Another memory from Roan that didn’t make it in?Ryder asked.
Evidently,Caemorn answered.
You didn’t want to remember him,Balthazar said kindly.It’s understandable, Caemorn.
I put us all in danger because of it so that is not understandable to me,Caemorn remarked.
Balthazar wasn’t put out by Caemorn’s rigidity.Believe it or not, I understand what you mean. Not looking back is stopping things from fully moving forward.
We have to open this room,Ryder said.Even if they aren’t there though, there might be some traps left.
“There are none,” Caemorn spoke out loud. “It took time for them to release the Ecthrois and then to return here. They had no time. Even with a Wyvern.”
“Right, so we open the door then?” Balthazar suggested.
But none of them moved to do it. Not for long moments. Then all of them, except for the werewolves, moved as one towards the door.
“The hallway is not large enough for all of us at once,” Caemorn remarked.
“Yes, but we don’t want you to be injured going first,” Balthazar said.
“This ismypalace. None of us will be hurt here. I will not allow it,” Caemorn said the last softly, butfirmly.
“Let’s be ready for anything. Just in case,” Ryder said.
They all nodded, even the werewolves who were mimicking them as far as Ryder could tell.
Caemorn opened the doors. There was a flash of light. Ryder opened his mouth to speak and then…
Balthazar had one arm around Ryder’s shoulders. Caemorn was looking back at them from an empty room where there was a section of stone missing from the center of the floor. Elgar was staring at Ryder with worry. The werewolves cocked their heads.
“Ryder? Ryder, are you all right?” Balthazar asked, trying to not sound as panicked as he felt. Ryder’s mind had gonewhitejust as a flash of light had enfolded them.
Caemorn was scouring the interior of the room, looking for what had caused the light.
“Master, I do not hear Ryder’s thoughts,” Elgar said, his voice rising slightly, “I hear–”
“Who is this Ryder?” Ryder asked as he shrugged off Balthazar's arm. “And who are all of you?”
Itwasn’tRyder who was asking.
It was Weryn.
Ryder was gone.
KNOW YOU
Earlier…
Grayson insisted on being propped up on pillows on his bed so he could see out the window. It was all they would let him do. It was all his body would let him do, if he was honest.
Watch.
Watch and worry.
Ever since the electrifying display from the Kaly Palace had begun, he’d been catching glimpses of the hulking, monstrous things landing on the street and then loping off into the darkness with hoots of fiendish joy. His only comfort was getting updates from Balthazar about the battle and knowing that Ryder was perfectly fine though he wished for the Vampire’s strong arms around him. It would ease him in an indefinable way.
His roommates had not yet returned and he was hoping–praying–that they were okay, too. But all he could do was lay there. His head pounded. The world spun if he tried to get up. His body felt like it was full of sand and that sand was running out of him in a slow, steady, remorseless stream. The fire in hischest was but the smallest of embers. So small that he couldn’t even feed it right now without a risk of it going out entirely. He fisted his hands in the comforter.
