by Jaime Marks
His Father’s eyes widened in shock as the full scope of what Kyle was attempting to explain sunk in and an instant rage followed. “He did this to him? This is how he raised the boy?”
He nodded. “With anyone Wytheryn considers to be on his level he’s capable of normal interaction, to some extent, but in reality it’s more than likely a front. He won’t trust easily and therefore the relationships he forms are probably superficial, though I believe Wycelion has been making headway with him. With us, up until this point he’s lashed out with an arrogant bravado, holding to his Master’s teaching and agenda. Without Alayne here to speak for him, or tell him how he expects him to act, he’s held true to what he thinks his Master would expect. Now, however, he’s literally given himself to us. To him, we own him now. We are his Masters and this is how he was taught to treat his Master.”
His Dad knelt in front of him, resting his hand on his head. “Look at me, Wytheryn,” he commanded.
His head rose but he carefully kept it below Cymeryn’s. Kyle watched as he cupped the boy’s face in his hands, pulling him up as he stood. Once he was on his feet, he pet his head.
“Better.” He looked past him, meeting them in the eye. “I do not know that it is right to ask him this when he does not view it as free will.”
Byryn ran a hand through his hair. Kyle could feel his gemyn’s frustration over the situation. They both knew this had to happen, but it was tearing at him. “Wytheryn, if I asked you to bind yourself to me, would you accept it?”
“Yes.”
Crossing his arms he sighed as he studied him, trying to weigh out the full extent of the situation with what he could easily see in Kyle’s mind. “Explain to me why.”
Cymeryn released him and he turned, kneeling again before Byryn. His Dad to shook his head in frustration.
Wytheryn looked up at his brother. “You have granted me protection, seen to the care and protection of what is mine. If you will continue to do so it deserves my loyalty, and I give it freely. I know the full extent of my options and this is the path I have chosen.”
Byryn nodded and met Kyle’s eyes. “If we do this tonight it’s justified. If we wait it diminishes the meaning and I don’t know that I’d be able to accept it then. We all know even a few hours ago he was obviously still loyal to Alayne. This is the choice he’s made. He’s choosing this now, not because we hold control over him, but because he’s choosing who he wants to trust and why. It’s probably the first time he’s ever done so on his own.”
Kyle glanced to his Dad knowing he was still worried about it, but the truth was Byryn was right. This was something Wytheryn had decided on his own. He was already bound and it was honestly what he was used to. If he was offering this now, it was a choice he had made.
The bond between him and Alayne was still strong. It would fade over time without the steady infusion of his blood, but it was too dangerous to him to wait it out and this would negate it, for now at least. He’d probably need to redo it a few times and a Claiming would help to further break the hold, but without this it wouldn’t even take fully.
Kyle drew his dagger and motioned. “Stand in front of him, gemyn.”
He wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea of performing this ritual, but he knew he was the only one here who could. It had been months since the last time he’d cast his essence, but he had the knowledge and ability. Of all the rituals he’d witnessed Alayne cast, this was the one he’d used most often. Really compared to some of what he’d seen and done this was fairly simple.
Grabbing a sheet of paper from the desk, he jotted down the words of the Sacred Language his gemyn would need and handed it to Byryn before measuring Wytheryn. “You know the ritual and the response?”
He nodded. “I do.”
Kyle sighed, focusing on the Fae that was every bit as close to him as his mate. He knew what they were asking of him. This wouldn’t be easy for him to accept and he wasn’t really sure how he’d handle it. “When I open your vein and offer it to him, you need to read the first line from that page, but you need to actually feel the request of it, Byryn. Do you understand it? Or do I need to interpret it?”
He read it a few times and looked up with a frown. “Interpret it so I know I’m right,” he replied not sounding at all thrilled with this.
“Take of mine blood. Bind yourself to me. Give to me your will and loyalty. Take of mine blood as I claim all of thee. Your mind and your soul now belong to me,” Kyle replied cautiously.
“I don’t want him to be my slave and be forced to obey me,” Byryn scoffed. “He’s my brother, not a damned puppet.”
“I know that, gemyn. I know. He won’t be, not really. You would have to enforce it and I know you would never do that. He’ll know it because he’ll know the difference,” Kyle swore trying to help him understand. “It’s the only way to free him from this. The only thing it will do is prevent him from telling your secrets to your enemies.”
Wytheryn’s brow furrowed and he lowered his head. “You do not wish to accept me, and I cannot blame you after all I’ve done. I am sorry I have upset you, Master. I do not know how to make this right, but please do not deny me.”
Byryn shook his head in disgust but knelt in front of him. “Your loyalty and favor please me greatly, Wytheryn, but you’re my brother, not my slave. I don’t want you to be forced into this.”
“I offer myself to you freely, brother,” Wytheryn searched his eyes for acceptance. “I know I am…tainted and wrong in many ways but I…” he hesitated and lowered his head again, shaking it as shame and realization flowed over him. Kyle could only imagine what he was thinking.
“Enough Wytheryn,” he commanded, knowing he needed to take control for both of them. Byryn wouldn’t be able to accept doing this on his own and Wytheryn was floundering without it. “Byryn does accept you. I accept you. There’s nothing wrong with you and I won’t tolerate you tearing yourself apart like this.” He tenderly stroked his head as he spoke, easing his fears. “Your brother just isn’t used to this level of subservience. Your new Master will train you in what is and is not acceptable by his standards. The same is true of Lord Cymeryn and myself. We’ll work on it and teach you. You’ll understand in time.” He continued to pet his head as he motioned Byryn to stand.
His gemyn breathed heavily but nodded as he rose to his feet. He didn’t understand this, but it was easy to see the effect his uncertainty was having on Wytheryn. “What’s the second line?” He asked watching them.
Kyle rubbed his head before meeting his eyes. This was wearing on his last nerve. It felt like he was stepping into his Grandfather’s shoes and it sickened him. He knew the power and abilities of the Priests were part of who he was, but despite how easily he picked it up, how natural it felt to tap into the mist and wield the essences to cast his will, he’d always struggled with embracing it.
“Once he’s offered himself to you and drank of your essence, you’ll rest your hand on his head using your essence to cement the hold and speak the next line. It translates roughly to ‘I claim your life, body, and soul as mine own. From this point forth you exist for my will alone. Defy me and you will know pain. Betray me and you forfeit your life. You are mine and mine alone.’”
Byryn cursed in his mind but held it together. He nodded but focused on Wytheryn. “Is this what you want? I know what Grandsire has asked of you and he didn’t mean for it to be to this level. You have a choice in this, Wytheryn. Tell me. Do you really want me to claim you in this way?” He demanded resting his hand on the boy’s head as he allowed his essence to flow between them.
Kyle waited for them to sort it out, already knowing what the answer would be. Wytheryn wouldn’t have exposed himself like this, or betrayed Alayne’s secrets, if he hadn’t already decided this was the course he needed to take. The only way for him to feel secure and safe with them was to bring him into their line and retrain him. He needed to be taught to trust, shown he could believe them, and learn how to relat
e to them. It was honestly the only way to save him.
Chapter 6
Wytheryn stared up at his brother in confusion. He didn’t understand his hesitation, but then this world was strange. He had seen a lot that he didn’t understand since he’d been here, though he hadn’t allowed himself to fully experience it either time.
Byryn’s reluctance gave him pause, not just because he couldn’t comprehend it, but also because what he was doing was final. Once the binding was complete there would be no other options. This was only even possible because his Master was at such a distance that he wasn’t aware of his actions. If he were here, he would be able to use the hold he had over him to prevent it. It was the same power Byryn would hold once he bound him.
He had been taught from the time he was young that his brother, his true blooded brother, born from the union of his own Mother with his Father, would be his greatest rival. It was hard to overcome those lessons and shake his Master’s words, but Byryn hadn’t done anything to prove it. In truth, aside from locking him in the dungeon for his part in the assault on his son and his mate, he had done nothing but support him.
Wytheryn had thought he’d rot in that cell until his awakening, but Byryn had come to try reasoning with him. Grifyn, the Father his brother now Claimed as his own, came regularly to talk to him. Cymeryn had brought him to this study and tried to teach him. At first it had all seemed like manipulations and lies, but then Byryn had moved him to his own room and started giving him luxuries he’d never had before, even as Alayne’s treasured slave. He was uncertain what to make of it.
He shook his head and looked to the couch where Narysia slept blissfully unaware of the choices he made for their future. If she knew what he was deciding, she would likely choose Byryn. She trusted him. That would be important for her in this life. He’d seen the pain and fear in her eyes. It would take time for her to heal but she was his, and that meant his Master would be hers. It was important to him that she be able to respect and obey their Master comfortably and he knew she had grown close to his brother. Byryn would be easiest for her to accept and he would care for and protect her.
Aside from his concern for Narysia, he knew the Princes of Balance and their mates held a strength none could have predicted. He was more than aware that Alayne hadn’t. If his Master had foreseen the threat of this, he’d have allowed Syneous to kill his son in the womb, or destroyed the boy as soon as he realized the true amount of his strength and the threat it posed to him.
Wytheryn read it clearly. Byryn and Kyle’s power united was virtually unmatched. It was power granted from Lunya and her Protectors, the Kings and Queen of Balance. Alayne had interpreted his vision incorrectly. If any held the power to destroy his Master, it would be these two males.
They were both males of honor, as much as he struggled to admit it. He had witnessed how they guided and protected all in their care with patience and compassion. They were fiercely loyal to their blood and their families, but despite what he would have believed, none of this weakened them. Instead it strengthened them, adding either to the power they held, or the ranks that would stand beside them. It was difficult to trust in this. but he knew this was the best option if he hoped to protect Narysia and survive his Master’s wrath.
He sighed heavily and looked up into his brother’s eyes, resigning himself to what needed to be done. He had to find a way to fix this between them if there was any chance that he would accept him. “What do I need to do to prove to you that I will be loyal? What can I do to show that I am worthy to serve you?”
Byryn frowned as he looked him over, “You could be free, Wytheryn. You don’t need to offer yourself to anyone. You’re my brother. I’ll always protect you regardless of what you choose. You could make your own choices and not feel this obligation.”
“Actually, he can’t, Byryn,” Kyle interjected calmly. “He’s already owned by Alayne. He knows his place and that will bind his will within the parameters that have been set for him. He’s a slave. Wytheryn knows that’s how things are. That’s why he doesn’t understand what you’re offering him. It doesn’t exist to him. The only way to show him, to offer him that, is to accept him and teach him. Aside from that, it’s dangerous to leave that bond intact. Alayne could choose to kill him at any time and this is the only way to stop it.”
Byryn exhaled a ragged breath and rested his hand on his head. “If this is what you want, what you need, then I already accept you, Wytheryn. You’re my brother and I’d rather you be bound to me than any other,” he pulled his hand back and rolled up his sleeve, holding it out to Kyle, “but I’ll expect you to think for yourself and make your own choices. I’ll teach you, train you, but your will is your own.”
He nodded. He was often expected to make judgment calls and decisions when Alayne wasn’t around. His Master hadn’t wanted to expose him to certain things so he’d spent long portions of time in isolation tending to his duties. As with all of his personal slaves, his Master expected him to know what was needed and see to his responsibilities without constant guidance. Those who failed to adapt amongst his slaves rarely lasted long, but Wytheryn always remained. He felt confident he could manage what his brother asked of him.
Kyle stood beside them holding the dagger in his hands, reciting the incantation he had heard so many times over the years. His presence made this easier. He knew it was the essence of his line and the familiarity that it brought him. It was almost as if having him preside over this lessoned the betrayal of his actions. He knew this was right. It was what needed to happen for many reasons, but it still went against everything he’d been taught.
He watched Kyle take Byryn’s wrist in hand, making a deep slice in his arm. He held it before him and Wytheryn took his brother’s arm in both his hands, cupping them to ensure he did not spill the precious gift he was being offered as Byryn spoke the words that would bind him.
His brother’s voice echoed through the room and he could feel his strength pulse in his essence as it wrapped around him. “Accipyiet myus sangyun. Oblygia me. Da volyntatium tuym et fydium. Accipyiet myus sangyun ut totyium te vendico. Certemys penes mente tua et anyma tua.”
Wytheryn stared up, locking his eyes on his new Master, fighting everything that ran through his veins. Alayne was attempting to hold his bond. He swallowed hard and felt Kyle’s hands on his shoulders, his essence flowing through him giving him the strength to continue. “Ego praecypio tybi totym quod sum. Si quyd petyierytis obedyre. Tuys sum ego…domyn meym.” He paused and repeated himself in English so that Byryn understood clearly what he was pledging to him. “I give to you all that I am. As you ask, I will obey. I am yours, my Master.”
He took his vein, drinking deeply of his essence, feeling the link between them form and strengthen as he heard Kyle’s voice wrapping around him, chanting the binding. When he rested his hand on his head he pulled back, licking the blood from Byryn’s wrist clean and then from his own hands and lips, proud he had not spilled a single drop. He looked up waiting for his new Master to seal his fate.
He wasn’t sure he really understood the full expectations this life held for him, but his decision had been made. There was no changing what had been done. He could already feel the bond wrapping around his heart, strengthening is brother’s hold. His life now belonged to Byryn.
Byryn hesitated a moment as Wytheryn licked the blood from his arm. It was an intimate act he hadn’t expected, but then his brother generally performed this ritual with Alayne. He cleaned the blood from his hands and lips as if it was sacred before looking up at him as if he was some god to be worshiped. It was a lot for him to take. Kyle cleared his throat and it brought him back to the moment as he refocused. He needed to finish this.
Breathing deeply he recited the words his gemyn had transcribed. “Vendico sycut meym anymam tyam, anyma et corpys. Ex hoc nync te reservabynt solym ad volyntatium meym. Advyrso mihi et scyetys agonyia. Tradityrus me et tu erys detrymentyium anymam tyam. Myus es tu et solym meym.” Feel
ing the connection that had formed between them, he used his essence to complete his hold, using the full power he held. He had no doubt Alayne would try to break this. He knew Kyle expected to have to redo it, but hopefully it would be enough to buy his gemyn time to come up with a solution that would break the ties the High Priest held over Wytheryn permanently.
Wytheryn bowed his head to the floor at his feet, offering himself completely as Kyle’s essence flowed over them. He could feel the power he now held over his brother as the bond between them sealed becoming tangible. It wasn’t something that exactly thrilled him, but it gave him a way to free him.
A flow of Night essence flowed over them, wrapping around them as Kyle completed the ritual and reinforced the binding. He looked worn and tired. This had been hard on him. It wasn’t so much the physical or mental strain of the ritual as the emotional turmoil Byryn could feel within him. This was something he’d witnessed his Grandfather perform numerous times and it sickened him to follow in his footsteps.
He stepped back and nodded to him “It’s done. I’m going to the cape to clear my head.”
Byryn sighed knowing he’d be tied up here until he could get Wytheryn and Narysia settled. “Take the girls. You shouldn’t be alone right now.”
“They’re sleeping. I’m not going to disturb them. I just need to take a walk without any more issues. I’ll be back before you’re even finished here.” He misted before he could argue with him and Byryn held back the curse. He knew how Kyle isolated when his past overwhelmed him.
“He will not be able to isolate so easily now, Byryn,” Cymeryn reassured him as if reading his thoughts. “Once Astryn wakes she’ll seek him immediately and Staryana will not allow it either. The four of you will work through this together. Besides, I doubt he’ll risk staying away long with Phil and Cal in the realm knowing Tomas has been handing out orders.”
“Agreed,” he replied staring at his brother who waited at his feet. He had to admit he wasn’t sure what to do with him. “They’ll need one of the smaller suites, something they can share comfortably,” he reasoned.
