Guardians Of The Zodiac

Chapter 13

At first I figured something about Elliot had triggered something within Ryder to make him act out, but then I realized that maybe that was just who Ryder really was. Maybe he was constantly putting up a front to hide away certain parts of himself, parts that he didn't want me, or anyone else, seeing.

My initial reading of Ryder was that he had Aries blood so I had assumed that was all there was to him. It made the most sense to me. He was this energetic person who was always craving an adventure and maybe even a little danger and it's also where his temperamental nature came from. However, there was also a lot more to Ryder than he led on.

Cooper spoke as if he knew exactly where Ryder was coming from, but I didn't understand. I had been so caught up in my own anxieties that it never occurred to me Ryder could have been struggling against some of his own as well.

The Master was right when he said how close the Sprites and I got with our teammates, but that didn't change the fact that a part of me still felt like an outsider. It wasn't because the others made me feel like a black sheep, they had been nothing but warm and accepting (with the exception of Naudia). But they knew each other years before I even knew Guilds and Outcast Guilds coexisted. They had history with each other and already knew one another better than they knew themselves. I was still learning.

Being in a Guild meant you got to see the same people every single day and you were able to make connections with these people and get close enough to a person to a point where even the slightest detail could inform you that something was off. Being a Guardian while living in the Estate meant that all your relationships were kept at a distance. The only people I was used to seeing every single day were the other Guardians.

I had only been at Nexus for a couple months but I had already learned so much and it was all thanks to Ryder. So knowing that I was the cause of his sudden anger, it didn't sit right with me. I just hoped that I would be able to say the right thing for him to forgive me.

The clouds above the city were getting darker by the second but when I tried to pick up the pace of my search I rammed right into a body that felt like a brick wall. When I went to apologize I saw it was Elliot and before I could get out a single word he grabbed my arm and pulled down an alleyway.

"Elliot, stop. What are you doing here? I thought you left town," I pulled away from him.

"I couldn't leave without speaking with you first one-on-one."

"What happened to the army?"

"It was just an illusion.," he waved a magic crystal in my face. "I would never bring the Council Knights to your actual location. They can't be trusted."

"You were testing me," I realized.

"There are a lot of rumors going around. I had to be sure that you weren't being held captive. When you stood your ground against me as a Guardian to protect your friends, I knew. Gordon used a teleportation crystal to get back and I told him I was right behind him so I don't have much time."

"Elliot, you're not making any sense. Why did you say that the Knights can't be trusted?"

"Before Caleb left, he confided in me about the Dodeca. Actually, about the people who work beneath them."

"He did?" my eyes widened at him.

"Yes, he spoke of how some of the Handlers and other Officials who worked under the Dodeca were corrupt and that he was leaving to find answers. It's not the Dodeca, Tara. It's those who work for them. There's a mole who is feeding false information and influencing the Council's decision making. That's the only reason why I got word that you were in need of a new Handler. Caleb informed me ahead of time..."