The Binding

by L. Filloon

  I stop myself from laughing out loud. Now is not the time for irrational ramblings. Sometimes I feel myself slipping from reality, but this just can’t be one of those times. Tolan helped me bring up my defenses and I know that he reinforced the barriers around my mind. Even though he didn’t say he did, I can feel the difference of his energy compare d to my own. It’s like co mparing a ten—pound weakling to an experience sumo wrestler. Yet, I feel the fear lying just beneath the surface waiting for my defenses to come crashing down.

  It’s the demon . Its being here that has created this fear within me. Th e first time I saw it, it was too much and I passed out. When I came to, I pretended it was just a hallucination ― an over active imagination on my part due to everything that happened since I was knocked over by Tharin. The second time was in the desert . I’m not sure why, but I think it had to do with Tharin being in my head. Something he said to me that shook me out of my grip of fear. Instantly my fingers go to my lips . I stuck my tongue out at him and he said he would teach me how to use it . Despite my earlier protests, I find myself smiling and hoping that one day he’ll be able to follow through with his threat .

  I jump when I hear Tharin and at the same time Julia put s her hand on my elbow. “Lily, can you see the Demlok.”

  Julia pulls me forward and I silently say a “thank you” to whatever Sidhe g ods there are that Tharin can’t read minds. Julia walks me to the opening between two trees and then walks back to stand at Phoris’ side. I can see s he’s alert, watching everything around her, taking her promise to Tolan seriously. She’s in her element, but this time it’s not like being on the lookout for Chris or Frank, but for Sidhe assassins.

  I take a deep breath and turn to face the black emptiness.

  *

  Chapter Forty-One Tharin

  We end up on the top of the concession stand, facing Harlu who is now accompanied by the remaining members of the Ange ; Fien, Janlu and Morlo. Morlo is considered dangerous because he has no restraint, no morals and kills not because he has to, but because he likes it. Morlo is an o rc .

  Kin to the Sidhe and once the most beautiful of all Sidhe, they became warped and twisted with hate and greed during the Great War of the Clans. It was then that King Kalinest, for their betrayal , exiled them from the rest of the Sidhe Clans, he also stripped their ability to hear the songs of Mother Earth. The separation was too much for the traitorous Sidhe and they became bitter . Their hatred for their own kin twisted them from the inside out . Since then, the o rcs have held the Sidhe responsible for their fate, forgetting their own betrayal that caused the exile in the first place. Once their numbers were in the thousands, but through the centuries of war with the c lans their numbers have dwindled to only a few hundred . Most of their kind are to the north in the l and of our birth.

  Morlo is also a known assassin of t he Ange, a master at the double—edge d claws . His face is twisted with a deep scar that runs from his hairline to under his chin on the left side of his face. A gift from Mellis the las t time they met. His eyes lock onto Mellis and Mellis smiles back at him. I can feel Mellis tense with eager anticipation in meeting with Morlo once again. Mellis and the o rc have a score to settle.

  “Tolan,” I call, “you’ll have to take care of Harlu for me, b rother.”

  “With pleasure,” he replies.

  I nod toward Alorn who gives me a nod back, a hard look on his face. He will have to take care of Janlu and Fien on his own . I don’t have any doubt that he’s up to the task , though my cousin will have his hands full. I make a silent promise that I’ll take care of the Demlok as soon as possible to aid him against the two assassins.

  “Lily, can you see the Demlok ?” I call, hoping that s he’s where she can see the entire field and stay within Phoris’ shield.

  It’s a second before she answers, a bit distracted, “Yes, Tharin. It’s still dow n the field, close to the score board. It looks like it ’s hurt, and Tharin , it looks really pissed off!”

  Good. The angrier it is , the more careless and reckless it will be. Tazo won’t be a ble to kill the Demlok, but she’ll cause enough damage to it that it’ll wish it never left the UnderRealm.

  I pull Tazo out and she wakes at my bidding, as if eager to begin the fight.

  *

  Chapter Forty-Two ~ Lily ~

  I stand at the e dge of the shield watching an unbelievable scene. The blaze from the vehicle explosion lights up the field area and I can see everything clearly.

  Tharin and the others are standing on top of the concession stand while Harlu and the Ange stand in the middle of the bleachers. At the far end of the field opposite the concession stand and below the large score board is the Demlok.

  Each of them has some type of weapon , but none of them have guns. I make a mental note to ask why that is when this is over and we make it through the porta l alive. Tolan holds what look s like thin silver chains wrapped around his hand s , with the long ends falling to the ground. Alorn has two short curved blades in each of his hand s . He holds them w ith the point of the blades facing behind him. Mellis has what looks like a small silver baton . He gives it a slight twist and two long spears spring from each end. He holds the middle of the weapon and twists again, giving him two short speared staff s . As for Tharin, he only has one weapon, a black sword that seems to appear from nowhere. From where I’m standing the blade of his sword looks to have a rusty tinge to it. I can also feel a pulsating vibe from the blade as if it’s alive. I look closer and I’m not sure if it’s a reflection off the blazing vehicles, but Tharin’s sword looks to be on fire.

  I look closely at the Ange and again my eyes a re on the one with my face. He’s tall and young, maybe my age, again I can’t tell. For all I know all of them, including Tharin, could be centuries old. Harlu carries a sword that seems to be the opposite of that of Tharin’s. Instead of dark and reddish, the blade is made of ivory and the hilt looks as if it’s made of ivory, as well. Although I can’t feel anything from the blade, I imagine it to be cold to the touch.

  I look at the others and recognize the two who were with Harlu in the desert. The one that seemed to be second-in-command is also carrying two blades, but his are more like the katanas at Mr. Li’s studio that he uses for déc or. The third elf from the des ert doesn’t seem to be carrying anything, but as I look closely I see that he does have something in his hand . He’s too far away for me to make out what it is .

  The last one is new. He’s shorter than the others , but I think that’s because he seems hunch ed over a little. Either that or he has really bad posture . He’s lanky, lean and muscular . Even though the cold here is biting, he’s the only one not wearing long sleeves. His bare arms are tight ropes of muscle that are tattooed and scarred, but none are as scary or nasty looking as the scar running down the left side of his face. A face so full of hate that I almost take a step back from its intensity . I look at his hands and see they’re gloved with large steel spikes that are as long as Alorn’s blades. From what I can tell, he and Mellis are having a stare down “Lily, I’m going to go straight for the Demlok. I need you to stay in focus and not get emotionally involved with what you’ll see,” says Tharin in a calm voice.

  “What? Are you serious, how am I going to do that?” I respond.

  “Stay calm. Remember, we’re connected. If you get overly emotional, it can mean a matter of life and death. I need you to stay focus ed , so that I can stay focus ed . Do you understand?”

  “Oh my God, Tharin! Life and death? Why did you have to say that? I can’t do this .”

  “As long as we’re doing this together, we’ll be a l l right. You just need to breathe and not let what’s going on affect you. Okay?” He’s so calm that I take a deep breath and relax.

  “That’s better, Lily. Are you ready?”

  “Yeah , I’m ready.”

  As soon as I said that I watch as Tharin, Tolan and Alorn leap off the concession stand with lightning speed and hit the ground running. A
t once, the Ange are also on the move, all three heading for Tharin. Mellis remains at the top of the concession stand and the odd—looking elf stays on the bleacher. With an unseen signal, the two charge each other, leaping from where they stand , hitting the field at once and then are instantly airborne again, blades from nowhere spark with savage ferocity.

  I track Tharin as I watch him speed through the field aiming his charge directly at the Demlok. The demon watches Tharin’s approach, moving side to side like a cobra ready to strike. I hold my breath as I see Harlu charging straight for Tharin whose eyes are focus ed on the Demlok . With hi s ivory blade up, Harlu comes hard and fast ready to strike . Just when I’m about to scream , Tharin shoots back at me, “Stay focus ed !”

  The twins are running side by side so close together that it looks a s if they a re one and the same person. Just as Harlu co mes in, Tolan shoots off toward him, his silver cha ins dancing and striking Harlu on the cheek causing him to cry out in pain. He’s thrown off from his straight course to Tharin, but comes out in a roll to stand up facing Tolan, his blade at his side. I hear Julia’s soft intake of breath from behind me.

  The instant that Tolan pulls away, Alorn makes his move against the other two by taking down the first one immediately . He then engage s in a combat of blazing steel with the other, stopping them both from reaching Tharin. I watch in amazement as the warrior takes down the second elf and , without losing momentum , attack s his first opponent again within seconds of getting up. Julia was right to have Tolan take Alorn with them, and seeing how he covered his cousin’s back, I was grateful fo r her earlier insistence that Alorn go with them.

  “Lily! Stay focus ed ! Where is it?” This time there i s no calmness in Tharin’s voice, only determination with a hard edge to it.

  “He’s still in front of you, Tharin, but it’s moving its upper body from side to side, like a snake.” I answer, h oping that I sound just as determined and focused .

  “It’s quick, Lily. It’ll move at the last minute. Yo u’ll have to tell me which way it ’ll go.”

  “Okay,” as fast as Tharin is moving, it seems like forever for him to get there, until finally, “Right!” I yell in my head.

  As the Demlok move to evade Tharin, Tharin leaps into the air, spinning straight forward to where the demon once stood, but at the last minute spins out striking toward his right, hitting nothing but a ir.

  Tharin lands on the track portion of the field landing on one knee . His blade arm pulled back behind him, the sword up in the air ready to strike again .

  “Damn it, Lily!” His voice is quiet in my head, but the words are sharp.

  “I’m sorry, I meant HIS right…I’m sorry!” I can feel myself getting worked up and I take another deep breath.

  “It’s okay, my l ove. Stay calm, that’s it. Just breathe. Do you now see how important it is for you to stay emotionally unattached?”

  His voice is so calm that I release another breath before answering, “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I know that now .”

  “Good, now where is he?”

  “He’s moved to YOUR left, circling you slowly. I think it’s trying to decide if you can sense it.” I explain as I watch the demon move to Tharin ’s left .

  “Tell me when he gets behind me,” Tharin demands quietly, his eyes focused toward the bleachers.

  I wait for the demon to continue to move around Tharin, but it stops and straightens as if sniffing the air around him. Oh crap! I realize Tolan’s extra protection has prevented the demon from seeing me as he did earlier at the desert, but if I continue to focus on it, it senses my presence. I turn my head toward the others on the field trying to refocus my attention on them. My eye s catch Tolan and Harlu as they a re caught in a tug of war. One of Tolan’s chains is wrapped around Harlu’s sword, his other chain is nowhere in sight. I look at the ground near them and see nothing, no t even the light from the blaze is enough to see the chain. They charge each other in hand-and—feet combat while still connected by Tolan’s chain.

  “What’s happened , Lily ?” asks Tharin a little concern ed. “A re you a l l right?”

  “Ye ah, I’m sorry . I forgot not to focus on it and I think it sensed me. It felt me, but I didn’t give it enough time to find me. I’m okay, Tharin.”

  “Good. Where is it now?”

  I turn back to where he’s still kneeling , making sure to keep my eyes just off the Demlok. In frustration, it rears its head back and vocalizes that terrifying scream again. It’s all that Tharin needs. He spins from where he’s kneeling sending his black blade into the demon , and the scream becomes less terrifying and more painful. Tharin’s sword thrusts through the other side of the Demlok and in a blink of an eye, it spits black liquid into the air as Tharin brings h is sword down hard , hitting the track with such force that he half buried it into the man-made surface.

  “Tharin, it’s gone! Oh my God, Tharin, it’s gone!” I’m so ecstatic that I find myself jumping up and down in place.

  “Yes, Lily, I know. You did well, thank you.”

  With that he disconnects me and all of a sudden I’m alone again. I didn’t realize how safe and comfortable I was being mentally connected to him. Looking around me, I feel a change in the air and I glance back to see Phoris leaning on Julia . I move back to stand on the other side of him and s omehow the air around me feels different , signaling that he has almost completed his task . I stand next to him taking some of his weight by placing his arm over my shoulders . Julia and I look at each other and, after we each take a deep breath , we make a run for it.

  *

  Chapter Forty-Three Tharin

  As soon as Lily said the Demlok was gone, I ma k e my way over to Alorn. Janlu is down, but not before slicing through Alorn’s coat. I can see bl ood at his side, but you wouldn’t know that he’s hurt as he faces off with Fien. It doesn’t take long for the downed Ange to recover. With his back to Janlu, Alorn doesn’t see or hear him come in from behind as Fien rushes in with a loud cry from the opp osite direction. A distraction, but it’s too late for Alorn to realize the danger. I dive into him, knocking him down. The five mini kwolics shoot from Janlu’s hands, missing both of us by a hairs brea d th . Unfortunately for Fien, with us no longer in the way, all five kwolics bury themselves into his chest. After a moment, they drop out from his back landing harmlessly to the ground .

  Time seems to stand still. The look of betrayal on Fien’s face is one of disbelief as he stares at Janlu. Janlu tries to reach for him, but with lightning speed Alorn is up landing a spinning roundhouse kick squarely on Janlu’s temple. The Ange crumbles to the ground unconscious.

  Sensing the odds are against him, Harlu dives at the ground toward Tolan’s missing chain. As he hits the turf, he rolls out picking up the chain as he goes. Without losing momentum, Harlu strikes out at Tolan with his own chain, with Tolan barely evading the strike. It’s enough time for Harlu to leap backward landing at the edge of the track field, putting several yards between him and my brother. He whistles and Morlo abandons his fight with Mellis, a fight in which Mellis seems to have the upper hand. When Morlo leaps away, Mellis follows suit, only to be knocked down quickly . Alorn is at his side in an instant, catching him before he hits the ground. He holds Mellis’ head up. I watch as he searches Mellis for injuries and when he pulls his hand away from Mellis’ midsection, there i s blood. The dagger that took him down is buried almost to the hilt in his stomach.

  Harlu looks over at the dead body of Fien, then to Janlu. Before I realize what he’s doing, Harlu pulls the Lorelei Cord from his waist. The mythical cord lashes out knocking me to the side. It feels as if I’ve been hit by lightning, even with my coat I can feel pain along my left side. Tolan is immediately at my side. The c ord wraps itself around Janlu, lifting and pulling him back toward Harlu. Morlo is already at his side, and when Janlu reaches them, Morlo takes hi m as the c ord unravels from the unconscious Ange and wraps itself around Harlu’s waist once again.

  “That
’s two of mine you’ve now taken from me, Prince,” sneers Harlu , “it’s only fitting that I take one of yours .”

  He lifts his hand , and we prepare for his next assault . Alorn is on the move, heading toward the bleacher s trying to reach Harlu before he either attacks or leaves. Morlo is quick , however , and shoots out four kwolics causing Alorn to leap back and out of the way of the spinning missiles . Tolan whips out his chains as two of the glick s head toward us , the force of his strikes obliterates the glicks. I’m still on the ground struggling against the pain to get back on my feet.

  “Falsad, give me what I need!” y ells Harlu at his unseen employer . A black sphere of energy appears in his outstretched hand , and with gleeful malice he throws the sphere into the field where it explodes the instant it touches the ground. Tolan and I dive in opposite direction, away from the sphere. The piercing ring deafens me as I continue to reel from the c ord. I watch as my cousin and brother fall to their knees clutching their ears, their lips pulled back as they clench their teeth against the pain.

  I see Harlu call out . Thinking that another attack i s coming, I force the pain out of my head and struggle to my feet once again. Instead of another attack, however, a mist grows around Harlu and his Ange. The cloud surrounds them, but I can still see Harlu staring at me , and I can feel the hate roll ing off him. I watch him , wondering why he and Morlo are not finishing us off.