Page 47 of Ryld's Shadows
“But they do not hurt you? Is that not so?” Yarrow said.
“They don’t hurt me. They hurt others. Anyone in their path.”
“Why do you think it is they don’t hurt you, if you are not in control of them?”
Ryld stopped his agitated twitching and stared—more accuratelyglaredat him.
“A seed planted must grow,” Yew said.
“Yes, I think that’s enough for now. This was not meant to be a lesson, more of a meeting, but it has turned into a teaching nonetheless. I would like you to meditate on this, Ryld, and meet us here again tomorrow.”
Hank rose first, offering a hand to help Ryld up, though he either didn’t see it or was too agitated to respond to it, rising on his own and stalking toward the door. Hank knew what the twins were saying. He even agreed. But it wasn’t going to help unless Ryld’s worldview shifted so he could see it, too. The shadows were very much Ryld, part of him that Hank had almost become accustomed to.
No. That wasn’t right. He had become accustomed to them and to watching them for signs of Ryld’s distress. They were a Ryld barometer, and most of the time Hank didn’t find them scary. Not anymore.
Now it seemed as if Ryld were bent on outrunning the flickers of dark that skittered along like small mice behind him. He was definitely upset with the meeting, which didn’t bode well considering it took all of fifteen minutes.
“Ryld?”
“I want to go outside. Out of this place,” Ryld said, tone completely flat.
Hank jogged to get ahead of him. “All right. We’ll go out. I saw a door near the stairs on the way down. Kai, you still there?”
The snort from farther back was confirmation enough. “Behind you. Yes. Though if you insist on running, I may just catch up to you later.”
Ryld slowed his steps. Hank led them out of the door and into the sunlight, and all three winced. This time Hank had remembered both his own sunglasses and Ryld’s, and of course Kai was already reaching into his pocket.
“Thank you.” Ryld put the glasses on. They were the pink ones with the rhinestones around the frames. They were only three paces away from the building when Ryld said, “I don’t think they are telling the truth.”
“About what, specifically?” Kai asked in a tone implying that probably no one in this place told all the truth.
“The shadows are not a part of me.” Ryld made a cutting motion with one hand to emphasize the point.
“Why do you believe they are not?” Kai asked softly.
Ryld spun around, the look of betrayal he shot Kai evident in every line of his body. “Kai Hiltas, they are not me. They arenot. I don’t want to hurt people. The shadows…that’s all they want.”
Kai lifted a hand, gesturing for peace. “Very well. But I have commanded dark magics in my time. So very dark. If the shadows are called from elsewhere, I should be able to call them, yes?”
Although Hank agreed with Kai, he very much wished he hadn’t pushed Ryld on this. Without thinking he put a hand on Kai’s arm, instinct to pull him out of the way of danger.
Both drow snarled, Kai most likely out of old instinct, and Ryld because Hank had touched Kai.Oh crap. The edges of Ryld’s eyes darkened, and Hank lifted his hand and backed away.
“Ryld. Shadows. I can see them. Take a breath.”
Ryld took a breath all right. Like he’d just sprinted a half mile. His eyes went completely black, but at the same time Ryld grabbed his head and crumpled, drawing his knees up and making himself into a small tight ball. The shadow that leapt from him toward Kai was about the size of a small rat but shaped like some sort of sea monster with many whipping legs.
Kai hadn’t been without warning, at least. He dove and rolled to the side, managing to get a hand up even as the shadow thing shifted direction in midair. The mage ball Kai threw at it wasn’t elegant or even nicely formed, but it did the trick, smashing into the ferocious little shadow and reducing it to fading wisps.
“Lovely,” Kai spat out as he sat down hard in the grass. “Tell me again, child, that that wasn’tyou.”
“Easy, Kai.” Hank patted at the air. “You’re all right. Don’t make it worse.”
Ryld was still tucked into a little ball, but his head came up and he bared his teeth in a snarl at Kai. However, the shadows stayed put, clinging to him like stringy lines of tar. The standoff went on for several seconds and finally Hank asked, “You ever seen this happen with him before?”
“No.” Kai shook his head, his voice soft again. “But Ryld has never been so…conflicted at any time since I’ve known him.” Kai flicked a look at Hank. “Nor has he had cause to be jealous before.”
Ryld growled but the growl turned into a moan, and he dropped his head down, rocking on the balls of his feet. Hank debated if touching him would help or hurt, but before he could decide the little sounds of distress quieted, and Ryld was back with them, looking confused as to why he was practically sitting on the ground.
