Chapter 23
Ryder
She hates me. She really hates me and there’s no coming back from it this time.
The look of pain on her face is all I see when I close my eyes.
I should’ve never told her about the promise I made to her father.
I should’ve just left it with his death.
But then there would be more lies between us, whether she knew it or not.
Even now, I’m still lying to her because omitting the truth is just as bad.
How am I supposed to tell her Damien is here in the Shadow Lands?
After everything he’s done to her, there’s no way she’s going to be okay with it.
But saving my father’s Collectables means saving him, too.
He may not have been trapped in the dungeons with the others, but he’s just as imprisoned. Maybe even more so.
“How’s it going this week?”
“I’ve finally started to break through, but his mind is pushing back. It’s almost as if he doesn’t want to remember what really happened,” Slader reports.
“Maybe he doesn’t want to remember how much he betrayed the woman he loved,” I consider.
“In order to make him fall out of love with Reign I had to manipulate every single one of his memories of them together. I’ve only just begun repairing the damage. It’s going to take quite a bit of time to undo it all.”
I reach for the door and motion for Slader to head out. “Come back in an hour. There’s something the two of us need to discuss.”
He nods and slithers out, leaving me to it.
Damien is waiting for me just beyond the stone wall that separates the two empty rooms. Night Renderer magic is no joke.
The spaces under his eyes have hollowed and dark circles have taken form.
Although the magic is mental, it still takes a physical toll.
I know I should feel sorry for him. After all, none of this is really his fault. But still, I can’t stop the feeling of disgust from creeping up when I look at him.
“How are you feeling?” I ask out of polite obligation.
“Like every part of my mind has been scooped out and stretched to the max.”
“Well, the good news is Slader said he’s finally making progress,” I offer.
“He keeps telling me how awful it was for him to have to sit through all of my memories with her. That watching the love between the two of us made him want to jump off the Baltaire Viaduct.”
“He’s a dramatic one, isn’t he?” I take the seat across from him and he sits up a little when he registers this isn’t just a stop-in visit.
“Maybe so. I just don’t see how someone could erase the kind of love he speaks of.” Damien’s expression is contemplative like he really is trying to work out what is real and what isn’t. I’m sure it’s not easy having your own mind betray you like that.
“Slader told me your mind has been fighting back. Maybe he didn’t erase the love, but simply put up a blocker.
Now, it’s almost as if your mind is trying to protect itself from the pain that is going to follow, knowing the truth of it all.
I don’t know too much about love, but I do know Reign and she’s not someone you just stop caring for, no matter how strong Slader’s magic is. ”
His brows furrow at my words and I think I may have said too much again. I need to learn to stop when I’m ahead.
“You didn’t come here to talk about all of this. What are you really here for, Ryder?”
“I’m here to talk about the soul binding curse.” His entire body stiffens at my mention of it. “How badly do you want to break it?”
“I would do anything, but you know I can’t.”
I’ll take that answer as confirmation. The least I can do is make his death as quick and painless as possible.
“Have you seen Reign today?” I ask Artemus when he comes waltzing into the war room with Jace.
“Not yet, but Akari was going to show her around the Center this afternoon. They’re probably there now.”
“Thanks.”
As I pass by him, he grabs my arm. “Don’t you think you should give her some space after everything that happened yesterday?”
I pull my arm from his grip, not wanting to be lectured. “This can’t wait.” He knows better than to push the issue, so he simply nods and accepts my decision.
The lies stop today. Once I tell her about Damien, she’ll know everything. Maybe then we can begin to rebuild our friendship—if that’s what you could even call it.
When I get to the Center, I see her and Akari sparring on one of the mats while Amaya and Emeric watch.
I can’t stop myself from mentally correcting her form.
It’s not bad, but her kicks could use some work.
If she won’t forgive me for lying, maybe I can at least convince her to let me continue training her.
First things first, though.
“Reign.”
While the others acknowledge my presence, she continues to ignore me, moving to one of the hanging bags that weigh just as much as she does.
When she kicks the side of it, it barely moves.
I look to Emeric for back up, but he just puts his hands up and shrugs.
I move in closer, but still keep my distance.
I had hoped to tell her in private, but she’s made it apparent she wants nothing to do with me, so she’s left me no choice.
“Damien is here.”
“What?” Amaya’s head whips from me to Reign and back to me.
“What do you mean he’s here? Like in the Shadow Lands?” Akari asks while Emeric and I both stare at Reign who has stopped kicking but hasn’t turned around.
“Yes. It’s complicated.”
“Then uncomplicate it!” Reign demands as she turns on her heel to face me.
“I’ll explain it. To all of you,” I add, glancing at each one of them as they glare back at me. “But not here.”
Amaya looks around at the surrounding people training in the Center and nods. I turn and begin to walk out of the arena, allowing them to follow behind.
“This isn’t going to go over well. You know that right?” Emeric warns when he catches up to me.
“What gave you that idea?” I say sarcastically.
“Funny,” he says flatly. “I like you and appreciate you taking me under your wing, but Reign is like family. I’m with her always.”
I put my hand on his shoulder. “I know. Just keep an open mind.” We turn the corner to an empty study. “We can talk in here.”
I stand outside the door as the others walk in. When Reign passes me, she keeps her head down, avoiding eye contact. I close the door behind us so no one else can hear our conversation and suddenly the air is heavy.
“Alright, let’s get to it.” Amaya crosses her arms and stands just slightly in front of Reign like a protective sister would.
“As you all know, my father had the Night Renderer, Slader, cut into Damien’s mind.
My father caught on that Damien’s allegiance to him was slipping so he sent him on a “mission.” In reality there was no mission.
Damien was brought to the palace where Slader worked on him for months.
Basically, he rewired each of Reign and Damien’s memories together in order to cut the emotional tie he had to her. ”
“That’s vile,” Amaya spews.
“That’s my father. He doesn’t like when he can’t control people.
” I look to Reign, but her eyes are still trained on the floor in front of her.
“Anyway, when we attacked the Throne Room, our forces were able to capture him and bring him here. It had always been part of the plan, but I wasn’t sure we would be able to pull it off. ”
“So now what?” Akari asks, propping herself up on one of the empty tables.
“Ever since Damien’s been here, Slader has been working to repair his memories. It’s taken awhile, but he’s finally reached a breakthrough.”
“Wait, he can do that? He can just put the memories back together?” Emeric asks what I’m sure they’re all wondering.
“Yes. I mean it’s going to take more time to undo it all, but essentially once he’s finished, Damien’s memories will be back to the way they were before they were tampered with.”
Amaya looks back at Reign who hasn’t moved a muscle since she took her place at the back of the room.
“So, what does that mean exactly? Will he fall back in love with her?” Amaya asks the question, so Reign doesn’t have to.
“I’m not sure. This is uncharted territory for me,” I admit.
“I don’t want to know this,” Reign finally speaks up. “I don’t want to know any of this.”
She heads for the door, but I step in front of it. “Wait.”
“Get out of my way, Ryder.” Her fingertips are glowing orange now and I know she’s trying to resist the urge to light me on fire.
“He’s going to die.” I don’t mean to blurt it out like that, but I was losing her, and she deserves to know.
She takes a step back and Amaya instantly grabs ahold of her shoulders. “What do you mean he’s going to die?” Amaya demands in a harsh tone.
Reign’s eyes have glazed over like she’s somewhere far away now. I had hoped to tell Reign this part in private, but it looks like I’m not going to get that chance.
“It’s the only way.” I pause debating whether or not I should continue.
“I’m gonna need you to elaborate,” Emeric insists, taking a step forward.
“Before Damien’s Third Year at the Sector, my father had marked him as his next victim to collect.
Just like Kane, Damien had shown he was far more advanced than everyone else.
Instead of calling him in to serve by his side, he came up with another plan.
He wanted to keep Damien at the Sector as a spy.
He would have him keep an eye out for any potential traitors as well as vet any other students who showed signs of unique skills. ”
“Like Reign?” Akari interjects.