“He is in stasis as you will be soon. Now, stand still and let me clear your aura again,” she demanded, then added, “And remove any blocks you have. You need to be completely open to what’s about to happen.”
Stryx nodded, so I put down my wall. It wasn’t like my internal thoughts were anything new to him, so I hoped I had nothing to worry about.
Once my shoulders relaxed, Lorelle started murmuring words I couldn’t understand, and I grew calmer by the second. My body swayed, and I was convinced I’d fall back into the water, but I couldn’t find it in me to care. Then, everything else faded away. I found myself floating in the air, but it was dark around me.
I tried to move, but I was immobile, and dread filled me. Stryx? No response.
My brain was screaming words, but no sound would come out. A heaviness settled over me as a familiar energy filtered into the emptiness around me.
“Hello, Kaliah.”
Chapter Eight
My head swiveled around, but I couldn’t see anything through the surrounding darkness. There wasn’t even a flicker of light visible around me. My stress levels reached new heights as Alaryk continued to call my name. It rolled off his tongue in a sensual way that made my skin crawl, but at the same time, intrigued me, which then turned into fury.
I would not find him attractive. I couldn’t find him appealing in any way possible.
I refused to be the reason people died.
“Kaliah, why do you fight me?” he whispered in my ear, and my arms flung out but didn’t touch anything.
“Get away from me.” I tried to access my magic, but it was as if it had been stripped away from my core.
“Stop struggling. It’s pointless. We’re in a realm of nothingness that I created, and neither of us have power. We are equal and can be ourselves without any obstacles. Now, do you care to tell me what you’re up to today?”
Damn it. How did he keep finding out about the bonding ceremony?
“None of your business. Now, send me back,” I demanded, while trying to figure out how to do so myself.
“You see, it doesn’t work that way. I didn’t bring you here all on my own. A part of you wants to be with me. I called for you, and you answered.”
“Lies!” I screamed.
I shuddered as his breath brushed over my neck. “Keep telling yourself that, my sweet.”
He’d yet to actually touch me, but he seemed so close that I should have been able to reach him.
“What do you want?” I asked, trying to reason with him.
“You know the answer to that, so why do you ask the question?” he replied.
My head shook. “I thought you wanted to kill me.”
“That’s plan B. Given that you’re here with me, I still have hope for plan A, but don’t take that for weakness, my sweet. I won’t hesitate to kill you, given the opportunity, if you continue to refuse me and offer yourself to that worthless guardian.”
My mind raced, trying to figure out where we were and how I’d gotten there—most importantly, why I couldn’t feel anything physical. My emotions were heightened, but every physical sense seemed to have vanished.
“They’re not teaching you enough in Arvayta. If you’d have come with me, you’d know exactly what was happening to you,” he grumbled.
“I will never go anywhere with you unless it’s to kill you. You murdered my parents. I can’t let that go unpunished,” I snapped.
“Am I the one who needs punishing? Because, let’s be honest, who’s fault was it really?”
Anguish soared through me like never before. I couldn’t stomp the emotions down as they took over every facet of my being. Rage, sorrow, and vengeance were all so prominent within me, yet I couldn’t do anything about them as they bubbled within, demanding to be released.
“That’s it, Kaliah. Feel so deeply that you have to see the truth. See that you’re no good for anyone else but me. We were cut from the same cloth. We belong together.”
Power burst from me as I exploded—literally, or so I was certain. Everything around me shredded in my mind as light began to filter through, and Alaryk’s screams faded into the distance.
My name was being called, but I couldn’t respond. I didn’t know what would happen if I did anything other than hold on to what was left of me, which didn’t seem like much.
Ryland’s hands yanked me from the water. “Kali, wake up!”
His fear finally penetrated whatever had been holding me hostage, and I opened my eyes, fury filling my every thought. “He took me.”
“What are you talking about? Who and when?” Ryland asked as Stryx hovered right behind him.
“Alaryk. I was gone. Didn’t you see?” Panic filtered through as I tried to remember everything that happened, but it was fading away by the second.
“Your physical form never left, Kaliah. You went to a shared realm with him,” Lorelle said disappointingly.
“I don’t understand. How did that happen?”
“He called for you and you answered.”
Ryland’s grip on me tightened. “Did you?”
My head shook. “It’s not possible.”
Lorelle sighed. “It’s not your fault. I thought this might happen. I did my best to give you the greatest chance at avoiding him, but he’s stronger than I had hoped, and your connection to him is there, whether you want to admit it or not.”
I snarled at her. “The only connection I have to that man is the one that drives my need to kill him.”
Stryx landed on my knees that protruded from the water I still lay in. “I’m sorry, Kaliah. I didn’t know until just yesterday.”
My glare turned on him. “What are you talking about?”
Ryland was fully invested in the answer to that question as well. He had just as much of a stake in this as I did, it seemed.
“The prophecy is there for a reason. Even if it doesn’t come true, if we can stop it from happening, it doesn’t change the facts. The two paths before you are each very possible. If you chose it, you could bond with Alaryk the same as Ryland, even though he is your Meraki. I was going to tell you the moment I found out, but Lorelle didn’t want those thoughts interfering with the process.”
What in the actual…
Ryland’s face turned several shades of red and purple before he finally spoke. I was still trying to process what the owl was saying.
“So, are we unable to bond now that Alaryk interrupted the ceremony? What does this mean for us?”
Lorelle moved closer. “You can bond, but Alaryk will fight it every chance he gets.”
“Ha. He’s probably not feeling too great right now. I exploded whatever hellhole he’d lured me into.”
Lorelle raised a brow. “Tell me what happened. Every detail, no matter how small.”
I gladly did as she asked, and poor Ryland was losing it as I continued.
“If the two of you are still open to completing the ceremony, I think now is our only shot. Kali would have weakened him with that move. Not his physical form, but the one that will keep getting in the way of any connection you share.”
“Let’s do it,” I said immediately, then realized maybe Ryland didn’t want to. Maybe knowing his Meraki was tied in some sick way to another was too much for him to handle. “Well, as long as Ryland agrees.”
He didn’t answer right away, and my heart began to break, but Ryland had yet to move away from me, so I was taking that as a good sign he wasn’t going to bail. Though, if he did, I wouldn’t blame him.
“Will Alaryk be able to get in my head through our bond if Kali and I can complete the ceremony?” he asked Lorelle.
“No, I don’t believe so.”
Ryland grimaced. “Well, that’s unfortunate. Regardless, let’s try again. We’ll deal with Alaryk soon enough,” he said, and I breathed a little easier.
Lorelle didn’t hesitate before she placed one hand on each of our chests. “This is going to hurt.”
I was still sitting in the
water with Stryx on my knee and Ryland next to me. Lorelle bent beside us and lowered herself as magic seeped into my body that didn’t belong. Smoke rose from my chest and, when I glanced at Ryland, I could see the same was happening to him.
Stryx had flown out of the way, and I couldn’t see him any longer as Lorelle pushed us both further into the water until our bodies were completely submersed.
Fear of drowning clawed at my mind, but it was quickly forgotten as the voice of Ryland sounded.
Kali?
Yeah? I was weirded out, even though I did the whole mind-speak thing frequently with Stryx. Having another in my head wasn’t exactly appealing.
Are you okay? he asked.
I think so. You?
It’s painful, but manageable.
We stayed in silence after that as I focused on fighting my body’s desire to pass out. I wanted to be awake and alert for as long as I could, just in case Alaryk came back.
A roar tore through my mind, and the agony reached a new peak. My body rose from the water, steam rolling off of me as everything within me burned, and it reminded me of when my human side had died. My eyes finally closed, and I tried to reach out to Ryland, but my connection to him was gone, though I swore I could sense his panic.
What felt like forever later, I dropped back into the water without an ounce of grace and choked as the stream rushed over me. Once I was back in control of my body, I sat up in the shallow pool, wiping water and hair away from my face. When my vision cleared, I searched for Ryland, but I couldn’t see him.
Then, hands grabbed on to me, and I didn’t hesitate to flip the person onto their back and position myself on top of them. “Woah, Kali. It’s just me.” Ryland was beneath me, head barely above water as my fist hovered just inches from his nose.
“Sorry.” I blushed and cringed as a throat cleared.
“Are the two of you done?” Lorelle chastised.
Moving off of Ryland, I let my weak body fall back into the water. I wasn’t sure how long we’d been out there, but I felt like hell. Everything within me was zapped of energy.
“Did it work?” Ryland asked as he reached down to help me up.
“I believe so, considering both of you are still breathing,” Lorelle replied coolly.
A response was at the tip of my tongue, but a reaction was likely what she hoped for, so I didn’t give her one. Instead, I found my footing and let Ryland guide me out of the water.
Stryx flew to me with my crown in his talons. “You may or may not need this anymore, but I’d recommend keeping it on until we know for sure. How are you feeling?”
“Exhausted and like I could sleep for a week,” I answered honestly.
“The two of you should go back to the house and rest,” Stryx suggested, and dread once again flooded through me.
Just because I’d bonded with Ryland didn’t mean I wanted to be with him all the time. I still wanted to be my own person and get to know him slowly.
Calm, young one. You do not need to do anything you’re not ready for, but it will speed up your recovery to remain within close proximity to Ryland for a while. You don’t need to rest in the same room, but the same house would be preferable.
The wall was still down, and I remembered Ryland had been in my head during the bonding.
Can he hear me, too? I asked.
No, this perk is only between animal and human.
I heard him while Lorelle was doing whatever she did, though.
The two of you were at your weakest yet strongest as the bonds merged. It shouldn’t happen again.
Stryx seemed so sure, but suddenly I couldn’t wait to get my wall back up and reinforce it. I was tired of people being in my head, and the physical and mental exhaustion was making me cranky.
Slamming the block back into place, I at least took the owl’s suggestion of remaining close to Ryland seriously. “Yes, the house would be good. You ready?” I asked Ryland, and he seemed surprised at my agreeance.
“Sure, but I don’t have to stay if you don’t want me to.”
I ignored his last words and grabbed on to his hand. After waving goodbye to Lorelle and Stryx, I headed back home with Ryland in tow. The sun was high in the sky, and at least a couple of hours had passed while we’d been out there.
The guest house was quiet, so I assumed Jordan was with Oliver or Dom and was thankful. I didn’t have the energy for fifty questions with her. She’d have to wait until we woke up again. Or, at least, until I did.
“I’m exhausted,” I mumbled as I eyed the couch and considered the effort it would take to walk up the stairs to the room I’d been staying in.
“Do you want me to help you to your room? I won’t stay if you’re worried about that.”
“Quit being so nice. I kind of miss the asshole version of you.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I couldn’t believe I’d said them and covered my face. Exhaustion also made me lose some of my filter, apparently.
He laughed, deep and throaty. “I’ll remember that. Now, let me take you to your bed.” The words were more of a demand, and my body warmed. That was better.
Ryland picked me up and carried me toward the stairs. By the time we hit the top, my eyes were already heavy, especially as he murmured comforting words to me. Holding on to me with one arm, he pulled the covers back, then lay my lax body into the bed and covered me up.
He kissed the top of my head, and I reached for him. “Don’t leave me.” There was an ache in my chest that I feared would only get worse if he left.
“I’ll sit right here.” He pulled the chair from the corner of the room to the side of the bed and held my hand once he sat down.
When I was certain he wasn’t going anywhere, I let the weight of sleep pull me under as our bond flared to life and a sense of security settled over me for the first time since losing my parents.
Chapter Nine
Apparently, bonding wasn’t all that easy to recover from. Waking up with a raging Jordan in my face wasn’t exactly what I had been expecting, either, but it happened, nonetheless. Along with Ryland still next to my bed. Our hands were intertwined, and he was sleeping near my shoulder, only partly still in the chair. Well, that was until Jordan woke us both up.
“It’s been three days! I’m going to lose my mind,” she huffed.
“Calm down. They need time,” a deep voice rumbled and had me instantly on alert. That definitely wasn’t Oliver.
When I peeked, there was a freaking lion in the room. “Uh, Jordan?”
She rushed over to me, both hands shaking my shoulders. “You’re awake.” Her relief was palpable.
Glancing over, Ryland was just beginning to stir and, when his eyes opened, there wasn’t a bit of happiness coming from him. “What do you want, Jordan?” he snarled.
“Oh, calm down and get the stick out of your ass.” Jordan winked at me. “In case you didn’t know, your Meraki isn’t a morning person.”
“Good to know, so why don’t you go wait downstairs and we’ll be there shortly?” I asked as nicely as I could in hopes she’d comply.
When it appeared as if she was going to argue, the lion whipped his tail around and the fluffy end went straight into Jordan’s mouth, effectively shutting her up.
My mouth fell open in surprise, as did hers, but only had her gagging on hair.
“We’ll be downstairs,” said Dominic, then the lion nudged her out of the door with his massive head.
I glanced down at Ryland. “Can you believe that?”
He grinned. “I’ve been waiting decades for someone to do that to her and get away with it.”
Those two were like brother and sister.
Ryland was still holding my hand and stared at it before he spoke. “How are you feeling?”
Taking a minute, I internally checked myself out. Nothing seemed different—maybe a little calmer—but my magic still swirled just the same in my core. Then I remembered my crown and found it still on top of my head.
The bondi
ng ceremony seemed a little hazy in my memory until I remembered Alaryk trying to crash it. If he did that again, I wasn’t sure what I would do, but I needed to figure out a way to prevent any part of my mental state from allowing it to happen.
“I’m good, I think. I don’t really feel any different. Is that bad?” I hoped my words didn’t offend him.
“No, that’s why I asked. I don’t either, but they said it worked, so I guess we’ll see.” Ryland stood from the bed and walked toward the door. “I’ll give you some privacy and meet you downstairs?”
“Thanks. I’ll be right there.”
As soon as the door was closed, something flared within me—a tightness within my chest. Then, a thud sounded at the door and Ryland poked his head back in. “Well, that was different.”
“You felt it, too?” I asked, and he nodded. “I remember on occasion feeling a tugging sensation toward you before. I guess this is the same thing on steroids?”
“Probably. Bonded guardians don’t do well apart. I’ll probably need to sleep in the house until we get the hang of things.”
Or forever, I thought, then shook my head. No, I wasn’t rushing anything. He was right. We would figure it out and then go back to taking things slow.
“Alright, I’m going now. Just be prepared to miss me like crazy.” He winked and disappeared.
A grin plastered to my face, and I couldn’t make it go away. I felt like I was experiencing puppy love and couldn’t help but be happy, which made me feel out of control of my own life. Then, I began a downward spiral of thoughts as I made my way to the bathroom.
As I took the longest pee of my life, I wondered if I’d made a mistake bonding to Ryland, but then our connection began to grow with the distance, and I knew it was only crazy thoughts I needed to make go away.
Ryland was a good man, one who was faithful, kind, and passionate. There would be no regrets, even if it happened a little too fast for my liking.
I took a quick shower and dressed in workout clothes. My body was charged, and as soon as I satisfied Jordan’s need to grill me, I’d be heading to the training fields. I needed a release before I did something without thinking.
Of Blood and Sacrifice (Royal Fae Guardians Book 2) Page 6
