BOUND (#1 in The Crystor Series)

by C.K. Bryant

Chapter Thirty One

  The afternoon sun streamed through the opening in the cave, giving more light to their surroundings. Kira’s mood changed dramatically when Octavion produced another armful of fruit and a few slices of cheese from behind the mysterious blanket hanging on the back wall of the cave—his own natural refrigerator, he’d said. Kira made a mental note to explore it more closely when Octavion wasn’t around.

  After they’d eaten, Lydia decided to go for a walk with Toran, leaving Kira to her first lesson from the alchemist. She was determined to learn everything she could and be prepared if one of them was injured and needed her healing powers.

  Before starting, Octavion went to the rear of the cave and rummaged through one of the many trunks he stored there. When he came back, he carried a small leather pouch that he tied around her waist.

  “This is for you,” he said. “There are some things I’d like you to carry.”

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Of course.” He leaned against the table and folded his arms.

  “Do you think they’ll find us?”

  Octavion sighed, his shoulders sagging as the air escaped his lungs. “If they knew our location, they would already be upon us. The more time passes, the better it is for us.”

  “But they know where I live. That means they’re close.”

  “I believe we are safe here, but that does not mean we shouldn’t prepare for the worst.”

  “If they come….” She wasn’t sure how to ask. “How bad will it get?”

  He lowered his arms and grasped the edge of the table, his expression grave. “They will fight to the death, Kira. They will not stop.”

  “Then will you please teach me to defend myself? I’m sure Lydia was trying to keep us from arguing when she volunteered, but I want to know what I’m doing and be good at it. I never want to be in the situation I was in with Bastian. That was horrible. I had no idea what to do and he is so much stronger than me.”

  His brow furrowed. “I can teach you, but you will still not fight.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean? You can’t expect me to stand there and watch. There must be something I can do, even if it’s from a distance.”

  He smacked the table with the palm of his hand. “You will not fight, Kira, and we will not speak of this again—do you understand? I am sorry, but you have no idea what we are up against. Bastian is weak compared to a Royal like Shandira and we have no idea the allies she has conned into fighting with her. Even if I worked with you for months, you would still be an easy kill. I may not be able to protect you and my sister. You will not fight.”

  The cave fell silent for a few moments while Kira let what he’d said sink in. The story Lydia had told about how he’d chosen his sister over Serena played over and over in her head. She pictured him mourning the death of the woman he loved and it twisted her heart. When Octavion turned to rummage through the bottles on the shelf, Kira spoke. “I won’t make you choose.”

  He stopped and slowly spun around to face her, glaring into her eyes as if she’d released an ancient secret—something that was never to be revealed. “How much did she tell you?”

  “I know you loved Serena. And I know what you wanted to ask her the night she died.”

  He leaned against the table and gripped the wooden top with his hands—this time with more purpose. “Lydia should never have told you of my feelings.”

  “Yes, she should have. There’s something you need to get straight, Octavion. Do you remember what you said to me that night, before you gave me this?” She held her hand up, so he could get a good look at the Crystor. “You told me I could die if I put this thing on. I made that choice, not you. And knowing everything I know now, even with the danger we could be in, I would still make it. With everything that’s happened, I still choose to stay.”

  “I will not watch you die,” he said.

  “If you teach me how to defend myself, you won’t have to.”

  He shook his head and looked away.

  “Don’t do that. Please, talk to me about this,” she begged, putting herself back in his line of sight.

  Little veins of yellow invaded his eyes and she recognized that streak of temper she’d seen before. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

  “Then tell me this. Why am I here? If you’re not going to let me be a part of your life, with all the good and bad that comes with it, why shouldn’t I leave?”

  He said nothing.

  As Kira stood there trying to read the sudden mix of emotions on his face, thoughts bounced around in her head and a tiny thread of doubt wound itself around her brain and gave it a squeeze. Why was she here? They certainly didn’t need her—that is, unless Lydia was injured.

  It was one of those, “Aha” moments, when she wanted to slap her forehead with the palm of her hand. This all boiled down to one thing—his oath to keep his sister alive. Nothing else mattered, not even Kira.

  She stepped back and let out a huff of air. “I can’t believe I’ve been so stupid.”

  “What are you talking about?” he asked, confusion clear on his face.

  “All this emotion, your fake concern for me. Lydia said it was because you liked me, but it’s all been a lie to keep me close by in case she’s hurt and you need me to heal her. Why didn’t I see that before?”

  He let go of the table, straightened his back and clenched his fists at his sides. “That is not true, Kira. And you know it.”

  “How dare you play with my emotions? Why don’t you just put me in a cage? I’m a tool, like all these stupid jars of smelly potions.”

  “Kira, stop.” He took a step toward her, but she backed away, increasing the distance between them.

  “You aren’t protecting me because you care for me. You want me to live so I can be her healer. And since you only have one of these stupid healing charms and it’s stuck around my wrist—that means you’re stuck with me. That’s it, isn’t it?” She paused for a second to get his answer, but it didn’t come. “Answer me!” she yelled.

  When he crossed the floor and came at her, she thought for sure she was in for more of his rage, but instead he grabbed her around the waist and slammed their bodies together. Their eyes locked, but the whirlpool of emotions she saw swirling around in his eyes made her head spin and she had to look away. Threading his fingers through her hair, he gently pulled her head back. He paused for a brief moment, capturing her full attention with his hypnotic eyes when he forced her to look at him. “Is this real enough for you?” Then he pressed his tender lips to hers.

  At first she resisted, thinking his advance was a ploy to deceive her into believing he had feelings for her. But then his kiss softened and she felt his heart racing alongside hers. She knew it was real. She slid one hand around the back of his neck and pulled him closer, as the heat of his passion rushed through her like fire, making her body melt into his. Her lips parted in invitation and her hand ran up under his vest to caress the warm flesh there. But instead of accepting her advance, his body tensed, and he pushed her away.

  He swore in his native tongue, his body trembling. “You—” His jaw muscles tightened as he swallowed hard and made a visible attempt to calm his rapid breathing.

  Kira stumbled back against the cold stone wall, brought her hand to her heart to stop it from flipping around in her chest.

  Octavion raised one brow and flashed his dimples. “Are you well, Kira?” he asked in a deep voice that brought butterflies to her stomach.

  “Fine.” What were we talking about? “Umm.” She couldn’t think.

  “Did that answer your question or do you need more convincing?” He took a step toward her, but she dodged him, throwing her hands up to ward him off.

  “No, no—that did it.” Holy crap! He kissed me. She’d never been kissed like that before. And then to give in like she did—she had to be more careful.

  “And so we are clear,” he added. “I would never fake my feelings—for you or a
nyone else.”

  “Got it.” She gave him a thumbs-up, still trying to calm her nerves.

  He crossed his arms again, now more serious. “So you will stop this fighting nonsense?”

  Kira took the same stance, but with shaky knees and a spinning head. “No.”

  He let out a low rolling rumble from somewhere deep in his gut, snarled at her, then turned and began going through his display of bottles again.

  “Did you just growl at me?” Kira asked.

  He chuckled. “No.”

  “Growl all you want…Dimples. You promised to teach me to fight and I’m not backing down.” She stepped to the bench and sat.

  When he turned around, he held the bottle she recognized as Gyllrue in his hand. “I said I would teach you, but you will not fight.” He motioned toward her pouch. “You need to keep this with you always.”

  “Are you trying to change the subject?” She opened the pouch and took the concoction from him.

  “Do you want to learn about this or not?” he asked.

  “Okay, I’m sorry.” He’d made his point and so had she. Whether or not she would come face to face with one of their enemies was yet to be seen.

  Afternoon turned into evening and they’d spent several hours going over herbs and their uses. At some point, Lydia returned and quietly stepped to the other side of the cave. She plopped down on one of the remaining animal hides, and brushed out her hair with her fingers.

  By the time Octavion finished his lessons, the chill of night had crept into the cave. Kira was exhausted from trying to memorize everything she’d learned and sleep couldn’t come too soon.

  “Lydia, are you finished with your little project?” Octavion asked.

  “Yes, I think so, but you need to take more blankets out.” Lydia stood and brushed off her jeans.

  “If it’s that cold, why can’t we sleep here in the cave?” Kira asked. “Wouldn’t it be warmer here?”

  Octavion gathered an armful of blankets. “We could, but the thick walls of the cave make it difficult to hear if someone is approaching. I feel much more comfortable out in the open. The fire will keep us warm enough.”

  “Can I help?” Kira offered.

  “I think I can manage.” He winked at her as he breezed by and slipped through the opening in the cave.

  “What was that all about,” Kira asked. “And what are you guys up to?”

  Lydia smiled. “Nothing.”

  Kira nudged Lydia with her elbow. “You better tell me.”

  “I can do better than that. Come on, I’ll show you.” Lydia took Kira’s hand and led her out of the cave, through the trees and into the clearing.

  At first, Kira didn’t notice anything different. Octavion stood by the fire and Toran lay a few feet away, grooming himself. As they walked to the center of the clearing, Lydia stopped and turned Kira to face the shelters. Right there—next to Lydia’s lean-to—stood a new one.

  Kira’s hand flew to her mouth as she forced back tears. “You did this for me?” She stepped closer to take in every detail. It was built much the same as Lydia’s only slightly larger. It was also decorated with beads and feathers, but the biggest difference was on the front opening where a dark piece of thick fabric hung as a curtain. She pulled it back and flipped one corner up on top of the shelter to get a better look inside.

  She also had several animal pelts as her mattress, but in addition to a few light blankets, there was a quilt—her grandma’s from her bed at home. They had also retrieved two of her pillows and her bow. It had been restrung.

  Kira spun around, tears now flowing freely. “You went to my house?”

  Lydia wrapped Kira in an embrace. “Don’t cry. It’s supposed to make you feel more at home, happy.”

  Kira shrugged out of the hug and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “It does make me happy. It’s just . . . my life will never be the same, will it?”

  Lydia shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. With mom gone, there’s nothing there for me anyway.”

  “So . . . you’re not mad?” Lydia asked, cringing slightly.

  “Mad? No. I love this. It’s perfect.”

  Lydia smiled so wide, the crookedness that usually set off her grin disappeared. “We thought you’d be mad because Octavion went to your house without you.”

  Kira turned her attention to Octavion, stepped closer. “Thank you.” She leaned against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.

  “You are welcome,” he said.

  When she let go and looked into his eyes, there was warmth there she’d never seen before. That one intimate moment they’d shared in his lair had changed things between them. He’d found his way into her heart and by the look on his face he felt the same connection. She looked away, embarrassed by the length of time he’d held her stare.

  “When did you do this?” Kira asked, going back to examine the structure more carefully.

  “Octavion built the shelter while I shared my memories with you,” Lydia said.

  “But, when did you go to my house?”

  “Before I started,” Octavion said. “After I realized how upset you were, I wanted to make sure your house was secure. I fixed the doors.” He walked to the shelter and drew the curtain back a little more. “Lydia did well with the decorations. This curtain is to give you more privacy. Do you like it?”

  “Of course, I do.” Kira scanned the area around the shelter and inside. “Where are my clothes?”

  “You said not to go through your things,” he said.

  “But, Octavion, I need something to wear. It’s not that I don’t appreciate this—it’s great—I just can’t wear these clothes anymore. I’m starting to stink.” And she needed to get the photo.

  She looked at Lydia, who still wore her worn out jeans and not-so-white T-shirt. “Don’t you need some things from your house, too?”

  Lydia shrugged. “It’s not like I can take anything home with me. I have a few things in the cave if I need a change, but they’re from Xantara and I don’t think you’d like them.”

  Octavion rubbed the fine stubble on his chin. “I didn’t see any new signs of them being there.” He paused for a moment. “Can you give me one more day? I’ll go tomorrow night. If there is no sign of them, I will take you the next morning. You won’t have much time—only a few things. Do you understand?”

  Kira nodded.

  “Now, you both need to get some rest. Tomorrow I shall teach you to fight.” Octavion stretched his arm toward Kira’s shelter. “Let me know how you like it.”

  She climbed in and snuggled under the covers. “I already love it—it’s all mine.”