Chapter Eight
THE MOMENT WHEN TYNE woke up, he felt like he was right back to when he used to wake up in Peyton’s arms.
Meyer was pressed against him, his head over Tyne’s heart.
He looked peaceful, but Tyne was anything but.
He started panicking as soon as he thought about what they’d done last night.
He didn’t regret it, but he didn’t have it in him to talk about it today.
They were still at the clan house, and he needed out before doing anything else.
He knew Meyer would want to know where last night left them, but he didn’t know.
He didn’t know anything beyond the fact that he couldn’t do this right now.
It was hard to tear himself out of bed, but Tyne slowly moved both himself and Meyer until he could slide out of bed.
They were in the bedroom Tyne had chosen yesterday, so it was easy for him to put his clothes back on and slip out the door.
He wasn’t sure where he was going.
The people who lived in the house were quiet, and hopefully, it meant most of them were still asleep.
Tyne wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone.
He especially wasn’t in the mood to talk to his mother, so he chose to hide in the garden.
It had been his favorite place when he lived here, and that hadn’t changed.
The place was empty at this hour of the morning, with the sun just peeking up at the horizon, and that was how Tyne wanted things.
He avoided the stone bench that held so many memories for him and Peyton and walked around instead.
He didn’t have a lot of time to waste, but he didn’t want to wake up Meyer.
This was the best place where he could wait for Meyer to wake up on his own.
He wasn’t sure how long he walked down the paths and between the rosebushes, but eventually, he started seeing more people.
They were harvesting ingredients they used in spells, and while no one came up to him to talk, he could feel them watching him.
He recognized a few people, too, and he knew they had questions.
Questions he wasn’t planning on answering.
He probably should.
These people had known Peyton, and they’d grieved when he’d vanished.
They deserved an explanation, but Tyne didn’t have it in him to give them one.
He was sure his mother would tell people what they needed to know, anyway.
It was her job.
Tyne didn’t feel guilty when he slipped back into the house without talking to anyone.
There were more people there, too, but he ignored them as he walked back to the bedroom.
He’d had a little time to think, but he still wasn’t ready to talk to Meyer.
He wasn’t sure what Meyer would think about that, though, and he dreaded seeing him.
He knew how Peyton would have reacted.
He would’ve huffed and given Tyne the silent treatment.
It was what he’d done when they fought.
He’d always pushed Tyne into apologizing, even when Tyne was clearly right.
It was something that had annoyed Tyne to no end, and he wasn’t sure if Meyer would react the same way. As different as he was from Peyton, he was also the same man.
Tyne’s bedroom was empty when he reached it.
He sighed in relief and quickly packed the few things he’d left there, grabbing the packet of ingredients on his way out.
He wasn’t hungry, and he hoped Meyer wasn’t planning on having breakfast with the clan.
Tyne’s mother had ordered them to spend the night, but she hadn’t said anything about breakfast, and the sooner they were out of there, the better Tyne would feel.
He only hesitated a second before knocking on Meyer’s door after leaving his bedroom.
The door swung open quickly, and Meyer stepped out without waiting for Tyne to say anything.
“We can go.”
Tyne blinked.
“You don’t want to have breakfast here?”
“No. I’d rather be on our way.”
He sounded normal. Tyne wasn’t sure why, but he’d thought that Meyer would be different this morning.
He wasn’t. He smiled at Tyne as if nothing had happened. He looked eager to leave, which Tyne understood.
“We can go, then,”
he said, nodding.
“I don’t want to give my mother time to change her mind and decide we need to stay for more meals.”
“Won’t she know we’re leaving?”
“Someone will undoubtedly call her, but we’ll be long gone.”
“Lead the way, then.”
Meyer gently touched the small of Tyne’s back when Tyne moved ahead of him.
It gave Tyne pause, but only for a second.
They couldn’t afford to waste time if they wanted to escape his mother’s claws.
Meyer walked closer to Tyne than he normally would have.
Things had changed between them, even though Tyne wasn’t sure how or what it would mean.
He just knew that Meyer walked closer to him and kept touching him, and he wanted that to continue.
What he wanted with Meyer was what he’d lost with Peyton before Peyton broke his heart.
He wanted something even better.
It felt like it was too soon to say it out loud, but Tyne suspected that Meyer knew and wanted the same thing.
They’d talk about it, but not here and not now.
He should have known their easy escape was too good to be true.
His mother knew him well, even though they hadn’t seen each other in decades.
She was waiting for them at the entrance of the landing pad, looking like this was something she routinely did.
“Good morning,”
she said with a curt nod of her head.
Tyne glanced around, but thankfully, the landing pad was empty except for the three of them.
“She’s not going to let us leave until you talk to her, is she?”
Meyer murmured.
“Probably not.”
“Then you should go.”
Meyer reached for the packet of ingredients Tyne had been carrying.
Tyne wanted to throw it at his mother’s head and run, but instead, he sucked in a breath, squared his shoulders, and left Meyer by the entrance before stepping onto the landing pad.
His mother walked away as if she didn’t want Meyer to hear what they were about to say.
Tyne wanted to tell her that he’d tell Meyer anyway, but he didn’t want to start bickering with her.
He needed to get out of there, and the only way to do that quickly was to give his mother what she wanted.
“What?”
he asked, trying to keep a polite tone. He wasn’t sure he succeeded. He didn’t feel very polite when it came to his mother.
The worst thing was that Tyne had missed her.
Even though they’d always clashed, even after what she’d done, she was still his mother.
He remembered her singing to him at night when he couldn’t sleep.
He remembered her kissing his forehead during breakfast.
All of that had happened when he was a child, and maybe she wasn’t the same woman she’d been back then, but Tyne would always miss the relationship they’d had.
“I was hoping to convince you to visit more often,”
his mother said.
“I don’t think so. I can’t face Amber again.”
Tyne’s mother frowned.
“I’ll tell her to stay out of your way. This is your home, Tyne.”
“It’s not. It hasn’t been in a long time, and I don’t plan on coming back. What you did hurt me, Mom. I understand that you had to think about what was best for the clan, but I’m your son. You’re supposed to stand by me. You’re supposed to comfort me. You’re supposed to want the best for me, but you didn’t even try to talk to Peyton and Amber. You didn’t do anything when Peyton left me. Hell, you accepted their relationship in a way that meant that the rest of the clan had to do the same. I don’t know if I can ever forgive you for that.”
And he wasn’t even sure he wanted to try.
MEYER HOVERED AT THE door leading to the landing pad.
Tyne and his mother had moved too far for Meyer to be able to hear what they were saying, but it didn’t matter.
He didn’t want to hear.
He just wanted to keep an eye on Tyne in case he needed to intervene.
Tyne was an adult, and he and his mother shared a relationship Meyer couldn’t remember.
Meyer had nothing to say about whatever was happening, but he was feeling protective, especially after the night they’d shared.
He hadn’t been surprised when he’d woken up in an empty bed.
He’d never thought that them sleeping together would solve all their problems, but he hoped it would be a step forward.
He desperately wanted to talk to Tyne about what it meant, but doing so here would be the worst thing they could do, which was why he hadn’t pushed.
Tyne was uncomfortable and wanted nothing more than to leave, and Meyer was sure that once they did, Tyne would relax.
That would be a better time for them to talk about what spending the night together meant for their relationship.
Hopefully, they would have one now that they’d talked things out.
There was still the danger of Carlyle to deal with, but Meyer was positive that they could do it.
The mages were good at what they did.
“Peyton.”
Meyer didn’t turn around right away.
He recognized the voice, unfortunately, and while he wanted to yell at Tyne to pull him out of this mess, Tyne had better things to do.
When Meyer eventually turned, he found Amber wringing her fingers together.
She wore a flowing green dress, and her dark hair framed her face.
She already had tears in her eyes, and Meyer took a step back in case she wanted to cry on his shoulder or something.
Normally, he would have let her, but nothing about this situation was normal.
“Meyer,” he said.
She frowned.
“You really don’t remember?”
“I don’t. The first thing I remember is waking up in the middle of a forest, completely on my own with no memories of who I was.”
“You love me.”
“I’m sure Peyton did, but I’m not him.”
“I’m sorry. I waited for you for a while, but eventually, I started to believe that you were gone for good. I met someone else. I needed a shield, and while he’s not you, he’s good to me.”
Meyer was relieved. He understood why this was hard for Amber, and he felt sorry for her, but part of him resented her for hurting Tyne. He knew people couldn’t help who they fell in love with, but from what Tyne had said, Amber had been so focused on her happiness that she hadn’t treated Tyne right. Neither she nor Peyton had.
“I’m glad you’re happy,”
he said.
“And it’s fine. You did the right thing. I don’t remember you or what we had, and I never will. It’s good that you have someone else to focus on.”
She looked hurt, almost as if she’d expected her presence to magically make Meyer remember. For a long time, Meyer had wished he would get his memories back, but not anymore. All of that was in the past. Amber was in the past. Tyne was Meyer’s future, and he was the only one Meyer cared about.
He turned toward Tyne and his mother. He hoped they were done talking because he had enough of being here. He nodded at Amber, ignored her when she reached for him, and walked out onto the landing pad. Tyne stopped talking when he heard him. He didn’t smile, but he quickly stepped away from his mother and shook his head at her. Meyer didn’t hear what he said, but whatever it was, Tyne’s mother didn’t look pleased. Tyne left her standing there as he rushed toward Meyer, and Meyer felt a little smug.
Tyne was his.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
“I’ve been ready to go since last night. Please, get me out of here.”
Meyer would do pretty much anything to make Tyne happy, but shifting and flying away wasn’t a hardship. He didn’t look back as he beat his wings and used the wind to get higher. He hoped to never see this place again. It didn’t hold any kind of memories for him, but it did for Tyne, and most of them were bad.
They didn’t stop anywhere this time, but then, Meyer hoped that Tyne had confessed everything that had been on his mind on their way to the clan. Now, they both yearned to be home, and while it was a long flight, Meyer was more than ready for it.
They landed early in the afternoon. Meyer didn’t even have time to shift back before Tyne was already halfway down the courtyard, headed for the closest door. He was clutching the packet of ingredients they’d been sent to retrieve to his chest, and he didn’t look back.
He was running.
That was okay. Meyer had expected it, and he wasn’t planning on pushing Tyne just yet. Tyne needed space, and Meyer was willing to give it to him. He didn’t need space. He’d wanted what had happened between them since day one, and he wasn’t going to change his mind.
But he wasn’t the one with the memories. He wasn’t the one who’d been abandoned and betrayed. Even though Tyne had finally accepted that Meyer wasn’t Peyton, Meyer wouldn’t be surprised if it took him some time to sift through the feelings the night they’d spent together had brought up.
When Tyne was ready, Meyer would be there, waiting for him. In the meantime, he was sure he could find something to do.
TYNE WAS GLAD THAT Meyer didn’t try to stop him. He knew he was running, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care right now. He needed to take a step back, and he was ready to use Jarvis as an excuse to do just that.
He rushed into the castle, leaving Meyer behind. He felt slightly guilty, but at the same time, he didn’t know what to say. He knew what Meyer wanted to hear, but was Tyne ready to give him that? Was he ready to make himself vulnerable again and risk losing his heart a second time?
Meyer wasn’t Peyton. Tyne needed to remember that, and he needed to truly believe it. He did believe it, but sometimes, looking at Meyer reminded Tyne of everything he’d lost. He had to change that and think about what he’d gained, but it was harder than he’d expected.
It was easier to focus on work and on finding Carlyle, so that was what Tyne did. He found Jarvis in his office and thrust the packet of ingredients at him, relieved when Jarvis caught it easily.
“I’m really sorry you had to spend the night there,”
Jarvis said.
“Your mother called to tell me you were going to, and she didn’t give me a choice. Should I have pushed for you to return yesterday?”
“It’s fine. I knew it was all her, so don’t worry. I won’t hold it against you.”
Jarvis looked relieved and gestured at Tyne to sit on the couch in the corner. Tyne wanted to run back to his room and hide, but instead, he did as Jarvis had wordlessly asked. He flopped down and leaned back, tilting his face toward the ceiling as he took a deep breath.
“I’m sorry about all of this,”
Jarvis repeated.
“You have nothing to be sorry about. We needed ingredients, and my mother always gets what she wants. In this case, she wanted to talk to me.”
“Did she?”
Tyne looked at Jarvis.
“I didn’t have a choice.”
“I hope you told her that you weren’t going back. I have the suspicion that’s what she wanted to convince you of.”
“I didn’t even let her say it out loud. I’m never going back there. She said it was my home, but it hasn’t been in a long time, and I have no plans of making it home again. You’ll have to drag me kicking and screaming out of the castle if you ever want to kick me out.”
Jarvis leaned against the edge of his desk and grinned.
“No one is planning on kicking you out.”
“Good because I’m not planning on going anywhere.”
Jarvis nodded.
“And how did things go with Meyer?”
Tyne wasn’t about to blurt out that he and Meyer had spent the night together, but he wasn’t sure what to tell Jarvis. Apparently, his hesitation was enough to tell Jarvis that something was up. The man smiled softly, and Tyne waited for him to say something.
“We don’t know how the fight with Carlyle will end for us,”
Jarvis said gently.
“I’m sure that whatever happened in the past hurt you badly, but it wasn’t Meyer.”
“Everyone’s been telling me that.”
“Then maybe you should listen to us. Even better, listen to Meyer. He’s been trying to do right by you, but you’re making it hard, if not impossible. You haven’t even given him a chance.”
Tyne had, even though Jarvis didn’t know it. He’d given Meyer a chance, and Meyer was already worming his way back under Tyne’s skin.
He was nothing like Peyton, something for which Tyne was grateful. He’d thought it meant he would never fall for Meyer the way he had for Peyton, but he was starting to realize he’d been wrong.
He and Peyton had felt inevitable because they’d always known each other. It was almost as if they hadn’t had a choice. They’d fallen in love when they were teenagers, and Peyton had forged ahead. Everyone had expected them to be mage and shield so that was what they’d done. It was what they’d convinced themselves they wanted. Maybe if they’d been older when they’d met, if they’d had a chance to meet more people, they wouldn’t have ended up together. Tyne would never know for sure, but he didn’t have to know. All that was in the past.
The future was uncertain, though. It depended on what would happen with Carlyle, and while Tyne had always been focused on killing the mage, he had even more incentive to do so now. If he wanted to find out what kind of relationship he and Meyer could have, he’d have to defeat Carlyle.
He was ready for it.