Unto the Shadow (Completed)

(Ch.16) Exposed and Falling

Ryder's eyes went wide, "Toby!" She exclaimed, as she pushed past Graynin to greet her dog.

She was caught off guard when Graynin spoke, "It's about time you got here."

She looked back at him, confusion riddled across her face, "What are you talking about?"

Graynin paid her question no mind, and simply stood there staring at the large dog at her side. She looked down at Toby, trying to understand what was happening. Toby stood there staring back at Graynin, in a much too focused way.

"What the hell is happening?"

When Graynin still ignored her, she looked to Tairin who was standing behind Graynin. He too was staring at her dog, except his gawking expression just confused her even more. What was she missing? She was just about to start demanding answers when Graynin spoke, "You need to take your shirt off."

The tightness in her face from her frustration instantly vanished as her face went slack in shock. "What?" Fell out of her mouth. Her instincts drove her eyes to Tairin, surely this would completely set him off.

Instead of disgust his face only showed bewilderment. He managed to answer her unspoken call to action, "You need to take off your shirt."

Ryder felt like a deer in headlights, "Wait.." She stammered. Her arms coming up to cover her chest in a defensive, conservative effort, feeling as if she might already be shirtless without knowing it. What was she missing? Why would Tairin support Graynin's offensive command? She looked back and forth between the now oddly allied men in front of her.

Graynin not looking phased by anything, watched her with a neutral expression.

Ryder felt her defiance rise up, "No." She said firmly.

She hadn't realized she had begun to back up, until she bumped into Toby. It was then she heard a voice resonating in what felt like her own head. "It's ok Ryder. I know this seems like an inappropriate request, but it's the only way I can give you more time to escape."

Ryder looked around frantically to find the person who was speaking, her darting eyes were caught by Toby staring purposefully at her. His big brown eyes focused and intelligent, full of thoughts and emotion, they were not a dog's eyes.

"Did you guys hear that?" She asked Tairin and Graynin without looking at them, unable to break eye contact with the big brown eyes staring up at her.

She heard the strange voice again, "Ryder, I don't have time to explain. Just trust me and do as I ask."

Ryder watched as her dog's eyes pleaded with her. She looked back to Graynin, "Do I really have to?" She pulled her arms tighter around herself.

Graynin's expression did not change, he simply nodded his response.

But Ryder still couldn't bring herself to do it.

Graynin spoke up, "I'll explain anything you want to know once we get you to a safe place. But for now, you need to trust me, and do as I ask, when I ask." There was no sympathy in his voice, just a cold exchange of bartering, her compliance for his knowledge.

Ryder gave her answer by slowly pulling off her lace top, the satin underlay smoothly running across her skin as she pulled it over her head. She felt her loose beach curls fall back down to her bare back as they escaped the opening of the shirt. She hadn't realized there was a cool breeze blowing until now, its cool tendrils sweeping across her bare stomach.