Page 81 of Shattered Heir
“Emma, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to give you false hope. I just—well, I had to believe it.” I reached out and hugged him. He had been the only one who believed me, the only one who tried to have hope. I was grateful for his hope, I was in such need of it, and I knew I would always be thankful for it, even if I had to live in a world without Shad.
I looked over at Shad one last time and then back at Keil, knowing that while hope did seem gone, I would still try at least one last time. I would get the crystal from Cade, and I would fix Shad. There were so many things I didn't know about. I didn't know Terra, I didn't know my ancient gift, I didn't know much about Ash or Glasson, and I knew barely anything about myself. I didn’t know about the stupid prophecy that Ryker had told me about, or why he always shielded his melody. I didn’t know why I felt pity for Cade, and I didn’t know why all of those things were sitting square on my shoulders, pressing me down. But the time for feeling sorry for myself was over. Even though I didn't know much, I did know one thing: I knew that I loved Shad, and I would sacrifice myself if it meant I could save him. I was done looking for answers, done talking, done acting strong like everything would be okay, somehow. No, I would solve the problem myself. No one else believed in him. Everyone else had written Shad off as a lost cause, everyone except Keil and I. I had the hope that somehow I could save him, that somehow, even if his memories inside of that note inside of me didn't seem useful. I did have a plan.
“I have to go.” I stood up and ran from the room.
Keil called after me. “Emma, don’t go tohim. Please, Shad only has a week, at most, left,”
“I have to do this, Keil,” I said, stopping on the sidewalk, out of breath. “I have to do this or else for the rest of my life, I will always wonder, always wish I had done it, and I can not live with that. I have to know that I tried everything possible to save him.”
“You have, Emma. You have given so much, sacrificed so much, and tried so hard.”
“I haven’t tried hard enough. There is still something I can do,” I said as I turned and ran to my house.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Idon’t remember exactly where Cade lived, but I knew that if I spoke to his melody, he would answer. I walked into my house, out of breath. Luckily, Mary was working, but I still needed to face Ryker, who was sitting on the couch.
“That was a quick training session,” Ryker said; then he looked closer at me. He jumped off of the couch and walked over to me.
“Did you see him?” he asked as I buried my head in his chest.
“You knew?” I sniffled, unable to stop the tears that fell yet again.
“Keil told me last night. I am so sorry, Emma.” I pulled away from him without a word and walked down the long hall, and up the stairs to my room. Ryker called after me, but I did not answer. I just kept going.
I felt a tug on my shoulder.
“Em, what are you doing?” he asked.
“I am meeting with Cade one last time. I have to try to get the crystal, Ry.” I opened the door to my bedroom and rushed to my bathroom. I fixed my jumbled mess of hair and splashed water onto my puffy face. I looked at myself, wondering whenthe red eyes and puffiness would go down. My plan will only work tonight, and I need everything to be perfect. I paused from looking at my reflection, ready to wipe my face, when I stopped myself. This is perfect. If I go to Cade, crying about losing Shad, not only will it be believable, but it might make it easier to get close enough to him to trick him. I knew that in order to get the crystal, I would have to distract him completely, and I tried not to let that settle inside of me. I didn’t want to have to seduce him as Ash had suggested, but because Shad was only days away from being dead forever, I would kiss Cade a hundred times if it would bring Shad back, so I could at least do it once. The only problem was that if I did get the crystal, how would I leave with it? What was my plan for after? I realized that was vital, but I didn’t care. I raced about my room, trying to decide what to wear and what purse I could bring to hide the crystal in until I got away from him. But would he notice it was gone, once it was off of him?
“Emma, slow down here. What is going on?”
“I will take the crystal from him, but will he notice that it is gone?
“What? Emma, that won’t work.”
“Ry, tell me.”
“As long as he is near it, I don’t think it matters. But the further away it gets, I would assume he would start to notice.”
There was my hope. After I got the crystal from him, Cade could drive me home, and that way, he would be with me and the crystal the entire time; then I would run across the street and use it on Shad before he realized what I had done. Light shot through me. That was it, That was my plan, and that was my last hope.
“Emma, please tell me that you will stop this foolishness, right now. Clearly, you can see that there is no hope for Shad.”
“No, I will not stop; I will never stop. You cannot ask that of me!” I shouted as I grabbed a red shirt and a pair of fadedjeans, taking them into the bathroom to change. I came out and grabbed a red purse, hanging behind my door. My mother had bought it for me for one of my birthdays, and I had never used it.
“Emma, please think about this.”
“I have been thinking about this; that is the problem. I have been only thinking and doing nothing! It’s not any more risky than what I have already been doing.” I lifted up my arm, “and I have that Magical tracker thing from Keil inside of me, so you will be able to find me just fine.”
“I don’t like it. It’s such a stupid idea,” he said as I sat down on the bed to change my socks.
“You don’t have to like it, but I am going, and I am going to do whatever it takes to try to save Shad. If it were me, Ry, if I were dying, would you not do all you could to save me?” I walked over to him, and he turned around.
“I will kill him if he hurts you, Emma, so help me, Ancients.” I touched his cheek, and he leaned into my hand.
“I love you, Ry. Tell Mary that I will be back as soon as I can.” He started to follow me with protest so evident within his eyes. “But–I will truly hate you if you stop me.” I didn't want to say those words. I knew they would hurt him, but he needed to let me do it, and if he loved me, he would. “If you really care for me at all, you will let me do this. You have lied to me, and you have shut me out, and I still trust you, so please trust me.”
