Page 63 of Ever Dark Academy: Volume 6

What should he hold onto? The blood was like a lead weight inside of him, anchoring him to this spot, this body, this moment. Turning… turning… turning…

“I don’t know what to do. I don’t know,” she whispered.

There was nothing to do. He wanted to tell her how glad he was that she was there. How surprised he was but how it felt meant too. Then he heard other voices. Was that Charlie? He sounded so different and yet altogether familiar. But when did Charlie become commanding and a little scary?

And was that a Dire Wolf that leaped over his body and shouldered the door closed as fists began to pound against it? Yes, it was! But that made no sense. None of this made sense.

Finally, he heard Ryder’s voice. His lips parted to form words, but all that emitted from them was a bloody froth. Ryder’s voice was anguished and full of rage and then despair and then…

Something was happening. Something strange. So strange. He felt the sizzling of Artemis’ blood leaving his veins. He saw the blood floating up out of him into the very air and disappearing. The lightness was coming back again, but this time he didn’t want it to. He wanted to stay here. Ryder was here. Fiona was here. Hell, Charlie was here with that Dire Wolf. He had to know what he’d missed for he had clearly missed a lot.

And then…

“Ryder, go now! Give Grayson your blood! I will handle Artemis,” Charlie commanded and Grayson was practically nodding and getting up to obey him, but he had no control over his body.

Ryder’s face was suddenly above his. So handsome. So beloved. And so anguished. “Oh, my love, forgive me for this. I wanted it to be so different.”

Different? What did he mean? Oh, yes, the turning… the turning… the turning…

“You cannot do this,” Artemis croaked from somewhere out of his vision. “You cannot. It has been foreseen.”

Foreseen? What did that mean? Did Artemis have a Seeyr in his group? But could they out-see the Immortal Seeyr? Surely, no. But what if Seeyr had foreseen this?

And then in a voice that chilled Grayson to his bones, Charlie said, “We are doing this, Artemis. We make our fate. We are us.”

We are us. We are the Immortals. That’s what he means. Charlie then… Charlie is Mirryr. Of course, he is. Who else could it be?

Ryder put an arm underneath his body and lifted Grayson into his arms. That felt so good. To be held. To be cradled. To be beloved. Ryder smoothed Grayson’s hair back from his forehead with the other hand. He felt so treasured. So safe. He smiled. He knew his lips were still bloody. He could feel Artemis’ blood still on his tongue. He swallowed. He couldn’t help it. He felt those drops of blood chase each other down to his stomach. Oh… was that bad? Fiona had somehow turned back time. Removed Artemis’ blood. Most of it. But not all of it.

“Grayson, I need to know if I have your permission to turn you,” Ryder said.

Of course. Of course. Always. I want this!

But the words were lodged in his mind. His mouth could only pucker slightly. Nothing more. Excitement and frustration merged, but he couldn’t even grunt. His body was hardly his any longer.

“Grayson, oh, gods, my love, can you nod? Do you want this?” Ryder begged.

Yes! YES! I want you! I want this!

“If he can’t tell me, Fiona, and I do this and he didn’t want it to be me, what then?” Ryder began.

Fiona gripped Ryder’s arm. “He’d forgive you for anything. But I know he wants it to be you.”

I do! Can’t you hear me? Oh, you can’t… you can’t…

“You just need to do it, Ryder. I know this isn’t what you hoped. But there is no more time,” Charlie said.

No more time. He’s right. There is no more time…i

The lightness was starting to separate him from Ryder, sending his soul spiraling up to the ceiling, and then he would pass through it into the second floor and then the floor after that and then the floor after that until he reached the night sky. He knew he would be spirited to another place once he was in the open air. A gate. Yes. A gate. And while there would be a choice for others, there would not be for him. Not that he would choose anything other than to be made once more. But no, he didn’t want that. He didn’t! He wanted to be here. This life. He wanted this life.

Ashyr? A voice he recognized. But how could it be here? How could it be now?

Caemorn? He gasped. There was a pause and he knew then that it was and wasn’t Caemorn. Kaly?

Yes, it is me. Truly me, the voice answered.

How are you–you’re not one of these traitors–