Trying not to show how much the action hurt, Brynleigh drew the phone towards her.
An old, grainy picture filled the screen. She put her fingers in the middle and pulled them apart, zooming in. The date stamp on the bottom right corner was from several centuries ago.
She scrolled up to the two people frozen in time. Her mind stalled, unwilling to accept what she saw.
This was… impossible.
And yet, she was staring at it. It was as real as the rug beneath her feet.
“Tell me what you see,” Ryker requested, his voice softer than it had been all day.
It was as if he knew this was turning her world upside down. But how could he know? And why did he even care?
Questions for a later time, when her world wasn’t imploding.
She swallowed. “I… it’s a picture.”
“Of what?” he probed.
Her gaze dropped back to the phone.
“I mean… at first glance, it’s a snapshot of a couple enamored with each other.” An aura of happiness surrounded the pair. Even through the screen, it seemed infectious. “Like they’re living in their own little bubble.”
He nodded, his expression gentle. That was almost worse than the earlier harshness.
“And when you look closer? What do you see?”
Brynleigh hated that he was forcing her to confront the truth.
Tapping the picture, she frowned.
“This is Jelisette.” Her Maker looked nearly identical to the way she did now. “Except… she’s smiling. I’ve never seen her do that.”
Not only that, but Brynleigh had never seen Jelisette without long sleeves or gloves. In this picture, she wore a bright sundress, and her arms were bare. Her chestnut hair was in a high ponytail, and there seemed to be a bounce in her step.
Brynleigh couldn’t be sure from this angle, but it looked like the couple was holding hands.
“What about the man?” Ryker’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Do you recognize him?”
“No, I’ve never seen him before.” She would have remembered a man like this.
He was unforgettable. Like all creatures of the moon, he was beautiful, but there was something distinct about him. His face ensured no one could cross his path without remembering him.
A prickle of discomfort twinged in Brynleigh’s gut. None of this made any sense.
Ryker reached over, still not touching her, and swiped right. Another picture filled the screen, the time stamp marking it as having been taken a few minutes before the first one.
In this image, both their arms were visible.
Brynleigh’s mind emptied of all thought. Words were impossible to come by.
Unblinking, she stared at the picture as if it might miraculously change if she looked at it long enough.
Midnight ink wrapped around the vampires’ wrists. The unmistakable mark of a Binding stood out against their skin, proclaiming to all who saw it that these vampires belonged to each other.
Brynleigh couldn’t breathe. This was proof that Jelisette had lied to her. Her mouth dried, and her hands trembled. She lifted her gaze to Ryker’s.
“You were telling the truth.”