“Ryder can’t just disappear!” Grayson cried.
“The soul gem that burst… it was where Weryn was housed before he escaped and was reborn,” Christian got out, his fingers pressed against his temples as if to make sure he got the words as right as possible. “They think that it wasn’t so much of a trap as an accident. That soul gem breaking released a remnant of Weryn that… scoured away Ryder.”
Grayson boggled at this. But he also boggled at his own despair.
I loved Weryn. I loved him. I love him. Ryder is Weryn just with more memories so why–why do I feel like I’ve lost something, someone, everything? What is happening? What…
“Take me to him,” Grayson insisted.
“We can’t,” Fiona began.
“TAKE ME TO HIM!” Grayson cried. He shut his eyes as the pain rocketed about in his head. “Please, Fiona. Please.”
“No,” she said with an anguished edge. “You can’t be moved. But I can bring him to you.”
Tears were falling from his eyes. “Yes, yes, yes, please. I need him. Once he sees me, he’ll… he’ll be okay.”
Weryn is Ryder. Ryder is Weryn. It’ll be fine. Right? RIGHT? After all, Grayson is hardly important to me being me. So why… why…
Fiona disappeared even as Christian covered him with a blanket and helped arrange his useless body on the bed.
“Christian, this can be fixed, can’t it?” Grayson asked.
He sounded so small and young.
Christian’s eyes wouldn’t meet his. “Everything can be. But you and Weryn were–are–in love so even if the Ryder personality is gone that shouldn’t change anything, should it?”
“It shouldn’t,” Grayson agreed, but the lie tasted like ashes on his tongue.
Caemorn is and isn’t Kaly. Balthazar is and isn’t Eyros. Fiona is and isn’t Wyvern. Ryder is and isn’t Weryn. But now there’s only Weryn. Only Weryn…
“Why is it taking so long? She should be back,” Grayson said.
“They’re explaining to Weryn who you are. He–he’s coming. They’re coming,” Christian said.
And at that moment, Fiona and Ryder appeared before them at the foot of the bed.
“Ryder!” Grayson rocketed forward in bed, reaching for the other man.
He did not reach back. And something in Grayson curdled.
“I mean… Weryn!” Grayson tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace as the man who looked and didn’t look like Ryder stared at him without any expression.
“He’s Ashyr reborn,” Fiona said and gestured to him. “Just like I’m Wyvern reborn and–”
But Weryn was shaking his head. “He’s human. A boy. A weak boy. He’s not Ashyr. I don’t know him.”
REMEMBER ME
The boy was pretty. Not that the boy’s prettiness would exempt him from punishment for pretending to be Ashyr. His beloved Ashyr. He felt strange thinking of that name and looking at the boy. What should he do to this boy who dared pretend to be an Immortal?
From the state of him, Weryn thought little more could be done. His beautiful face was pale as milk. Even his lips were bleached of color. Cold sweat coated his brow. And his limbs shook. He appeared unable to rise from the bed. That arm outstretched towards him trembled and then fell down to his lap like a dead thing. Weryn wondered what had happened to him.
Drained of too much blood?And why did his anger flare at the thought of someone else at this boy’s throat. But no. Not that.His scent tells me his blood is full and rich and warm and…
Weryn shook himself. The boy’s scent was–familiar, alluring–strange. He would not be distracted from learning where he was and what had happened to him. Something was wrong. This world was what he remembered and not at all. How had he gotten here? Who were these people? Who was the boy?
“Weryn, it’sme! It’s Gray–Ashyr. I’m Ashyr,” the boy laugh-cried as he thumped his chest with one clenched fist. That fist fell too and the boy breathed heavily as if winded by the effort. “Dammit! Damn this weakness!”
