Soul Binder (Soul Saga (Book #2))

by Todd, E. L.

  Accacia wiped her tears on her sleeve and forced the tears to stop. “How can you do it? How can you be away from your family for so long?”

  “I don’t know. It’s hard. I’m not saying it isn’t, but you have to do what you gotta, ya know?” Slip rubbed her back and she dropped her head onto his shoulder. “We can’t always be with the ones we love, but we never forget about them. If you are always thinking about them, then aren’t they always around?”

  “I suppose.” She sniffed.

  “Well then, we aren’t really ever without them, right?”

  “No, we aren’t.” She smiled.

  They stood together and watched the caps of the sea beat against the hull of the ship. Their moment of silence was interrupted by a shout from the crow’s nest. “Ho! There be land up ahead!”

  Slip dropped his arm from around Accacia’s shoulders and walked to the base of the pole. “What do you see?”

  “An island!” he shouted from the air.

  Accacia’s heart pounded in her chest. They finally arrived at their destination. Sweat dripped from her palms as the panic set in. Her birthplace was only a few leagues away.

  Slip returned to her side. “This must be the place,” he said. “Father Giloth didn’t give me the details of your business here, but it fits the descriptions. What do you think?”

  “This is it,” she said. There was no doubt in her words. She knew it in her soul. She couldn’t explain the sensation.

  Slip nodded. “Alright. I suggest you gather your belongings while we approach shore. Father Giloth instructed me to give you a row boat so you could land on the island alone. We’ll take you as close to shore as we can.”

  Accacia nodded then headed back to her cot. She gathered her pack and gear, belted the guild sword to her hip and inserted her—Aleco’s—Soul Catcher into her necklace. She hadn’t accessed his memories yet, despite her strong urge to do so, because she wasn’t ready to see him again. She thought she would drown in her own tears if she did. She walked back up the ladder and waited on the deck.

  They prepared the row boat for her and instructed her how to use the oars. She tossed her belongings into the boat then looked at the sailors who brought her here. They all were charming and friendly to her, nicer than she was to them most of the time. She hugged each man and thanked him for escorting her to her destination safely. Slip broke down in tears when he hugged her. “You are the mermaid of our ship, miss. You are a beautiful sea nymph that has blessed our trip.”

  Accacia smiled at his words. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll never forget you, Captain. Thank you for everything. I appreciate it more than you know.”

  The sailor that was in the crow’s nest earlier turned his cheek to her. “I hope you don’t forget me either, Accacia.”

  She laughed at his gesture and gave him a kiss on the cheek as well. Accacia ended up giving all the sailors a peck on their face because of their insistence. She knew how jealous Aleco would be by their request. He couldn’t stand it if a man simply looked at her. Her heart tugged when she thought of his possessiveness of her. She prayed it would get easier, that one day she would remember him as a happy memory and not one that caused her so much pain.

  “Goodbye, gentlemen,” she said as she stepped into the row boat. She smiled and waved to them as they lowered her boat to the ocean below. She could see that Slip was still crying. A sweeter man she never met. His wife was a very lucky woman.

  She grabbed the oars and propelled herself away from The Swan. When she was close enough to the island to distinguish the trees and brush of the terrain, she glanced behind her and saw the ship move away from her, back towards the Continent where they came from, never to return. She looked back at the island—her new home—and rowed forward.

  The Island

  9

  Accacia rode the waves of the ocean as they crashed onto the beach. When she deemed the depth of the water to be shallow enough for her small stature, she jumped out of the boat and pulled it to shore. Her clothes were soaked, but it felt refreshing in the heat of the day. She was unaccustomed to such a humid climate. Even when she was dry, she still felt wet in the moisture of the air. Her hair felt softer with the added dampness from the environment, which also gave it a livelier bounce. The skin of her arms and legs absorbed the water in the air, making them shine as if they were covered in sweat. She pulled the hair from her face and looked at the beach. Large boulders covered the sand and led to a huge cliff face made entirely of solid rock. Seastars stuck to the crevasses of the ocean floor, and she saw large crabs scurry away from her under the waves. What she saw next caused her skin to prickle despite the heat. A man stood ten feet away from her, hidden in the shadow between two boulders. He had his sword drawn, ready to strike. As soon as she reached for her blade, he sprinted towards her. She prayed that Aleco’s training would get her through this.

  He swung his blade at her neck, but she ducked from his assault and kicked him in the knee. He didn’t seem affected by her attack. He stabbed his blade toward her torso, but she parried his sword with her own and kicked him back. “I mean you no harm!” She didn’t want to injure him and she certainly didn’t want to kill him. He was her kin, after all. He staggered back slightly, but recovered with a speed born through years of training and resumed his attack by striking at her arm. She stepped away from his lunge and shoved him to the sandy beach. He got up and aimed his blade once again. Accacia grew tired of the charade. She tossed her blade across the beach, proving she had no intention of killing him. She knew Aleco would be infuriated with her leap of faith. “Stop this now!” The man ended his attack, but held his blade at the ready.

  The stranger had short brown hair and a pair of blue eyes. His face was pale despite the warm climate and exposure to the sun. He wore a dark green shirt, like the color of the leaves of the forest, and black pants. His stoic expression hid any emotion he felt. “Who are you?” he asked. His voice was calm, soothing to the ear like the sound of light raindrops on the canopy of the forest, quiet but deep. She heard the power he had through those three words alone.

  “My name is Accacia.” She lowered her hands to her sides and took a step back. He watched her movements and gripped his sword. He took a step towards her, immersing his ankles under the tide of the ocean, and stared at her. The crashing of the waves reverberated in her ear, and she could feel the force of the tide sway her body in the water. If the stranger attacked her, she would lose the fight. She was compromised in the depth of the ocean. With his weight and strength, he could hold her under the surface of the ocean until she drowned. She prayed he wouldn’t. The man locked his eyes onto her green ones and read the fear within them, she assumed, because he sheathed his blade and examined her boat, turning his back to her. He left himself vulnerable to an attack. He shouldered her pack then walked to the beach. He trekked over the piles of sand with ease and a graceful posture. Accacia watched him with a look of confusion. Was she being robbed? “What are you doing?”

  He turned towards her. “Come with me,” he said. He grabbed her blade from the sand and held it out to her. Accacia walked over to him and reached her hand out. She watched him place the sword in her palm. She stared at him suspiciously, wondering if it was a trick. He turned his back towards her then walked forward. She sheathed her blade and followed him.

  “Who are you?”

  “My name is Zyle,” he said and continued to walk up the beach. He progressed away from the shore and disappeared into the palm trees that ended the beach. She trailed behind him, looking at the scenery they passed. The grass was lush and thick and every tree bore large pieces of fruit. The sight made her hungry. She hadn’t had an appetite in a very long time. “Welcome to Suaden.”

  “Where are you taking me, Zyle?”

  “To the forest of Canu, our only city on this island,” he said.

  “What do you plan to do with me?”

  “I have no plans for you. That will be the decision o
f our monarch, the head of state of the Asquithian people.”

  Accacia nodded. Her stomach growled in hunger and her body shook from exhaustion. Her time rowing the boat, not eating, and her sword battle with Zyle left her weak and famished. Accacia doubted that she could travel all day until they reached the city. Zyle glanced over his shoulder and saw her lag behind. “You’re tired,” he said. It wasn’t a question, but a simple statement. He diverted from the trail and walked deeper into the shade of the trees to the left. He pointed to the stump of a tree and told her to take a seat. She leaned her back against the trunk and closed her eyes. “I’ll get you something to eat.” He walked away and returned a few minutes later with a wide variety of fruit: a large pokey fruit, a hairy one, and a squishy one. He peeled the fruit with a small knife and handed it to her on a handkerchief. She was happy he didn’t return with any meat. She didn’t want to offend him right away. He uncapped his waterskin and placed it next to her, sharing his water with her. He leaned against a neighboring tree feet away, giving her space so she wouldn’t feel threatened. He didn’t look at her. She ate the juicy fruit and marveled at its taste. The citrus tickled her tongue and the juice seeped down her throat, filling her empty belly with the exotic taste. She didn’t know if she was just starving, or the fruit was truly exceptional, but it was the best thing she ever tasted.

  She stared at his countenance and admired his features. He was absolutely beautiful. He was the first person she ever saw of her own race and she was honored to finally see her own kin. His cheekbones were strained and curved and his eyes were large like hers. The color of his red lips contrasted against his fair complexion. His blue irises sparkled in the light and blended perfectly with his other features. Accacia couldn’t stop herself. She continued to stare.

  “I take it that I am the first Asquithian, other than yourself, you have ever seen?”

  Accacia’s cheeks reddened in embarrassment. She didn’t know he could see her staring at him since he was looking away. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to be rude. Please forgive me.”

  Zyle laughed. “I forgive you, Accacia.” The sound of his voice caused her hands to shake. She wondered if she sounded that way to other people; hypnotic, mesmerizing. “You did not offend me. You can continue to look at me if you wish.”

  Accacia looked up from her hands and met his gaze. There was no intimidation or anger in his eyes. “You’re beautiful,” she blurted out. She meant it. Now she understood everyone’s fascination with her.

  Zyle smiled at her comment and didn’t retract his gaze like most people would at such a comment. “So the answer is yes. I’m your first.”

  “Yes.”

  “As a friendly warning, be sure not to stare so much when we enter the city. The Asquithians will be wary of you. Don’t give them more of a reason to be.” Zyle pulled a bag of dried fruit from his pack and chewed a few bites. She noticed his diet, an odd one for a man.

  “You don’t eat meat.” She observed.

  “Of course not,” he said. “I never have and I never will. As a race, we refrain from the practice of slaughtering animals. We consider it akin to eating a member of your own family because the animals of the world are no different from us.”

  Accacia nodded.

  “You don’t eat meat either.”

  She stared at him. “How did you know that?”

  “I can tell just by looking at you. Your muscles are small from a low protein diet and the animals do not fear you when you walk past them—they trust you.”

  “I’m honored that they do.”

  Zyle smiled at her again. It was the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. She knew she was going to have a hard time not staring at the other Asquithians in the city, especially if they were all as beautiful and graceful as her guide.

  “Is there anything else I should know before entering Canu?”

  Zyle returned his fruit to his pack. “Don’t ask any unnecessary questions. They will be interrogating you and not the other way around. Be as cooperative as possible.”

  “How should I expect to be treated?”

  “They will not hurt you unless you give them a reason to, if that’s what you are concerned about,” he said. “They may lock you up for a while, but that will be the worst of it.”

  Accacia realized Zyle didn’t see her as a threat despite her outstanding swordsmanship. She did something to gain his trust, or at least his ease. “Why did you stop your advance?” she asked. “You lowered your sword and turned your back on me as quickly as you initially attacked me. What changed?”

  “I knew you weren’t a threat. It wasn’t your intention to kill me,” he said. “You never used your sword against me even when you had the opportunity. I apologize for attacking you, Accacia. The location of this island needs to remain a secret. I panicked when I spotted the boat on the shore.”

  “I understand,” she said.

  Zyle looked at her. His friendly demeanor was replaced by a serious tone. “Should we expect others to come?”

  “No,” she said. “I came alone.”

  “How did you know where we were?”

  “A Nature Priest told me.”

  Zyle nodded. “And why did you come? What did you flee from?”

  Accacia looked down at her fingers. She knew she had to answer his questions. Her survival in their society depended on her honesty. But that didn’t mean she had to divulge all the details. “I fled from the Duke of Letumian, the King of the Continent, because I was his slave. I wanted to be free of him.”

  “And you don’t think he will come here looking for you?”

  “No,” she said. “No one knows of my whereabouts.”

  “What about this Nature Priest? They can’t lie. So if they question him, he will have to be truthful.”

  Accacia felt the sweat between her fingers. She never perspired so much. She didn’t know if it was the humidity or the interrogation was responsible for her hot flash. “He would never tell him. I know he wouldn’t. He would find a way to protect me.” When she thought about her father, the tears bubbled beneath her eyes. She wondered if he was even still alive, if the forest still stood tall, if Aleco had been captured. She prayed nothing ill had befallen her loved ones.

  “I apologize, Accacia,” he said. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “There is nothing to forgive.” She wiped her tears away and they stopped falling. She didn’t want Zyle to know how broken and weak she was. It wasn’t an impressive entrance to the realm of her kin.

  “Get some sleep, Accacia,” he said. “I know how tired you are. When you are refreshed, we’ll move forward.”

  Accacia lay down and rested her head against her pack. She closed her eyes and found sleep immediately. Zyle watched her face relax as she lost consciousness. Even for an Asquithian, her beauty was extraordinary, surpassing the comely features of any woman he had ever seen—including his life partner.

  Suaden

  10

  The sounds of the waves crashing against the shore awoke Accacia from her dreams. She was torn away from the asylum of Aleco’s arms, the place she would give anything to be in again. His blue eyes were as bright as she remembered them, and she felt the taste of his lips on her tongue. She wished she could go back.

  Zyle stared at her across the clearing. She was exactly where she was when she fell asleep except now the shadows had fallen under the trees, making visibility difficult. She heard the birds cry in the trees overhead, frightened by the pounding waves. The shore was at least a league away, but she could still hear the ocean clearly.

  She sat up. “This place is beautiful.”

  Zyle nodded. “Yes. A paradise, I would describe it.”

  Accacia rose to her feet and stretched. A good night’s rest dulled the aches and pains of her body.

  Zyle stood up. “Are you ready to move forward?”

  “Yes.”

  Zyle grabbed her pack from the roots of the tree and shouldered it
along with his own.

  “I can carry my pack,” she said as she held out her hand. “But thank you.”

  “I insist, Accacia,” he said. “Give your back a rest.” He gazed at her with his hypnotic blue eyes, and her hand dropped to her side by its own will. Zyle turned and walked away from the clearing.

  They marched through the darkness, though Accacia could barely see where she was going. She listened to the sound of Zyle’s footsteps for guidance, but she found it difficult to maneuver through the tall stalks of grass. “Hold onto my pack.” He offered.

  “How can you see?”

  “We’ve adapted to our environment,” he said. “Our vision is heightened by the vegetation we eat. That must be why you can’t see in the darkness—the Continent doesn’t grow the same plants.”

  “That makes sense,” she said.

  “You’ll gain the ability eventually,” he said. “It is very useful.”

  “I can imagine.”

  They walked through the darkness until Accacia distinguished the lime-colored lights up ahead. They were lanterns in the trees ignited to light the forest. There were thousands of the beacons illuminating the trees up ahead, and she assumed it was Canu. Even from that distance, she saw how beautiful it was. Her heart tugged at her chest. She was almost home.

  “We shall stay here until morning.”

  Accacia’s heart fell. “Why?”

  “I think it’s best if I bring you into the city in the light of day. You won’t seem as threatening.”

  “If you think it’s the best choice.” She sighed.

  Zyle smiled at her. “You have the rest of your life to visit Canu and your people,” he said. “One more night will be a mere second in your lifetime.”