Chapter 14

"Bryn, oh sweet Bryn!" Ansel sang, as he realized that she was in the room with us. Okay that was going to be disgusting. Couldn't they tell that I was in here too? I did not want to hear them talking like that.

"Hey guys, I'd rather not hear that disgusting, lovey-dovey talk. I think I'm going to be sick." I told them.

"It's not disgusting." Bryn chuckled, with a shake of her head. "And really, how can you say anything? You do it with Shay all the time." She giggled.

"I do not!" I argued. At least not in front of everybody. Whenever Shay and I made out, I made sure that we were alone. The others didn't need to see that. And I'm pretty sure that they were grateful of me for doing that.

"Yes, you do, but it's okay. I still love you." Well that was good to know. I was getting worried when we were upstairs.

"Sorry, sis." Ansel replied. "What are you doing locked up down here anyway?" Didn't he hear? Shay had a new best friend, possibly girlfriend. Okay, so maybe I was being a bit biased, but Shay had continued to pick her side. I can't help the way I feel.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Ansel let out a chuckle. "Ha! Try me. You know I've always been a good listener."

That was true, too. As long as I can remember, Ansel had always been there for me. Ready to lend an ear if one was needed; which actually, was quite often. He was a great listener, always so compassionate and willing to help at any time. Bryn was a lucky girl to have someone like him as a boyfriend. There weren't very many guys like that these days. I'm speaking from experience. Shay was a different kind of guy then Ansel. Shay was a great boyfriend, most of the time, but he wasn't good at listening. It was something I had to learn to cope with, but eventually, I got over it.

"It's Shay." I told him.

"What about Shay? Has he hurt you? If he has, he and I are going to have a serious chat when/if I get out of here. He's going to be sorry he laid a finger on you."

I laughed at that remark. He couldn't do much, seeing as he was in prison, but it was the thought that counts. Though there was nothing he could possibly do to Shay. Shay was a lot stronger then Ansel. I wasn't trying to be mean, but it was the truth. "Umm…You might have a slight problem." I told him.

Ansel laughed at me. "I wasn't talking about right now. I did say when I get out of here, did I not? If they ever do let me out of here. They have to know that I seriously didn't know what I was doing back there. You have no idea how it feels to be controlled by wraiths. It's the worst feeling in the world to have your body completely taken over.

I had to admit, that I did feel sorry for him. Before, he seemed so lost, sad and lifeless. But now, he seemed better—more at peace with himself. It didn't seem that he hated everything around him anymore. And at least he was talking to Bryn again. Before, he would refuse even to look at her. It took a very long time to convince him that he was a good person and that we all loved him, just the way he was—even if he could no longer become a guardian.

"You seem better, An." I told him.

"I'm some better." He nodded. "But there are times when I don't want anything to do with myself. And there are also times when I wish that Bryn wouldn't come down here. I wish that she didn't love me like she does. I don't deserve it."

Bryn scoffed at him. "And how many times do I have to tell you that I could care less what you think? I love you, An. You're stuck with me forever. Sorry to disappoint."

"You're too good for me. You deserve to be with somebody who is whole and whose not been ripped apart to shreds. I'm nothing anymore, Bryn."

Bryn slapped him on the side of his head. "Stop talking like that! You know that there will never be anyone else for me but you. You're my everything and you are so much more, Ansel Tor." She kissed him through the bars.

Okay, now I really think I was going to be sick. There was too much love in the air. "Okay guys, sorry to break up the party, but do you think you can tone it down a notch? You're making me nauseas." I gagged loudly.

"Sorry." Ansel apologized again. "Okay, enough about this. You were telling me about why you were down here, when we got sidetracked." He said, looking for the right word to use.

Sidetracked, more like love-struck. I thought, dryly. "Something weird is going on. It's like Shay is under some kind of spell and that Adne is the one who is casting it. I can't quite explain it." I shrugged.

"She's right." Bryn interrupted. "His eyes are always glossy and he's doing whatever Adne wants. I'm pretty sure that if she asked him to jump off a bridge, he'd do it with no questions asked."

"Wait, who's Adne again?" Ansel asked.

"She's a friend." She replied. "Well, more like an acquaintance." She added quickly, throwing me a side glance.

Go on; just say it like you mean it. So what if Adne is your friend, too. I had known that for quite a while now. I could really care less about who your friends were, as long as she wasn't replacing me. I don't know what I'd do without Bryn. I'd be pretty lost.

"She's Monroe's daughter." I explained. "He' the one who got killed when we brought you back. And can you believe that Ren is Adne's brother?"

"What?" Ansel asked, eyes widening in shock. I can't believe that no one had told him about Ren. "Ren has a sister? I suppose that no one could have told me about any of this?" He complained.

"I'm sorry." I apologized. "It's been kind of hectic up there." I told him truthfully, though was still a bit shocked that no one would inform him on what was happening here.

"Yeah, so I've heard." He whispered. "Rumors have even reached down here that you've gone a little uh crazy." He said, hesitantly.

What? How did he hear this? Whoever told him this was going to pay! I was not crazy. So what, I had a moment. People had little moments all the time, don't they? "Who told you this?" I longed to know, so that I could kick that person's ass.

"I don't know who it was. All I know is that they were searchers who were bringing me food. I don't think they knew that I was listening to their conversation, but I happened to hear some things."

"Well, whoever said those things are lying!" I spat. "I'm not crazy!"

"I'm just telling you what I heard. No need to get like that." He said.

Yeah, I guess I couldn't blame him, but I would have liked to think that he—seeing as he was my brother—would not take everything he hears to heart. He should have known by now that not every rumor that he hears is true. "Sorry, didn't mean to get all jumpy. It's just really driving me crazy, hearing people talk about me like that." Ansel eyed me up and down—my eyesight was getting better. "Okay, bad choice of words, but you know what I mean!"

Ansel broke into hysterical laughter as I said that. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh, but that was freaking hilarious."

"An!" Bryn whispered to him. "Leave her alone. She's had a rough time."

"She's had a rough time?" he scoffed. "Have you not heard about what happened to me? Wait, you were there, you should know!" he said angrily.

I suppose I should have been grateful for Bryn defending me, but Ansel was right. He's had a rougher time than I. "Come on, An." She cried. "Don't be like that. Do you even know that your sister was shot with an arrow and almost died? I barely was able to save her."

Ansel shot me a curious and worried look. "What? When did this happen? Are you okay?" He panicked, which was really sweet.

Of course I was okay. I was here, wasn't I? though—I know this will sound bad—there were times when I wished I was dead. Hopefully no one ever finds that out. "Relax, An. I'm fine. No need to worry about anything."

Ansel crossed his eyes. "You didn't answer my other question. What happened?"

"Stop yelling at her, An. It wasn't her fault. It was Ande's fault. She made her go back to Vail with her and Ren shot her.

"What? The bastard! But wait a minute, I'm confused." Uhoh here it comes. I thought. "Why are you going to back to get him? Didn't you bring him back, then?"

Bryn shook her head. "There were complications as you heard. Calla was more important. Adne had to get her back here as soon as she could. She was near dead when she got to us. It took every ounce of strength to save her, but we did—thankfully." Bryn turned to me. "I don't know what I'd do if we had lost you."

Okay, now Bryn was making me feel really guilty for wishing that I had died. She loved me more than I realized—more than I deserved, even. "Bryn." I whispered, reaching for her through the cold bars. I decided that when I got out of here, I was going to be a better person. I was going to stop wishing that I was dead and start living to the fullest. It was the least that I could do for Bryn.

"Don't start crying, Calla." Bryn murmured. "Or I will."

"Whatever." I sniffed. "I love you, you silly person."

Ansel cleared his throat, interrupting us. Was it bad that I had already forgotten that he was in the room with us? "I don't mean to interrupt, but hate to break it to you, Byn is my girlfriend—not yours."

"Shut up, An." He was ruining my moment.

"Yeah, shut up, An." Bryn repeated, as she reached through the bars and gave me a hug as best as she could.