Deciding Skies (Fate's Intent Book 2) (20 page)

“Only because she’ll completely lose it. You’re trying to revive a part of her that died a long time ago just by being here and it’s clearly messing with her.”

“Clearly.” Ryon muttered with his eyes fixed on Zayden.

“Kole! Please just do it.”

“All right but only if you can get her to change you back herself. If you’re coming back with us tonight, Trever won’t want to see you like this.”

“We’re not.”

“Don’t get your hopes up.”

My blonde hair turned black like his and my eyes were probably darkened again.

“You have the gift Adele has?” Zayden asked.

Kole stared at him for a moment and I was almost beginning to fear his answer. “I’m much better.”

I felt the table rumble like there had been an earthquake, thinking it was Kole just showing off. “Kole, stop.”

“That wasn’t me.”

“Oh really? Then who was it?”

He pause and his eyes looked up beyond the table. “Ah, our new problem.”

I turned my head and it was Adele who stood hard just inside the door. Her eyes were fiercely fixed at the table and the anger was the strongest I’ve ever seen. This was bad. She wasn’t supposed to find out they were here but none of us really seemed to know what to do.

She never said a word but she slowly stepped towards us. Each step that connected with the floor caused the stone to crack and make the whole room shake with her fury.

“Adele.” I rose from my chair in hopes to talk reason but she wasn’t responding.

“Jay, don’t do it.” Kole said. “She won’t listen.”

“I have to try. I think people will notice if a palace on top of a large hill mysteriously collapses!” I took a breath and turned back to Adele, trying to approach her while keeping my balance. “Adele?”

I reached for her but she shoved her hand toward me and I was immediately airborne.

“Jaylyn!” I heard Troy’s concern after I hit the wall and tumbled to the floor. It hurt but I wasn’t badly injured. The pain of it didn’t last very long.

“I’m all right.” I said as he helped me up. “We have to stop her before she destroys the place.”

Even the walls were starting to crack now and Ruby tried her hand next to slow her down. “Adele, stop!”

Her eyes were red and she went at her head on but I already proved that wasn’t the best idea. Adele did the same thing to her in the other direction but luckily, Darius was there to catch her.

“You okay?” He asked, helping Ruby on her feet.

“Yeah. You have a good habit of catching me when I fall.”

“One I don’t intend to break.”

Ruby smiled to his sweetness but there was still a problem and she turned her head. “Zayden! Your turn.”

He stood up but so did Ryon with a stern voice. “No! I’m the one she wants.”

The look on Zayden’s face said Ryon meant that in a completely different way but he stayed in front of his chair to let Ryon do whatever it was he was about to do.

“Adele, just listen.” He kept his hands out so she knew he was going to do anything with them but the closer he got in front of her, the more her sadness dominated her anger.

“Now I should listen? Where were you when I wanted you to listen to me?”

“Believe me. I heard and I wanted to come but—”

“It’s too late. You’re too late. You let this happen to me and I can never forgive you.”

I felt Ryon’s pain hit me like I was slapped across the face. I always knew he cared about her; loved her even but this was becoming unbearable to watch.

Chapter 27

Ryon

I couldn’t move. Her words pierced a cold blade through my heart and I’ve never been so sorry but she was right. I was too late and she was gone from me. Seeing it actually happening tormented me in a way I’ve never felt and for my life, that was a big deal.

“My turn.” Kole stood up and the cracks around the dining hall started to repair themselves but there was one he couldn’t fix.

He interrupted for me. I know he did but I still wasn’t sure where we should be going from here until Adele nearly collapsed in front of me. My instincts kicked in and I caught her before she would have hit the floor.

“What did you do?” Zayden demanded. He was right next to me, ready to take her from me visually but I wouldn’t let him.

“Don’t touch her.”

“What did you do?” He asked again, standing to look at Kole.

“She’ll be fine. She’ll wake up with no knowledge of us ever being here.”

It was a nice thought but I knew she still wouldn’t be able to forget what I did. It’s already happened and it’s not something she could easily look away from.

“We have to get her out of here if that’s going to work.” I rose with her still in my arms and I headed for the doors.

“We can take her to my room.” Zayden said. “That’s where she’d normally wake.”

I didn’t like hearing that and he started getting in front of me like I needed him to show me the way.

“I can get there without you.” I cut in, making sure he wouldn’t pass me. “I don’t need an escort.”

“You know where it is?”

His voice was stern and I hated it every time I had to respond. “Not our first time here.”

He took a breath rather loudly behind me like he had so many questions. I was only thankful when he didn’t ask any and we made it up to his room.

I walked in with Adele and heard Kole stop everyone at the door. “Wait.”

“For what?” Zayden demanded. “You’re not allowing me to enter my own room?”

“It would be best for you if you didn’t.”

“Like I give a fuck about what you think. You definitely don’t control me in my own city. Step aside.”

I didn’t look back but I knew they were now in the room. I did this my own way despite who was watching. Maybe it would be enough to make him see I wasn’t going to give her up without a fight. I cared about her too much.

I set her down on the bed and sat myself by her side. She was so beautiful when she slept. It just made this whole decision all the more difficult.

“I sorry I didn’t come for you. I wish more than anything that I could make you forget about ever asking me to but we can at least take this moment away from you. You’ll never have to know we were ever here like the way it was intended.” I leaned down and kissed her forehead for the last time. “You’re lucky though. You always have been. I only wish someone could make me forget but you know better than most that you’re hard to let go of.”

I touched my hand on hers that laid across her stomach but I couldn’t stay here much longer without breaking down with everyone in the room. I gripped her fingers in mine as our final touch and I immediately got up. I couldn’t fully turn to look at everyone so I ducked my head and went for the balcony. This emotion was the worse and I needed to get away the quickest way.

Chapter 28

Zayden

I wasn’t quite sure what just happened when Ryon jumped off the balcony to leave. Kole didn’t appear worried so it couldn’t have been a suicide attempt but it was still clear Ryon had feelings for Adele. I know she said they weren’t together but it sure seemed like it.

“This has been fun.” Kole said after a long pause. “We should do it again.”

“No we shouldn’t!” Jaylyn snatched. “Now go after him before he does something stupid.”

“He’s not going to do anything stupid in such a public place. Don’t worry.”

“Just follow him, Kole. He needs you right now.”

“I know what he needs.”

“Whatever he’s about to do, talk him out of it.”

Jaylyn was showing this unusual sign of worry but Kole didn’t seem to see it as being anything of a problem. “That really won’t be as hard as you think. He won’t fight for her.”

“You can’t be sure.”

“Actually, I can be quite sure.”

“How?” Now I was getting interested in this.

Kole’s eyes met mine and his appeared to be nearly silver in color. “Because even hypothetically speaking, if Ryon chose to fight for her, you would die and that’s simply something we’re not ready for yet. We need you breathing.”

My eyes narrowed and I was only being pulled into this plan. Was this somehow part of the test he told us about? Was all of this planned?

“Just focus on doing whatever it is you intended to do and leave the details to us. Things will be better off.”

I still had so many questions and I think others started to notice and that’s why Ruby interrupted. “When will she wake?”

“Whenever you need her to.” Kole answered.

“And she really won’t remember about you being here?” I asked.

“It’s for the best isn’t it? She’ll just think she’s waking from a nap.”

“Why did she even go back downstairs?” Jaylyn asked. “I mean, she left pretty mad.”

“I have no idea.” Kole replied. “No harm done. Now, don’t you have somewhere to be?”

“That you’ll be staying here for.” Jaylyn reminded him.

“Sorry but no. We’ll be around, you just won’t see us.”

“That’s not necessary.” I said.

“We’re not doing it for you. Orders are orders and we always follow ours, no matter how painful.”

Kole went to the balcony and left the same way Ryon did by hopping over the railing and taking the long drop to the ground.

“What are they?” Darius asked.

“Show offs.” Jaylyn replied with a grumbling voice.

Things those two could do didn’t seem to surprise Jaylyn or Ruby and I wondered how long they planned to keep it from us. “You should have told us sooner.”

“Told you what?”  Ruby asked.

I got a little frustrated and turned to her. “That there are more like you! You know, that can do things that no one else can!”

My voice echoed loudly but she didn’t seem startled. “And how would we have told you that? Oh, by the way, there are three other guys back home that could make the three of you look like complete amateurs if you ever tried fighting them because they have more powerful gifts than us.”

“They really have more powerful gifts than you?” Darius asked.

“Did you not see everything Kole did? That wasn’t even scratching the surface.”

I sighed and was done with this. A part of me didn’t care and I just wanted to leave on our outing so I wasn’t tempted to check in on my father with the terms being negotiated. “Come on. Let’s try to wake her up and Adele still doesn’t find out about this.”

I walked around the bed and slowly sat next to her where Ryon had previously sat. He was right in caring for her. She looked so beautiful asleep but I knew I had to wake her so we could spend some time away from the palace. “Hey, Love? Wake up.”

She started to with a groan when I touched her shoulder and rolled away. “Go away.”

Ruby almost laughed loudly but I held out my hand. I didn’t want her to be woken up that way. I had no idea how Kole’s gift worked but I had to trust that she didn’t know about them being here and went on with things she would remember.

“Look. I know you hate this and I know nothing seems to be turning out like you want but maybe a little time away will help.”

“Nothing will. Not as long as I stay here.”

It was true. She really didn’t know what had happened in the dining hall and I carried on with what she had mentioned. “Well, nevertheless, we have to get out. My father wants us kept busy while he meets with the council members about what to do with you.”

Adele spun around. “What?!”

“Whoa. Relax. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“How can you say that?!”

I was careful not to mention who it was. “I think he just wants us to think it is but we’re not going to let him.”

Adele sighed and actually gave up sooner than I planned. I still had a few explanations lined up to use but I guess I didn’t need them. “Fine. What is it we plan to do then?”

“We’re going to The Grand.” Jaylyn answered. “Like we planned earlier.”

Adele’s eyes rolled. “Dress code?”

“Yes.” I smiled, looking down at her still in her dress. “But you might want to fix your hair. We don’t want to be late.”

“You think you could do something about this first?” Ruby asked.

Adele smiled when she saw Ruby looking down at her dress, displeased. “All right. How do you want it?”

“Well, we’ll have to improvise since we can’t show off our hips, so give it a nice low back.” With a few simple hand movements, Adele reshaped Ruby’s dress to exactly how she requested. It was incredible just to watch. “Now, give me a slit up to my hip.”