Page 51 of Shattered Heir
“If we killed Cade, it is possible that Shad’s soul would die, too,” Keil said. “That's out of the question.”
“Are you sure? I heard that melodies go back, just like a marking,” Glasson questioned with his arms folded across his broad chest.
“This is different. They are connected in a different way. Shad’s soul inside Cade has become such a part of him that it would destroy his soul if we killed him while Shad’s soul was still inside of him,” Keil confirmed.
Shad walked back from the window seat at that point, seeming to want to join the conversation. “I didn’t know much about my brother, only that he died when I was very young. Which, as we all can see, wasn’t true,” Shad offered. “It is odd to think that my brother would do this to me.” He rubbed his brow as if his head hurt again, and I saw a trickle of blood flow from his nose.
“Shad, are you okay?” I jumped up, holding his face in my hands, loving the electric touch of him.
“I am fine; what?” He asked, not looking at me.
“Your nose is bleeding. Keil, why is his nose bleeding?”
“I don’t know,” Keil answered.
I turned to Mary, and Ryker turned away from me.
“Uh, no! Not again. Don't you all dare lie to me again.”
“I feel fine, only tired,” Shad said, and I wanted to kiss him and hold him.
“Tell me, what is happening to him?” I asked with tears running down my cheeks. I knew that whatever was happening, it wasn’t good. I was worried that the small memories that he still had would fade away until there was nothing left of the boy I loved. I could handle this Shad, but if he changed any more, forgot himself any more, what would I have done?
“He is sick,” Ryker finally said, and Keil gave him an evil look.
I ignored Keil and walked over to Ryker.
“What is he sick from?” I asked Ryker.
“His body, it needs its melody. His body is starting to shut down. First, he will start forgetting what little he innately knew about himself. He will become someone else entirely. Next, his body will slowly die,” Ryker answered.
I ran to Shad and collapsed into his arms. He didn't hold me, not exactly, but he didn’t let me fall to the floor either.
“No, no, he cannot die; we need more time,” I screamed. Mary pulled me away from a confused-looking Shad. Keil walked over to me with a tissue and motioned for Shad to go back to the window.
“There is hope if you can access his memories, Emma. I know that he found something out about melodies and about soulless. Before we came to you, he found out something. We were trying to help the soulless live longer. I have tried all of that on Shad already, but before we came here, he had something else that he found, only he had not told me about it yet,” Keil explained. He was the only person who believed that Shad could be saved, could be saved by me, and I loved him for it.
“I have only his memories about me. He didn't leave anything useful,” I cried.
Ryker grabbed me and pulled me into his arms, his warmth anchoring me. “We will help him, Emma, we will.”
I sniffled and looked over to Shad, so oblivious to everything, and I started crying once again. I would do anything for a smirk on his beautiful face, a smile, a wink, for him to wear a tie. I missed Shad so bad that it hurt. There he sat by the window in a t-shirt and jeans. I hated it because that wasn't him. I missed him so badly.
“I know what else we can do while we try to get the memories from the note he left with Emma,” Keil said, sitting down beside me.
“What? I will do anything to help Shad, to save him.”
“Cade wants you. He wouldn’t be back here if he didn’t. My suggestion is that you get close to him, close enough to where he trusts you, and then you can steal the crystal. Once you do that, we can attempt to put Shad’s melody back inside of him. There is no guarantee that it will work, but it could be our best chance if we can’t figure out Shad’s plan that he left inside that note.”
“Get close to him?” I asked softly
“She is not dating a psychopath,” Ryker said harshly. “And you know that doesn’t work, Keil. It won’t work with a midnight crystal,” Ryker added.
“As much as I hate to say it, Keil, there is no hope for him,” Glasson said, looking mournful at least.
“I disagree with Your Highness,” Keil said.
“I understand his melody is extremely strong, almost as strong as Emma’s, but the laws of the Ancients, of our people—they are not just easily dissolved,” Glasson added. “A soul once bound inside a midnight crystal can never be returned to its owner, never be removed at all, which is why the Ancients set up the system of extraction—so that the corruptor couldn't obtain more melodies.”
