Cursed Song

by Samantha Kroese

  Shadow raised his brows. Silver was fidgeting like a child giving their first performance. Song be damned. His brother was going to break tradition? Derry stood next to Shadow, eyes wide, like the rest of the camp.

  “With the counsel of the camp Elders, it has been decided that it is not against the Song’s will for me to take Silver as my Song-Bound, as long as I can achieve carrying on my bloodline through my children. It has been decided that a woman will be hired from the towns to carry my child and, since we will be Song-Bound, that woman will not be forced by the Song to stay with the band,” Ruyne explained, but his normally confident voice held a slight waver, and his Song magic quivered just a little. Shadow could feel it, even if no one else could.

  Shadow crossed his arms and leaned against the wagon beside them. His gaze roamed to Silver’s parents who looked beyond thrilled. Bronze was one of the Band’s Elder Council. The most respected of them. How much had that influenced things? Shadow also noticed the disappointed looks on half a dozen of the camp’s younger women who had clearly had their hearts set on being the Leader’s chosen.

  “I’ve gathered you to announce that, when we leave tomorrow, we will go to one of the Song-Binding altars to conduct the ceremony to bind Silver and me,” Ruyne said. Casual, calm, collected. Shadow knew Ruyne well enough that he could see the nervousness in his brother’s eyes.

  The camp let out a collective gasp of shock, then stood there in stunned silence. Most had looked forward to Ruyne being the next Leader because he revered the Laws of the Song so much. And his first true act as Leader was to break tradition.

  Shadow had to smirk a little at the thought. So, his brother wasn’t a complete slave to the Song. It still intrigued him that Ruyne had decided this way. It wasn’t because his brother found Silver sexually attractive; he understood that quite well. But, what had driven Ruyne to this? He would have to ask later. He paused from his thoughts when he felt Ruyne’s azure gaze lock on him.

  “I believe my brother also has an announcement to make before you disperse,” Ruyne said, raising a brow expectantly.

  Song be damned. Shadow hated it when the magic gave away things. He stood up straight, grabbed Derry’s hand, and dragged him boldly into the center of the camp. He nodded to his brother. “I do. Derry and I will Song-Bind at the same time.”

  The song of crickets permeated the silence of the camp. Then as one, they erupted in shouts of support, mostly led by Bronze and Derry’s father, Alastan. Derry and Silver faced each other, staring in shock like a couple of scared mice.

  Ruyne let out a grunt of approval, nodded at Shadow, then turned to walk toward his wagon. His voice rang out loud above the crowd, carried by his Leader’s Song magic. “Disperse and prepare for rest. We travel hard tomorrow.”

  The camp broke up to their various tasks, but several happy songs rang throughout. Derry’s parents rushed over to embrace him and then hugged Shadow, giving words of encouragement and approval.

  Shadow nodded to them but watched his brother disappear, still puzzled by what had driven him to that decision.

  Chapter 8

  Derry

  Derry woke to a pounding on the window near his bed. Still half-dreaming, he wiped sleep from his eyes and pulled back the curtain. Shadow’s grinning face startled him backward. With a mumbled curse, he crawled back to look out. “What do you want?”

  Shadow laughed at him. “Forget something, Derry?” He stepped aside to gesture to the clearing nearby where Band members ran to and fro. Decorations of bright ribbons and flowers danced from the stone pillars that surrounded the altar. Shadow winked at him as he tugged on the fancy clothes he wore. “Are you going to come Song-Bind to me or not?”

  Derry gasped and shut the curtain then scrambled out of bed. His mother had laid out his best clothes, but his parents were already outside helping with the ceremony. He pulled on his pants, then hopped around pulling on his boots. He grabbed the sandwich his mother had left on the table, and held it in his mouth, as he pulled on a shirt and buttoned it. He threw on the fancy coat, then gobbled a few bites of the sandwich and he ducked to look in the mirror in his parents’ room. He adjusted his messy hair, then devoured the rest of the sandwich as he half tripped out the door and down the steps of the wagon.

  He heard snickers and glanced over to see his friends watching him. He blushed and walked over to stand at Shadow’s side. “Why didn’t someone wake me up sooner?”

  “Your parents thought you would be less nervous if you had less time to think about this,” Ruyne said with a wink, then he offered his arm to Silver. “Come, Silver. Let’s find our place. Shadow and Derry go first.”

  “Wait, what?” Derry sputtered, staring after them as they walked toward the altar. Then he turned to Shadow, overcome with a storm of emotions. Mostly raw panic.

  Shadow raised a brow at him and with a chuckle, he pulled Derry close and gave him a hard, deep kiss. The kiss startled Derry, and all he could do was melt into Shadow and give in to it. He blushed even more when the Band members whooped and hollered encouragement.

  “You still want to do this, right?” Shadow asked as he pulled back.

  “Yes,” Derry said, breathless. “More than anything.”

  “Then why are you worried? It’s a party. It’ll be fun.” Shadow offered Derry his arm and when Derry took it, they walked to where the Band had split up on both sides of the altar. Wildflowers danced in the slight breeze as they walked up the rows to a chorus of congratulations. Hestus waited behind the decorative stone altar, smiling gently at them.

  “Kneel, my children,” Hestus instructed them as they approached.

  Derry followed Shadow’s lead and knelt before the altar, tipping his head in respect and staring at the intricate carvings along the bottom of the stone altar. His heart pounded, and he felt as though it might fly out of his chest even though his Song magic was in perfect harmony with Shadow. The Song wasn’t worried, so why was he?

  “Blessed Song, our children have come together and ask your blessing. They seek to be Song-Bound forever to one another. To halve their souls and entwine with each other in a way that can only be done in harmony with the Song,” Hestus said, his voice ringing with magic as he spoke. “They gather here with our blessing. With the blessing of their families. With the blessing of our Leader. Come to us now and bless them with your powerful binding so that none but death may tear them asunder.” Hestus picked up a basin of clear, blessed water and dumped a handful on each of their heads in turn.

  Derry didn’t know what he had expected. Maybe it was because they were already Bound, but it didn’t seem like the magic did much of anything. Certainly not the mind-blowing change of life that had been described to him by others. He felt normal still.

  Apparently, something had happened because the rest of the Band broke out in cheers and joyful melodies praising the Song. The newly-Bound couple rose and joined the Band to respectfully watch Ruyne and Silver repeat the process.

  Derry leaned close to Shadow to whisper to him. “Do you feel any different?” Shadow shook his head, but he was busy frowning thoughtfully at his brother and Silver. Derry turned to watch them, too, and when they reached the binding part of the ceremony it definitely did something to them. They both jerked in shock and Silver even had to brace himself against the grass with a hand to avoid falling over.

  “Don’t worry about it. We already had our earthshaking moment. Remember?” Shadow whispered in his ear and squeezed Derry’s hand reassuringly.

  Derry did remember. Vividly. And the thought made him flustered and breathless again. And now Shadow was his forever. He was overcome with such joy he felt like he might burst. He had dreamed of this day for so long and never thought it would come to pass. He felt light-headed.

  A sudden chill descended on him, and he shivered and glanced toward the dark woods that lay beyond the camp. Something moved. A shadow, darker than the deepest black. But as soon as he’d seen it, it was gone, like it’d never been
there.

  “Derry?” Shadow hissed, sounding concerned.

  Derry turned back to realize the crowd was waiting for them to come join the celebration. He gave Shadow a confused look.

  Shadow could tell something was off. Now that they were Song-Bound they could feel each other’s emotions much more strongly. “What’s the matter?”

  Derry looked back to the forest, but now even the chill and bad feeling had disappeared. There was nothing. “It’s nothing,” he said with a shrug and let Shadow lead him to the party. The entire day and night was filled with songs, drinks, dancing. By the time they were herded to their wagons by the rambunctious crowd, Derry felt a little tipsy from all the wine.

  It was tradition for the Band to heckle them into the wagons to finish consummating the ritual. Shadow laughed and flat out picked Derry up and carried him to the wagon they would share.

  Derry looked over his shoulder, blushing and grinning. He shot a glance toward Silver and Ruyne who were also being driven to Ruyne’s wagon. Silver looked like he was going to faint from excitement. Ruyne, however, was unreadable. He had the expected happy expression on his face, but Derry could feel nothing from their Leader through the Song. As if Ruyne was guarding it from others. That was unusual. Especially for the Leader.

  He didn’t have time to think about it long. Shadow ducked into the wagon with him and slammed the door shut behind them. He let Derry slide to the ground, then immediately pulled him into a hungry kiss and pushed him back toward the bed.

  Derry found that all other thoughts were lost under Shadow’s attentions and he let himself get swept away by it all.

  Chapter 9

  Ruyne

  The next week passed in a blur. Then just as suddenly as the celebrations started, the camp returned to normal, and they were back to their regular route. Ruyne sat on the front seat of his wagon, guiding his horse along the dirt path. Silver rode his alongside. Ruyne took a deep breath as he glanced at Silver. So much had changed with his Song in the last two weeks it felt like it belonged to someone else. He didn’t regret his choice, though. He knew, out of all the people he had known, only Silver could be trusted with his soul.

  Their relationship had changed a lot in that week. Ruyne had never seen Silver as a potential lover before, but once they had Song-Bound, he found that the Song magic and being so entwined with another had brought the physical desire with it. He’d lost himself to it for a time, and that bothered him. He didn’t like losing control of himself, not even to the Song. The intimacy between Song-Bound was addictive. Even now he craved time alone with Silver.

  Silver, on the other hand, was elated. This was a dream come true for his friend. And Ruyne knew it was what had to be done for the good of everyone. Silver gave him a shy smile and a slight blush colored his pale cheeks. Ruyne winked at him, earning even more of a blush. Then he chuckled.

  He looked back at the Band behind him, colorful wagons in single file proceeding down the road as they traveled to the next town. He noticed Shadow’s wagon was being dutifully pulled by his horse, the animal walking along with the group. There was no sign of Shadow or Derry though. Ruyne rolled his eyes. If he felt this caught up in the Song-Binding then he had no doubt Shadow was consumed with it. His brother had always been tempted more by the physical than he had been.

  They were on schedule, and he’d sent scouts ahead to the next town to alert them that the Band would be there for a performance this evening. The trip was uneventful. Their performances went extremely well. The Song magic seemed renewed by the new Bindings, and the power flowed well through everyone. Ruyne gave his best performance yet, and Shadow followed with one equally powerful.

  As the camp withdrew after the last act of the show and the sleepy Dusksingers prepared camp for their daily rest, Ruyne noticed Bronze coming toward him. A beautiful young townswoman followed him, her eyes wide as she looked around. Ruyne felt instantly struck by her beauty. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from her as they approached.

  Bronze bowed to him with a grin. “Leader, we Elders took it upon ourselves to branch out into the town during the performances this evening. We found a young woman who is intrigued by the thought of traveling with us and helping you with your project.”

  Ruyne barely heard him. He was lost in the woman’s green eyes. In watching her pale hair dance around her fair-skinned face. Something about her took his breath away. When she caught his gaze he felt struck by lightning. His knees went weak.

  “Leader, allow me to introduce you to Valentra. She is the daughter of the local mayor, and her father has agreed to our proposal with proper compensation for her time and other considerations.” Bronze held out a piece of paper to Ruyne, trying to get his attention.

  Valentra gave him a shy smile, but there was something sultry about it that drove Ruyne crazy with desire. Then suddenly his Song warned him that Silver had come up to stand beside him. Silver’s grey eyes were narrowed slightly with jealousy. Had he felt Ruyne’s distraction over their bond? Most likely.

  Ruyne cleared his throat and took the paper to look over the demands. They seemed reasonable compensation for the woman bearing him a child and staying with the band until the child no longer needed to be nursed. He opened his mouth to respond, but Silver cut him off before he could get a word out.

  “Leader, I would speak with you before your decision,” Silver said, his voice oddly cold.

  “Perhaps you can show Valentra around the camp,” Ruyne asked Bronze, not missing the displeased look Bronze was giving his son, “and the wagon she would be staying in? Explain how our life works, so she knows fully what she’s getting into?”

  “Of course, Leader. Good idea,” Bronze bowed to Ruyne again, but his eyes held a warning as he looked to Silver. Then he graciously waved Valentra ahead of him. “This way, Miss.”

  Valentra gave Ruyne one more smile, then she gave Silver a wary glance before she let Bronze lead her away. Ruyne got caught up in watching the way she moved as she walked, particularly the attractive swing in her hips.

  “Inside,” Silver grumbled at him to get his attention, then stormed into their wagon.

  Ruyne tried to shake loose of the power the woman had over him and focus on his Bond to Silver. Silver’s Song was not a happy tune. He climbed into the wagon and shut the door behind him. Then he crossed his arms. “Silver, I am Leader. You are not to question me in public. You know this. You also agreed to allow me to have a child with a woman according to custom.”

  “Not that woman,” Silver said fiercely, his eyes narrowed. “There is plenty of time. Don’t take the first one offered. You are Ruyne, Leader of the most popular Band in this world. You can have any woman you desire.”

  “I think you well know that I very much desire this one,” Ruyne said quietly with a frown. “You are jealous.”

  “I am your Song-Bound and your lover now. You do not burn with desire like that for me. It is dangerous, Ruyne. There is something about her,” Silver started to say.

  “I am Song-Bound to you, Silver. I couldn’t leave you now if I wanted to. There is nothing to worry about.” Ruyne crossed the room to grab Silver’s arms gently. He rubbed them in a comforting motion. “Everything I am belongs to you, Silver. But I must have an heir. It is the law of the Song. You knew that when you agreed to Bind to me.”

  “The heir is not what I’m objecting to. It is this specific woman, Ruyne.” Silver sighed.

  “The Elders have chosen her, Silver. I don’t object to her. She is nobility, and she is beautiful. She is a good match. Her father has agreed to good terms. We could travel the rest of the year and not find a match as good.” Ruyne shook his head then pulled Silver close to hold him. “Our Binding is still new. You are still worried you will lose me. That this is some dream, and you will awaken. Nothing will take me from you, Silver. I have sworn it. You know I am a man of my word.”

  Silver cuddled against his chest. “It’s not that, Ruyne. There is something about her. She is wrong.
Please. Trust me.”

  Ruyne tilted Silver’s head so he could give his husband a brief kiss then smiled. “It will be fine, Silver. I promise. If all goes well, I will only be with her once, she will be with child, and then she will be just another Band member until the child is born. I am not marrying her. She is joining with the understanding that it is not a romantic relationship, but a business one.”

  Silver pulled away from him and walked to sit down on the bed. “You are Leader. The Elders have spoken. Your choice is Law. Know that I object, though.”

  Ruyne sighed then turned to leave the wagon. Silver was jealous. He could feel that through their Bond. That had to be what was driving this. Silver would object to any woman. Silver did not want to share him. Not even for this. Ruyne had been concerned about that. He shook his head and tried to send love and comfort over his bond to settle Silver as he went to find Bronze.

  Bronze stood near a wagon as some of the ladies of the camp spoke with Valentra about their customs. He crossed his arms when he saw Ruyne. “Silver is being difficult?”

  “He is concerned is all.” Ruyne looked to Valentra again and when she looked back at him, all doubt and fear was erased from his mind. This was the woman. He knew it. The Song willed it.

  “He is jealous. It is unfitting. I apologize, Leader. I thought I made it clear to him before the Bonding that he was not allowed to feel that way.” Bronze scowled and glanced toward Ruyne’s wagon. “Should I speak with him?”

  “No, Bronze. When he Bonded to me, he became my responsibility, no longer yours,” Ruyne shook his head. “It will be well. I will reassure him. Do not be concerned about it. Let them know we accept and see that Valentra is settled, will you? I am weary and my place is with Silver for now. I will speak to her tomorrow.”