See You Yesterday

Chapter 54: Mac

Rydian finds us before we can even make it to the battlefield. "Where have you two been?!" He yells. "Leaving me to do all the work as usual and..." He glances down to see us holding hands, his expression turning sour.

Then he punches Jay in the face.

The boys hit each other senseless on the floor while I stand, speechless, unable to think of what to do.

"You stole her!" Rydian growls, gaining the upper hand by sitting on Jay and punching him in the face continuously. "You little twerp, you little thief!"

"Stop it, Rydian!" I hear myself scream. "You're killing him!"

"Excellent!" He spits.

I grab both of my ex- boyfriend's arms and attempt to pull him off of Jay, causing him to thrash at me wildly before finally giving up and resorting to giving the bedraggled and beaten Jay his middle finger.

Rydian turns to me now. "And you. You cheater. How could you?"

"I'm sorry, Rydian," I say, truly meaning it.

He hesitates for a second. "Why him?" He asks finally.

I look down at Jay, the blood dripping down his face and the blood droplets catching in his fringe, and he manages to give me a small smile and I see, looking into his eyes, that they are overflowing with passion and pride, and I can see my reflection in them.

So I tell Rydian the truth.

"Because he sees who I am and he loves me anyway."

"Okay. So tell me. Will you love him after I'm finished with him?"

Before it hits me what he is about to do, Rydian is breathing fire into Jay's face.

I see his flesh burning and I hear him scream, and I stand fixated, unable to get close and unable to stop Rydian.

Finally, he stops and the flames cease.

Jay looks at me and half of his face is a charred, burnt mess.

"So. Jay can see who you are. But who is that, Mac? Because I don't know who you are anymore," Rydian tells me with venom in his voice.

"Me? Who am I? Well... I'm the girl who's about to become your worst nightmare," I say with a laugh.

"The supernaturals will lose and Xenia will fall. You've chosen the wrong side," he growls.

I roll my eyes. "For God's sake. People and their sides. Just get over it already."

And then he is bending back, his knees in a grotesque position, looking like he is about to go into the crab, and I am in his brain.

"You will do no more harm to any more innocent people!" I cry, invading as many memories as possible.

Breaking his mind.
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Once I am certain Rydian won't be a problem for us anymore- as he is now crying on the ground, curled up in a shaking ball- I tend to Jay.

"Hey there," I say to him.

He looks up at me in despair. "Look at me, Mac. I'm a wreck."

"Hmmm," I say, looking hard at him. "I see no change."

When I smile, he attempts to smile back at me, but all he can do is grimace.

"Are you in pain?" I ask, knowing it's a stupid question.

"Agony," he whispers.

"What can I do?" I ask.

He doesn't answer me because his attention is now on the telekinetic girl that has just turned the corner, finding us.