Page 141 of Twisted Ties
“Men chasing us, coming to find us, hurting us.” I bring my fists to my head, just like I did in that memory, feeling those memories crawl into my mind and I’m sucked back down, down into them.
“Rhi,” Stone says, “stay with us.” He rests his hand on my shoulder, grounding me, keeping me from falling into their depths.
“Rhi,” Azlan says with concern.
“Of you,” I say, shaking my head. “I dreamed of you. Of the man in black. I can see you raising your hand, the bolts of magic spiraling towards me. Just like it happened. Just like that night in the clearing.”
“That’s not possible. You couldn’t have dreamed that. Memories can corrupt, become twisted and distorted.”
“They were locked in her mind, Azlan,” Stone says quietly. “There was no chance for them to corrupt like that.”
“Why? Why were they locked away?” Azlan says.
“Can’t you see how much they terrorize her? Wouldn’t you lock such memories away if it were your child?”
“It doesn’t make any sense,” he says stubbornly. “I thought they would tell us something. Show us who Rhianna is. Who her parents were.”
“Maybe there is something in there. Buried,” I say. I swallow, my body trembling, despite the warmth of Stone’s hand. “I could search them.”
“No, Rhi,” Stone says. “Don’t do that.”
I take a deep breath, focussing back on the two men in the room and letting the memories slowly fade away.
“It’s easier to forget them when I’m with the two of you,” I admit, the bond in my core purring like a cat.
Azlan steps forward and rests his hand on my other shoulder. “If you ever need me, I’ll be here. All you have to do is call me, Rhi. You don’t have to do this alone.”
I try to believe him. I try really hard. But it’s hard to trust either of them. After all, the friend I did trust led me straight to the man attempting to kill me.
“She doesn’t believe you,” Stone scoffs.
“Stay out of my–”
“Because trust has to be earned,” Azlan says. “But you also have to be willing to give me the opportunity to earn it, Rhi. And it works both ways. You want me to trust you, show me I can.”
“Okay,” I say.
I peer at Stone.
He opens his mouth, then closes it.
“What did you find out West?” I ask Azlan.
“The rumors are right. Forces have been coming over the border.”
“Why?”
Azlan shakes his head. “That I’m not so sure of. There are reports of some magicals being kidnapped, but if they were, they were unregistereds, on the run. We don’t know for sure who they took.”
“Why would they be stealing unregistered magicals?”
“To boost their forces,” Stone says.
“They’re planning on attacking?” I say in alarm. The supposed threat from the West has existed for such a long time and never materialized, I had assumed it was never going to.
“Possibly,” Azlan says. “The Chancellor is upping our forces at the border.”
“And what about, Rhi?” Stone asks. “Any intelligence on why those soldiers attacked her?”
