25. Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

I opened my eyes to a dark tent as Mary gently shook me awake. My stomach twisted into knots as I dressed in the silent morning, knowing that it could be the day we found Ryker. I hoped we would find him; we had to find him. As I pulled on my socks and shoes at the door of the tent, my mind went through every single piece of information I could remember from the past day and a half. I didn't know how I would be able to remember it all, but I was trying. I was someone entirely different from who I thought I was. Still, with every day, I did become a little less surprised by my life.

You are not someone else entirely. You are always you, Emma. There is just more that you know, now.

How exactly do I keep you from reading my thoughts?

Again, your mind is all yours. I simply cannot help the fact that you talk to me with your soul.

I was talking to myself—in my head.

Really?

Yes, I mean, everyone talks to themselves.

Do they? Or are they really reaching out for that soul who makes theirs complete?

I thought about that for a moment. Was that possible? I heard a chuckle rumble within me from Shad.

Shad! Are you messing with me?

I believe it, but it's okay if you don't. Today is the day, Emma.

Yes, it is.

We packed up in silence; we were all too nervous and anxious for the day to begin to say much. The hike took three hours, and we arrived right at ten on the dot. Keil started setting up his tent, and Shad started a fire. I watched Mary look over a map for a while; then it came to me that I should've been helping. I took our tent from Mary's bag and started to set it up. Keil walked into the middle of the camp and spoke, breaking the silence for the first time.

"I am headed out," he said directly to Shad.

I turned to see him wearing something very foreign to me. He wore a silver and black suit of some kind; I assumed it was his ancient warrior attire, because he is an ancient warrior, right? So, of course, he has a special armored suit . Attached to the back of it was his shield, and at his belt, was a sword. In his hands, he held the ax that I saw the day before. He looked powerful with his brown hair flowing on either side of his neck, reaching just below his jawline. The glasses that I saw him wearing the first time that we had met must have been for show because he had not worn them at all during the trip. Mary walked to him and gave him a hug.

"Keil, I am so grateful to you for doing this. Please, be safe."

He nodded.

I walked over to him and hugged him, too.

"Thank you, Keil. Thank you so much for doing this for Ryker."

"I do it for the true heir of Haleston." He bowed to me. "For you, Princess—You need him, and that is enough."

"Please be safe," I said between tears.

The last goodbye was from Shad. He walked to Keil, and they did something with their hands, which I could not see because tears blurred my vision.

"Keil, thank you for being a true warrior of the Ancients. You honor the Ancients today."

Keil bowed to Shad, and they both nodded.

Shad held my hand.

If Keil died, it was entirely my fault. I prayed and hoped that he would live.

Stop thinking so many terrible things. All will be well, Shad whispered to my soul as we watched Keil get smaller and smaller with distance. I looked down at Shad's digital watch, marking the time as ten forty-five. We would give him two hours, and if he wasn't back, then we would send Mary. I tried not to think of that because Mary shouldn't have had to go. It should've been me, but I was useless.

You are not useless. I turned to look at Shad, and he leaned in, and before his lips could caress my cheek, he pulled back and spoke to my soul: He will be back.

I echoed his words over and over and over again in my soul:

He will be back—

He will be back—

He will be back—

Maybe if I said those words enough, they would become the truth.

Two hours passed quickly.

"He isn't back yet. Something must be wrong." Mary was pacing by the fire. She finally said what we were all thinking. It was two o'clock, and I turned to Shad.

"We must move forward with the plan, but we need to adjust it." Shad stood up from where he sat, holding my hand. "I know we said Mary would go, but I have a connection to Emma. I could let you know what I find and what is happening through her. That way we are all connected, and you both can be safe here. That way, you both won't be just sitting here, wondering what is going on."

"Shad, it is too dangerous; you are an Ancient Heir–" Mary spoke softly.

"I assure you, Mary, I have been through more danger than this."

"Shad, I don't want you to go—what if—what if they take you, too," I whispered, tears forming in my eyes.

"I have to go, Emma. Please, trust me." I cannot let you lose Mary .

"You said Keil would come back, and he didn't, so what's to say you will never return, either?"

"I didn't say it would be easy; I just said he would be back. We have a little bump in our plan. That is all," he said while pulling me in for a hug.

Please, Emma, I will find them.

I cannot lose anyone else.

I will talk to you the entire time, unless I am in some battle; then you will need to wait for me to fill you in, right after.

I moved back to glare at him, and he raised his hands from around me.

"You both need to stop doing the whole soul-talking thing for a moment so that I can hear," Mary called to us.

"Shad will give us a play-by-play, he says."

"Yes, I will let you all know what I am doing and when I find them." He walked to his tent and took out a small metal stick. He flicked it open, and it became a large black and silver sword, similar to the one Keil had carried. He quickly grabbed some black cloth. After he clipped the fabric to his arms, shoulder, chest, and torso, the fabric became hard. He flicked his sword back into the small metal stick that it had been before, and he placed it in a slot on his built in belt. It was some kind of packable armor, which looked very similar to Keil's armor.

"I will return." He looked at both of us, locking his eyes upon me after glancing at Mary.

"Shad, please—"

He walked over to me in four steps and touched me softly on the cheek, and I burned with disappointment and anger. I pulled his body to me, desperately not wanting him to go. He slowly pulled away, leaning his forehead against my own.

"I will return. I will come back to you—no matter what happens—" He paused and placed a hand on my heart. "Your soul and my soul belong together. Remember that. No matter what, our connection is strong enough to conquer anything." He became silent as he touched my nose with his.

I ached for him to kiss me.

There is so much I still wish to tell you and explain to you, so I will come back, and I will tell you everything.

I think I will hate you if you leave me, Shad.

I will find them. I will bring Ryker back to you. But I will not leave you—ever. We are a part of each other, darling, his soul sang to me.

Come back to me; please, come back to me. Tears started to drip down my cheeks.

I will always come back to you, Emma, no matter what happens—remember that.

I nodded. He turned his head away from me, and before I knew it, he was jogging in the same direction that Keil had gone, only hours before, and then he was gone.