Page 10 of Fractured Sky
“ButIwant to talk about you.There’s nothing to say about me.Am I sad and worried that Sol isn’t here?Of course I am.Am I giving up hope?Sometimes, but not really.I get discouraged, but I’m not giving up on finding him and getting him back.What else do you want from me?”
“Everyone’s worried because you’ve been isolating yourself.”
“What am I supposed to do?You’re all distracted by your dragons and your work.It hurts to see, even though I’m happy for you.I’m not sure I’ll ever get Sol back, though, so forgive me if I need a little time away from everyone being so lovey-dovey.”
Tyne grimaced.“I get it.”
He probably did.He had to watch everyone be so happy while, at the same time, keeping Meyer at arm’s length.It was his own fault, but Dallin wasn’t sure that repeating that to him would help.
That wouldn’t stop him from trying.
“But I don’t have a choice, Tyne.Sol isn’t here, and there’s nothing I can do about that.You, on the other hand, have your dragon here.You have a chance to make things right with him and to have the relationship you didn’t have with Peyton.”
Tyne was already shaking his head.“That’s not how it works.”
“Isn’t it?I know that Meyer has Peyton’s face.I know that looking at him probably hurts like nothing else ever has.Meyer isnotPeyton, though.He doesn’t have any of Peyton’s memories.He’s not the man who was going to leave you.”
Dallin desperately wanted to know why Peyton had been leaving, but he was pretty sure that even if he asked, Tyne wouldn’t answer.It was an extremely personal question, and it was clear it had caused Tyne a lot of pain over the years.Dallin couldn’t even imagine what that had been like.The rest of them had been struggling because they’d lost the men they loved, but Tyne had already lost Peyton before their fight with Carlyle.He’d never told any of them.He’d never asked for support.
“How about this,” Dallin offered.“I’ll stop isolating myself if you talk to Meyer.”
Tyne grimaced.“I don’t know if I can.What am I supposed to tell him?”
“The truth.Give him a chance to make things right and show you that he’s not Peyton.It would’ve been easy for him to leave the castle when you pushed him away, but he’s still here, and he’s still trying to talk to you.I’m not saying that getting over what happened with Peyton will be easy or even possible, but you won’t know if you don’t give yourself and Meyer achance.”
“You promise you’ll stop isolating yourself?Because Keylon and Penley are driving me nuts.Every time you don’t come to lunch or dinner, they wonder what’s happening to you and how they can help you.Jarvis had to nix a fireworks show the other day.”
Dallin snickered.“I wouldn’t have hated fireworks.”
“I think we're all still slightly traumatized by the forest fire, and Jarvis probably didn’t want to risk a second one.”Tyne’s expression softened.“Seriously, though.We’re all worried about you and Sol.I know that spending time with us won’t help you get him back, but you don’t have to face it on your own.”
Tyne was right.It might hurt to see the others with their dragons, but until the mess with Carlyle was over, Dallin wasn’t going anywhere.He should get used to seeing the dragons around the castle.Even if he left, the other mages would always be his family.He didn’t want to lose them just because he was jealous.
“You talk to Meyer and give him a chance, and I’ll stop hiding,” Dallin said, unwilling to compromise.
Tyne rolled his eyes.“I’ll try talking to him.That’s all I can promise.”
It wasn’t what Dallin had wanted, but he supposed it was better than nothing.“Deal.”
* * * *
SOL WAS STARTLED AWAKEby the sound of a key in a lock.Before he’d been taken, he wouldn’t even have noticed that sound, but he’d learned to be hypervigilant since Carlyle had dragged him away from his apartment.
He groaned and opened his eyes.He’d finally been getting some rest after Carlyle had gone through another round of failing to cast his spell and taking it out on Sol.He was always afraid to close his eyes in case Carlyle returned while he was sleeping, but it was unavoidable.Sol had to get some rest before his body shut down on its own, which was what he’d been trying to do.
Until the key slid in the lock.
Sol blinked his eyes open and uncurled his body.He was on the cold floor, which was uncomfortable but not as uncomfortable as trying to sleep sitting up.He’d chosen a spot as far away from the cell door as possible in case something like this happened.He was glad he had because it meant that he had a few precious seconds to understand what was happening and get ready for it.
He expected Carlyle.He didn’t usually return so soon after a failed spell, but maybe he’d finally found out what was wrong.Maybe he was ready to try again already.
But it wasn’t Carlyle.
Sol told himself not to hope as he watched Graham push open the door.The man didn’t come in.Instead, he stared at Sol through the bars, almost as if he was waiting for Sol to do something.Did he think Sol would attack him?Sol could try, but he doubted he’d get very far, even with Graham.He felt like he was eighty years old.His body was stiff, both from the beatings and the pain and from having to sleep in uncomfortable positions on the cold floor.
He couldn’t wait to get out of here.He just hoped it wouldn’t be feet first.
Graham finally seemed to have enough.He gestured for Sol to come closer, and while Sol hesitated for a moment, he couldn’t afford not to take this opportunity.He scrambled to his feet, ignoring the pain that burned through his limbs, and took a step toward the exit.
