Ryanne rolls over and opens her eyes. Seeing Tom in the room, she slowly sits up. “What’s going on?” she sleepily mumbles.
“The pizza’s here if you’re hungry.”
“Colton’s hungry,” Ryanne announces as she crawls over to the edge of the bed. “Come on, big guy. Let’s go fill that tummy of yours,” she says as she holds her hand out for me.
Tom laughs. “You’re never going to be able to hide anything from her, Colton. She’ll always be a step ahead of you.”
“Yep, so don’t try anything,” Ryanne says as she pulls me out of the room.
“I am hungry,” I tell Tom as we pass him. Ryanne walks out into the middle of the hallway and then stops.
Looking up at me, she says, “I actually have no idea how to get to the kitchen.” I turn around and look at Tom. I don’t know where the kitchen is either.
Tom laughs as he walks past both of us. “Follow me. I’ll be your tour guide for the night.”
Chapter Six
“So, Ryanne. I hear that you can be pretty scary when you get worked up,” Colin says.
“I don’t know who you’re hearing these stories from,” I say as Emma shoots her hands up into the air, “but I’m not scary. Do you really think some 5’3” girl could be all that scary?”
“Oh, she totally can be. Go after someone she loves and you won’t know what hit you. When Dravin sent men to go after Jane and Ross, Ryanne totally…”
“Just don’t go after someone I love,” I warn as I smile sweetly and bite into my slice of pizza. Colin shakes his head at me, obviously amused. I hear everyone else try to hide their laughter.
“Anything else I should know?” Colin asks.
“She’s too stubborn for death,” Bragden says.
“How did you find that out?” he asks me.
“Well, you die twice, come close a couple other times, and live to tell the tale,” I say as I take another bite.
“Oh, well you know those Hobbits were a little stubborn, so that doesn’t really surprise me.” I turn and glare at Colin. It’d be so easy to blast him with some magic, but he’s letting us stay in his home, so I refrain myself.
“Whoa, I totally know that look,” Bragden says. “You’re walking on a thin line, Colin. She won’t be able to hold back for too much longer.”
“I’m curious to see what will happen if I egg her on,” Colin says while looking at me.
“With all these emotions running through me, I don’t really think you want to know,” I say as I finish the pizza. Colin continues to watch me, but doesn’t say anything. Shaking his head, he gives his attention back to everyone else.
“Well, if you guys are bored, there’s a pool, a game room, an entertainment room. There’s a music room upstairs also. I hear a couple of you are musically gifted,” Colin says as he looks at me. “Just rest tonight. We’ll start training tomorrow.”
“Ryanne, you have to play something for us,” Emma states.
I start shaking my head. “I’m not really feeling it right now,” I say as I get up and place my plate in the sink. I look back behind me at Colin, who’s shaking his head.
“I have someone who does that, Ryanne. Come sit back down,” he says.
“Fine,” I shuffle back to the table. I was hoping to waste more time than that.
“Please. Please. Please,” Emma begs. “Travis, Incendia, Colin, Lily, and Mr. and Mrs. Howick have never heard you sing before.”
“And I’d kind of like it to stay that way,” I say.
“Girl,” Emma sits up and stares at me, “I may not have any magic, but I can be very persuasive when I need to be. You know of what I’m capable of.”
“You wouldn’t,” I say as I stand up and face Emma.
“Oh, I would.”
“Fine, where is this music room?” I’d rather not find out what Emma has in mind. She can be plenty creative when something doesn’t go how she wants it to.
When I move to take a step, the room starts spinning. Without warning anyone, I fall into another vision.
I’m standing in the middle of an unfamiliar room in Dravin’s compound. There is a large wooden desk in the middle of the floor, cluttered with stacks of paper. Random medical supplies are scattered throughout the room. A stethoscope is strewn across the back of a chair, and a roll of gaze is located on the window sill. A box of Band-Aids is spilled on the floor, and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide is lying on a small coffee table—also cluttered with more paper. This room is a complete mess.