Descending Darkness (The Prophesized #3) (16 page)

“She would appreciate your Superman reference,” Emma tells me.

“I’m just worried that we’re all going to start thinking of her as the prophecy girl because we’re catching glimpses of her, and she’s terrified of just being that. She’s Ryanne, and we have to remember that.”

“She thinks we’re using her because she’s the girl from the prophecy?” Emma asks. I notice that everyone else is being very quiet. They all seem lost in their thoughts.

“No, she doesn’t. She’s afraid that the magic is going to consume her, and that’s all she’s going to be. She’s afraid of losing her identity behind the magic inside of her.”

“I’ll be right back. She’s calling me,” Larkin says as he transports out of the room. The room is silent as we wait for him to bring Liam and Ryanne back.

“That’s not going to happen, Colton. We’re all here to help her,” Emma says.

Larkin comes back with Liam and Ryanne. Ryanne is leaning fully against Liam. He turns to me and says, “I think she’s crashing, man.”

Ryanne looks toward me and laughs, “Colton!” She throws her arms in the air and grins widely. “I missed ya!” she says through her giggles.

“Is she drunk?” Emma asks.

“I think it’s extreme tiredness. She’s
very
slap-happy, so to say,” Liam explains.

“Slap-happy is a silly expression. I’m not hitting anyone,” Ryanne mumbles as she stumbles out of Liam’s arms and stops in front of Larkin. “If I were to hit someone, I don’t think they’d be very happy about it.” Ryanne leans forward and hits Larkin lightly against the chest. The room goes silent as she leans forward and stares Larkin down. “Are you happy?” she asks him.

Larkin looks over Ryanne at us with a slight smile on his face. I’ve never seen Ryanne like this before. “Nevermind, we can pretend that was a rhetorical question.” She takes another step toward him, warranting a wary look from him. Reaching forward, she grabs his hand and laces their fingers together.

“What is she doing?” Larkin asks us as Ryanne closes her eyes.

“Ry, you don’t have enough energy for that,” I try to tell her.

“Shhhh,” she whispers loudly to Larkin and starts giggling again. “Don’t tell Colton.” I look around the room and see Emma and Natalie trying not to laugh. Bragden and David are smiling. The visible signs of exhaustion on Larkin disappear. It is like recharging a battery. He looks much more energized now.

Ryanne lets go of his hand and spins around. Losing her balance, she starts falling to the side. Larkin reaches out and steadies her. “Whoa, the floor moved,” she mumbles. “Gravity is silly.”

I walk toward her and grab her elbow. I start pulling her toward the couch. “Why’s everyone always pulling me places? I can walk. Sometimes, I can run too. I trip a lot though. I didn’t see the rock until I stepped on it and down I went. I swear my life flashed before my eyes, and then I cried.” I have no idea what she is talking about. Sitting down on the couch, I pull her beside me. Once she lies down, I have a feeling that she’ll fall sleep right away.

“Ooh,” she exclaims and jumps. “Tom!” She points toward David. A really confused look crosses her face, and she starts laughing again. “You’re not Tom. You’re David.” David loses it and starts cracking up. Still pointing at David, Ryanne turns around and looks at me. “David’s your brother. He’s always hungry. Remember, he has the pizza place on speed dial!”

“Do you really?” Emma asks him.

“It’s easier than looking it up all the time,” he defends himself.

I lift Ryanne’s arm so she is pointing at Tom, “Hey, there’s Tom! I found you. Ten points for Gryffindor. Oh, Bragden, you still need to read Harry Potter. Tom, can Emma…” she trails off, seemingly losing her train of thought. Giggling again, she continues, “Not Emma. Emma’s already here. Can…” She whirls around and faces Liam. “Liam, what was I supposed to ask again?”

I wrap my arm around Ryanne’s shoulder and move her so she leans against me. She rests her head on my shoulder as Liam answers. “What she is trying to ask is if it’s alright for Jane and Ross to come here for a little while. She wants to make sure they’re safe, and they still have some questions.”

“Hey, I was supposed to ask that!” Ryanne turns around and glares at Liam. He raises his eyebrows and tries to keep a stoic expression, but I see the smile he is trying to hide.

“I’m very sorry, Ryanne,” he says.

“It’s okay, Liam. You’re my protector. I can’t be mad at you,” she waves him off. “In books, all the bad boys look like Liam,” Ryanne says while looking at Natalie and Emma. “Dark hair, dark clothes, the awesome scar, the tattoo,” she says. Ryanne turns around and looks at Liam. “Do you ride a motorcycle?”

Tom smiles at Ryanne but answers Liam. “Sure, that’s fine. Larkin, can you go get them? I know you’ve been using a lot of magic lately…” Tom is obviously concerned about Larkin.

“Oh, it’s fine. I don’t know what Ryanne did, but I feel much better now.” Larkin transports out the room right as Ryanne starts fidgeting in my lap.

“Tom,” Ryanne says. “I healed Larkin. His boo-boo went bye-bye.”

“Ryanne, what’s two plus two,” David asks.

“Fish.”

“She should definitely become a mathematician.”

“One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish. I like Dr. Seuss,” she says. “He was one funny guy. I think. I didn’t know him. Though I had a lot of his books! Oh, we should get Olive a striped hat!” When everyone starts laughing, Ryanne looks around confused. “Who told a joke? I want to hear. Knock. Knock.”

“She wants to hear a joke, so she tells one?” Emma asks.

“Who’s there?” David asks with a large grin.

“Orange you glad I didn’t say banana,” she giggles. A few seconds later, she stops and stares at David with a blank expression. “Wait, I forgot to say banana. Knock. Knock.”

“Banana,” David says to confuse her.

“Who’s there?” Ryanne says. “Wait, that’s not right either. Knock. Knock.”

When no one says who’s there, Ryanne sighs. “Why don’t they have ding dong jokes?” she asks. “Do jokesters not have doorbells?”

“That’s actually a good question,” Natalie says quietly from across the room. I turn and look at her with a smile. It is a good question actually. What goes through her mind when she thinks of this stuff?

“I’d rather use a doorbell than knock on a door,” Ryanne whispers as she starts moving in my lap.

“Colton, your chest is too hard.” She pokes my chest with her index finger. “Get some fat on you, buddy. Eat some cake. I like cake. I watched an episode of Cake Boss one time, and they made a cake look like a foot. It was gross, but I’m sure it tasted good.” Leaning down, she rests her head on my leg. A couple seconds later, she sits back up. “Your leg’s not fat either. Why do you have to be all muscle-y and stuff.” I can’t hold it in anymore. Ryanne is pouting, and it is too adorable to not laugh. I motion for Logan to hand me the pillow next to him.

I move over a little and place the pillow against my leg. I pat the pillow telling her to lie back down. She looks at me, and in the deepest voice she can manage, she says, “I’m batman.”

Conner starts laughing and says, “Bazinga.”

“I drank milk that tasted funny.” When Conner laughs again, Ryanne points toward him as she rests her head against the pillow. “I like him. He watches the Big Bang Theor…” she sighs and whispers, “Bazinga,” before she falls asleep.

“I think I like that Ryanne,” Emma says.

Colton

I reach down and twirl a curl around my finger while we wait for Larkin to come back with Jane and Ross. Because of the rain earlier, Ryanne’s hair is very curly. I turn toward Liam and ask, “What did you guys tell them?”

“The truth. We didn’t get very far though. I told them about how Ryanne stopped an attack on them before, but Ryanne started laughing and talking about how it hurts to get stabbed in the leg. So, I decided it was time for her to get some rest.”

“Good move. I’d rather we explain everything here anyway, since this house is protected. The enchantment is still up.”

“Jane and Ross are kind of like David and Emma. Jane’s very outspoken while Ross kind of stands back and lets her talk. He stops her when she gets a little carried away,” Liam explains.

“Hey, I’m not
that
outspoken. I mean someone has to speak the truth. I’m just the one that volunteers,” Emma says.

“Oh my gosh, that was trippy. I feel like I’m on some sort of…never mind.” I turn around and see Larkin standing in the back of the room with Jane and Ross. Jane looks around the room. “Where’s Ryanne?”

“She’s right here,” I answer. Jane walks over to the edge of the couch and looks at Ryanne.

“Is she okay? She started acting a little strange. I mean, she’s always been a little strange, and I love her for it but weirder than usual.” Definitely like Emma.

“She’s fine. She just used too much magic. She needs to rest,” Liam says.

“Okay. Okay. This is all so weird.” Jane walks over to the side of the couch and sits on the armrest. Liam and Logan get up and motion for her to sit down. Ross moves so he is standing behind her. “So you’re trying to tell me that tonight you all saved us from being killed?”

We all nod. “Technically, it was Ryanne. She’s the one that had the vision, and honestly, I’m sure she could have handled it herself even if we weren’t there. I mean, did you see her? She was bada—”

“Emma,” I warn.

“Sorry, got carried away.” She draws her hand across her mouth and twists. Throwing the invisible key over her shoulder, she leans back against David.

“Did she explain to you how she came into magic?’ I ask Jane.

“Yeah, when she turned eighteen, she started showing signs and...I’m guessing you’re Colton?” I nod. “Ok, and you touched her and it all went on from there.”

“So you do believe in the magic? You don’t think we’re all crazy?” Logan asks.

“Well, we heard a commotion in the backyard, so we went over to the window and looked out. I saw Ryanne fighting some guy, completely kicking his butt. I was totally impressed. And then he just flew backward without her even touching him. Then, she turned around and something flew out of her hand and hit another man in the chest. I don’t see how that would be possible otherwise. And that guy,” she pointed toward Larkin, “transported us here. That definitely wouldn’t be possible unless we’re suddenly in a Star Trek episode, and since none of you look like Spock, I highly doubt that theory.”

“I’ll be right back,” Larkin says. He transports out of the room. Jane and Ross both stare at the spot he was for a couple seconds before turning back to us. For people who didn’t know magic existed an hour ago, they are taking everything pretty well.

“Ok, can you continue from where you were before? The part where we were almost attacked before and how Ryanne got stabbed?”

Liam starts explaining everything again. When he would leave something out, we would interject comments. I didn’t realize just how much she’s been through until we put everything out like that. For the next half hour, we explain what has been happening this summer. Ryanne isn’t on an internship like Jane thought. She is out fighting the “bad guys.” I can tell that Jane doesn’t like hearing about all the times Ryanne has been injured. Liam doesn’t go into too many details when it came to the injuries. None of us like hearing about them again.

Occasionally, she will glance over at Ryanne, who is still sleeping on my lap. I know it is a lot to take in, especially after finding out that everything you were told was a lie. “So, she’s supposed to defeat this Dravin guy, and Dravin was the one who sent all those men to kill us. You guys are all here training.” She turns to Tom. “You told me that she was on internship, so she could work on her magic…without me knowing.”

“I’m sorry, but it was for your safety. We didn’t want to get you involved in everything. It’s dangerous,” Tom says.

“And it’s not dangerous for her?”

“Look Jane, Ryanne knew and still knows what she’s getting into. She’s saved all of us numerous times. We’re trying our best to protect her. She’s stronger than she looks. You can’t underestimate her. She’s proven that to us,” Tom says, “countless times.”

“I know, I know. But I mean you have to look at it from my perspective. I’ll never replace her mom, I know that, but I was the one there when she cried herself to sleep every night. I was the one there when she didn’t have anyone else. She didn’t have any family or friends, and I tried to be that for her. I just found out that she was bullied in school, that she has magic and is basically being hunted because of it, and that she’s supposed to stop some freaking dude who wants power. I can tell you all care about her, but it’s a little overwhelming. I mean, I thought she was on some boring business internship this summer, and I find out that she’s been risking her life the whole time. That she actually died!”

Natalie reaches up and grabs onto Jane’s hand. Jane takes a few deep breaths and instantly calms down. “How’d you do that?” Jane asks.

“Magic. I can sense emotions, feelings, and intentions. You were starting to get worked up, so I helped calm you down,” Natalie explains. “Look, I’m pretty new in this group, but I’ve seen the loyalty they all have. They’re doing everything that they can to keep her safe.”

Jane nods and looks around the room. Her eyes stop on me. She looks at me and then to Liam. “So you’re not actually with Ryanne even though you were her date to my wedding?”

“No, I’m not with Ryanne. I’m her protector,” Liam says.

Jane turns and looks at me. “And you are?” Her eyes linger on Ryanne in my lap.

“Her soulmate.”

Jane’s eyebrows raise, eyes widen, and her mouth falls open. “Her soulmate? You actually know that?”

“Yes, soulmates are the only ones that can bring each other back from the dead. When she was stabbed, she died. I was able to heal her. When Dravin stabbed me, I died, and she healed me. We’re meant for each other.”

“But she’s only eighteen,” Ross says. “How old are you?”

“I just turned nineteen. I know what you’re thinking, but I’d never do anything to hurt her. I love her.”

“Wow, when I was eighteen, all the guys I met were jerks, and her first legit boyfriend is her soulmate? Not fair.”

Ryanne sighs and starts moving. I stop rubbing her arm, hoping to keep her asleep. She needs the rest. Jane turns and glares at me. “You haven’t slept with her, have you?”

Emma and David snort, trying to hide their laugh. Liam and Natalie both pinch their lips together, trying to hide their smiles. Logan and Bragden aren’t as successful at being discreet. They both openly laugh. “Slept as in sleep, yes; slept as in sex, no.”

Jane nods once. “Good.”

“He’s telling the truth,” Natalie confirms.

“What would you have done if I said yes?” I ask curiously—not that I’d openly admit that.

“I would have said “go Ryanne” and then I would have castrated you,” she tells me with a smile. This time everyone laughs. Even Tom smiles.

“Understood.”

Ryanne starts moving again. I remove my arm from around her shoulder as she slowly sits up. She stretches and rubs her eyes. Turning toward me, she smiles. As her eyes move past me and land on Jane, her smile falls.

“Oh my gosh, did I actually do all that?” she asks.

“Are you talking about you going all ninja on everyone? Totally kicking butt? Scaring all the big bad guys? Yeah, you did that,” Emma says.

“Hmm…” She looks proud of herself, but that look quickly leaves her face. “Uh oh,” she winces and looks around the room.

“What?” I ask as she stands up and walks out of the room. Every eye in the room follows her as she moves. When she comes back into the room, she is holding the sketchbook and a pencil.

“Ryanne, don’t draw anything.”

“You know I can’t help it. Someone needs me.”

“Larkin’s not even here to help bring you back!” I tell her.

“I think it’s Larkin that needs my help. If not, then I’ll find another way back. Don’t worry about me. Liam will know if anything happens.” Opening up to a blank page, she starts to frantically draw a door. It looks like the back door of Dravin’s compound.

“Ryanne,” I groan. I know she can’t help it, but I don’t like her going there on her own.

“What’s going on?” Jane asks. She is watching Ryanne as she is drawing. Ryanne finishes this drawing a lot quicker than the others and grunts in pain. Jane jumps up and looks around. I shake my head at her. There is nothing we can do right now. I watch as Ryanne disappears. Jane gasps. “Where did she go?”

I pick up the sketchbook and hand it to her. “There.”