Soul Binder (Soul Saga (Book #2))

by Todd, E. L.

Accacia nodded.

  “I think we are very similar to them,” she said. “Yes, our features differ slightly and we have more strained and prominent features, and our bodies tend to be lithe, but there aren’t too many contrasting characteristics.”

  “Why do we live for so long? Why are we practically immortal?”

  “The Nature god made us that way,” Laura said. “We are created to have a long lifetime—that is how it was meant to be.”

  “Then why do the humans have such a short lifespan? They live to be only a hundred, if they are lucky.”

  “They evolved to have short life spans. The Continent is much larger than Asylinth Island, and much larger than Suaden. Their populations increased exponentially and decreased their availability of land and resources. An effect of a large population is smaller lifetimes. There are other factors as well, such as diet and mating, and etcetera.” Laura gazed out of the window and looked at the trees in the distance. “The Asquithians of this island have lived a very long time. Some of them are ancient even by our standards, and they will continue to live for a length of many human lifetimes until their hearts finally stop beating.”

  “Why don’t we age?”

  Laura raised her eyebrow. “We do,” she said simply.

  “Well, Zyle is old—ancient—and he appears young in youth.”

  Laura laughed. “You think Zyle is old?”

  Accacia didn’t know why her aunt was laughing. Zyle was twenty times older than she was. “Yes,” she said. “And you don’t think he is?” Accacia wanted to ask Laura her age, but she kept the question from escaping her lips. She knew it was disrespectful to ask.

  “No, not really,” she said.

  Accacia stared her, hoping she would elaborate further on the comment. Accacia wondered how old her own parents were. It made her sad to think they had lived for several hundred years, but they only got to cherish their daughter for such a short period of time. “How old were my parents?”

  Laura dropped her amused expression and thought for a moment. “A person’s age is confidential, but since you are their daughter, I feel that you are entitled to that information. I can’t recall the exact age of your father, but I know he was around six hundred years of age.” Accacia was astonished. Her father didn’t have his first child until he was six hundred? “And your mother was eight hundred and two.”

  Accacia ran her fingers through her hair. “I—I had no idea,” she said quietly. “I knew we were very long lived, but—that’s remarkable.” Accacia wondered if Laura was the same age as her sister.

  Laura spotted the curiosity in Accacia’s eye. “I am a little older than Portisha.”

  “You don’t look it.”

  Laura laughed. “Well, I would hope not.”

  Accacia felt her heart fall when she thought of her parents, the guardians that she would never meet, even in the afterlife. They had already lived for so long, but now they were stuck within a stone prison for all eternity. Henral and Portisha would never find their resting place. Accacia couldn’t abandon them to that fate. She couldn’t believe Zyle would. “When the souls are spent from the Soul Binders, they are automatically sent to the Void?”

  Laura nodded. “Yes, unfortunately,” she said. “There is no way around it.”

  The Nature God created the void to dispense the souls that aren’t worthy for the afterlife. They deserved to cease to exist. Accacia’s parents would be sent there even though they were worthy of immortality in the afterlife. Only fiends such as Drake and Pons deserved to go there. Accacia immediately thought of Aleco and the crimes he had committed. Her heart palpitated when she thought of him losing his place in the afterlife. She hoped the Nature God would deem him worthy for immortality. She wanted to see him again, even if it was in the throes of death.

  “Is there anything else you would like to know?”

  Accacia was quiet. She had no further questions at the moment. Her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Aleco. Accacia was also disturbed by the longevity of her life. Aleco would perish after two hundred years of life, but she would continue to live on without him, whether it was on the Continent or Suaden. “No,” she said. “Not right now.”

  “Would you like to head back then?” she asked. “I still have to prepare dinner.”

  Accacia felt her stomach rumble and she knew how hungry she was. She rose from her chair and headed towards the doorway. “Yes, let’s go.”

  The women prepared their dinner and ate at the kitchen table near the front door. Accacia wondered when Zyle would come looking for her, and she was surprised he hadn’t arrived yet. Perhaps he was just as angry with her as she was with him. She told Zyle she hated him, after all. Accacia continued to look out the doorway, expecting him to appear at any moment, but he never came.

  Laura spotted her look. “He will wait for you to come to him,” she said. “Zyle understands you need your space.”

  Accacia was surprised by Laura’s keen observation. She returned her eyes to her empty plate and pushed it forward, stuffed from their dinner of spiced potatoes and leafy green salad. “I’m going to bed,” she said as she rose from the chair. She didn’t respond to Laura’s comment. Accacia walked over to the couch and rummaged through her pack.

  “You can sleep in the bedroom, dear.”

  “I’m comfortable on the couch.”

  “I insist, Accacia,” she said with a firm voice. “I hardly sleep anyway. Most of the time I just lie there.”

  Accacia could hear the melancholy in her aunt’s voice. She knew she still mourned for her life partner that perished in the flood. Accacia’s heart ached for her. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes,” she said. “Get some sleep.”

  Accacia kissed her aunt on the cheek. “Good night.”

  “Good night, dear.”

  Accacia walked into the bedroom and shut the door behind her, wanting to be alone with her thoughts. She crawled into the bed and immediately missed Zyle, but then her anger returned. Accacia closed her eyes and forced her mind to drift into the abyss.

  Laura sat at the kitchen table and waited for Zyle to make his appearance. She understood him better than almost anyone, and knew he would stop by eventually just to make sure his life partner was safe. She sipped her tea until the evening deepened into the dark hours of night.

  Zyle stepped through the entrance and looked at Laura. He knew she would be awake at this time of night. Without speaking, he surveyed the room, looking for Accacia. He turned his gaze onto Laura. “Is she here?” he whispered.

  Laura nodded towards the bedroom. Zyle stood still for a moment and let his sensitivity fall across the room. He couldn’t detect any emotions through the bedroom door and assumed she was asleep. Zyle took his seat next to Laura. “How is she?” he asked.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “She hasn’t discussed anything. Accacia says she doesn’t want to talk about it.”

  Zyle leaned back in his chair and sighed. He hated being away from her, especially when she was upset like this. Their earlier fight washed over his mind as he remembered the words she screamed at him. She told him that she hated him. Zyle was afraid that she would never return to him. That is actions were so despicable he would never earn her forgiveness. He hoped that this was just a fight, one that all life partners had. Cassandra and he used to bicker about insignificant incidences, but their arguments had never been as intense as this. “I hate this,” he said.

  Laura squeezed his hand. “She just needs some time. Accacia will return to you.”

  “I hope you are right.”

  “I know I am,” she said. Laura stared at Zyle for a moment and saw the despair in his eyes. He looked the same as he had before Accacia arrived to the island; broken and depressed. Accacia had changed his life so much since she had come to Suaden. Laura pitied her friend.

  “I don’t know if she is going to forgive me, Laura.”

  “Yes, she will. You are just trying to protect her—she will understand that.”r />
  “It doesn’t seem that way.”

  “She will.”

  Zyle shook his head. “Why are you so certain?”

  “Because she loves you.”

  Zyle crawled into his bed and felt the depression sink into his body. He couldn’t stand Accacia’s absence next to him. He hardly slept the entire night. Her abandonment brought back the feelings of loneliness and despair he had carried the past twenty years. Zyle forced the thoughts from his mind. He couldn’t let himself break down.

  The following morning was spent in a quiet despair. Zyle’s tea sat on the table untouched, and he hadn’t eaten anything for breakfast. He had no appetite. He waited for Koku to come to him, his best friend, so he could have some comfort to ease the pain of his heart.

  After an hour, the elegant bird flew through the window and landed on Zyle’s shoulder. Koku rubbed his face against Zyle’s cheek and cooed quietly, comforting his companion in the best way he could. Zyle knew why Pia wasn’t with Koku. She was with Accacia.

  “I’m afraid that I have lost her, Koku,” Zyle said with a sigh. He ran his fingers through his tangled hair and blinked back the flood of tears. He felt like his heart would give out at any moment.

  Koku shook his head.

  “Do you think she will come back to me?”

  Koku clicked his beak and nodded. He rubbed his face against Zyle’s cheek again.

  Zyle stroked Koku’s feathers. “I hope you’re right.”

  The bird nibbled on Zyle’s earlobe then clicked his beak loudly, pointing to the doorway. Zyle understood what he was trying to say.

  “I don’t think she wants to see me right now, Koku.”

  Koku chirped loudly then flew towards the door, beckoning Zyle to follow behind.

  Zyle knew Accacia would return to him when she was ready, so he didn’t move toward the exit. “We have to let her come to us, Koku.”

  Koku flew back to his shoulder and emitted a sad coo noise, one that Zyle had never heard before. Zyle suspected his heart was making the same sounds.

  “I miss her, too.”

  Zyle felt his heart throb in his chest. He feared that Accacia would never return to him, that she was too angry to forgive him. Zyle hoped that wasn’t the case. He wouldn’t be able to go on if it was.

  Laura handed Accacia the cup of warm tea, which sizzled with the smell of coconut. Accacia enjoyed the taste, but she preferred the tea Zyle had in his eave. The thought of her life partner made her heart squeeze in pain. She was still angry at him.

  Laura stared at her niece. It was obvious Accacia was still upset, but her anger had diminished since the evening before. A good night’s rest had dulled her emotions and brought the life back into her eyes. They weren’t as green as they normally were, but they at least had some color. “Are you ready to discuss it?”

  Accacia sipped her tea and savored the taste on her tongue. She didn’t look at her aunt when she spoke. “Zyle and I had a fight.”

  “About what?” she asked. She wondered if it had something to do with their previous conversation. “Does it have something to do with the Soul Binders?”

  “Yes,” she said. “It has everything to do with it.”

  “Tell me.”

  Anger coursed through Accacia’s body when she reflected on the conversation she had with her life partner. “He refuses to save the souls of our kin. I told him we needed to sail to the Continent and destroy the Soul Binders—he denied my request.”

  “And what were you expecting?”

  “For him to act like a king, not a coward,” she said. Zyle hadn’t even considered her proposal—he immediately shut her down without considering her words. It didn’t seem like he cared for her emotion or opinion at all.

  Laura shook her head. “You shouldn’t talk about him like that, Accacia. I know you are upset, but think about what you are saying. You know that isn’t true.”

  Accacia stared at her tea on the table, avoiding the penetrating gaze of her mentor. She had anticipated that Laura would side with Zyle. She expected nothing less. “Yes, it is.”

  “I understand why you are so angry. I felt the exact say way when we first came to the island—I needed retribution for what happened to my life partner. I was intent on freeing him, but after the emotion passed, I realized I needed to be more pragmatic. There is nothing we can do, Accacia.”

  “Yes, there is!” Accacia clinched her fist on the table and fought back the tears in her eyes. She never should have left the Continent. If she was there, she would able to rescue her kin. Laura didn’t flinch at Accacia’s sudden hostility. She feared nothing. “We can sail to the Continent and destroy the Soul Binders.”

  Laura sat forward and stared at her niece. Accacia avoided her gaze, but Laura grabbed her chin and pulled her face toward her. “With what weapons and what soldiers? Accacia, stop behaving like a mindless idiot! How can you logically expect such an excursion to be successful? There is no possibility of triumph.” Laura couldn’t hold back the anger in her voice. She felt guilty for berating her niece at a distressing time, but she had to set her straight. “You are a queen, Accacia, and you need to start acting as such. Every choice must be evaluated with your mind, not your heart. Both Zyle and I lost the people that we love, but we understand that it is a hopeless endeavor. Does my hesitation make me a coward as well?” She stared at Accacia, daring her to say it.

  Accacia met the gaze of her aunt then looked away, frightened by the intimation in her eyes. Accacia pulled away from her tight grasp, releasing her skin from Laura’s steel fingertips. It was obvious how disappointed her aunt was in her. She never thought of Laura as a coward. That was definitely untrue. “Of course not,” she said. “I apologize.”

  “I suggest you apologize to Zyle as well.”

  Accacia said nothing. She knew she needed to make amends for the other things she said. She told her life partner that she hated him. Of course, she hadn’t meant it.

  Laura watched her niece for a moment and saw the despair come into her features. Her thin lips tightened and her eyes became dull. The brown locks of hair fell from behind her shoulders and obscured her face. Accacia didn’t tuck it behind her ear like she usually did. Laura suspected there was more to this story. She couldn’t imagine Accacia being so upset with Zyle. His decision was valid. “What is this really about, Accacia?”

  Accacia looked up. “What do you mean?”

  “I find it hard to believe that this has made you so upset. I suspect you aren’t telling me something. What is it?”

  The queen took a deep breath before she spoke. She knew she had been caught. No emotion or thought could be hidden from her aunt. “Zyle threatened to lock me up if I tried to leave Suaden—that he would never allow me to go. He would cage me against my will.”

  “He is just trying to protect you, Accacia,” she said simply. “I don’t blame him.”

  Accacia felt the tears bubble under her eyes. Her aunt didn’t realize the significance. Zyle didn’t either. “I was kept as a slave on the Continent, Laura. I already told you this. I can’t stand the idea of being forced to do something against my will—I can’t handle it.”

  “That isn’t the same thing and you know it, Accacia. Zyle was doing it out of love.”

  “That justifies nothing,” she said. Accacia remembered her duration with Drake and it made her sick. There were times when he would take her roughly, and then there were other moments when he would confess his undying love for her. It didn’t make a difference to Accacia. “Just the threat alone is enough to make me panic.”

  Laura shook her head. “You need to let go of your past, Accacia. It’s time to move on. Zyle would never hurt you on purpose. Surely, you must realize that.”

  “Yes, I know he wouldn’t, but it doesn’t change anything. Zyle understands my pain better than almost anyone—he crossed a line.”

  “So did you.”

  Accacia stared at her aunt. She didn’t understand what she was referring to. �
�How do you figure?”

  “You should understand Zyle’s pain as well. He already lost Cassandra, his life partner, to the Soul Binders, something that caused him agony for decades. How do you think it made him feel to imagine his soul mate risking her immortality?” Accacia looked down at her cup of tea, avoiding her aunt’s gaze. She knew she was right. “You are equally at fault, Accacia.”

  Accacia ran her hands through her hair. She was frustrated with both Zyle and her aunt. They would never understand the nightmare she experienced. Only Aleco seemed to understand. Her fate was worse than being in a Soul Binder. In her eyes, at least. “You don’t understand, Laura.”

  “No,” she said. “I understand perfectly, Accacia. You are being childish and selfish. How do you think Zyle feels? He’s home alone with no one to comfort him while you are here being angry with him for trying to protect you. This behavior needs to end, Accacia. You are a queen now. The time for self-absorption is over.”

  Accacia pushed her chair back and rose from the seat, ready to walk out of the eave and into the wilderness around Canu, away from her aunt and her heated words.

  “So now you are running away from me as well? So typical, Accacia.”

  Accacia stopped before she left the eave and turned around, provoked by the venom in her aunt’s voice. She came here to be comforted by her aunt, nor berated like a child. “You aren’t helping, Laura. I am your niece and yet you still side with Zyle. You don’t even know the whole story.”

  “I am helping, Accacia. I realize that you are a child in our eyes, having only experienced thirty years of life in comparison to the centuries I have witnessed, but your actions are still unacceptable. You are a leader, Accacia. I won’t let you embarrass yourself with this behavior.”

  “I never wanted to be a queen.”

  “It doesn’t matter, Accacia. Accept your fate.” Accacia stood in the doorway. She didn’t move for the exit or back to the table. She just stood there. “So what’s it going to be, Accacia? Fight or flight?”

  Accacia stared at her aunt for a moment before she returned to her seat, ignoring the venomous gaze of her aunt. She knew in her heart that her aunt was right. She was selfish. But hearing it from Laura didn’t make it any easier to accept.