“Dang it,” I say as I look around the room. Everyone is looking between Liam and Ryanne because none of us have any idea about what is going on.
*****
I open my eyes and find myself tied to a chair in the middle of a room. Liam is out, handcuffed to a pipe across the room. We’re stuck in a cell. I’m trapped in another freaking cell without my magic. I was with Colton, so how were they able to bring me here?
“Liam,” I whisper loudly.
Silence.
“Liam!” I whisper-yell at him. Liam rolls his head to the side, groaning. Blinking rapidly, he opens his eyes and looks around the room confused. When he lands on me, his eyes widen.
“What’s going on?” he asks.
“I have no idea.” I try to move, but the ropes tying me to the chair are tight. Moving causes them to scratch against my skin. I can feel the skin rubbing off around my wrists, but I continue to struggle against the bindings. Liam is struggling to rid himself of the cuffs. Metal clanging against metal echoes through the room.
“It won’t do any good. They’re infused with magic,” Valdus’s voice fills the room. Both Liam and I stop what we are doing and turn towards the door.
“Why are you doing this?” Liam asks, giving up on the cuffs for now.
“We need the protection, Liam. Our tribe is strong, but not strong enough for what is coming. We need all the help we can get.” Valdus’s eyes travel over to me. “I need to give her over to Dravin. Once she’s there, he’ll leave us alone.” Returning his attention to Liam, he says, “You and your brother could come back home. We shouldn’t be a part of this upcoming war. ”
“I won’t be able to do anything if you take her, Valdus, and you know that. There’s no way that Bragden would go back after this. It’s a good thing you’ll have protection, because you know how Bragden is when he’s mad.”
I briefly see the fear in Valdus’s eyes before he regains his composure. “I’m sorry that you’re involved in all of this, Liam. I wish I could have warned you beforehand. You should have come to me before you gave away your pendant. Is she really worth it? She’s dangerous and brings danger to everyone around her. She’s going to get you killed.”
“Ryanne has saved everyone around her on multiple occasions.” He doesn’t mention that I’ve only saved them from situations that could have been prevented if I wasn’t in the picture. “You’re making a huge mistake. Do you really think that giving her over to Dravin will solve anything? You’re just making him stronger. He’ll just kill her if he gets his hands on her.”
“One sacrifice for the lives of many,” Valdus says while looking at me. I bite my lip and look at Liam. “This has to stop. You don’t know what’s going on out there because you’re not a part of it. Mages are rising. They’re going against all the rules that were put into place in the beginning. Our time on this earth is coming to an end if something isn’t done. Humans don’t believe in our magic, so how can we exist among them? Dravin’s finding a way for our populations to thrive. We need someone with a plan, and quite frankly, she doesn’t have one. Her purpose in the prophecy is to stop a Supernatural war. The way that has to be accomplished is by giving her magic to an existing being…someone fit to help control the mages. Someone with a plan and way to perform that plan.”
The prophecy claims that I’m supposed to give my magic up? All this was for nothing?
No, I don’t believe that. Something isn’t right. I really need to read what the original prophecy proclaims before I do anything.
“Dravin doesn’t care about any of the other mages, Valdus, and you know that. He wants power. He wants to be the one in control, but it is not so he can help mages. He’s selfish. You think that giving him more power is the way to go? Look at what he does now with the amount of magic he has,” Liam says.
I remain silent during their conversation. I know that talking won’t help anything because I always end up saying the wrong things. I’m not very good with words. I look over at Valdus. He is the oldest mage that I’ve come across yet. Looking to be in his sixties, Valdus has a long graying braid falling down his back. If I wasn’t being held hostage right now, I’d probably think he looked cool. He has that whole hipster vibe. What I would assume were usually warm brown eyes, glare at me as I continue watching him.
“Can I ask you something?” I whisper to him. He regards me skeptically but nods. “If you had a daughter, would you ask her to do what you’re asking me to do?”