Soulbound (The Return of the Elves Book 1)

by Bethany Adams

“As I said earlier, energy doesn’t lie.” He met her eyes. “Blood matters. Family matters. Maybe there will never be affection between us, and maybe we can never overcome the past. But I’d like to try.”

  Her throat tightened, and she looked away, blinking rapidly to clear the sudden tears. “I’d like that, too. I’m not sure I can fit in here, but if nothing else, we can get to know each other. I’ll probably embarrass you.”

  She heard him shift beside her. “I doubt it. But if anyone should cause you trouble, tell me at once. I’ll take care of it.”

  “You know, you’re nothing like I expected” She looked over to see his lips twist in a half-smile. “I didn’t expect much of what has happened, really.”

  Lyr lifted his knee and rested his arm on it as he turned to stare into the growing darkness. “So tell me. How do I differ? Did your mother not speak of me?”

  “She did,” Arlyn hastened to reassure him as what little smile he’d had slipped from his face. Something about him seemed so bleak. An eternity in his eyes. She didn’t want to care so much about his pain with the hurt of his absence still echoing in her heart. Arlyn hugged her knees close to her chest to keep from offering…what? A hug? A pat of reassurance? She doubted either would be welcome. “She said you were different than she would’ve expected an elf to be. Humans have plenty of legends about elves, you know. And she’s right. You don’t quite match them.”

  “Indeed?” A touch of humor lifted his fallen expression once more. “How so?”

  “Elves are supposed to be formal. Stuffy. Self-important. You aren’t.” Arlyn glanced back at the house again. “Although I have to say your home is about right.”

  “Most Moranaians are formal.” Despite the steady loss of light, she could still make out his grin. “I trained with the guard for about two hundred years, for combat magic is my greatest strength. Then I traveled on estate business for my father. In the last three centuries, I’ve been to Earth often. At least once every year or two, until I took his place as Myern. I suppose it has rubbed off on me.”

  Arlyn wanted to ask why he’d spent so much time on Earth, but Lyr continued before she could. “The same could be said for Kai. He acted as my guide through the Veil then and continues to travel for me as I did for my father.”

  That distracted her. “What’s the deal with him?”

  “The deal?”

  She ground her teeth together, frustrated at his inconsistent grasp of her language. Why did he know some slang and not others? “What’s wrong with him? Is he sick?”

  “Energy depletion.” Lyr’s face tightened, and he opened his mouth as if to continue before snapping it closed. Was he annoyed at her for asking? Then the faint smile returned, and she wondered if it had been a trick of the dim light. “Elves live on energy as much as food. Maybe more. He’d been a week or so without sleep, and sleep is how we restore our natural energy stores.”

  “A week? Damn.” Could a human even survive a week without sleep? The guy’s strange behavior suddenly made a lot more sense. “I hope you sent him to get some rest.”

  When Lyr’s expression hardened this time, there was no mistaking it. He averted his eyes and straightened, the casual ease of moments before gone. “After an errand,” he ground out.

  Interesting. Whatever they’d discussed, it must not have gone well. None of my business, she reminded herself. No matter how drawn she was to Kai. No matter the odd connection between them. One she had to be imagining. “Okay, then.”

  In one fluid motion, Lyr rose to his feet, so suddenly that Arlyn flinched back. At her movement, he froze, and some of the tension eased from his body. “Forgive my ill temper. Are you hungry? The evening meal is held around sundown this time of year.”

  Bile rose into her throat. There was no way Arlyn could face whatever strange dinner customs this world held, not after all that had happened this day. “Would it offend you if I eat in my room? Today has been…”

  “Overwhelming.” He winced. “I should have considered that. I’ll walk you there, then see that food is sent.”

  Arlyn took his offered hand and let him help her to her feet. Lyr turned toward the house, and she followed, trying to dust off the back of her pants without being obvious. She should have known better than to sit outside in her only summer outfit since she didn’t have spell-enchanted fabric. Dammit. It had been chilly when she’d left Earth, so she’d packed her warmest Ren fair clothes. Of the three sets of pants, shirts, and tunics, only one was short-sleeved—the clothes she was wearing. Anything clean she had left in her pack would be hell in this heat.

  Outside her door, Lyr’s hand closed around Arlyn’s forearm as she started to enter. With a puzzled frown, she released the door handle and turned to face him. His expression was neutral once more, no hint of emotion left to indicate what he wanted. Though he released her, his head dipped in a bow, the gesture more formal than any she’d seen from him before.

  “Before we part, I need to give you the key to the estate.”

  Arlyn’s brow quirked. “I don’t think I’ll go out in the middle of the night. I doubt I’ll need a key to the door.”

  “Not that kind of key.” The corners of his mouth twitched. “This is a formal offer, made to few. The estate is shielded by many layers of magic and many forms of defense. With the key to that, you’ll grow accustomed to this place more readily. It will also give you a mental map of all of the buildings.”

  She bit her lip. “Are you sure you want to give me that information?”

  “I am certain,” Lyr answered, voice firm. He lifted a hand, sketching symbols that glittered with his next words. “Laeial abh-i nai’Braelyn dae ghere nach-mor.”

  Without warning, the symbols flared with light, and the energy poured through her, stealing her breath. Arlyn reached blindly for the wall as information slammed into her brain. The mental map. Impressions of protection spells, a magic beyond anything she’d ever seen. Even flickers that might be people, but she recoiled at that. Did he spy on everyone?

  She slumped against the wall as the spell settled in, her eyes squeezed tight. Lyr’s hand gripped her shoulder, and his voice, when he finally spoke, sounded worried. “Arlyn?”

  “That was crazy.” Arlyn swallowed against the tightness in her throat. “I don’t even know how to process all of that.”

  “I will help you decode it later.”

  “Were those people I could sense?” Her eyes shot open. “That doesn’t seem right.”

  He nodded. “If you focus, you will know the general location of all who work on or protect the estate. But nothing more than that. Only use it for true need, for this key is a trust granted the guardians of Braelyn.”

  “Why did you give me this?” Though he released her, Lyr met her eyes without hesitation. “Surely, you don’t trust me so much in less than a day.”

  “Not entirely, no.” His brows pinched together. “Forgive me for that truth. But I do believe you are my child, and I offered you a place here. I’ve accepted you as family. All of our blood who reside at Braelyn receive this key by right. If you have hidden ill-intent, then I suppose I will soon know.”

  Hurt stole her breath, though what he said was more than reasonable. They were strangers. “I see.”

  “Please understand—”

  “Stop.” Arlyn darted around him to her door. “Really, I do see. I get it. I have no reason to be upset.”

  But she was, and the frown that creased his brow told her he knew it. As he opened his mouth to say more, Arlyn shook her head and opened the door to her room. “Arlyn…”

  “Leave it,” she snapped. Then found herself softening a little at the hurt and confusion in his eyes. “We can talk about this tomorrow. I think we both need to sleep on it.”

  His shoulders slumped, but he nodded. “I will make sure a tray is sent. We’ll talk in the morning.”

  Arlyn bit her lower lip as he strode away. That could have gone better. Sighing, she entered her new room. The door clicked
closed behind her, and she slumped against it. So much to take in. She slid down the smooth wood, her head dropping to her knees. What did she really want out of all this? She wasn’t even sure who she was anymore. Energy curled through her, still shimmering from the spell Lyr had cast. Magic greater than anything she’d guessed existed.

  And still a thin thread of power that led to the elf named Kai.

  The manor was quiet, like a cursed ruin out of myth. As usual. Not even Kai’s boots dared to echo on the stone floor as he walked toward his father’s study. Kai searched along his inner map and found none of the household workers near. Only his father was in this section of the house, a poor sign for the coming confrontation.

  Everyone avoided Allafon when he was in a mood.

  Kai would, too, if he had the time or energy. But what was one more argument with his father? Kai could not fathom how his older brother, Moren, could tolerate being here so often, much less live in relative peace with Allafon. Then again, Allafon didn’t blame Moren for their mother’s death. It was Kai’s birth that had weakened Elerie so much that she’d been unable to survive the fall down the stairs. Their father never let him forget it.

  Gods, how Kai hated this place and all its coldness. Not even the heat of Belen, month of the summer solstice, could warm the stone his ancestors had chosen for their keep. It could have been a world away from Lyr’s home, though there was only an hour’s walk between them. Just being here had the muscles of Kai’s shoulders knotting before he even opened the door to the study.

  He entered without knocking. His father would have already sensed his approach. “Good evening, father.”

  Allafon glanced up from his work, his customary scowl in place. “So you have finally returned from whatever fool mission Lyrnis sent you on.”

  Kai let the insult pass. “You know I cannot discuss the task with you.”

  “You could if you were sonal to me.” His father’s scowl deepened. “Though I doubt you are here because you wish to act as a scout for our House. What brings you to seek me out? You usually do not bother.”

  “I have news.” Kai smiled and hoped his father could be happy for him for once. “I have found my soulbonded.”

  Allafon’s face almost managed to arrange itself into something pleasant. “Is that so? When will she be arriving? Your brother will surely wish to celebrate this rare event.”

  Kai held back a frown. At least his father had attempted to seem happy. Too bad Kai was about to ruin the effort. “She will not be coming here. Her branch is higher than mine so I will live with her.”

  “You are leaving?” Allafon paused for a moment, then his eyes narrowed. “Who is this lady, then?”

  Kai tensed, bracing himself for the outburst. “Lyr’s daughter.”

  His father’s chair screeched along the floor as Allafon leapt to his feet. Energy sparked to life, unheeded, around his frame. “What mockery is this? I am no fool. I know as well as anyone that Lyrnis has no daughter. You dare to lie to me?”

  Kai winced at the venom in his father’s voice. “Perhaps my first bit of news should have been the arrival of Lyr’s daughter. No one knew of her until this day, not even Lyr.”

  “I do not believe you,” his father snapped. The sparks around him danced, an unusual display of Allafon’s agitation.

  “You already know that Lyr found his mate in the human world but was forced to leave her. Unfortunately, he did not realize he also left a child.”

  Allafon stared at him a moment more, no doubt searching for a hint of deception, before he sank back down in his chair. His face went curiously blank as the energy around him winked out. “Gods, you are telling the truth. Well, you always did want to be part of that family. Now you have your wish.”

  Kai tried to school his expression to indifference, but he failed to cover his surprise. “What are you talking about?”

  “Come now, Kaienan. You and Lyrnis have been inseparable almost from birth. You practically live at Braelyn, always have. In truth, you have spent more time with Lyrnis and his family than me and your own brother.”

  “Moren is three hundred and twenty years older than me,” Kai said, throwing up his hands in frustration. “He already had responsibilities well beyond entertaining one young child.”

  “Even so, you still show him, or us, no favor. You spend all your time working for Lyrnis. Honor though your position as Taysonal may be, I have always wished you worked here with us instead. I have little else of your mother but you and Morenial.”

  Kai’s mouth opened, but he had no idea how to respond. His father had never talked to him like this, never given him any indication he wanted him near for any reason except pride. Finally, he shook his head. “I have never seen the point of wishing to be in another family. But I have always envied Lyr this—he always knew his father loved him. Sometimes, I think you detest me.”

  “You think?” Sudden anger flashed in Allafon’s eyes. “Then you know nothing of me.”

  “So I was wrong?”

  “I would have thought my feelings for you were always obvious, but it seems you have had doubt.”

  “Obvious? But—”

  “Go, Kaienan. I can bear this no longer.” Allafon turned away. “I’ll expect you gone before the dawn.”

  Arlyn stared at the water clock, but the number of lines didn’t change. She’d been in a rush earlier and hadn’t paid attention. But after tossing and turning for what seemed like forever, she had gotten up to see how much time had passed. Water dripped steadily into the vial as she counted yet again. Full to the twenty-fifth line. Twenty-five out of thirty lines.

  Were their days really longer, or did they just count differently? Arlyn pulled the phone from her pocket and tried to turn it on, but either the battery was dead or Kai had broken it beyond repair. Too bad I stopped wearing a wristwatch years ago. She paced the room, her stomach rumbling from nerves and the new food she’d eaten for dinner. Even foods as simple as cheese, meat, and bread were different here. She had no idea what animal she’d even eaten.

  Consumed by the restless energy that had plagued her since her arrival, Arlyn slipped from her room and down the curved stairs. The lights placed along the halls were dim, the quiet surprising. It hadn’t seemed loud during the day, not until the peace of midnight, or whatever they called it, eased around her. Maybe she could absorb enough of that peace to finally sleep.

  At first, she wandered with no specific destination in mind, her mental map directing her away from any private rooms. Lyr’s study was empty—had she hoped to find him?—as were a couple of other chambers that appeared to be sitting rooms. She circled down another winding hall and opened the door to the dining room. Like the study, it was oval, the walls full of windows looking out on the moonlit garden. An oval table took up much of the space, and a pleasant, spicy-sweet scent lingered in the air.

  How many meals had this room seen over millennia? Certainly beyond her counting.

  With a small shudder, Arlyn closed the door and made her way to the largest room she’d found on her inner map. The hall was wider and less twisting, finally ending at a set of carved double doors. She ran her fingers across the intricate forest scene, her stomach taking another roll at the mix of odd and familiar. The unique leaves of the trees were hard to make out, but not the animals. She squinted at a small creature with a fuzzy squirrel tail but long ears like a rabbit. That was just wrong.

  Arlyn shoved the door open before she could make out anything else odd and stepped inside. Then froze. Nothing about the manor had hinted that such an impossibly large room could exist within its walls. But here it was. Between tall windows, intricately carved and painted trees stretched in magnificent detail to the ceiling. Delicate light globes dangled from false branches entwined above, a dark, star-studded sky beyond them.

  Her eyes narrowed as her gaze darted between the ceiling and the windows. The colors didn’t match, and the hint of moon—moons?—didn’t seem quite real. Enchanted, then? Maybe the cei
ling changed to match the outside, becoming day when the light rose. She would have to come back tomorrow to see.

  The floor was smooth beneath her feet as she walked over to the windows. Her eyes caught on the pattern inlaid into the wooden floor, the colors and designs so seamless that she paused before stepping on a rock. A rock that turned out to be another color of wood. With a shake of her head, Arlyn continued forward, though her toes curled to step barefoot where her mind said she shouldn’t.

  At first, all she could see in the window was her own reflection, and she let out a short laugh. She was wandering the house in her nightgown, a luxury she’d argued with herself about packing. Maybe somewhere deep inside, Arlyn had hoped all along that she could stay here, if only for a short while. She’d certainly stuffed the nightgown in her pack despite thinking it foolish. Too bad she hadn’t thrown in a robe.

  A few steps closer and she could make out the world beyond the window. Arlyn’s hand gripped the window frame as she stared into the sky. At the two moons. The image on the ceiling hadn’t been a fantasy. She spun away, her feet thumping against wood as she hurried to the door. To her room. She’d known, looking into the valley, that this place was different. Now she felt it.

  Lyr had said something about the years being off from Earth’s. For the first time, she considered the implications. How long did it take this planet to circle its sun? Or to spin an entire day? Maybe they didn’t count the length of an hour in a different way. The days here might actually be longer.

  Out of breath, Arlyn paused at the base of the stairs leading to her room. She pressed her hand against her chest and forced herself to relax. To take in air. Yes, this world was strange. But how many humans had ever stepped onto another planet? Zero, as far as she knew. She could let fear take her, or she could embrace the adventure.

  Her hand dropped to her side, and she straightened. Chances were good she wouldn’t be here long. Her ignorance of elven ways would surely prove to be an embarrassment to her new family, and they’d be happy to see her leave. Why not enjoy being in a place none on Earth even knew existed? Her gaze landed on the massive tree trunk on the far side of the room, so different from anything she’d seen before. If she fled, she would never know its significance.