“We’ll help you, Ryanne.”
“Thank you,” she says as she looks over toward James. It is nearing afternoon, and there is still another house we want to make it to today before checking into the hotel tonight. James nods and stands up, politely telling the Howicks that we have to leave.
Ryanne walks over to Mrs. Howick and gives her a hug. Standing on her tiptoes, she whispers something into her ear. Mrs. Howick leans forward slightly, listening to what Ryanne has to say before nodding. As Ryanne steps away, I see a few tears appear in Mrs. Howick’s eyes. Ryanne walks backward until she runs into me. I wrap my arm around her shoulders and walk toward the door. James stays back and talks to the Howicks while I take Ryanne out to the car. Liam gets into the car first, and I help Ryanne into the vehicle. Scooting over, she gives me room to sit down in the car.
“How’d it go?” Emma asks. “What happened after Mr. Howick tried to punch Colton?”
“You mean after Ryanne threatened him?” I add. Ryanne blushes beside me but doesn’t say anything. I can see the smile that she’s trying to hide.
“You threatened him?” Natalie asks.
“He was going to hit him, so I politely told him that no one hurts my soulmate,” Ryanne explains. Emma laughs and playfully hits Ryanne on the shoulder.
Tom turns around in the driver’s seat. “Are they going to help?”
“Yeah, they are. James is still in there talking to them now.”
Ryanne leans forward and rests her head in her hands. “What’s wrong?”
“I tried to block their thoughts, but I couldn’t at first. They were basically screaming at me. I could see what Rebecca looked like. I could see her…dead,” she gasps. She saw this while she was in there? How did she keep her composure like she did?
I reach out and pull her to me. She turns and buries her face into my shirt. I can feel her tears spreading through the cotton. Rubbing her back, I tighten my arms around her. No one really knows what to do. “I’m so sorry, Ry. I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“That’s supposed to be me,” she whispers. A chorus of disagreements echo through the vehicle.
“Do not say that,” I demand. Ryanne lifts her head and looks up at me. Her tear-streaked face conveys so many different emotions. She looks so scared and confused...and lost. “What he did to her has nothing to do with you.”
“It has everything to do with me,” Ryanne says. “Don’t you get that? Emma, you should agree with me! You were almost in the same situation as she was. You know that he’s searching for me. You know that it’s me he’s after. Their daughter wouldn’t have died if it weren’t for me. If I would have just given up my magic, she would have survived. She would be alive right now.” Ryanne stops and looks toward Liam. “One sacrifice for the lives of many,” she whispers.
Liam shakes his head. “Ryanne, don’t do this to yourself.”
“Just another thing that Valdus was right about,” she says quietly. Biting her lip, she looks away from him and crawls over my lap, opening the car door.
“Ryanne, where are you going?” I ask her.
“I’m going to ride with James to the next place. I need time to think about everything.” I reach forward and grab her hand. Pulling away from me, she starts backing up. “Alone, Colton. Please.”
I watch as my soulmate chooses to walk away from me…chooses to leave me. “Don’t worry, Colton. They’ll keep her safe.”
“They better,” I mumble as Ryanne gets into James’s car and closes the door, leaving my sight. If Larkin takes her anywhere… “Or they’ll have to deal with me.”
*****
Walking away from him was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. If someone would have told me last year that I was going to find my soulmate and try to stop some crazy mage, I would have laughed in their face, yet here I am doing exactly that. I know that Colton is still staring at the door that I just shut, but I can’t go back there. In here, Larkin can read my aura, but I’m not surrounded by my soulmate, protector, and someone who can read my emotions.
“Ryanne, what are you doing in here?” Larkin asks as I crawl over Bragden and sit down. I’m sandwiched between the two of them.
“I’m riding with you guys to the next house.” I don’t provide any further explanation. They don’t need anything more. Larkin knows that something is wrong, but I’m not going to elaborate. I just need a break from everything. I know that they’ll all ignore me and let me be alone. I’m hoping that the protective enchantment I have on myself will be strong enough for me to be away from Colton. I didn’t want to leave him, but I didn’t want everyone to try and cheer me up. My emotions are what allow me to act. I need to be angry and upset for my powers to be stronger.