Cruel Empathy ✓

Chapter 24

***Ryevin***

Ryevin woke to Anna's scream. Her eyes were still closed and she was shaking violently. Rye tried to wake her, but he couldn't. She was yelling his name, but she was still asleep.

He felt useless as he tried to rouse her from her obvious nightmare. His heart was pounding at her distress. He started to gently stroke the top of her head, he wanted to coax her. Why wasn't she waking?

"No!" She screamed, and her eyes shot open, and she started to gasp for air. Her distressed state reminded him of when they met.

"Breathe," he commanded. "Anna, breathe." Her eyes were wide and panicky like she was still unsure of where she was. "Breathe." He tried again.

Eventually, her eyes started to come into focus. She still trembled, but she was able to take deep breaths.

"Rye," she gasped. "Rye, they are coming. They are coming. They are going to kill you and Ash, and Kalo, and Thad." The words slipped out frantically and she tried to breathe in again.

Rye felt a stabbing pain in his chest at her words. "Who?"

Anna shook her head. "I don't know. It looked like an army. You were outnumbered. It...it was so horrible." Anna started to cry, and she hugged herself to him. "There were two men who I think were mages. They both had gold eyes, if that's even possible. The older one...the older one laughed when you died. He had...he had severed heads on his horse. Kalo and Thad. Then he..." Anna couldn't finish.

Rye could barely respond. He just rubbed her back, absently. Solmin had discovered her. Solmin. He would never let him have her.

"I have to go to them." Her words brought him back to the present.

"What? No!" He roared at her.

"That is what I have to do. I know it. There are too many of them. Please, I can't watch you die. I can't feel all of you dying again. I can't. I can't." Her eyes pleaded with him. Was she insane? If that was the only solution then he wished the fates would have allowed her to go home. How could they be so cruel?

"How much time do we have?" Rye asked her urgently.

"I don't know. It felt like late morning."

"We'll think of something. Let's round up the others."

***Anna***

Rye had the other men gathered outside their tent and he was quietly explaining the situation to them. The glow of the fire illuminated them. She heard Solmin's name mentioned several times. Anna could feel their terror and trepidation. She was still trembling from her dream, and her eyes were swollen from the crying. She felt that unmistakable tug inside her and it urged her on what to do.

Anna had to go. She knew it, even if Rye rejected it.

Not even that first day in this world could compare to the terror that she felt now.

"Let me go to them. That is what I have to do," she loudly interrupted. All eyes flung to her. Ash visibly shuttered.

"No!" Rye barked back. Anna gave a heavy sigh.

"Rye, they will take me anyway. At least if I go to them, you will have a chance. This is the only solution that makes sense. I feel it. I think the fates want me to go." At that, the others stared at her in awe.

"Rye, you told us that the fates speak to her. Maybe we should do as Anna says," Thad beseeched him. Rye shook his head in denial and looked at Anna with pure fear.

Anna went to him and put her arms around his waist. She nuzzled her head into his chest. "It will all work out," she said reassuringly.

"How can you be so sure?" He asked, his voice breaking.