But no matter what happened, I still hoped he had a sister. We’d all been through so much; there had to be some happiness… somewhere.
If I hadn’t gone to the garden….
Don’t. You can’t change it. You didn’t know. You couldn’t have known.
But while my brain knew all that, my heart wouldn’t accept the truth. Instead, it berated me with all the what-ifs that would haunt me for the rest of my life.
I hadn’t chosen Ryker over my mother, but it felt like it. And yet, even as I beat myself up over my choices, all I wanted was to find him, curl into his arms, and cry. He couldn’t erase the suffering, but he could ease it.
Finally feeling steady enough to move away from the wall again, I tried not to think about my mother as I shuffled over tothe small opening in the rock. If you didn’t know it was there, it was nearly impossible to find.
It was easy for a child to get onto their belly and crawl under the small opening, but much more difficult for adults. Ryker would never fit through it, but he was out there.
My skin prickled like electricity danced across it, and I became acutely aware of his presence through the thick walls separating us. Lightning pricked at my fingertips as it sought to break free to connect with his; I kept it repressed.
I didn’t know if our power connected us in this way, but my breath hitched as my hand stretched toward the rocks. When it settled against the stone, I pressed my palm flat and pictured him doing the same on the other side.
“There he is,” I whispered.
Callan’s clothes scraped against the rock as he rose. “There who is?”
“Ryker.”
“How do you know?”
“I just know.”
“Well, ah… that’s… interesting. How?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But I’m right.”
And I had no doubt about that. I didn’t know what joined us in this way, but hewasout there, watching over us and finally free of those monsters who believed he was one of them… for now.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
Ellery
“I don’t thinkhe’s going to fit through the entrance,” Callan said.
“No, but he’ll protect us.”
“How did you end up entangled with the Scourge of the Ghouls, Ellery?”
I gave him a half-hearted smile. “Well, that’s an interesting tale, and you have a lot to learn about us, but the short and simple answer is my mother.”
His jaw dropped. “Mrs.Mariangot you together?”
“That wasn’t her intent when it all started, but things have a way of going awry… as you know.”
Before Callan could reply, a portal opened in the center of the rock. It was likely Luna, but I set my lantern down and swung my bow off my back. I pulled an arrow from my quiver and nocked it against the bow.
Ten seconds later, Luna emerged. Her blue eyes widened when they landed on me, and she stepped back.
“Luna!” Callan blurted.
Still hunched over, he scrambled across the small space and threw his arms around his sister as I lowered my bow. They embraced while I returned my arrow to its quiver and swung my bow onto my back.
I gave them a few seconds before knocking three times on the rock, right where I knew Ryker stood. A small thud from the other side confirmed what I’d already known.
