Page 63 of Shattered Heir
As Ryker spoke, I noticed behind him that the wind started picking up, making the tree branches shake. Autumn was beautiful, but its beauty could not exist, not at a time like that. It was getting cool out, and as the breeze caressed my skin, I shuddered.
“Okay, so he’s kinda turning corrupt, but he’s kinda fun, too, right?”
I let go of Ryker’s hand to wrap my arms around myself. “He kissed Karen today!” I shouted at him in frustration.
“He did?” Ryker wiped a hand across his face. “Keil is gonna kill me.”
“Yes, and Shad doesn’t even care. Right after that, he wanted to make out with me in the bathroom.”
“The bathroom? Well, that’s gross.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s where I dragged him after I saw him with Karen.”
“Why would you go into the bathroom?” he asked with a large smile. He was oddly intrigued by that, and I didn’t understand why. A breeze blew past us on the porch, and I watched as a few dead copper leaves passed by our shoes. October had a way of making death look drastically beautiful.
“I just walked somewhere where we could be alone for a minute.”
“Okay, but I wouldn’t recommend that in the future; I mean—yeah, maybe don’t do that again,” he smirked at me in his playful way.
I grunted. “Can we get over the bathroom thing? This is getting bad, Ry. We need to help him, and soon, before—he, before—he can never be the Shad I—” Ryker pulled me into his arms, and I cried yet again. I tried to calm myself down as my melody swirled around me, but Ryker’s touch was cold. Then all of a sudden, he was warmth to me, and light, and I pulled away from him.
“How come you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Your touch warms me, sometimes, and at other times, nothing.”
“Is this supposed to be a compliment? It doesn’t feel like one.”
“Be serious, I mean, what’s that about?”
“Sometimes, I unshield my soul a bit, when I sense you need some comfort. I guess, sometimes, it feels like warmth to you?” He shrugged as if it didn’t matter, but I knew it did.
“Why do you completely shield your melody all of the time, anyways? I thought that was frowned upon?”
“I made a vow to keep my soul shielded as much as possible around anyone but you—until the time is right.”
“What time?”
“A different time than now–one that I know of,” he said with a smirk, and I wanted to shove him, but in a friendly way.
“But I don’t ever hear your melody. How is your melody not corrupt?”
“I have training in soul-shielding. I let it out often enough.”
“Well, I do like the warmth.”
“I am glad I offer you comfort,” he grinned.
“Shad makes me feel on fire, like electricity. Every time we touch, it's like lightning is passing through me,” I whispered.
“That sounds painful.”
I hit him in the chest. “Ry, please, be serious!”
“I am; being electrocuted would hurt pretty horribly, Em.”
“Well, it doesn’t hurt, okay. It makes me feel—“
