Chapter 20
My eyes fluttered open as I tried to figure out where I was. I was on a bed, underneath covers. In my old room? A soft smile spread across my face as I discovered pale blue walls with rainbows painted overtop. I was at castle Kimera!
I glanced briefly to my left but couldn’t figure out if it was day or night because the heavy drapes were closed. When I looked to my right, I discovered I had an audience. My parents were there and each had an arm around Scott’s waist. I couldn’t find the tiniest hint of a bruise on their faces and I had to wonder how long I’d been out. Gaspar and Grace were huddled side by side, whispering excitedly as they watched me striving to wake up.
I glanced around the room once more and croaked out, “Ri . . . ley?”
Scott rolled his eyes. “Figures. She spends two days in bed and her first thought is for him.” He winked at me and had I had any saliva, I would have stuck my tongue out at him. As if reading my mind, Grace stepped forward, poured water from a decanter into a glass, then stuck a straw in. When she lowered the cup to me, straw directed at my lips, I drank greedily.
I thanked her with a smile when the cup was empty and I knew my heart was on my sleeve when I said, “Did Riley make it safely back home?”
“Of course he did! Did you have a single moment’s doubt?” I flinched at Gaspar’s booming voice. “He had some business to attend to but he’ll be back soon.” He grasped Grace by the elbow and pulled her toward the door. “We will leave you together to talk. Ring us if you need anything.” He smiled at me. “Glad to know you are well, Princess.”
My mother helped me sit up straighter in bed, then went to sit at the end of it, leaning against my father who stood in place. Scott sat opposite from me, barely a foot away from our mother.
“What happened after we passed out?” I asked, glancing from one to the other.
My father answered. “I carried your mother to the house because the bast- ” he cut himself off, glanced at Scott, then resumed, “Silas had cut through her heel. I bandaged her as fast as I could and we were running back when we found a group of people around you two.” I saw a fine shine of tears reflecting in his eyes as he turned his head away and swallowed hard. “We thought that somehow, some of Silas’s goons had made it here, had followed us. We were going to turn back to the house and find whatever weapons we could when the distinctive smell of cherry cigars reached our noses.” He smiled briefly.
“Travis!” I cried out.
“Yes, Travis.” My mother took over the conversation. “Turns out Riley hadn’t even noticed we had disappeared but as soon as we were gone, Travis appeared with two trackers, four healers and Gaspar. It wasn’t long before the group of them made mince-meat out of the Wogs and only then did Riley realise we’d disappeared.”
“Riley sent the trackers after us but they came up empty,” Scott said. I was amazed at how much he looked like our parents. How could I not have seen that before? Of course, I had no reason to be looking for a resemblance, but still . . . “They quickly realised that we’d probably been transported to Terra but weren’t ready to go looking for us. The trackers said it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Riley was frantic, apparently, and said that they couldn’t just leave us after bringing us back. He said that he could take them to your house and maybe catch our scent there.”
“And when they arrived, they found you and I sprawled in the dirt, unconscious.” I completed the scene in my mind. My heart clenched at the thought of what we must have looked like, head to head, covered in blood. “So what did you tell them?” my voice was low, subdued.
“Nothing yet, but Grace recognised Scott right away. The people of the castle know he’s our son,” my mother answered. She gently ran a hand through Scott’s hair. “They let us recuperate and said they would call the council in whenever we were all awake and well. They want the full story, Shanna.”
“We can’t give them the full story!” I said. “They want blood, they won’t care who’s they spill.”
“Shanna,” my mom said.
“We could head back to Earth, to home, and he could live with us and- ”
“Shanna,” my dad said.
“He could live with me. I can afford a house on my own and no one will be able to find us! We could ask Travis to- ”
“Shanna,” Scott said softly. He leaned forward and brushed from my cheeks the tears I hadn’t realised I’d been crying. “We’ve been through this already while you were asleep. I’ve hid for the better part of my life; I don’t want to anymore. Besides, I do deserve to be punished since I committed those murders.” I shook my head vehemently and opened my mouth to yell at the self-sacrificial idiot but he tenderly pushed up my chin, effectively closing my mouth. “Shanna, I don’t want to lose you. Any of you,” he added as he turned to my parents, “but even though Silas coerced me into draining those people, in the end I was the one to do it. I am the one who must pay the price.”
If I’d been born a portal instead of an RM, I would have gathered my family in my arms and disappeared with them. We could have started a new life elsewhere where nobody knew us, where no one could judge us. A place where we wouldn’t be held accountable for mistakes of our past. But, I was a Royal Magical and so was my family. We probably would have been miserable if we’d escaped instead of facing the upcoming challenges. My mind mentally drew a lifelike picture of Scott in my mind. I needed to remember everything about him from his intense green eyes, to his handsome smile. Just in case.
Slowly, I nodded my consent. I heard my mother sniffle as she got up and said, “We’ll go tell Gaspar that we are ready to hold council.”
“Tomorrow morning?” my father asked gruffly, his gaze on Scott.
“Tomorrow morning,” Scott confirmed, his voice soft. He leaned forward, kissed me on the cheek and whispered, “Thanks for everything. I’ll be back later.” Then he pulled back and followed our parents out of the room.
Was that a goodbye kiss? I wondered as I pressed my hand to my cheek. Feeling emotionally spent and on the verge of more tears, I decided a nice long shower was in order. When was the last time I’d taken one? I shuddered as I slipped under the spray.
The hot water was divine as it unknotted all of my tense muscles. But every time I closed my eyes, I pictured my family and me bloody and battered. I saw Riley facing the Wogs, alone. I could see Silas’ bulging eyes, and Scott’s tormented ones. Enough, I decided, as I furiously shut the water taps.
I was climbing back into bed, after having dressed in comfortable sweat pants and a t-shirt when there was a soft knock at the door. I slowly walked over to the door, my body still sore from all the hours I spent in bed. My pain was abruptly forgotten when I discovered Riley waiting in the hallway. “Riley! You really are alive!”
I launched myself in his arms and he caught me, spinning us around, laughing. “Did you really doubt my abilities?” he asked as he set me down. He brought his face closer to mine and I wondered if he was going to kiss me, right here in the hallway for all to see. But he didn’t. He rubbed his nose against mine gently and his breath smelled sweet and vaguely of cinnamon.
“Not at all,” I lied, rather convincingly.
“Liar,” he murmured. Maybe not so convincingly.
A throat cleared very distinctly behind me and I tensed apprehensively. Who could be behind us?
“Should I come back at a more convenient time?” a man’s unfamiliar voice asked.
Riley chuckled, looked over my shoulder. “If I had known I’d get such a warm welcome, I would have left you at home. Shanna, I would like you to meet my father, Christopher Keller.”
He slowly spun me around but kept his arm firmly around my waist. It was a telling gesture; he was keeping me safe and secure, tucked in the shelter of his arms.
“How do you do, Princess?” Riley’s dad extended his hand and I shook it, revelling in the same warmth I felt in Riley’s touch.
“Pleased to meet you. And please, call me Shanna.”
He inclined his head. “Then call me Chris.”
“We met your mother on the way up,” Riley said, “and she told me you just woke up. Have you eaten yet? I thought we could share a meal together, all three of us.”
My stomach growled hungrily and both Riley and Chris burst out laughing. I blushed. Really, you had to pull this on me now? My stomach and I would have a nice little chat later on.
We headed downstairs and I kept shooting glances at Chris. He was slightly taller than Riley and had the same broad frame. I knew about his depression and guilt at having supposedly failed in saving the RM’s but he’d obviously kept in shape; there didn’t seem to be an ounce of fat on the man. He also had the same streak of hair on the right side of his head but whereas Riley had dark hair with a white streak, Chris had white hair and a dark stripe. No wonder my father had recognised Riley as being Chris’s son. He was his spitting image!
Because I didn’t want to have my mouth full while getting to know Riley’s dad, I chose a simple blueberry muffin and a glass of orange juice. It was the middle of the afternoon and there were very little people in the dining room. We chose a table in the far corner and sat, me with my breakfast and them with coffee.
“I’ve heard much about you,” Chris said, after taking a sip of coffee.
“And I of you,” I replied quietly. I wasn’t going to be coy and pretend I didn’t know about his past. I had no idea why Riley wanted me to meet his dad but I was going to be frank with him. I glanced at Riley who nodded approvingly.
“Yes. Of course, Riley told you.” He stared down into his cup for a moment or two before finally meeting my gaze. “I wanted to thank you.”
“For what?” I asked, baffled. What in the world could he be thanking me for?
“For coming back to Rydon with Riley. For going to search out your parents. For facing a maniac with such bravery.”
“For coming back . . Searching? Bravery?” My mouth agape and my eyes wide, I turned to Riley. “What in the world have you been telling him?”
“The truth,” Riley said simply. He reached over on the table and linked his fingers with mine. I melted at the contact and squeezed his fingers gently. “Those two goons we met at your work were waiting in the back of the Inn when I went inspecting.”
“They’d been waiting for us?” My question wasn’t clear but Riley understood.
“No. The way I heard it, they were meant to wait there every night since Silas had been expecting Scott to arrive with you.”
“How did you end up unconscious then if you were able to creep up on them and listen in on their conversation?” I asked. I was relieved that Scott hadn’t left us to warn his father, the night all hell broke loose.
Riley grimaced. “I don’t know what happened. One moment I was crouched behind empty crates, listening, the moment later they were up and in my face. Apparently they enjoyed the taste of that Taser so much they decided to get another one.” Riley paused. “A stronger one.”
“A Taser?” Chris asked. I realised they had never heard of any such device here in Rydon since they had no use for one. That is, until the Wogs appeared.
While Riley explained the function of the Taser, I let my mind wander. I wondered where my family was, what they were doing and if they were together. Would my parents want to be alone or had they had enough alone-time to last them a few weeks? Were they with Scott, getting to know him? I wondered if conversations would be awkward between him and I now that so much had changed. Then I decided that things wouldn’t get weird. I needed him in my life. He was my brother.
“The next thing I knew,” Riley continued, “I was lying on a cold floor and I could hear your parents crying, I could hear you and Scott talking. I could smell the Wogs nearby and felt their devotion to the man who’s voice I didn’t know.”
“You were conscious at the time?” I clearly remembered crawling to my father and laying my head on Riley. I remembered calling for him as Silas was reaching for me. I looked up to find Chris glancing from Riley to me as if following a complicated tennis match.
“Yes, I was. It broke my heart to hear you call for me but I couldn’t move until I was sure I’d get him. I was sure you’d feel the tension in my body and I was afraid you’d give me away.” His voice was thick with emotion.
We were silent for a moment as we each took a sip of our beverages. Then, “Riley told me how you reacted when faced with Silas. He said you were brave . . .”
“I was stupid,” I told Chris. “If I’d held my tongue- ”
“You were reacting the only way you knew how.” Chris’s eyes were the same warm brown as his son’s. “As I said, Riley has told me much about you. About the childhood you had, about your work and your secret life.” He smiled softly. “He told me how you suddenly found out your true identity after all these years and just now you’ve also found out that you have an older brother. It would be understandable if you were going half-mad and yet here you are, as sane as can be.”
“Debatable,” I muttered. I could feel my cheeks redden at his analyse of my life.
“I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. The point I’m trying to make is; thank you for being yourself. When my son told me everything you’d went through, I saw pride shining in his eyes and I realised how much you’d done at such a tender age. It made me realise quite a bit about myself and the life I’ve led these past years.”
The light in his eyes faded slightly and he suddenly seemed to withdrawn within himself. Impulsively, I reached for his hand with my free one. Startled at the contact, he looked up, met my gaze with wide eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to meet your wife. If Riley is a by-product of you both, then she must have been an amazing woman.” Chris’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Whatever guilt you have from your past, let it go. You can’t change what happened. Count your present blessings, instead. Look at Riley. He loves you more than anything and to alleviate your pain and guilt, he went through a lot of trouble to find us. He visits you on a regular basis. He doesn’t hold you accountable for anything; he just wants to spend time with his dad.”
Riley’s grasp on my hand was almost painful and I turned to meet his gaze; tears were flowing freely from his eyes. Same for Chris. I bit my lip; I hadn’t meant to upset them and really, it had been none of my business to speak this way to Chris. But it had felt right. It still did.
Chris laid his free hand over his heart as he bowed his head slightly to me. “Thank you,” he said solemnly and his words vibrated with emotion. I felt my own throat thicken as I bowed my head in return, not feeling ridiculous at all over this formal display of gratitude. Chris threw formality to the wind, though, when he rose and leaned down to kiss me on the cheek. “I have many old friends I need to visit, I will see you both later.”
I watched him leave, his back straight and proud, his gait dignified. When I turned back to Riley, he had collected himself and a soft smile was playing on his lips. “You want to go walk outside with me?”
Did I ever! “Sure,” I replied.
Riley guided me to a back door I hadn’t seen yet, right off the kitchen. It led to my little writing oasis with the picnic tables. We didn’t stop there, though, we kept going. I hadn’t been this far out and it was beautiful; someone had gone through great pains to grow a garden with a variety of flowers I couldn’t even begin to name. I took deep gulps of air, glad to be outside, glad I was with Riley.
Riley paused and looked up to the sky. “A storm’s brewing,” he said quietly.
“Literally,” I said, thinking about what would transpire the next day. But he was right; the sky was dark and angry, pregnant with rain clouds.
“I’m grateful for it,” he said just as quietly.
Still hand in hand, we walked down the beaten paths between rose bushes and other colourful greenery. Turning his comment around in my head, I gave up trying to find his meaning and said, “Why? Everyone’s so droopy and gloomy when it rains here.” Personally, I was glad for the upcoming storm. After all the time I spent in the desert, it was nice to have a purifying rain. Maybe I could sit in it for a while.
A lightning bolt suddenly shot from the sky and touched ground somewhere nearby. I felt my feet quiver as the earth shifted, bowing to the powerful element. On second thought, maybe I’ll stay safely inside.
As the wind howled, and the thunder roared and the lightning crackled, Riley turned to me, a dark silhouette in the pre-storm. He tried tucking my hair behind my ear but the wind made it impossible to stay in place.
“Because,” he finally said, “you won’t be able to go back home during the storm.”
“Home?” I echoed like a parrot.
“Yes, to Terra. As long as the storm holds, a portal can’t transport you and your family back there.”
I wasn’t sure if the thundering I felt came from above or from my own erratic heartbeat but I clearly understood what Riley was saying. He wanted me to stay!
Framing my face with his large hands, Riley lowered his lips to mine. His gaze remained on mine, searching for a sign of the panic he’d seen there previously but I knew he wouldn’t find it. I was ready. I wanted him, wanted his lips on mine.
If I’d been one of my characters, I’d probably written that when his lips touched mine, my insides melted, the earth moved and a new star was born to visually testify for our love. But Murphy’s Law being what it was, we were abruptly drenched with a very sudden and very cold downpour.
I screeched and jumped and then laughing, we ran for the door. Because Murphy suddenly decided that he hated us, the door was locked from the inside. We ran, slipping and sliding on the mud already surrounding the sphere-shaped castle. How ironic, I thought, that the castle was shaped like the sun, rainbows were painted on the interior walls and rain drenched the outside. Hilarity bubbled inside me and suddenly I had two left feet; I tripped, fell and rolled to my side, laughing. Riley was there in a second, trying to pull me up but I pulled him down instead.
The look of shock on his face was priceless as I scrambled up and ran for the front doors. He caught up to me just as I was entering the door, he caught me by the waist and spun me around. Mud went flying but we didn’t care; this was the most fun I’d probably ever had. Riley set me down and his grin was a mile wide as he wiped the mud from my face.
It was already drying and it felt hard and cakey on my face. It didn’t seem to matter much to Riley, though, because a second later, his lips were on mine. Finally!
