by Sam Dogra
Despite the scaffolding shielding most of the windows, enough light entered to see by. Rows of pews and candle-stands filled the chequered floor, and ahead sat the main altar. The all-too-familiar stained glass windows ran around the upper walls, depicting Her Holiness in her various guises. The centre-piece showed off her traditional four wings, while the others went for her more aggressive forms, like her celestial tiger incarnation. Considering its size, it seemed a lot of money had been spent on the cathedral’s renovation.
Footsteps echoed from the corridor, and I ducked behind a pew. I watched the entrance, readying an excuse for a questioning acolyte. I wasn’t nearly so lucky. Instead, the hooded man entered. I cringed. Damn it, why couldn’t I shake him off? He was as persistent as the Binding.
He stopped by the rear pew, looking around. I kept low, holding my breath. Eventually he seemed to tire of his search, and he retraced his steps outside. Moments later the gate closed, the metallic clang resonating in the chamber.
A sigh escaped me, and I pulled down my hood. That had been close. Just like that night in the Galgiza when I’d heard noises outside the clearing. And made the biggest mistake of my life…
Scowling, I blotted out the memory. I’d vowed not to mull over that moment, and I wasn’t planning on breaking that oath now. With a quick wipe of my forehead, I made to stand up, when movement caught my eye. I glanced back to the exit, and swore silently.
The gate was closed alright. And the hooded man was standing right in front of it.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
‘She turned away and tore through the palace, her tears streaming in a silver veil...’
—Tale of the Binding
He circled the pews like a hawk. Each step quickened my pulse, which had gone past thunderous and was deep in the realms of tropical monsoon. I couldn’t keep still, my heart hammered into my ribs so hard. Desperate to stem my trembling, I shuffled along the pew, never taking my eyes off the man. I tried to keep a constant distance, but this game of hide and seek wouldn’t last. And I couldn’t keep it up for an hour. I clenched my teeth. There had to be somewhere he couldn’t find me…
I glanced around the chamber again. It wasn’t looking too favourable. There was nothing but a high vaulted ceiling, coloured windows, pillars galore, dusty candle-stands, and…aha!
A second exit lay beyond the altar. Scaffolding and netting screened it—which was why I hadn’t seen it earlier. A squiggled sign hailed it as the east wing, which had been closed for repairs.
I chewed my lip. Retreating there could buy me some time, but if it led to a dead end, I’d be easy pickings. Then again, I wasn’t in much of a better position here. What should I do? Confront my stalker, or keep running?
The man coughed; he was a lot closer than when I last checked. Damn it, Eliza, quit with the fence-sitting and make a choice!
Since I wasn’t willing to rely on my less than adequate combat skills, I judged the distance to the entrance; about ten or twelve paces. A slight problem, then, as the tiled floor would give my footsteps away and the man would pounce on me.
Unless…
I was unfastening my laces before the thought fully formed. The man’s strides resonated, and I counted them out as I slipped my boots off. Pins and needles shot into my feet as they touched the freezing tiles, but I bit back my hiss and knotted the laces together. Finally, I draped my boots around my neck, then glanced towards the man again. He’d vanished behind the wall pillars. I’d have to make a dash for it.
Tightening my jaw, I scrambled to the altar. Fortunately the man’s footfalls drowned out my own, and I got there without mishap. Crouched on my knees, I peered around the stone. He rounded the final pew, pausing where I’d been hiding. Then he turned his back and walked down the centre aisle. Heart in my mouth, I crawled to the east wing doorway.
I had just crossed the threshold when my elbow clipped a loose pole. I scrambled to catch it before it clattered to the floor. The bar landed in my palm, and I rested it against the wall. A quick check reassured me the man was none the wiser. Phew, that was close. It seemed Ryan’s assessment in the ice cave was true. I did have pretty sharp reflexes.
My knife trick in the lake came to mind, and I scratched my chin as I headed into the corridor. I’d never considered myself particularly athletic. Perhaps a life on the run was training me as well as any Guardsmen regime. I could probably give Adam a run for his money next time he challenged me to a race.
If I ever saw him again, that is.
I silenced the thought with the coldness of an assassin. My daydreaming was really getting out of hand. Concentrate on the path, and find a way out.
The darkness forced me to feel my way around, and I half-wished I’d had the foresight to steal a candle. Not to mention the passage was such a tight fit. I was hemmed in with boxes, boards and poles, and I was terrified I’d knock something over. It wasn’t long before my neck and back ached, and my breathing echoed in my ears. The sense of déjà vu wasn’t lost on me, and I managed a wry smile. All it needed was the smell of burning flametar and it would be just like in the Lanaran shrine.
No sooner had the thought crossed my mind when golden speckles danced across my vision. I stopped, watching it settle on a box. No, not this again! I blinked, hard, and the haloes vanished. I sighed. I didn’t need to be reminded of that near-disaster when I had to focus. Honestly, why was it that whenever my life was in danger, my mind would bring up the most useless…
Another flash of gold caught my attention. The sparkles were back, casting glowing outlines on the spades. I scrubbed at my eyes. Oh come on, I’d been joking about the similarities to the shrine!
A scrape from behind brought me back to the present. I could whine about my strange vision later; right now I needed to make a speedy exit.
Guided by the golden aura, I wove around the clutter and entered a spacious hall. Sheets were draped over most of the furniture, and new tiles were piled in the corner. Scrapers, hammers and saws littered the ground, and the canvas on the windows allowed a thin sliver of light inside. That played over the hole in the ground, where the tiles were stripped free.
I shoved my boots back on. Loud steps or not, I wasn’t going to cut my feet on the broken stones. Anyway, the mess around the chamber gave me an idea. If I could dodge the construction debris, I could trap my pursuer, at least long enough for me to escape. All I had to do was lie in wait, cause a small commotion, and I’d be…
A horrible spasm gripped my belly, and I doubled over. Great, now what?! My arms started to shake, so I staggered towards a covered seat for support. The back of my neck was clammy, and my undershirt stuck to my skin.
My breath caught. I knew this symptom! It was my Binding warning, back when I was ‘available’. I’d get a bout of stomach cramps before and after my vulnerable time, so I’d know when to hide in the forest and when to return home. But why was I feeling this now? If I was Bound to Ryan, I shouldn’t experience this anymore.
Another pain tore through, this time radiating to my back, and I cried out. No, this wasn’t my warning symptom. This was much, much worse. Tears spilled down my cheeks, and I held a hand to my stomach. My insides were on fire, as if something was trying to burst out.
My eyes fell to the chamber floor, where the foundations poked through. Except they didn’t look much like foundations. In fact, it resembled a solid block with etched markings.
Markings consisting of twenty-seven criss-crossing lines.
I shook my head. That number—it was the same as the plinth in the shrine. It was all happening again; the golden vision, the pains and feeling sick, the odd compass. It could only mean one thing.
Right on cue, the stone flared to life. A fountain of white fire emerged, flowing onto the carved lines. It began to split into fragments. The rune took on its final form—a circle with a jagged line through its centre—then hovered in the air. My lips parted, whispering its meaning:
“Passion.”
The rune flas
hed, as if I’d confirmed its existence, then twisted into a new shape. This one had curved edges and a crosshatched segment.
“Judgement.”
The word rang through my ears, and then the rune disappeared, leaving me alone in quiet darkness.
Shivering, I dropped to my knees, burying my head between my arms. The pain in my belly eased, but the shock of what happened hadn’t. All the questions I’d hoped to leave in Lanaran came flooding back. Why did I keep seeing these creepy things? More to the point, why could I decipher them? And why did they leave me feeling so ill?
I screwed my eyes shut, swallowing back the nausea. At least I hadn’t passed out this time. But I was so weak, I could barely flex my little toe, let alone stand up. And Ryan wasn’t around to come to the rescue. My mind reeled. The hooded man could come any second! I couldn’t wait for my body to recover. Gripping the priest’s seat, I begged my legs to straighten, but they refused to obey. Why, why did this have to happen now, and here, of all places?
Fresh footsteps caught my ear, and I gulped. All I could do was brace myself for the worst.
A hand took my shoulder, and I froze. Oddly, the hold wasn’t rough or painful. In fact, it was almost…reassuring?
“There you are!”
My heart pounded threefold harder. That voice, it couldn’t be…
“I never knew you liked playing hard to get, Eliza,” the voice continued. “But you know I can’t resist a challenge. Still, you’ve caused me no end of trouble. I’m so glad I’ve finally managed to catch up with you!”
He helped me to my feet. I clung to the arm of the covered seat, my mouth dry. I was caught between absolute terror and desperate longing, but I was too numb to turn around and see which of my feelings were right. It wasn’t for me to decide, though, as the hooded man spun me around.
He lowered his hood, and his mismatched eyes of blue and brown watched me with both puzzlement and mischief. He wasn’t exactly as I remembered him; he’d let his dark hair grow out and he hadn’t shaved in a while, but there was no mistaking that broad grin. One I’d never thought I’d see again.
“Adam?” I whispered. Now I knew I had to be hallucinating. I shrugged off his arms and took a step back, my legs abruptly working once again. The runes were playing with my head, making me see things that weren’t there. “It can’t be…”
“Is that any way to greet your best friend when I’ve spent almost two weeks tracking you down?” Adam quipped, folding his arms. “We’ve been worried sick about you!”
I withdrew further, shaking my head. How could Adam be here? Ryan and I had blitzed down south so fast, he couldn’t have caught up so quickly. How had he known to follow me here?
“I’ve been riding almost non-stop from Bane,” Adam went on, scratching the back of his head. “Looking through every town and city, passing through any village where you might have stopped. I couldn’t believe it when I saw you heading along the Dhjerban road. I tried to call out to you, but you walked away, and, well…” He trailed off.
I remained silent. I didn’t know what to think, what to say. I’d longed to see my best friend again, but that also meant I’d have to tell him what happened. It would tear him to pieces.
“Eliza?” Adam waved his hand in front of me. I blinked slowly. “Eliza, what’s the matter?”
“I…” My lip began to tremble, and I took yet another step back. “You’re not…you can’t…”
Adam had grown tired of listening. In a single stride he closed the distance between us and gripped my shoulders. I raised my head, my cheeks soaked. His face tightened. It always did whenever he saw me like this.
“Eliza, it’s really me,” he said. “Come on, say something! This isn’t like you at all.”
That was too much. The last of my resolve broke down, and the floodgates opened. One tear became many, and I threw myself into his arms, sobbing. Adam stood for a moment, stunned, but he soon pulled me into an embrace. I simply held onto him and wept, so grateful he was there, yet at the same time dreading what would come next. How could I tell him I’d been Bound? After our long talks, finding the clearing, and two whole years of success, how could I confess that a moment of foolishness had undone all our hard work?
“It’s okay,” Adam said, stroking my shoulder. “Let’s go back to the prayer hall.”
Wiping my eyes, I pulled away. Soon we’d crossed the corridor and were sitting side by side on a pew. I kept my head down, ashamed to maintain eye contact. His black jacket clung tightly over his shoulders, and he wore the green shirt and dark trousers of his Guardsmen uniform. A scabbard hung at his side. He’d opted for his second favourite weapon, rather than his preferred axe.
“So, do you want to start?” Adam asked, folding his hands over his stomach. I said nothing. “Don’t rush to get it all out, now.”
“Adam, don’t,” I said, my voice hoarse. Though I always loved bantering with him, I wasn’t in the mood. I let out a long breath. “A lot’s happened.”
“You don’t say,” Adam said. “Your parents were in a right state when I came back from Bane. Took me ages to calm them down. Viren was going to get the whole village out for you. It was only when Major Vance got involved that he relented and was happy enough for me to bring you home.”
I stiffened. My note must have gotten lost. I knew I’d left quite a mess behind, but hearing it first-hand made it so much worse. Nearly two weeks of not knowing whether their youngest child was alive or dead. On top of all the lies I’d told about them, too. Totally unforgivable.
“Course I didn’t tell them what I thought happened,” Adam said. He sat forward, staring at me. “Because I knew it would devastate them more if they learnt the truth.”
“W-What are you talking about?” I murmured, keeping my eyes on the floor, though I had an idea what was coming.
“Something happened in the clearing, didn’t it?” Adam said. “Or should I say, someone.” He flicked something onto my lap; the red tuft of a spent tranquilliser shot. “I found that close to the track that leads to the village. And the Major had an interesting story regarding a certain scarf I’d left in my bunk in the garrison.”
My hands clenched to fists.
“So,” Adam continued, “who did you get Bound to?”
I kept quiet, not wanting to admit the truth, but I knew Adam wouldn’t speak until he got an answer. I glanced up to the stained glass Goddess, seeking some courage.
This was going to hurt.
“There was…well, I heard something that night in the Galgiza forest,” I said. “I thought it was a hunter. So I headed out to find someplace else to hide.” My voice grew steadier. “But the thing making all the noise was an injured bear, and it chased me. I ran, but I tripped and sprained my ankle, and it would’ve killed me if not for a man named Ryan.” I twirled the red dart in my fingers. “He shot it and saved me. But before I could say anything, he asked me if I was alright. And that was the end of it.”
Adam murmured his understanding. I turned back to him. His eyes were closed.
“A life debt,” he said at last, resting his hands on the pew. “I see.”
I looked away. My fear dissipated, and in its place was strangling guilt. Adam wasn’t going to say as much, but I knew he would be raging inside. I should never have set foot outside the clearing. I’d let him down. No—I’d betrayed him.
Adam took a slow breath, then faced me again.
“You said his name’s Ryan?”
I nodded.
“Tell me about him.”
I hesitated. What did he want me to say?
“He’s…he’s a good friend,” I began, uncertain where this was leading. “He’s looked out for me, and he’s been very kind. He told me he was a travelling bounty-hunter, though I think he’s actually a noble’s son.”
“You think he’s a noble’s son? Hasn’t he told you himself?”
“Not in great detail,” I said. “I mean, he has a custom built crossbow like the one you always wa
nted, and a thoroughbred horse, so he must be from a rich background. He’s also been on the run, and we’ve had a few close escapes, but he’s never spoken about who’s after him or why.”
“You didn’t think it was relevant to question that?” Adam was opening and closing his fist; a sure sign he was agitated.
“Oh, I’ve asked,” I said. “I just never get a straight answer.”
“Huh. So he lies about who he is and why he’s travelling alone, then he drags you into a mess of his own making, and to top it off he shoves you into the firing line of his enemy. Yeah, I’d say he’s a really good friend.”
“Adam, knock it off!” I placed my hand on his arm, the tension in his muscles transmitting to my fingertips. Why was he working himself up like this? “It’s more complicated than that. Ryan didn’t want to frighten me. In fact, we lost the man chasing us quite recently, and he promised he’d explain everything once we reached Dhjerba.”
“Why’d he leave it so late?” Adam asked. “Didn’t he care he was putting you in danger? If he’s Bound to you, he shouldn’t have kept any secrets.”
“Well…” I stared at my feet. “I’m not exactly innocent, either.”
“What do you mean?”
I swallowed.
“I…um…I haven’t…well, I haven’t actually told him he’s Bound to me.”
Adam’s eyes bulged.
“What?”
“I was going to,” I added hastily, “but things kept…getting in the way, and…”
“Hasn’t he shown any signs?” Adam blurted. “You’ve been together long enough. How can he not know?”
“That’s what confuses me,” I said, frowning. “Sometimes he acts like you’d expect for someone under the spell, but other times he keeps our relationship strictly friendly. He doesn’t seem compelled by false feelings.” I lowered my voice to a whisper. “Unlike me.”
