by A C Wilds
“What I mean to say is, Cass, Red is my soul-bonded Arion.”
“He’s an Arion? I didn’t think those existed anymore. That’s incredible. But how do you know he’s an Arion? He looks no different than a Fae horse.”
“He told me. He can project dialogue into my mind” I say. It’s a bit weird he’d ask this question. “Doesn’t Storm tell you things?”
“Storm? No, he doesn’t speak to me. That’s not an ability that Fae horses have. You mean to say that Red can speak with you telepathically?” He asks, sounding a bit in awe.
Here we go with the special again. Even I am getting sick of it. Yes, Red speaks in my mind. It was weird at first, but now it’s kind of awesome. I’ve always wanted to be able to really communicate with my mount, and I’m finally able to. Of course this is so much more, but still, it is kinda cool.
Cool indeed, Red chuckles.
I look over at him with a pointed glare. Ok, I know that wasn’t the best way to explain it, but give a girl a break. I had no idea this world even existed ‘till a few days ago, and now I’m getting bombarded with all these different things happening. It’s not fair when you think about it.
“Have you completed the soul bond yet? There is usually a ceremony of some sort. I don’t know if it is different for the Arion, but regular Fae horses require the
moonlight and a running body of water.” Cass asks us.
“Our ceremony is going to be performed tonight. Red said we needed the full moon. He also said the same thing about the water. I just haven’t figured out how to make it all happen yet,” I tell Cass. I’m hoping Red will jump in here with some suggestions, but he seems quite content with munching away on the fresh hay I brought him. He doesn’t seem the least bit bothered by any of it. Meanwhile, I’m starting to freak out a little.
“Don’t worry, Az. I’ll help you get setup. I’ll bring everything that is required. Can you ask Red if there is anything else that you will need besides the regular bonding materials?” Cass asks.
Red turns to us then and looks directly at Cass as he says in my head, Tell the Prince that you are not a messenger, and that I can hear him just fine. He then lets out a snort and goes back to chomping on his hay.
I hold back a snicker. “Ok, but is there anything special we would need?” I ask Red’s back, because it seems like he’s done with this conversation.
Without turning around he says, We are going to need blood. A lot of blood. Tell him to slaughter a chicken and bring us the blood. I am in no mood to hunt tonight.
What the actual fuck? Did he just say sacrifice a chicken? And what does he mean by hunt? Horses don’t hunt. My eyes must be bugging out of my head because Cass is looking at me with an alarmed expression. “He wants you to get chicken blood. He says we need a lot of it,” I say, with a bit of a nauseous tone to my voice. This doesn’t seem to phase Cass though, because he just nods at us both.
“Alright, I will bring the necessary materials for tonight, along with the blood. Azra, I’ll meet you outside your door tonight just before midnight, and we can walk to the stables together. There are a few guards we will have to evade, so taking a shortcut will be imperative,” Cass explains.
I agree with a head shake and then lean in and kiss him. “Thank you for helping. I’m glad I can count on you,” I whisper into his mouth. He tastes delicious, like pure energy.
“You’re welcome. Now go, before someone sees us all together.”
I turn away from them both. Red is secure in his stall, and Cass walks down a different corridor, so we aren’t seen together. As I walk back through the kitchens, I can smell the intoxicating scents of dinner. I only had that bagel today, and I could really use a good meal. Turning the corner, I see Dot and Meg standing together with a few of the other servants. I give a small wave and then mouth to Dot “dinner” and point up. She gets my meaning and gives a me a thumbs up. My shoulders relax in relief, and I make my way through the twists and turns of the palace to my room.
Walking through the door, I go straight to the bathroom and strip. I take a long hot shower, and by the time I am finished, dinner is on the side table waiting for me. I eat in silence, enjoying the tastes of the hearty stew and fresh bread. They have given me something that tastes a bit like wine but with a brisk aftertaste. It pairs wonderfully with the beef in the stew. I eat and drink it all. When I’m done, I feel fatigued and drained. I trained a lot today, and my body is feeling it. I figure I have about five hours before the ceremony, so I lay down and get comfortable. Sleep is what I need right now. Let’s hope tonight goes well. I drift off thinking about Cass and his full lips pressed to mine. Sighing contently, sleep claims me.
Soul Bonded
Azra
I nap for a few hours and once I wake, I am too comfortable to get up right away. I can’t hear any sign of my maids, or anyone else for that matter. I know I should be using this quiet time to sort through all of the events of the past few days, but I instead can only replay my time with Cass and the exhilaration of riding Red. I am pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of a knock on the door. I walk over barefoot and answer. Cass is standing there in black jeans and a dark grey hoodie. It’s the most color I’ve seen on him, except for his hair. I move to let him in, and he rushes through with a backpack slung over his shoulders.
“I see you got everything,” I say, as I close the door. I’m still out of it, and I yawn to wake up a bit more. I stretch my arms up to the ceiling to try and get the knots out of my back. Cass stares at me with heated eyes, as I realize I only have a thin tank top on with little boy shorts. My stretch must have caused the shirt to rise up.
“I had most of the supplies handy from my ceremony, so it was just a matter of procuring the chicken blood.” He says all this like we are talking about a cake recipe.
“Let me change then, and we can head out,” I say, as I walk toward the closet. Looking for the darkest clothes I can find, I spot a pair of dark black pants. They feel similar to leggings, so I put those on. There is one dark grey blouse in the back of one of the drawers that looks like it was just discarded there. It is long sleeved and has pockets! God, I love pockets. More girls’ clothes should have pockets, I think to myself as I head out.
Cass does this appraising look, and then his eyes get that glimmer again. It’s like he is holding himself back. “You know you can kiss me anytime you want, right? It only seems fair since we are mates and all,” I tell him, with a saucy pop of my hip.
His grin is so brilliant, that I find myself getting lost for a minute. Gods, I hope this Fae turns out to be everything he says he is, cause this girl is falling hard. He stands before me and reaches for me. I step into his warm arms and tilt my head up to meet his. He smells like the forest after a long spring storm, like earth and hope. His lips crash into mine with an intensity that I wasn’t expecting. The kiss quickly heats up, and I lean further into him, molding my body closer to his. His tongue dips into my mouth, and I let out a low moan. He swallows my pleasure and returns it with a grunt of his own. I am so dizzy that by the time we break apart, I have to steady myself before leaving the room.
I reach for his hand, but he stops me and shakes his head. “Not here,” he says quietly. I can’t say that I’m not a little hurt, but I do understand. We need to keep this under wraps for now. He leads me down a different hallway than the one we always use. This one looks like it wraps around the back of the property. When he goes up a flight of stairs, I grab his hoodie and give it a little tug.
“Why are we going up?” I ask, with creased eyebrows and a scowl. I don’t want to be fucking around here. I know there is only a small window to get this ceremony completed, and I don’t want to miss it.
“We have to go up to come back down through the servants’ quarters. If we sneak out the back way, there will be no guards, and we can make a clean run for the stables. If we go the other way, we will be noticed,” Cass clarifies, in a whispered tone. I give him the thumbs up, and we continue on.
This area of the palace is still nice, but you can tell that the quality of the construction and decor here isn’t what it is in the front of the house. While the floor with my room isn’t too over the top, it makes this look like a Motel 6. Everything is clean and tidy, but there is wear on the rugs, and the drapes look like a few moths have been snacking on them. Coming to an intersection, Cass chooses to go right, and we end up at a locked door, and our progression is suddenly halted. There is not only the regular top and bottom lock, but a dead bolt and an unusual contraption that looks almost magical in nature. I look over at Cass who is pulling out a ring of keys from his pockets. He fits the first in the bottom lock, and as the tumblers are positioned in place, it makes a click when it is righted. He does this with the other two locks and then pauses when he gets to the magical looking one. He looks to me for reassurance and smiles a weak stretch of lip. He raises his hand and places it over the magic lock. His palm begins to glow with a grey light that gets brighter the longer he leaves it on there. He pulls away after thirty seconds, but nothing has happened.
“Shit,” he says. “I thought that would work.”
“What do you mean you thought? Like you had no idea when you came up with this plan if your magic would open this lock?” I ask him a bit sarcastically, because really, what the fuck, guy?
“There has never been a reason to open this door before, as it is for keeping people in, so I thought since my princely blood runs through these castle walls, it would open for me. I guess I was wrong,” he says, looking as if his ego deflated a bit.
“Maybe if we try it together? I don’t want to miss the window for the ceremony. It’s too important to me,” I say, looking at him with a glimmer of hope. I really need this to work. His forlorn face becomes determined, and he grabs my hand. He places his over the lock again and puts mine on top.
“When I say, call on the magic inside of you and direct it to your hand. Don’t do too much, because it could catch someone’s attention, and that is the last thing that we need right now. Just give me enough juice to get this lock started,” he tells me, like I know what he is actually talking about. I just smile and nod like a damn bobble head doll.
He starts to whisper, and the bright light returns. I close my eyes and think about what it felt like the last time his magic coursed through my veins. It comes quicker than I realize, and before I know it, Cass’s magic electricity is flowing out of my hands into his. I make sure to rein it back in a bit, so I don’t do any damage, and just when I don’t think I can hold on any longer, I hear a pop, click, hiss. I open my eyes and see the field in front of me. Apparently that little magic fest we just did opens doors too.
Cass goes first and sticks his head out. He gives the all clear, and we make a run for the stables. You can see them in the distance, but it is difficult to tell how far away they are. We must be on the opposite side of the property because nothing looks familiar. It’s going to take some maneuvering to get there, but there is a tree line to conceal us from the full moon’s glow. I feel like we are on a covert mission in a spy movie. I can’t help but to hum the Mission Impossible theme in my head as we run. I guess it is my brain’s way of dealing with the stress of possibly getting caught. I can’t complain though, because my view of Cass’s ass is quite spectacular.
We finally reach the barn and slink inside. All is quiet except the gentle sounds of horses. We make our way to the elite wing, and Red sticks his head out of the stall.
It’s about time. We need to hurry up if we are going to make midnight, Red speaks telepathically.
I quickly get him out of his stall. I don’t bother with a lead line but put the halter on him in case anyone spots us. Cass seems to be getting Storm out of his stall, and I give him a questioning look.
“I want it to look like we went for a midnight ride if we get caught. Us being together is the lesser of the two evils,” Cass says, as he leads Storm out of the building. The rest of the horses are curious, and all have their heads popped out. Hurricane is actually getting a bit agitated and begins to paw at her stall making a bit of a ruckus. I pause briefly to see what’s the matter.
She wants to come with us. She has a bad feeling about tonight and thinks it’s wise if we have someone watching our backs, Red tells me.
“You can speak to the other horses?” I ask him.
Yes, that is how I calm them all down. Even though they aren’t as high functioning as I am, they are still quite smart. I think it’s best if we bring her.
“Red thinks we should bring Hurricane for back up. I’m inclined to agree with him. His instincts are better than mine,” I tell Cass.
“I don’t think that is a good idea. She is a bit aggressive toward the other horses and might make too much noise,” Cass says, concern written all over his face.
“Don’t worry, I have her. Red doesn’t need to walk on the lead, so I can keep Hurri with me.”
I clip on her halter and lead, and we make our way out of the stable. The moon is still high in the sky. We leave through the course area, so we aren’t visible to the palace. There are no guards here, and we make good time getting to the stream. There is a big tree located next to it, and two figures pop out. My heart sinks into my stomach, and I freeze. Cass seems ready to defend, because his lightning is crackling in one hand. Storm does a rock back and throws his head in response to the tension. Red swings his head around toward him, and this seems to quiet Storm. They must be communicating.
“Cass, what do we do?” I ask, with a tremble in my voice. I don’t want to get caught, but at the same time we need to do this ceremony.
“We proceed. I can’t make out who it is, but we need to see what they want. Maybe I can convince them to go back inside,” he says, and then begins to walk forward.
As we near, the silhouettes begin to get clearer. One is shorter and thinner than the other. The taller man is broad chested and muscular. Once the moon hits at the right angle, I see it is Grey and Logan. A huge sigh of relief leaves me, and I quicken my pace.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, when we get close enough to not require yelling.
“We are coming with you.” Grey states. He looks determined and angry, but what else is new?
“Coming with us where?” I say, puzzled. I thought we were only coming to the stream.
Cass looks to me then and says, “I was going to wait ‘till after the ceremony to tell you. Tonight, we leave this place, and go into hiding. I have a plan. Do you trust me?” He looks so vulnerable in this moment.
“I trust you, but are you sure? This is your home. I know what we have is real, but are you really willing to give it all up for me?”
He comes toward me, then drops Storms lead and walks right into my personal space. “I would follow you anywhere; give up all that I am for you. You are my mate, and my everything. Never doubt it.” He places a chaste kiss on my lips, and smiles at me.
“Ok. We leave then.”
I turn to Grey. He seems determined. There is so much anger and hate pulsing from him. I don’t begin to understand all of the reasons he feels this way, but I know he needs to ditch this place. A part of me is drawn to him. I feel the need to protect him and Logan.
“This is going to be dangerous. You’re positive this is what you want?” I ask Grey. Flicking my eyes over to Logan, who at this point is just standing there looking as fierce as his brother. I love this kid so hard in this moment.
“I can’t stay here another day,” he says. “We have been tortured long enough. Logan deserves a better life, and I can’t steal people from their lives anymore. I won’t continue on like this.” His resolute attitude convinces me. I don’t know how I can tell, but he is serious.
“Let’s start the ceremony. The three of you prepare to leave as soon as we are finished. If we are taking the horses with us, we will need their tack. Can one of you go back and get it?” I ask them.
“No need,” Cass says. He waves his hands, and a shimmer appears in t
he air. Once it is gone, all the tack needed for two horses appears in its place. I look over to Cass in awe. “I’m a weather Fae, remember? I just had to bend the air around me to hide them. Our only problem is we don’t have tack for Hurricane,” he says, looking at Greyson.
“I brought tack for her. I overheard you before in the barn. That’s how we knew to meet you here. I was going to run back and get a horse when you were done, but you brought her to me,” Greyson states. He goes behind the huge tree and unveils his own treasure.
Red looks to me and says into my mind, We are going to start now, tell everyone to stay here and grab the supplies from Cassiel. He takes off in a trot toward the water.
I take the bag that Cass has held out to me and prepare to follow my steed, “Red wants you to stay here,” I say to them, as I turn to leave.
Looking back once, I see both males standing by their mounts looking so serious. I am a bit scared, and a chill runs through my body. What if this doesn’t work? What if we get caught? I take a deep breath and try to relax. No sense in getting worked up.
Red is standing in the water, and I wade in to meet him. I need you to sprinkle the herbs around us in a clockwise rotation. After that is complete, brush the paste on both of our foreheads from the hair line down to between the eyes. This is going to burn a bit, so be careful not to get it too close. Then, we will need to cut ourselves, mix it into the chicken blood, and smear that on our chests and arms. The herbs will connect our minds, and the blood, our hearts. The chicken blood acts as a carrier, but our blood will hold the magic. In ages past, both Arion and Fae would bleed into a ceremonial bowl until there was enough. We don’t have that kind of time, so animal blood in any form will do.
I make a gulping noise in my throat. I have never been a fan of self-mutilation, but this is important. I can sense the urgency in Red’s thoughts. I reach into the bag and grab the container of the herbs. I hand Red the bag to hold in his teeth while I make the circle. As soon as the herbs hit the water, they make a hissing sound. Even though there is a gentle current, the herbs stay in place. I can begin to feel the air around us getting thicker and more charged. Once the circle is complete, a blue wall of energy engulfs us, making a barrier between us and the world. The paste smells like dirt and mint. I rub it on Red’s head first, and then on my own. A sharp pain hits me in the head, and I bend over waiting for it to subside. It feels like someone punched me in the head. When it clears, I look up at Red.
