Page 3 of Shattered Heir
“Okay,” I said, putting my water back into my pack. As I walked across the fallen tree, Shad’s eyes upon me made me nervous. I looked up for one second and lost my footing. I slipped but happily found myself in Shad’s outstretched arms. He smelled normal, like mint and leather, and I couldn’t help but rest my face against his shoulder as he set me down on myfeet. I could almost imagine the old Shad, the one I loved—until he spoke, ruining my fantasy.
“Not only are you the most useless person—but also, the most irritating,” he snarled as he let go of me.
“Excuse me?” I replied, anger evident in my tone. It bubbled up way too quickly, and the monster within me wanted a bite out of him. She needed to sink her teeth into something. I walked up to Shad and tugged his shirt collar, pulling him so that he was right in my face. “Me, useless? Me, irritating?”
“Yes, that is what I said. Youandher—” he added, pointing to Mary. “Won’t give me any answers, and here we are, hiking aimlessly around some forest, on top of a mountain, and still, I’ve got nothing.” He looked at me.
I felt the smokiness of anger and hatred build and boil within me.Remember who you hate: Cade, not Shad. Cade did this to him; this is Cade’s fault.I repeated it over and over again, attempting to tame the monster who was raging a war within me:
I hate Cade.
I hate Cade.
I hate Cade.
“Hello? Anyone home?” I felt a slight flick on my right cheek and realized that I had closed my eyes to refocus myself. I opened them and grabbed Shad’s hand, the one I assumed had just flicked me, and I pushed his arm back and down in a direction that it shouldn't go. Anger was raging inside of me.
He cried out, and I pulled away, surprised. His cry was not the sound that I wanted to hear. He wasn’t the person I wanted to hurt. I looked at him, and he twisted his arm away, moving it back and forth, checking it.
“What is wrong with you?” he asked as he realized his arm was fine.
I was not fine, however. How did I just do that? How did I just hurt the man I love?
“You are—you are—Just stay away from me,” I spat, trying to find the right words.
“I would love to do that,” he frowned. “But you are one of two people who I am stuck with right now.” He got close to me, so close that I could see my reflection in the blackness of his soulless eyes.
“Just leave me alone,” I whispered as I stepped away. There was no use in fighting—It just made everything worse. I tried to calm myself and forget about the hate that was burning within me. I just wanted Shad back, I just wanted his melody restored. Is that really too much to ask for? I thought.Was it really too much for me to ask that something in my life go right for a change? For something to actually work out? I really don’t think that it is too much.
“Just tell me where we are and what is going on, and then I will,” he growled at me as my melody stretched out from me to him, searching for his soul’s melody to chase away the darkness.
“If you hadn’t been such a stupid hero—” my voice cracked, betraying me.
“Now, there we are. I am—a hero?” His brow rose; I looked away. He walked closer to me and touched my chin, turning my face to look into his dead eyes.
I didn't miss the spark that I felt within his touch and was relieved that it was still there between us. At least, Cade didn't take that. I stared into his soulless, black eyes and wanted to cry at the loss of the gold I had fallen in love with.
“Keep going,” he coaxed. I moved away until he wasn’t touching me. I didn’t want to hurt him.
“You did something stupid—to save me,” I said, a tear falling from my cheek. He looked at my eyes and my face again. His thumb pressed against the wetness there and rubbed. He pulledhis hand away and looked at me. My soul was ringing around us. The monster inside was gone for a moment.
“Why wouldIsaveyou?” he asked, looking confused for a time, and then a flicker of an idea seemed to float to him, “Because you are so beautiful?” he whispered. I could feel his breath on my cheek, and I tried to keep my breaths even.
He still thinks positive thoughts about me? I wondered.
“Because you are an idiot,” I answered, walking past him, needing to break the spell.
“Tell me, please, I want to know what happened. Who am I—who am I to you?” I felt his hand on my arm; then he tugged me closer. “Please, I am so confused.” He shook his head. “Who are you?” he whispered as he caressed my cheek. I wanted to stand there forever with his soft electric touch upon my skin and his whispers in the surrounding air between us.
“I—I can't, I am so sorry,” I said as I turned and ran away from him, needing to make certain that I would not hurt him again.
Chapter Two
Finally, after the ten-hour hike back to our car through the deep of the night and into the early morning, we drove for a few hours and found a little hotel in the middle of a forest. I was looking forward to a hot shower and a warm bed as well as changing out of the bloody clothes that I was wearing. They were stiff and reminded me of my most horrible memories—memories of seeing Ryker bloodied and broken on the cave floor, memories of Shad walking away from me as he let Cade take away his soul’s melody. Still, they also reminded me of one of the best memories I owned: Shad holding me, and our first shared kiss. I looked out of the window as we drove into a parking lot, trying not to think about Shad's lips on mine in that small cell, trying to forget about his hands holding me close to him and the promises that he made to me, promises that I feared would never be fulfilled. It was my best and it was my most painful memory, and I felt tears drip down my face as I thought of it. I wanted to punch something—shatter the glass of the window. I wanted to pulverize anything and everything. I wanted him back—us back—us together.
“Are we close enough to see Ryker?” I asked as Mary parked the car. The sign, “Log Tree Hotel,” was lit up in bright neon lights and made the inside of the car glow. How was it night already? Time was speeding by, and I was totally oblivious.
“I have to check my phone. I think my messages should have loaded by now.”
