He groaned and opened his eyes. He’d finally been getting some rest after Carlyle had gone through another round of failing to cast his spell and taking it out on Sol. He was always afraid to close his eyes in case Carlyle returned while he was sleeping, but it was unavoidable. Sol had to get some rest before his body shut down on its own, which was what he’d been trying to do.
Until the key slid in the lock.
Sol blinked his eyes open and uncurled his body. He was on the cold floor, which was uncomfortable but not as uncomfortable as trying to sleep sitting up. He’d chosen a spot as far away from the cell door as possible in case something like this happened. He was glad he had because it meant that he had a few precious seconds to understand what was happening and get ready for it.
He expected Carlyle. He didn’t usually return so soon after a failed spell, but maybe he’d finally found out what was wrong. Maybe he was ready to try again already.
But it wasn’t Carlyle.
Sol told himself not to hope as he watched Graham push open the door. The man didn’t come in. Instead, he stared at Sol through the bars, almost as if he was waiting for Sol to do something. Did he think Sol would attack him? Sol could try, but he doubted he’d get very far, even with Graham. He felt like he was eighty years old. His body was stiff, both from the beatings and the pain and from having to sleep in uncomfortable positions on the cold floor.
He couldn’t wait to get out of here. He just hoped it wouldn’t be feet first.
Graham finally seemed to have enough. He gestured for Sol to come closer, and while Sol hesitated for a moment, he couldn’t afford not to take this opportunity. He scrambled to his feet, ignoring the pain that burned through his limbs, and took a step toward the exit.
“You have to move quickly,”
Graham murmured.
“They’re both asleep right now, but Simon is supposed to wake up soon.”
It sounded like Graham was helping Sol escape. Sol prayed it wasn’t a trap. He didn’t think it was. Why would Graham do something like this? It wouldn’t make sense, not even if he was as evil as his brother. Simon might have done something like this just for the pleasure of watching Sol when he realized it was a trap, but not Graham.
“What’s going on?”
Sol asked when he reached Graham.
“What do you think’s going on? I’m letting you go.”
“Thank you.”
“Wait until you’re out of here to thank me. I don’t know if I can actually get you out of the house.”
It sounded like Graham didn’t want to give Sol false hope, but Sol was hoping anyway.
“I’ll follow you.”
Graham nodded and turned. Sol had to scramble to keep up with him, but it was his only chance to make it out of there. He couldn’t waste it.
He did his best, ignoring the pain in his body and focusing on Graham’s back. His heart raced, and he expected Simon or Carlyle to pop up from around every corner they turned. When they didn’t, he convinced himself they would at the next corner.
They never did. Sol and Graham eventually reached the big kitchen. The air smelled of food, and from the way Graham moved, it was clear he was familiar with the place.
Graham continued moving until he reached the back door. He swung it open and stepped aside to let Sol walk through. Sol did so without hesitation, blinking when the sunlight hit his face. He had no idea how long he’d been trapped in his cell, but he was glad to feel the sunlight again.
“You have to go,”
Graham said as he gently pushed Sol toward the trees that surrounded the house.
Sol was eager to leave, but he was also worried. He turned toward Graham, eyeing the fading bruise on the man’s cheek and the scab on his lower lip.
“They hurt you.”
Graham touched his cheek, then dropped his hand.
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
“You need to go.”
“Only if you come with me.”
Graham stared as if he didn’t understand what Sol was saying. Maybe he didn’t. It was clear that very few people had ever cared about him and protected him. Even Graham’s brother didn’t step in when Carlyle raged and hit him. Hell, Sol wouldn’t be surprised if Simon himself had caused some of the bruises on Graham’s skin.
“I can’t come with you,”
Graham said, shaking his head.
“What’s going to happen when they wake up and find out I’m gone? They’ll know I didn’t get out of my cell on my own, and they’ll take it out on you.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I’m not leaving without you.”
It was a gamble, but it was a gamble Sol was willing to play.
He wouldn’t abandon Graham. It didn’t matter that, technically, Graham was one of the bad guys. He wasn’t here willingly. He’d never hurt Sol. In fact, he’d tried helping him, which had resulted in him getting beaten at least a few times.
Sol would never forgive himself if he left Graham behind and something happened to him—and something would.
“I still need you,”
Sol tried. Using Graham’s safety to convince him to leave wasn’t working, but maybe this would.
“I don’t know where I’m going. I don’t even know where we are or how long I was in that cell. I’ll get lost in this forest. Even if I don’t, they’ll find me. I’ve no idea where I’m going.”
None of that was a lie. Sol didn’t know where they were, and the house in which he’d been kept prisoner was surrounded by trees as far as he could see. He had no idea if Carlyle had neighbors, but if he had to guess, there was no one around. Carlyle would have wanted privacy so no one would hear Sol’s screams.
“I don’t know if I can help you.”
“We can help each other. I know you don’t want to stay, Graham. I can’t make any promises, but we both know that if you don’t go, you’ll get hurt. At least if you come with me, you’ll have a chance of fighting back.”
Graham still didn’t look convinced, but when he nodded, Sol knew he’d won. It was only the first step, unfortunately.
There were still plenty of opportunities for Carlyle and Simon to find them.