I killed one of my friends with my bare hands. My friend.
“They’d promised they’d work together,” Aiden said, suddenly taking over. “To protect each other. And after they claimed their gryphons, they arrived at the stadium at the same time. Together.” He was now choking back tears. “We thought they’d be okay. They’d be safe. That Rhyan would never—” His chest heaved, his neck red. “But then Rhyan had to win. Couldn’t lose now, could he? No. He murdered Garrett. Murdered him right in front of us. In front of the whole fucking country.” Tears streamed down his face, his cheeks red and mottled.
A tear rolled down Rhyan’s cheek.
“You killed him.” Aiden spoke in a hushed, broken whisper. “You killed him. Our best friend. My love.”
By the Gods. That was why I could feel so much grief in his aura. So much more anger than Dario possessed.
Rhyan had never told me. He’d been in too much pain. Felt too much anguish to speak. I remembered when he’d confessed to killing his friend. His nightmares had been so terrible, his aura had started a blizzard—one that nearly froze us. But even that had been too much for him. He’d been unable to confess the rest. To offer any details.
Aiden sank to his knees. Rhyan was openly weeping. And for a second, I was wrapped up in Aiden’s grief. To lose your love, I couldn’t imagine it. Couldn’t bear it. Just the idea of Rhyan being hurt sent me into a rage. But losing him completely … I pushed the thought away.
Gods. It was a horrible story, especially the way they told it. They made Rhyan sound like a cold-blooded killer, like a monster, like his father.
But I knew Rhyan. I knew without a doubt, there was more to that day. That as impossible as it seemed, he’d killed Garrett because he was trying to do the right thing. He was always trying to do what was right, and then he beat himself up over every little thing that went wrong, even those things that were out of his control. I couldn’t even imagine what Garrett’s death had done to him. What it was still doing.
My arms ached with the need to go hug him, to hold him, to comfort him. To listen to him as he finally confessed the truth. But Aiden had gone still, and risen back to his feet. Everything in his aura and demeanor was harsh and guarded.
Rhyan shook his head, looking desperate. “I wanted to tell you, Aiden. So many times. I—fuck. To say I’m sorry isn’t enough, but it’s the only words I have and I should have said so before. But I … I am sorry. More than you know. I think about him … I think about Garrett …” His voice was hushed, too much emotion to speak louder than a whisper. “Every day. Every fucking day,” he croaked. “But there’s … there are things you don’t know. Things that—that …”
“I know. I know what I saw. And you think about him every day? I hope you fucking do. Because I do. And you know what else I think about?” Aiden asked, crouching down before Rhyan again. “Not the way he looked after you’d killed him. Or the way he lay lifeless in your arms. It’s the last night we were all together that haunts me. The day your nose was broken. You remember that, don’t you?”
Rhyan’s eyes widened, and he nodded slowly.
“I fixed it! Healed you! Mended your bones while Garrett sat at your bedside. Were you plotting it then? Deciding that in order to win, you’d sacrifice your friend? Did you always plan it would be Garrett, not Dario? Did you ask your father to separate Dario and Garrett at the tournament so he wouldn’t stop you?”
Rhyan sucked in a breath, his eyes watery and distant, lost in memory. Then his head fell forward, his shoulders shaking. He looked so helpless. I was desperate to inch toward him. To at least brush my fingers against his, to offer whatever comfort I could. But Dario gave me a look that made me freeze.
“I took care of you. My last day with him, with the love of my life, and I was at your bedside,” Aiden said, his voice low. “Then I watched you wrap your hands around his neck. And for a year, for a whole fucking year, all I’ve wanted was to do this!” His hand fisted over his stave and then—
“No! Don’t!” I screamed.
There was an awful crunching sound, followed by an agonized yell of pain from Rhyan. Aiden had broken his nose.
“Rhyan!” I yelled.
“Fuck!” Rhyan’s head snapped back, banging against the stone. His chest heaved, muscles straining painfully against the ropes, as his shoulders shook. Then slowly, he lifted his head, bringing it forward. There were tears in his eyes, blood gushed freely from his nose, as his fingers twitched helplessly at his sides.
“Stop it!” I yelled. “Don’t touch him!”
“Or what, my lady?” Aiden stepped back, his hands shaking, his aura wild as obvious flares of anger and grief battled for dominance.
“Are you okay?” I asked Rhyan, my voice shaking.
Dario sneered. “Yourself to Moriel. He fucking deserved it.”
“Fuck you!” I shouted, struggling to get to Rhyan’s side.
“Fuck me?” Dario placed his hand over his heart. “I don’t think so. Not tonight anyway. And I would refrain from commenting on the situation. Because there’s one glaring detail about that night you won’t comprehend. The one where you weren’t even fucking there!”
“I couldn’t care less what happened right now,” I growled. “All I know is he’s hurt!” I glared at Aiden. “And yourfriendis the one who hurt him.”
“Lyr.” Rhyan’s eyes were bloodshot, his mouth tight with pain as he shook his head in warning. “Don’t. Don’t. It’s okay. I’ll be all right.” Suddenly his eyes widened, staring behind me. “Fuck!” He strained as he shouted, his voice full of command and warning. “DARIO!”
A low growl echoed across the cave. I turned my head, stomach twisting in horror as an akadim, completely impervious to magic, walked right through Aiden’s wards.
The beast was so tall, the top of its head nearly brushed the ceiling. It was completely naked, wearing only a silver collar around its neck. We’d seen those collars before. It connected him to his master, and let them share power in a kind of twisted kashonim. This wasn’t any old akadim who’d stumbled upon us. This was one of Aemon’s monsters.
