Soul Binder (Soul Saga (Book #2))

by Todd, E. L.

  “Yes, indeed.”

  “Are you ready to go now?”

  Accacia wasn’t ready at all. She may look identical to a true Asquithian, but she knew they would spot her for the imposter she was. She feared what they might do to her. Zyle said they wouldn’t hurt her, but they may lock her in a cell. She was afraid how long she would remain in confinement. What if they imprisoned her for the rest of her life? “No, I’m not. But let’s go anyway.” She rose from the table and grabbed her pack.

  Zyle looked at the shoes she wore. They were the same boots she arrived in. “Take off your shoes,” he said. “You won’t need them in the city.”

  She looked at him quizzically. “I won’t need shoes?”

  “Perhaps you didn’t notice, but the women never wear them in the city.”

  She took off her boots and stowed them into her pack. She felt odd with her bare feet displayed. Accacia cringed at the idea of how dirty they would become in the streets.

  Zyle recognized her unease. “You’ll get used to it.”

  They left the house then merged with the traffic of the street. A woman was playing a wooden drum in the corner, and Accacia smiled as she listened to the music. It was wonderful. People shuffled past her as they squeezed down the street. She caught a few men staring at her, but when she met their gaze, they quickly looked away. She could hear the calls of the birds overhead. There were hundreds of them.

  She looked at the women who walked by, with straight backs and graceful postures, and she glanced down to their feet. Zyle was right; they were barefoot. She watched the women progress through the market and stared at them in awe. They were so beautiful it seemed surreal. She forced herself to look away. Now she understood Aleco’s strong attraction to her. “Why do the women walk barefooted?”

  “To be closer to the land,” he answered. “The shoe separates your direct connection to the earth. Therefore, you are distant from her.”

  “What about outside of the city?”

  “In that case, shoes are a necessity.”

  Accacia noticed that all the men in the marketplace wore shoes. It was only the women who didn’t. “Why are men excluded from this practice?”

  “We aren’t,” he answered. “We choose to wear shoes because we venture outside of the city on a regular basis. Too much work to travel through the city barefoot, just to don your shoes at the border.”

  Accacia nodded. “Where are we going now?”

  “I am taking you to Roxian,” he said. “She is the monarch of our people.”

  “Where is she?”

  “She lives in the Tower, a construction found at the direct heart of the city. The wooden structure was built on a small hill and reaches high into the sky. You can see all the way to the shore from the top.”

  “Like a crow’s nest?”

  He looked at her. “Yes, that is a good comparison.”

  Accacia wondered what to expect from this woman, the leader of the Asquithian people. There was no doubt of her harshness and sharp edge since she had to be a strong leader after the devastation of her people. Accacia didn’t know what to do if Roxian wasn’t convinced of her allegiance. “Should I fear her?”

  Zyle nodded. “Yes, you should.”

  The Tower

  13

  “This is the Tower.” Zyle stopped before the wooden steps that ascended the hill. There were at least a hundred stairs that led to the entrance doors up ahead. The building had a large pinnacle that reached up into the sky, forming a sharp point when the tip met the clouds. Accacia noticed that the very top of the structure was painted green, the color of the leaves of the forest, while the rest of the tower was constructed of bare wood. Accacia wondered how many trees had been chopped down to build the impressive relic. She estimated several hundred. “We gathered fallen trees from across the island, dragged them here and built the Tower out of dead timber—no living tree was harmed in its creation.”

  Accacia breathed a sigh of relief. It would be contradictory of the Asquithian people to destroy the homes of the animals they respected just to build themselves a grand building to house the monarch of their people. Their ruler would be just as selfish as the leaders of the Continent. Accacia could see two guards patrol the entrance to the Tower. They stood on either side of the door with swords belted to their waists. Suaden seemed so peaceful. She couldn’t fathom the need for such security.

  Zyle extended his hand, indicating for her to go first. “Shall we?”

  Accacia climbed the stairs with Zyle close behind her. She felt comfortable knowing he would catch her if she tripped on the wooden stairs and fell backwards. It was a long way down from the top. She lifted her dress so her feet wouldn’t snag on the hem of the silk and ascended the staircase until she reached the grand doors.

  The two guards stared at her but said nothing. They looked at Zyle and nodded, recognizing him.

  “Hello,” Zyle said to the guards. “I am here to see Roxian. Let me pass.”

  The guard on the left stared at Accacia. “Who is this?”

  Zyle’s friendliness evaporated. “Her identity is none of your concern. That knowledge is restricted to her majesty. Now let us pass.”

  The power in his voice caused Accacia’s body to shiver in response. Even though he hadn’t raised his voice, made any threats, or even changed his tone, he still had the ability to move mountains with his words alone. The guards stared at him with a look of respect and fear, unusual for a man with a humble stature. She suspected he was more than just a mere forester.

  “Let me pass,” he repeated.

  Accacia absentmindedly took a step away from him, fearful of the ferocity in the sound of his words. The guards opened the large wooden doors, which contained engravings of the Canu birds she saw in the trees, and they ushered them through the doorway.

  They entered an empty lobby that contained large windows all around, allowing sunlight to fill the expansive room. Zyle led her across the wooden floor toward the plain door directly ahead. This one was black with no ornamentation. He opened the door and entered the room. She followed behind.

  The circular room contained two guards who faced the black doors they just entered through. “Hello, Zyle,” one of the guards said.

  Zyle nodded in return. “Happy greetings.” He smiled. The warriors stared at Accacia but said nothing, silently appraising her unfamiliar features. Accacia examined the details of the room and avoided their searching gaze. She wasn’t the only one with a staring problem.

  The room was vacant with the exception of a white desk that sat in the middle of the room. A red rug covered the floor, touching both walls of the tower. Green arm chairs sat on the carpet facing the white desk, and a fireplace existed to the left but lacked any flames. In fact, it looked as if it had never been used. The most interesting part of the room was the candles. They were everywhere. They were littered on the tables and the wooden desk, as well as along the walls around the room. Accacia realized this study had no windows. The candlelight was a necessity. The last thing Accacia noticed was the woman sitting at the desk. She looked up from her parchment sheet and stared at them.

  Roxian gazed at Zyle, appraising his features in silence. She moved her gaze to Accacia, and fixed her intense stare on her for several minutes, probably realizing that Accacia was not a member of their society. She knew Accacia came from another place. She had green eyes identical to Accacia’s and bore her penetrating gaze on her, looking directly into her soul. The woman rose from her seat and placed both hands upon the surface of the wood. She wore a dress identical to Accacia’s, except the color of the dress was black, not green, and she had pink flowers pinned into her hair, which highlighted her golden strands. To say she was fair was a lie. She was breathtaking. Her beauty did not diminish her intimidation, however. Accacia felt the sweat drip from her palms. “Who is this?” she asked Zyle without looking at him. She continued to stare at Accacia.

  “Her name is Accacia.”

  Roxian
’s eyes flashed open as if the name meant something to her, but she said nothing in regards to her name. “And where did you find her?”

  “On the eastern side of the island,” he answered. “She just arrived to shore on a small boat.”

  Roxian looked at Zyle. He met her gaze with no fear. “A boat?” she asked. Accacia just met this woman, but by the tone of her voice, she immediately knew that this information was displeasing.

  “Yes,” he answered.

  Roxian straightened her back and squared her shoulders. She extended her hand to the chairs before her. “Please take a seat.”

  Accacia’s heart almost burst from her chest. She didn’t want to be any closer to this woman, but at the same time, she wanted to know more about her. Her deep voice was enchanting to the mind, despite its aggressive tone.

  They took their seats directly before her white desk. The surface of wood was covered in papers and candles, along with a cup of tea. The liquid was still steaming in its glass, and Accacia recognized the fragrance. It was the same flavor she tried earlier.

  Roxian stared at her and Accacia met her gaze. Roxian was thin, with long slender arms, graceful legs, and heightened cheekbones that accentuated the curve of her face. Her lips were thin like Accacia’s. She wasn’t sure if it was rude to meet Roxian’s eyes with her own, or if she should look away to the floor. The intensity of Roxian’s gaze frightened her, and she gave into the panic and looked down. “Look at me, girl.”

  Accacia obeyed her command. The threatening words startled her, and she could feel the beat of her heart against her ribcage. Accacia was frightened. This was worse than she ever imagined.

  “Who else did you bring with you?”

  Accacia took a deep breath before she spoke. This was it—the time to prove herself. She cleared her voice before she spoke. She didn’t want her words to come out weak. “I came alone, Your Majesty.”

  “Do not refer to me as such,” she said. “I am not your Queen. You are not one of us.”

  “I apologize.”

  She slammed her fist on the desk. “You’re a liar.” She leaned closer to Accacia and continued to shower her with looks of hatred. “You did not come alone. You insult my intelligence with your pathetic evasion of the truth.”

  “My words are truthful.”

  Accacia saw the green inferno blaze in her eyes. The same fire that roared forth in her own when she was emotional, just as Aleco described. “How dare you insult me? You expect me to believe that you rowed your own boat across half the world to our destination?” She slammed her fist into the table again. Accacia flinched at her hostility. “Do not tryst with me.”

  “Yes—I came on a ship with others.” Accacia steadied her shaking hands. “But I rowed to the island alone. I came to your land with no other,” she said. “I did not lie.”

  Roxian looked at Zyle. “Did you know this?”

  “No,” he answered. “I only saw the small boat she arrived in.”

  “And you didn’t question her? Why didn’t you kill her?”

  Accacia closed her eyes at the words. She doubted she would leave this study alive.

  Zyle stared at her. “I concluded she is not a threat to us. So, I did not question her and I did not kill her. Her future rests in your hands, Your Majesty.”

  Accacia regretted coming to this island. Any hope she had for integrating with her people was gone. She knew Roxian would kill her without hesitation. Accacia was glad Aleco would never know how she met her end.

  Roxian turned her gaze back to Accacia. “What is your purpose? Why are you here?”

  “I seek asylum from the Continent and a man who kept me as a slave. I wanted to know more about my people and where I come from.”

  “We are not your people.” She snarled. “How did you know where to find us? Who else knows of our existence?”

  “A Nature Priest told me of your presence. He has guarded the information with his life for years. He is the only one who knows of my whereabouts.”

  “What about the people on the ship?”

  “They have no knowledge about the existence of your race. The sailors were under the impression they were taking me to an uninhabited island, nothing more.”

  Zyle cleared his throat. “She speaks the truth, Roxian. I know she does. She has no intent or plan to hurt us.”

  “I can take no chances, you know that.”

  “I spent the past two days with her,” he said. “She is no threat.”

  Roxian stared at him, clearly debating her instinct against his. She turned towards the guards. “Ono,” she called. “Escort this prisoner to a confinement room. And do not speak to her.”

  Accacia fought back the tears from her eyes. She made a horrible mistake coming here. She knew she would be a prisoner for the rest of her life.

  “Wait,” Zyle commanded the guards. They stopped their advance. Accacia was surprised the guard obeyed his order without hesitation. It was as if he could move mountains with his words alone. They stood off to the side, leaving Accacia alone in her seat, and waited for further instruction. Accacia knew Zyle had a lot influence in the society. As much as the queen did. He stared at Roxian. “She means us no harm,” he said. “I understand your caution, but this is unnecessary. Release her.”

  “No.” She nodded to the guards. The guards looked at Zyle, but he gave no further order, so they walked over to Accacia’s seat. Accacia stood up and let them take her with no resistance. She knew there was no point in fighting. They grabbed her by the arms gently then escorted her out of the room. She looked at Zyle over her shoulder.

  “I’m sorry,” he mouthed.

  The guards marched her back through the black door and to the left where they entered a circular staircase. They ascended several flights of steps until they entered a wooden door on the closest landing. They pulled Accacia through and walked her down a deserted hallway then opened the second door to the right and instructed her to walk inside.

  The prison cell looked nothing like a containment center. A wide window looked down at the center of Canu, and the room contained a large bed, a couch by the window, a bookshelf full of novels, a small kitchen, and a bathroom in the room beyond. Even though the room was comfortable and accommodating, she still panicked at the thought of staying here forever. She walked over to the bed and lay across the bed sheet, squeezing a pillow to her chest. Accacia tried to stop the tears from coming, but she failed. They fell freely from her eyes. Her body heaved with sobs at the loss of her freedom, knowing she may never get it back. Accacia was doomed to a life of imprisonment. A part of her knew she would never be free, whether it was from the king or here.

  Morkarh

  14

  Shane cleared his throat before addressing the crowd that stood below him. The entire population of the city was hurdled to his feet like livestock, and they looked at him in fear, frightened of the forthcoming news. He was adorned in the heavy armor of the king’s army with a long sword at his side and he knew the citizens of the sandy realm were worried by his intimidating attire.

  He stood on the balcony of Steward Josiah’s palace, which was found in the northern corner of the city, and he gripped the golden hand rails before him for balance. Steward Josiah stood in the background, disguised by the tapers that shielded his palace from the pounding waves of the sun and the grains of sand in the wind. Shane looked down into the faces of the people below and saw them glance over their shoulders at the guards who blocked off the city, forcing them into the small enclosure. They were squeezed together so tightly they were hardly able to move. They were practically standing on each other.

  Shane instructed the soldiers to block off every exit, ensuring no one escaped their confinement. If anyone tried, they would be killed immediately. He anticipated their reaction to the announcement. Every other town panicked in the same way. “Under the command of the Sole Sovereign of the Unified Continent, there will be a relocation of some of his citizens to Paso Robles, where they will be
gin a new life in this flourishing estate.”

  He saw the people of the crowd look to their neighbors with joy or anger. Morkarh was the worst realm on the Continent. They were practically slaves to the inside of the wall anyway, so he wasn’t surprised some of the citizens were happy at this news. It was a first, however. They obviously had no idea of the king’s true intention.

  “The king understands many of you will want to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. I would do the same. But to make the selection fair, he decided to implement a lottery system. Names that are drawn will be forced to travel to Paso Robles and begin their new lives. If your name is chosen and you resist your fate, you will be killed immediately.”

  The happiness that plastered some of the faces of the crowd vanished at his words. They were unnerved by the obvious hostility. “I will begin the lottery selection.” The guards opened the carts off to the side, revealing the wagons that will chauffeur them to their new homes.

  Lydia was standing in the crowd, listening to the words of the commander of the king’s army. She wasn’t stupid. She knew exactly what their true intent was. Her suspicions were confirmed by the wagons located to the side of the palace, the carts that would take them to the new province. It was obvious they wouldn’t allow people to gather their belongings for the trip because they weren’t settling in a new place. They were rounding up slaves.

  Lydia listened to the words of her neighbors. Some of them were excited by the prospect of leaving their cursed city, and Lydia judged their stupidity. She couldn’t believe they believed the charade. Sadie cried at her feet, wanting to see the commotion up ahead, so Lydia hoisted the little girl to her hip so she could stare at the scene. Vance stood alongside his aunt and held her other hand, tired from missing his afternoon nap.

  The commander began to read off a list of names. Lydia panicked when she thought of her name being drawn. She would rather die than become a slave, but she had to think about her nephew and niece. If she didn’t care for them, who would? If she died, or let them take her as a prisoner, they would suffer. Sadie would be sold into a brothel house because of her obvious beauty, and Vance would be sold as a slave anyway. Lydia prayed her name wasn’t chosen.