The Binding (Chronicles of Azaria #1)

by Sam Dogra

  Yeah, if you considered being reduced to a paralysed vegetable ‘not too bad’.

  “I’ll brew some tea to settle your temperature,” Miriam said. “It should also help you sleep. A good rest and you’ll be back to normal in no time.”

  She patted my arm, then stood up and left the room. As the door closed, I tried to bend my toe. Nothing. Like it or not, I was staying put til the curse dictated otherwise.

  I was so having a tantrum later.

  * * * * *

  The door creaked and I blinked, jolted from sleep. I rolled onto my right side, and got a face-full of light from the window. I braced my forearm over my eyes, scowling. Since I had no way to break free of my paralysis, I’d decided to heed Miriam’s advice and savour the luxury of a proper bed. Whoever had interrupted my couple hours of blissful unconsciousness better have a good excu…

  Wait a second. I removed my arm from my face, staring at my fingers. I wiggled them. They responded. I could move again!

  But that could only mean…

  “Are you alright?”

  Ryan stood at the door, leaning against the oak frame. He was grime-free and dressed in fresh clothes, and had the same worried look as when he found me in the Galgiza. I sighed and turned to the window. Of course, I appreciated him looking out for me, yet it had been those words that landed me in this craziness in the first place.

  “I’m feeling much better, thanks,” I said, shuffling up the bed so I was sitting up. “Miriam’s tea helped a lot.”

  Ryan nodded. He came inside and sat at the foot of the bed. I curled up against the pillows, hiding the iasometer, and bracing myself for the Binding attack sure to strike any second.

  “You should’ve said something,” Ryan said quietly. He was more subdued than usual.

  I raised an eyebrow.

  “About what?”

  “That you weren’t well.” He began wringing his hands. “It’s my fault. You had to do so much for me in the cold that night. It’s no wonder you got sick.”

  “Ryan, lay off it.” I wanted to edge closer to reassure him, but I knew that would be too risky. “I was tired, that’s all.” I gave a long stretch. “See? A little nap and I’m right as rain. And we really did need the money.”

  Ryan flinched.

  “A little nap? You’ve been asleep for a day and a half.”

  My eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Wow, the Binding had hit me good this time. No wonder Ryan looked so worried.

  Ryan began to play with the buckle on his coat.

  “I’m sorry. If I hadn’t insisted on leaving Bane so quickly…” He lowered his head. “I didn’t think everything would get so out of hand.”

  Before I realised, I slinked over the sheets and squeezed his wrist. My pulse streamed like an arrow, but I breathed deep and kept it within reasonable limits. Cursed or not, I wouldn’t let him sit there and wallow in self-pity.

  “Look, stop beating yourself up,” I said. “Sometimes these things happen.” I rested my fingers on my ankle. “I pushed myself that bit too far, and paid the price for it. But it doesn’t matter, I’m fine now. We can put this behind us and get on our way. And don’t ever say it’s your fault. I’m the one with the stubbornness issue, remember?”

  Ryan managed a small nod, before he looked up at me. I froze, unable to catch my breath. Damn it, why’d he go and do that? A perfectly reasonable discussion ruined with a single glance.

  Before I could get lost in his green eyes, he leant forward and kissed my cheek.

  “I don’t know, I’ve grown quite fond of it,” he smiled. “You’re one of a kind, Eliza. I’m glad we met.”

  My face flushed, but this time my embarrassment had nothing to do with the Binding. As Ryan stood up, I brushed my fingers where he’d kissed me. It still tingled. Stranger was the fact I remained quite calm inside. This wasn’t right. The curse should be working overtime, forcing me to return his gesture of affection while I fumbled for no end of excuses. Instead I was left with mild surprise; the first natural reaction I’d had around him since we first met.

  What did that mean?

  “Oh, by the way, everything with Will’s been cleared up,” Ryan said. “The Councillor’s sent some men to investigate the flametar store. He’s also given us the reward. We can leave whenever you feel ready.”

  I nodded slowly. Well, at least we got what we came for. Now we could stop playing around and make a beeline for Lanaran. I was looking forward to it, as I could start researching about the Binding. The city had an impressive collection of archives, and there was a high chance I could find something to help me. If Ryan didn’t run off at a moment’s notice, anyway.

  “Alright,” I said, swinging my legs off the bed. “Let me get cleaned up and we can go right away.” I paused, caught by a long yawn. “Do think you could go find Miriam? I’ll need some help.”

  “Sure.” Ryan headed towards the door. At the threshold he hesitated, and glanced back. “Oh, there is one thing I forgot to tell you.”

  “What?”

  “They don’t have any spare sleeping bags.”

  * * * * *

  Dusk had fallen by the time we returned to the South Road. The way was empty, and so we rode alone. I was much more refreshed after a hot bath and a proper dinner, and my ankle was wrapped in fresh bandages. I’d exchanged my clothes from home for a dark blouse, a pair of cotton trousers and a woollen jumper. I kept my jacket and scarf, which Miriam had kindly washed for me, and at long last I had a cloak that wasn’t infused with Eau de Ryan.

  At my insistence I sat behind him again. I was not going to put up with any more rounds of ‘dodge the embrace’. On the downside, it did mean I had to press close to Ryan to fend off the cold. Thankfully, my scarf remained fragrant with the cleaning soap, so the Binding’s favourite weapon was rendered useless. It also seemed to have abandoned its memory trick, too. In fact, since Ryan’s display at the Councillor’s House, the curse had become very quiet indeed. However, I knew it was too good to be true. The Binding was biding its time.

  And when it struck again, it wasn’t going to be pretty.

  We rode in companionable silence, occasionally disturbed by Cielo’s snorts. The air was freezing, but it didn’t have the bite like before, so I didn’t think it would snow again. Typical the weather would pick up when we were better equipped to face it. Though seeing as we still only had one sleeping bag, I shouldn’t be complaining.

  The plan was straight forward. Ryan said we could ride until we were too tired to continue. Since Lanaran remained two days away, we would have to camp out for another night. However, with this being my third all-nighter—not helped by my earlier nap—my body clock had been thrown completely off kilter. Ryan would tire long before I did, and I didn’t doubt the Binding would take advantage while he slept and I remained wide-awake.

  Cold wind skimmed my face, and I burrowed into my scarf. The chill still seeped through, and I hesitated. Then I shrugged and rested my chin on Ryan’s shoulder. Nothing sparked off inside, and I let out a sigh. This was like walking on eggshells, never knowing what might trigger the curse again. Nonetheless, I had to admit that without the Binding’s constant badgering, it wasn’t that bad being around Ryan. I’d grown used to his presence, despite the fact it had only been five days since we started travelling together.

  I shook my head. Had that really been all the time that had passed? It felt like so much longer.

  “You okay?” Ryan asked.

  “Just fine,” I answered, sitting straighter. I didn’t want to provoke the Binding into making its grand entrance. “Kinda bored, actually.”

  “Really?” Ryan shifted in the saddle. “Got tired of playing with my buttons, hmm?”

  “Ha, ha,” I said, flicking his arm. “What can I say? When the entertainment is that limited, you have to make do with what you have.”

  “Want me to show you some more moves with the knife?”

  “I think I’ve had my fill of weapons training
for now,” I said, glancing down to the blade at my hip. No way I was switching places to sit in front again.

  “How about a history lesson, then? Seeing as we’re going to pass the Goddess Shrine on the way to Lanaran. I could tell you about it.”

  Well, it wasn’t like there was anything better to do.

  “Go on then, Scholar Ryan,” I said. “Enlighten me.”

  Ryan chuckled.

  “If you insist.” He cleared his throat for effect. “There are six Goddess Shrines scattered across Azaria. They date back at least a thousand years, and were built by the Gladier family.”

  “Gladier?”

  “They’re one of the two lost noble Houses,” Ryan explained. “Gladier and Farrontine. Before the House of Kinslet took over as the ruling family, those Houses had a system of alternate rule, until they got into a blood feud and both family lines were slaughtered.”

  “Ouch,” I said. “Who stepped on whose toes for things to get that bad?”

  “I don’t know what started the feud,” Ryan said, “but we know the Gladiers built the shrines because their coat of arms is engraved on the stone used to construct them. They did own the Ornixa mines at the time, after all.”

  “Interesting,” I said. “House Balthanders own the mines now, don’t they?”

  “Yup.” Ryan twisted his head round. “Did you pick up that piece of information along with your healing arts?”

  I scowled. Idiot; first the flametar thing, now this. Keep slipping up like that and you’ll blow everything. If I hadn’t done that already.

  Ryan winked at me, before he turned back to the road. He’d save that one for later.

  “Anyway,” he said, “the shrines all have a similar layout, with two outer ring chambers and an inner sanctum, and the Lanaran shrine was the first to be thoroughly excavated. All the relics were placed in the city archives. They’ve been researching them for years, but they still don’t know much about the ruins.”

  “What else is there to know?” I asked. “They’re just temples dedicated to the Goddess, right?”

  “Maybe on a superficial level,” Ryan said, “but scholars think there’s more to it than that. There’s even a theory going round they’re linked to the Binding spell.”

  Involuntarily I squeezed Ryan’s waist. He tensed, and on reflex I snatched my hands away. Goddess, even without the Binding, I was making a fool of myself. But this was the first time Ryan had mentioned the curse. Sure, he wasn’t speaking about it in the context I dreaded, yet now the thought had surfaced, it would only be a matter of time before he put the pieces together and figured everything out.

  “So far, though, no-one’s found any connection between the two,” Ryan continued, cutting through my thoughts. He hadn’t seemed to notice my jitteriness. Doubtless he was too used to it by now. “You’re probably right that they’re just holy shrines.”

  I murmured in agreement.

  An awkward silence descended. Cielo’s hoofbeats echoed in my ears, and I sighed. It had been stupid to react like that. I couldn’t even blame the curse this time. But it was because of the Binding’s quietness that my nerves were on edge. The mere mention of it had me twitching.

  I rested my hands on the saddle. I never thought I’d miss the curse’s presence. At least when it was active, I could keep tabs on it. This dormancy thing was too much. Was it waiting for the moment I went to sleep? Or for when I was in more a compromising position with my Bound partner? It seemed quite fond of those lately.

  I closed my eyes. I had no idea what the Binding was plotting. The only thing I could think of was that the curse had finally turned its attention elsewhere, and aimed to pull Ryan into its clutches. Why else would he have kissed me earlier?

  But if the Binding was making Ryan fall under its influence, it was going about it in a strange way. With me, the curse hadn’t exactly gone for the subtle approach. Heck, it had tried to get me to rip open his shirt on the first day. Yet for Ryan, there’d always been a reason why he’d shown his affection, and he hadn’t overstepped any lines.

  I held a hand to my head. Viens was still weeks away. And the longer I travelled with Ryan, the more confusing things would become. I was starting to consider him a friend—his unwillingness to share his secret aside—yet it was so difficult to stay behind boundaries when the Binding kept twisting the circumstances. My mind told me it would be safer to keep my distance, to think of him as a stranger so the curse couldn’t play with my feelings, but it wasn’t like I’d had any success at that, either. Like it or not, a stronger connection existed between us, and the Binding was going to milk it for all it was worth…

  “Eliza, do you hear something?”

  Ryan sat straighter, looking towards the east. I raised my head and listened. Aside from the flutter of the wind, I couldn’t pick out anything else. However, as I looked to the horizon, a faint glow caught my eye. Another breeze wafted past, and it didn’t just bring the cold. It also carried a hint of…almonds?

  “Ryan?”

  I didn’t need to say anymore, as Cielo stopped dead. Ryan stood up in the stirrups, scouting ahead. He’d smelled it, too.

  “Look!”

  I glanced back to the distant glow. A black cloud clustered over the same area, coiling into the sky. Except it wasn’t a cloud.

  It was smoke.

  “That’s the Goddess Shrine,” Ryan said, sitting down again. “Someone’s trying to burn it to the ground!”

  I continued to watch the flickering light. The flames flared bright green, and I snapped my fingers.

  “The flametar bottles in Ruthwall,” I said. “They must have been hiding it for this!” I bit my lip. “If only we’d found out sooner, we could’ve warned someone.”

  Ryan fiddled with the reins.

  “There’s nothing we can do,” he said. “We don’t know who’s involved, and it could get very dangerous. We have to move on.”

  “What?” I blurted. “You’ll turn a blind eye to this? There could be people hurt there!”

  “It’s not like anyone lives at the shrine,” Ryan shot back. “Whatever this group is trying to achieve by razing the ruins, we have to ignore it. It’s none of our business.”

  I growled, but deep down I knew he spoke sense. Those thugs hadn’t had any qualms against burning Will alive, and with my injured ankle, I wasn’t in a position to challenge anyone. The best thing to do would be to hurry past and hope we wouldn’t get mixed up in their affairs.

  Cielo set off once more. Ryan steered him towards the edge of the road, keeping alongside the thin line of trees. I didn’t take my eyes off the burning halo. Why were those men doing this? It seemed awfully petty to burn the ruins down. Were they hoping to smoke out a secret treasure? That sounded even more pointless, given the value of the flametar they were using to fuel their fires. It didn’t make any sense.

  The next few hours were nerve-wracking. Every movement in the shadows caught my eye, and my neck soon ached from darting from side to side. The shrine loomed, its marble stones bathed in jade flames. Were the circumstances different, it might have looked pretty, although the pillar of smoke had started to drift over the road and obscure our path.

  By the time we came to a fork, the silver moon was smothered. The right path led to the shrine, while the other would take us to Lanaran. No prizes for guessing which way we went. Now we were this close, I could hear the crackling flames, and the almond smell was sickly. The trees captured most of the smoke, but some still seeped through, choking our visibility. Peering upwards, I could make out the fire. It seemed focused on the far side of the ruins.

  “Keep an eye out,” Ryan said. I snapped my attention back to the road. “We might run into stragglers.”

  Holding the edges of Ryan’s coat, I glanced behind. The South Road was as empty and quiet as it had been since we’d left Ruthwall. I turned back and watched the shadows again. How refreshing it was to focus on a task, and not have the Binding wittering in the background! I’d almost fo
rgotten what it was like to…

  A piercing yell broke out from the roadside. Shortly after a flaming brazier burst through the trees, smashing into the ground. Oil oozed over the packed stones, and instantly caught fire.

  Cielo whinnied and reared. I grappled for Ryan, almost thrown off the saddle. My legs lost purchase and I yelped, but Ryan’s hand latched around my arms, holding me against him.

  “Whoa!” Ryan hauled on the reins, forcing Cielo to sidestep on his rear hooves. Once we were clear, Cielo dropped back to all fours. The poor horse trembled, shaking his forelock. “Easy, easy,” Ryan murmured, stroking his mane. Cielo whickered, and slowly calmed down.

  I loosened my grip around Ryan, my brow drenched in sweat. Even without the Binding, I was getting my fix of excitement for the night. But where had that come from? Wiping my forehead, I checked the side of the road.

  And then wished I hadn’t.

  A broad figure emerged from the trees, his body lit up by another brazier. He was cloaked in a black robe, the hood open and revealing his livid expression.

  “Kill them!” he roared. “We don’t want any witnesses!”

  He flung his brazier at us, but Ryan was quicker. He dug his heels into Cielo’s flanks and we shot into a canter. I held on for dear life, burrowing my face into Ryan’s cloak hood. Memories of our escape in the Galgiza flittered through my mind, and I fought to hold them back. I couldn’t tempt the curse. It had a bad habit of rearing its ugly head when it was least wanted.

  The pounding of Cielo’s hooves became constant, matching the tempo of my heart. I had no idea how far we’d gone when suddenly we stopped. The horse skidded over the stones, and I was thrown into Ryan. My ribs cried out, and I spluttered, gasping for air. I barely had time to recover, as the next thing I knew Ryan had dismounted and was forcing the reins into my hands.

  “Find some cover,” he said. “I’ll get those men off our back.”

  “What?!” He was insane—he’d be no match against so many enemies! That, and I couldn’t let us be separated. “Ryan, you can’t…”