Eyes of Ember (Imdalind Series #2)(73)

I found him, about a hundred feet behind Edmund, his body limp and leaning against a tree. I dropped from the air, barely able to catch myself before I hit the ground.

I stood, coming to face Ryland. I wasn’t even sure it was him, this was a dream and not a T?uha after all, but I couldn’t ignore the fire that was steadily moving through my veins.

I moved toward him, stopping at the bright blue eyes that met mine. He smiled at seeing me there, his hand coming up to rest against my face as I knelt beside him, his thumb lightly tracing my bottom lip.

“Is it you?” I whispered. I knew I should bask in the fact that he was here, but I had to know. I was terrified that this was just another trap.

“I don’t know,” Ryland’s voice was forced, his tones strained. My heart dropped as I fought the need to run away.

“I think it is,” he continued. “I remember a lot, but not everything. My brains messed up. I...” He stopped as his eyes met mine, the blue looking deeply into me.

“It’s okay.” I said. I placed my hand on top of his, leaning into his touch. I didn’t feel my magic pulling toward him as it always did, but part of me didn’t care if it was him or just another way to torture me. I wanted to listen to the little voice that was begging me to give in to the simple joy that we were together. That was the part that won.

“I love you, Ry,” I whispered. “I miss you so much.”

“I miss you too, sweetheart.” His weak body reached up and pulled me into him, his arms draping over me limply without the strength to hold me to him.

“I am going to save you, Ryland.” I made my voice as powerful as I could make it. I wasn’t foolish enough to tell him how strong I was now or where I was hiding, but I could tell him that I was going to save him.

“I wish you wouldn’t.” I sat up abruptly at his words, his weak arms falling to the side.

“What?”

“I don’t think you can, Jos. And I don’t want you to get hurt. Please, stay with Ilyan. He will protect you.”

It was the rebuttal he had given me since the beginning, but it broke my heart to hear him say it again. Both of us had been through hell. If there was a chance I could save him, I was going to take it. Especially since Edmund and Cail were using him to manipulate and torture me every chance they got.

“I can save you. I can’t let them hurt you anymore.”

“While they what? Give you beautiful dreams and magical fantasies in our T?uha? I won’t let you go through it anymore. I am going to break the Z?lství. I am going to break our bond.” Ryland’s voice had gained some confidence, but his body was weak. I didn’t know what was involved in breaking a connection but I knew he didn’t have the strength to do it.

“No, Ryland, I can’t let you do that. If you do, you will kill me. Do you understand that?” He balked a bit at my words before sitting himself up, his hand reaching forward to grab mine.

“Not if we do it at the same time.”

“No.” I pulled my hand away, disgusted with what he was saying.

“It’s the only way to save you, Joclyn. I have to do it. They are going to keep torturing you, can’t you see?”

I stood up and moved away from him, shuffling my feet into the ground. This couldn’t be him. Ryland had sacrificed everything to complete the connection. He would never suggest breaking it.

“No,” I said. “This isn’t you Ryland. This isn’t...”

“Besides,” Ryland interrupted me, his voice even stronger than before. “It probably won’t even hurt you. You don’t truly love me anymore. If I break the connection, it won’t even affect you.”

“What are you saying?” My voice was barely even above a whisper. “You can’t be... Ryland!” I dropped to my knees feeling pain so strong I couldn’t breathe. “Don’t say that. I do love you. Why else would I have gone through all of this to get you back?”

Ryland stopped my rant as he pulled me against him, his arms gaining strength. He pressed his lips into my hair, kissing my skin softly. I moved at his touch, desperate to feel his lips against mine at least one more time. He looked at me right before he kissed me, seeming to decide if I wanted him to kiss me of not. I waited, my breath caught in my chest for the moment before our lips met.

This was not a T?uha, it was only a dream. There was no electric connection. But my heart still stuttered with the feeling of ecstasy that washed through me. I clenched my hand around his shirt, pulling him closer to me. I inhaled deeply as his tongue wiped against my lower lip, the sensation strong and desirable. I groaned and leaned into him further. My body was begging him to deepen the kiss, but instead of answering my need, he pulled away, his eyes boring into me.

“It’s okay if you don’t love me anymore, Jos. I don’t blame you. Our connection has done nothing but cause you pain and misery.”

My jaw dropped at his words. Didn’t I just prove that I still did? The pain returned as the fears I had been hiding for the past few days were spoken aloud by someone who was supposed to love me no matter what. But no. He didn’t love me, because he wasn’t Ryland.

“No!” I yelled, desperate to counter his words.

“Oh, yes.” I froze at the voice.

Edmund snaked his arm around my neck and pulled me against him, his strong arm cutting off my air supply. I gathered my strength and produced a large chain to wrap around Edmund, but the magic turned to smoke in my fingers.