by A C Wilds
Of course I was. That you doubted me is kind of an insult.
I chuckle to myself and walk us back out of the pen. I want to give him a second to catch his breath, so I lead him over to the water trough. Greyson turns the corner and comes towards us.
“That was impressive. I have never seen Red submit like that before. You must be all they say you are,” he says to me. It’s borderline an insult with the way he says it. He looks good today. He has on a tight white t-shirt and jeans that hug all the right places. His hair is all tousled, and he smells like horse and sweat, one of my favorite combinations. I shouldn’t be thinking these thoughts since I just mated with Cass last night, but my body is responding to him just as much as before the mating.
“Thanks, I think. He is a really good horse. I don’t know why any of you had trouble with him. Maybe he just needed the right teacher.” I shrug and then begin to walk to the outside course. There isn’t anyone practicing right now, so I figure we will have some uninterrupted time. Greyson follows us. “Not that I don’t mind the company, but I thought you had a problem with me?”
“I do. I think all Fae are fucking assholes. I also see a use for you. I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume you’ve been thinking about escaping as much as I have,” he says, with eyes the color of the sea during a storm. He’s angry. He wants out, and he sees me as the way to do it.
“Yes, I have. Although I haven’t figured out a way to do it. Why are you all of a sudden interested? I thought you couldn’t just leave,” I retort. He really is starting to get on my nerves.
“I can’t, but now that you’re here, Logan and I have a chance. So Changer, are you willing to let me use you to get what I want?” he says, looking right in my eyes. He looks like sex-on-a-stick right now, and I want to lick him. If I didn’t want to throat punch him so much, that is.
“Use me. Such a tempting offer. I need to think on it.”
“You do that. Also keep in mind that I now know your plan is to leave, so if you screw me out of this little escape, I will fuck you over and tell the King Douche what’s up.”
Fuck! I should have seen that coming. Way to go, Az. Real mastermind.
He stomps off to go wherever it is that assholes like him go. I hope one of the horses kicks him in the nuts or something. What a jerk, assuming he can just use me to get what he wants. If I didn’t feel bad for Logan, I would have told this guy to go fuck himself.
I lead Red into the paddock. I need to ride and get all this frustration out. I lean into Red and say in his ear, “Alright, we had an amazing lunge session, but let's do some fun stuff now. Follow my lead, and just know that we can’t look that good. I’m not saying throw me off or anything, but maybe hesitate at a few jumps, or go around them initially. We should be good if it looks like we are practicing.
Certainly. For the record, Greyson is a good man. He got the shaft when he got taken, and he is just protecting his brother. I sense that he will be another strong ally for you in the future. You should take him up on his offer to help.
“Good to know. Can we maybe talk more on this later? I don’t want people to start staring.”
Once the soul-bond ceremony is complete tonight, we will be able to communicate with each other through thought alone. It will make it easier in instances like these.
I want to ask him a million more questions about the bond, but there are people everywhere. I can tell the Fae from the humans. They are strolling around the gardens or stables, while the latter are busting their asses doing all the work. It would be different if they got paid a fair wage and had a choice. It just puts my already bad mood into a sour one. Fucking Fae.
Our practice is amazing. It feels so good to stretch my riding muscles and fly through the air. By the time we are done, the sun is starting to set, and my legs are like sticks of jello. Red looks quite satisfied with himself. He played a good part today of the horse who is special, but not that special. I can’t wait until we are allowed to pull out all the stops. We are going to be amazing. I’m just finishing up bathing and grooming him when Cass walks through the barn doors. I can sense it’s him before I even look up. It’s like I could sense his presence all day today inside the palace. There is this invisible cord from my heart to his. It’s a strange feeling, carrying a part of another’s soul inside of you, but it’s glorious at the same time. I smile an enormous grin for him as I turn into his embrace. What a crazy difference 24 hours has made in regards to our relationship.
“Hey stranger, I thought you were going to ride with me today?” I say to him, breaking our hug only half way, so I can look up at his face. It feels too good to pull away completely. It’s like my soul found her sun, and she just wants to bask in it awhile.
“I know, I’m sorry. Father had me in meetings all day to discuss the betrothal. It was a nightmare. I am so glad that we are bonded already. It protects you in certain ways. For instance, he cannot do any bodily harm to you without it affecting me, and since I am heir, it will simultaneously affect him as well,” he states, like this is the best news. No bodily harm for Azra, yay!
“Well…that’s good to know, I guess,” I stutter out. How is this even my life? That I have to worry about psycho douche angel Fae doing me harm.
“It is. Azra we really need to talk more about what this means for us. Can I come to see you tonight?” he asks, with a bit of a bashful flush of red in his face. He must not be used to having to ask girls for things. Or maybe he is blushing because of what he did last night. The thought causes my nipples to harden, and I get a chill all over. I’d love a repeat.
“I can’t tonight. I, uh, I…” I start out. I look over at Red for confirmation.
Tell him. Once we are bonded, his soul will know anyway. He is to be trusted Azra, know that above all things. He’s right. I need to start trusting Cass will all of my plans, even if it terrifies me.
“What I mean to say is, Cass, Red is my soul-bonded Arion.”
“He’s an Arion? I didn’t think those existed anymore. That’s incredible. But how do you know he’s an Arion? He looks no different than a Fae horse.”
“He told me. He can project dialogue into my mind” I say. It’s a bit weird he’d ask this question. “Doesn’t Storm tell you things?”
“Storm? No, he doesn’t speak to me. That’s not an ability that Fae horses have. You mean to say that Red can speak with you telepathically?” He asks, sounding a bit in awe.
Here we go with the special again. Even I am getting sick of it. Yes, Red speaks in my mind. It was weird at first, but now it’s kind of awesome. I’ve always wanted to be able to really communicate with my mount, and I’m finally able to. Of course this is so much more, but still, it is kinda cool.”
Cool indeed, Red chuckles.
I look over at him with a pointed glare. Ok, I know that wasn’t the best way to explain it, but give a girl a break. I had no idea this world even existed ‘till a few days ago, and now I’m getting bombarded with all these different things happening. It’s not fair when you think about it.
“Have you completed the soul bond yet? There is usually a ceremony of some sort. I don’t know if it is different for the Arion, but regular Fae horses require the
moonlight and a running body of water.” Cass asks us.
“Our ceremony is going to be performed tonight. Red said we needed the full moon. He also said the same thing about the water. I just haven’t figured out how to make it all happen yet,” I tell Cass. I’m hoping Red will jump in here with some suggestions, but he seems quite content with munching away on the fresh hay I brought him. He doesn’t seem the least bit bothered by any of it. Meanwhile, I’m starting to freak out a little.
“Don’t worry, Az. I’ll help you get setup. I’ll bring everything that is required. Can you ask Red if there is anything else that you will need besides the regular bonding materials?” Cass asks.
Red turns to us then and looks directly at Cass as he says in my head, Tell the Prince that you
are not a messenger, and that I can hear him just fine. He then lets out a snort and goes back to chomping on his hay.
I hold back a snicker. “Ok, but is there anything special we would need?” I ask Red’s back, because it seems like he’s done with this conversation.
Without turning around he says, We are going to need blood. A lot of blood. Tell him to slaughter a chicken and bring us the blood. I am in no mood to hunt tonight.
What the actual fuck? Did he just say sacrifice a chicken? And what does he mean by hunt? Horses don’t hunt. My eyes must be bugging out of my head because Cass is looking at me with an alarmed expression. “He wants you to get chicken blood. He says we need a lot of it,” I say, with a bit of a nauseous tone to my voice. This doesn’t seem to phase Cass though, because he just nods at us both.
“Alright, I will bring the necessary materials for tonight, along with the blood. Azra, I’ll meet you outside your door tonight just before midnight, and we can walk to the stables together. There are a few guards we will have to evade, so taking a shortcut will be imperative,” Cass explains.
I agree with a head shake and then lean in and kiss him. “Thank you for helping. I’m glad I can count on you,” I whisper into his mouth. He tastes delicious, like pure energy.
“You’re welcome. Now go, before someone sees us all together.”
I turn away from them both. Red is secure in his stall, and Cass walks down a different corridor, so we aren’t seen together. As I walk back through the kitchens, I can smell the intoxicating scents of dinner. I only had that bagel today, and I could really use a good meal. Turning the corner, I see Dot and Meg standing together with a few of the other servants. I give a small wave and then mouth to Dot “dinner” and point up. She gets my meaning and gives a me a thumbs up. My shoulders relax in relief, and I make my way through the twists and turns of the palace to my room.
Walking through the door, I go straight to the bathroom and strip. I take a long hot shower, and by the time I am finished, dinner is on the side table waiting for me. I eat in silence, enjoying the tastes of the hearty stew and fresh bread. They have given me something that tastes a bit like wine but with a brisk aftertaste. It pairs wonderfully with the beef in the stew. I eat and drink it all. When I’m done, I feel fatigued and drained. I trained a lot today, and my body is feeling it. I figure I have about five hours before the ceremony, so I lay down and get comfortable. Sleep is what I need right now. Let’s hope tonight goes well. I drift off thinking about Cass and his full lips pressed to mine. Sighing contently, sleep claims me.
Chapter 16
Soul Bonded
Azra
I nap for a few hours and once I wake, I am too comfortable to get up right away. I can’t hear any sign of my maids, or anyone else for that matter. I know I should be using this quiet time to sort through all of the events of the past few days, but I instead can only replay my time with Cass and the exhilaration of riding Red. I am pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of a knock on the door. I walk over barefoot and answer. Cass is standing there in black jeans and a dark grey hoodie. It’s the most color I’ve seen on him, except for his hair. I move to let him in, and he rushes through with a backpack slung over his shoulders.
“I see you got everything,” I say, as I close the door. I’m still out of it, and I yawn to wake up a bit more. I stretch my arms up to the ceiling to try and get the knots out of my back. Cass stares at me with heated eyes, as I realize I only have a thin tank top on with little boy shorts. My stretch must have caused the shirt to rise up.
“I had most of the supplies handy from my ceremony, so it was just a matter of procuring the chicken blood.” He says all this like we are talking about a cake recipe.
“Let me change then, and we can head out,” I say, as I walk toward the closet. Looking for the darkest clothes I can find, I spot a pair of dark black pants. They feel similar to leggings, so I put those on. There is one dark grey blouse in the back of one of the drawers that looks like it was just discarded there. It is long sleeved and has pockets! God, I love pockets. More girls’ clothes should have pockets, I think to myself as I head out.
Cass does this appraising look, and then his eyes get that glimmer again. It’s like he is holding himself back. “You know you can kiss me anytime you want, right? It only seems fair since we are mates and all,” I tell him, with a saucy pop of my hip.
His grin is so brilliant, that I find myself getting lost for a minute. Gods, I hope this Fae turns out to be everything he says he is, cause this girl is falling hard. He stands before me and reaches for me. I step into his warm arms and tilt my head up to meet his. He smells like the forest after a long spring storm, like earth and hope. His lips crash into mine with an intensity that I wasn’t expecting. The kiss quickly heats up, and I lean further into him, molding my body closer to his. His tongue dips into my mouth, and I let out a low moan. He swallows my pleasure and returns it with a grunt of his own. I am so dizzy that by the time we break apart, I have to steady myself before leaving the room.
I reach for his hand, but he stops me and shakes his head. “Not here,” he says quietly. I can’t say that I’m not a little hurt, but I do understand. We need to keep this under wraps for now. He leads me down a different hallway than the one we always use. This one looks like it wraps around the back of the property. When he goes up a flight of stairs, I grab his hoodie and give it a little tug.
“Why are we going up?” I ask, with creased eyebrows and a scowl. I don’t want to be fucking around here. I know there is only a small window to get this ceremony completed, and I don’t want to miss it.
“We have to go up to come back down through the servants’ quarters. If we sneak out the back way, there will be no guards, and we can make a clean run for the stables. If we go the other way, we will be noticed,” Cass clarifies, in a whispered tone. I give him the thumbs up, and we continue on.
This area of the palace is still nice, but you can tell that the quality of the construction and decor here isn’t what it is in the front of the house. While the floor with my room isn’t too over the top, it makes this look like a Motel 6. Everything is clean and tidy, but there is wear on the rugs, and the drapes look like a few moths have been snacking on them. Coming to an intersection, Cass chooses to go right, and we end up at a locked door, and our progression is suddenly halted. There is not only the regular top and bottom lock, but a dead bolt and an unusual contraption that looks almost magical in nature. I look over at Cass who is pulling out a ring of keys from his pockets. He fits the first in the bottom lock, and as the tumblers are positioned in place, it makes a click when it is righted. He does this with the other two locks and then pauses when he gets to the magical looking one. He looks to me for reassurance and smiles a weak stretch of lip. He raises his hand and places it over the magic lock. His palm begins to glow with a grey light that gets brighter the longer he leaves it on there. He pulls away after thirty seconds, but nothing has happened.
“Shit,” he says. “I thought that would work.”
“What do you mean you thought? Like you had no idea when you came up with this plan if your magic would open this lock?” I ask him a bit sarcastically, because really, what the fuck, guy?
“There has never been a reason to open this door before, as it is for keeping people in, so I thought since my princely blood runs through these castle walls, it would open for me. I guess I was wrong,” he says, looking as if his ego deflated a bit.
“Maybe if we try it together? I don’t want to miss the window for the ceremony. It’s too important to me,” I say, looking at him with a glimmer of hope. I really need this to work. His forlorn face becomes determined, and he grabs my hand. He places his over the lock again and puts mine on top.
“When I say, call on the magic inside of you and direct it to your hand. Don’t do too much, because it could catch someone’s attention, and that is the last thing that we need right now. Just give me enough juice to get this lock started
,” he tells me, like I know what he is actually talking about. I just smile and nod like a damn bobble head doll.
He starts to whisper, and the bright light returns. I close my eyes and think about what it felt like the last time his magic coursed through my veins. It comes quicker than I realize, and before I know it, Cass’s magic electricity is flowing out of my hands into his. I make sure to rein it back in a bit, so I don’t do any damage, and just when I don’t think I can hold on any longer, I hear a pop, click, hiss. I open my eyes and see the field in front of me. Apparently that little magic fest we just did opens doors too.
Cass goes first and sticks his head out. He gives the all clear, and we make a run for the stables. You can see them in the distance, but it is difficult to tell how far away they are. We must be on the opposite side of the property because nothing looks familiar. It’s going to take some maneuvering to get there, but there is a tree line to conceal us from the full moon’s glow. I feel like we are on a covert mission in a spy movie. I can’t help but to hum the Mission Impossible theme in my head as we run. I guess it is my brain’s way of dealing with the stress of possibly getting caught. I can’t complain though, because my view of Cass’s ass is quite spectacular.
We finally reach the barn and slink inside. All is quiet except the gentle sounds of horses. We make our way to the elite wing, and Red sticks his head out of the stall.
It’s about time. We need to hurry up if we are going to make midnight, Red speaks telepathically.
I quickly get him out of his stall. I don’t bother with a lead line but put the halter on him in case anyone spots us. Cass seems to be getting Storm out of his stall, and I give him a questioning look.
