Kiss of Fire (Imdalind, #1)(85)

“It’s okay, Ryland. You can do it,” I spoke softly to myself, wishing I could help him.

On the screen, Ryland shifted, but it wasn’t the twitch of the Vym?zat; it was something different. His eyes met the camera again, and his mouth turned up in that coy, little smile that always caused my heart to skip a beat.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I have asked you to gather together today with the intent of addressing an assumption that has been prevalent among the press. This assumption concerns the disappearance of Joclyn Despain.”

A twitch.

“Fight him, Ryland, please. Fight him for me.”

He smiled again. “I know it has been inferred that I may have been involved in her disappearance.” A bigger twitch. “And I would like to state again, that I was not involved with this tragedy in any way. I am proud to say that I love Joclyn Despain with all my heart, and her disappearance has taken an even bigger impact on me than she may ever know.”

He looked right at the camera, his eyes shining with tears. “I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you, too.” The necklace dug into my hand as my magic continued to surge into it.

“I know you do. And that’s why I need you to listen very carefully.”

I froze, focused on the necklace, on the warm heat that I instantly recognized as not being my own.

“You need to...” He paused when a twitch so large came over him that he had to hold onto the podium tightly, his knuckles turning white before he could raise his head.

“Fight him, Ry.”

“I’m... trying... Jos... Stay... where you are... Don’t come... Stay where you are...” He twitched so much that his head slammed into the podium. I could hear the press yell and call out in alarm in the background. He rose slowly, and I could tell he had lost. The blue from his eyes was gone, the pitch-black filling them once again.

I yelled in fear, the necklace falling to the floor.

“Ryland!”

“I’m coming to get you,” Ryland’s voice hissed angrily.

I screamed out just as the door to my bedroom burst open and Talon rushed in. He caught me right before I fell to the ground. I fought against his hold as I yelled, reaching toward the screen in vain, my voice echoing around the room. Wyn followed Talon in and grabbed a pillow from the bed and covered the necklace with it, her hands pushing it hard into the floor.

“What’s going on?” Ovailia yelled angrily, her agitation at being interrupted apparent.

“Get Ilyan!” Talon yelled, his arms wrapping around me protectively.

“Don’t you dare talk to me that way,” Ovailia scolded, affronted.

“Get Ilyan, now!” he amended, his voice loud enough to reach over my screams.

Wyn came up beside us, her arms wrapping around me tightly, her head resting against my back. Her cold magic flowed into me, the iciness shocking me, my panic stopping immediately. She withdrew her magic, leaving my own residual warmth to boil through me angrily at the absence of the necklace around my neck.

“Thanks, Wyn,” I whispered.

“It’s okay. He’s okay.” Wyn’s soft voice vibrated through me.

“Did... did you see?”

“Yes, we saw.”

“Saw what?” Ilyan’s voice was laced with worry.

I heard the door close and footsteps approach as Ilyan rushed over and pried me away from my friend’s strong arms. He pushed his magic into me, concerned that I was injured in some way.

“I’m fine, Ilyan,” I sighed as I moved away from him, breaking the contact with his hands. “It’s just... I mean...” I stopped. I didn’t quite know how to explain what had happened.

“Ryland spoke to you through the television, didn’t he?” Talon said.

Ilyan’s head whipped around to stare at me as I nodded. He exclaimed something in Czech before turning to face me head on.

“I need you to tell me exactly what happened, Joclyn. Everything. Don’t hold back, not now.” Ilyan grasped my hands tightly in his.

I jerked my hands away from him; I think he had hoped that the contact would give me confidence, but it only made me uncomfortable. I wrapped my arms around myself, hiding my hands from him in case he tried again.

I stayed that way until Wyn graciously took pity on me, although her comfort felt almost as unwelcomed as Ilyan’s. I didn’t want either of them; I only wanted Ryland.

“I saw him on the TV; it was a live press conference. Seeing him there... I could feel everything. I pulsed my magic into the necklace and then Ryland started talking to me... and then... he changed... and...” I knew I hadn’t done a very good job from the beginning, but Ilyan didn’t get mad or scold me. He simply began to pace the room, mumbling under his breath.

“Ovailia!” Ilyan yelled. She opened the door, obviously listening from the hallway the entire time. “Get me a copy of the press conference, as quickly as you can.”

Ovailia simply walked away, leaving the door to my room wide open.

Ilyan continued to pace as Talon began filling him in on what they had seen on the press conference and how Ryland had begun to talk directly to me. I filled in the gaps on my end when needed, glad I didn’t have to say much.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the pillow that Wyn had used to smother the necklace. It called to me, my heart thumping at my need for it. Before I knew what I was doing, my hands were hovering over the pillow, desperate to remove it.