She looked back to the forest floor, trying to ignore the eyes that hovered above her but her heart was hammering away with fear. Herzin was in her mind and this time, she wouldn’t be so lucky. Now she wanted blood and Kirheen knew that this time, she would have it.
She came to a split in the path, one branching off to the west and the other winding to the east. They were identical, neither more worn than the other. Above her, Herzin cackled. “Choose wisely, little girl.”
She stood for a time, silent and afraid, as still as a deer caught in the eyes of a predator. Her muscles ached from the stillness, her lungs burned. Leaves rustled behind her, spooking her into flight. She fled to the East, her feet carrying her as fast as they could. And Herzin laughed, and laughed, and laughed.
Through the trees, she thought she could see a clearing in the distance, a place of refuge. Hours seemed to pass before she finally burst through the edge of the forest, leaves swirling around her as she departed, trees stretching their limbs in an attempt to stop her.
Her breath came in ragged gasps and she glanced over her shoulder, fully expecting to find creatures in pursuit. The trees swayed, angered by her flight but she was safe for the moment.
When she turned back to the clearing, her heart froze. What had looked to be tall, green grass was a barren waste. The ground was cracked and darkened, splitting in great chasms that begged for moisture, despite the fact that the entire area was covered in thick, gelatinous goo. It was dark and putrid and clung to her bare feet, squished between her toes. Giant pools of darkness bubbled and spat and occasionally, a hand would burst from within, grasping desperately for freedom only to be pulled back and engulfed.
This was the future that awaited them, a land of darkness and chaos. In the distance, someone screamed, a terrifying sound that didn’t seem human. She shuddered in fear, hugging herself as she crept across the land. The forest behind her had disappeared, leaving her in a rotting world with blackened eyes watching her from above.
Another scream pierced the air, this one closer and to her right. She shifted her direction, moving towards the scream. Perhaps she could help, to stop the pain that caused them to yell out in anguish. A man sat on the ground with his back to her, his head hanging in defeat. He rocked back and forth, muttering to himself as he did. He wore tattered robes so stained by the corruption that she could never tell what color they once were.
She approached cautiously, and as she did, she noticed another man lying in front of him, completely motionless. She crept closer, holding her breath, trying not to disturb the man. When she was finally close enough to touch him, she reached forward and gently touched his shoulder. He turned quick as a snake and latched on to her arms before she could react. His hands were slick with the corruption and it seemed to leak from his skin. The corners of blackened eyed oozed, trails of sludge looking like tears.
She tried to pull away in fear, but he held fast. There was a twisted sense of the familiar and she forced herself to look at her captor. Familiarity turned to horror as she realized she stared into the face of Tomias. She screamed, struggling frantically to get away from him. He forced her to the ground, pinning her hands next to her head.
“I didn’t mean to,” he wept, his inky black tears dripping onto her face. “I didn’t want to. But now he’s gone. Gone. Just like this world.”
She looked towards the motionless man on the ground, his build so like Tomias, white hair stained with darkness. Her stomach twisted, a mixture of fear and anger.“You killed him!”
“I didn’t want to. Couldn’t have known. This… all your fault. Your fault. You wanted this world. You wanted this!” He raised his arm high above him, his fingers clenching into a fist. As he brought it down hard and fast, she whispered an apology.
“I’m sorry.”
The blow broke the hold of the dream and she squirmed awake, frantically trying to move. It took her a moment to realize that someone held her down and she cried out. Tomias loomed over her. She saw his eyes dripping black and she struggled to free herself. He let go of her and she flung herself from the bed, scrabbling to the corner of the room.
He was on his knees in an instant, calmly speaking to her as if she were an injured bird. His brown eyes were filled with concern. Warm brown eyes, the color of caramel. Nothing like the inky blackness she’d seen in her dream.
“Kirheen, please. It’s me. You were only dreaming. I’m not going to hurt you, okay?” He inched forward, his hand held out towards her. His white hair was unbound and it fell around his face like a halo of light. “Please let me help you.”
The scuffle had awoken Garild and he stood, eyes droopy from sleep, watching from the far side of the room. “Is everyone okay,” he asked, voice thick.
“Everything is fine, Garild. Just stay over there, please.”
Garild cooperated, sitting on his bed without a word. Kirheen eyed Tomias suspiciously, still feeling the residual effects of the dream and curled herself tighter against the wall. “Kirheen, please.”
He whispered gentle words to her, calming her and soothing her troubled soul. After what felt like hours, he wrapped a hand around her arm. “Kirheen, you’re awake. You’re alright.”
A wave of emotion rocketed through her and she burst into tears. She felt his arms slide under her and he scooped her off the ground, cradling her close. He smelled clean and the warmth of him was a comfort she welcomed.
“Garild, stay here please. I need to speak with her alone for a moment.”
She heard him protest but as Garild normally did, he slunk away from the confrontation, allowing Tomias to carry her from the room. They stepped into the living room and he carried her over to a chair next to the fire. She could see Fenir sitting in the edge of the light, his face half hidden in shadow. He watched them with inquisitive eyes, eyes that undeniably showed that he lived, that her nightmare hadn’t been a reality.
Tomias gently sat down in one of the chairs, shifting so she was cradled more comfortably in his arms. She realized she was clinging to his arm tightly and she relaxed her grip, sighing as she tried to bring her tears to a halt.
She felt his chin rest on the top of her head and he chuckled softly. “Well, now that that is over, want to tell me what that was all about?”
Kirheen tried to laugh but it came out as a failed puff of air. “I’m sorry, Tomias. That dream, it felt so real.”
“They often do for us,” he said softly. “These powers aren’t all they are cracked up to be. Mind telling me about your dream?”
She hesitated, trying to piece together what had happened. “It sounds so stupid now.”
“I’m not going to judge you, Kirheen. I just want to hear. Maybe I can help.”
Nodding meekly, she took a deep breath. “I… I was in a forest. It was a lot like the forest Garild likes to create when we’re practicing. I knew there were traps and every step I took was loud, impossibly loud. When I looked above me, Herzin was there, watching me. She hated me, she wanted me dead. I could feel it.” She waited for Tomias to comment but he said nothing, merely nodded. “I came to a split in the road and something scared me so I ran. I made it to a clearing and looked back at the forest, but when I turned back to the clearing it had changed. It was…horrifying. There was darkness everywhere. I can’t even begin to explain it. Herzin was still watching me only her eyes were black, like she’d been corrupted. And then I found you and…and,” she sighed, feeling the tears well up in her eyes again.
How could she tell him that she’d seen him hovering over the dead body of Fenir? How could she tell him that he had hurt him, hurt him bad enough that he’d lay so still, his life gone. She wouldn’t do it, couldn’t! “I saw you there and you were covered in the Darkness. It was coming out of your skin, your mouth, your eyes. You…you attacked me.” She couldn’t hold it back any longer and she cried, burrowing her head under his chin. He shushed her, rocking her gently.
“And then you woke up. Kirheen, I’m sorry if I frighte
ned you. That must have been so confusing. I heard you thrashing around in your sleep and came to check on you. I didn’t realize…I shouldn’t have tried to wake you so suddenly.”
“It’s not your fault. It was just a stupid dream.”
“Was there anything else you saw?”
Death…And Fenir, so cold and broken. “No. That was it. Is that really what it’s like?Is the Darkness really so terrible?”
Tomias nodded. “Kirheen, I’ve yet to witness the Darkness with my own eyes. The Allseer has seen fit to bless me with that much. I have, however, heard many stories and it is much as you described it.”
“How can we face such a thing?”
“We do what we can, Kirheen. It’s a sacrifice, but if we are to stay safe, it is one that has to be made. Tell me, are you worried about tomorrow?”
She saw no point in lying. “Yes.”
“Your dream seemed to indicate so. Kirheen, do not fret. You are strong and smart and we’ll be standing by to keep anything bad from happening. You’ll be letting people into your mind, but you know how to block them now, you know how to turn their manipulations against them. Don’t forget that. You’re going to do fine.”
“What about Herzin?”
Tomias sighed. “It’s true, she’ll be watching in on the whole thing which means she’ll be in your mind as well, but she’d be a fool to pull anything in front of Nyson. He wasn’t exactly thrilled with her earlier antics, if you couldn’t tell. And as I said, we’ll be there to protect you.”
Fenir nodded, sharing a rare smile with her. It was such an odd thing to see on his face that she found herself smiling too. “Thank you both.” Now calmed, she felt suddenly self-conscious, her body pressed so close against Tomias. In the moment it had been comforting, but now it just felt strange. She squirmed and he loosened his grip, allowing her to untangle herself and stand. “I’m sorry about all this. I think I’m going to head back to bed.”
“Don’t apologize,” Tomias demanded. He stood and stretched, giving her a warm smile as he lowered his arms back to his sides. “You are more than welcome to stay up with us. I'm loath to admit it, but it's hard to sleep for us too.”
Kirheen smiled. “Thank you, but I should probably get what sleep I can before tomorrow.”
“True enough.”
She turned to leave and she felt his hand slide around her arm, halting her. “Kirheen, you’re going to do fine tomorrow. I promise.”
His brown eyes were steady, filled with an unspoken truth. She nodded and his hand fell away. “Thank you again. I’ll see you both in the morning.” She walked away, stepping back into the darkness of her room. Garild stirred as she entered.
“Are you okay,” he asked, sitting up in bed. She could barely see his outline in the light of the moon. “I was worried.”
“Sorry to worry you, Garild. I’m fine. It was just a bad dream, you can sleep now.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
She sighed. “I’d rather not. I’m just going to try and go back to sleep.”
“We’re going to do great tomorrow,” Garild said softly.
“I sure hope so,” Kirheen whispered, slipping beneath the covers. She listened to the world around her for a time, listened to Garild as his breathing deepened and he sunk back into a dreamless sleep, listened to the creaking of the house, the trees rustling as the wind caressed them. She thought of the battles that would occur come morning and she found the fear that she’d felt was dissipating. Tomias had said he’d keep her safe and she trusted his word. She trusted Garild to stand strong in the battles, knew in her heart that her own strength would help them both. The battles were new and frightening but she felt a sense of excitement as well. Whatever struggles they faced, they’d make it through. She was ready.
Chapter 15
Tomias leaned over Kirheen, hand hovering in the air between them. He felt horrible about waking her. With the night she’d had, it seemed cruel to rouse her from a peaceful slumber. The battles weren’t going to wait for them and as such he was forced to choose cruelty. Losing a battle was one thing; disqualification for being late was quite another.
With a deep breath, he reached down and gently shook her shoulder, half expecting her to go leaping from the bed in fright. Instead, her eyes flickered open and she blinked at him sleepily, her storm colored eyes patched with red. The skin around them was puffy, a direct result of many shed tears. “Rise and shine my little blocking master! Your talents are required.”
Once her brain was able to comprehend his words, she rolled over onto her stomach, pulling her pillow over her head with a groan. She clenched it tightly over her ears and he had to strain to make out the mumbles from beneath the pillow. “Can’t I just sleep a little longer?”
If only… Tomias reached down, plucking the pillow away from her grasping hands. “I’m afraid not. I already let you sleep far longer than I should have. You need to be up and ready in ten minutes or the battles are going to start without you.”
“Ugh, fine.” Kirheen rolled over with a groan, throwing her blanket over the side of the bed. Garild was already shifting in his bed and he sat up, brown hair sticking out in all directions.
“Is it already time?”
Tomias grinned. “It is, indeed. You best be up and ready soon. Hurry up!”
This was met with an elaborate sigh from both of his students. He left the grumbling duo to the task of getting ready and joined his twin in the front room. Fenir sat in a chair by the fireplace, slowly devouring an apple as he stared at the forest outside. He barely shifted as Tomias sat down.
“You think they’re ready for this,” Fenir asked, biting into his apple.
“Guess we’ll find out soon enough. I can’t tell who is more nervous about all of this. Me or them?”
“Is that even a question? If you desire clarification, I can provide. You are more nervous by far. They aren’t even out of bed yet.”
As if on cue, Garild stumbled from his room, hands fumbling at the silver sash around his waist. He was wearing a new robe, dark blue with their symbol emblazoned on the back. Though he’d made an attempt to smooth his hair, it was obvious he’d just rolled out of bed.
“How are you feeling, Garild?”
Garild, finally content with his sash, looked up and shrugged. “I don’t know… I’m nervous. It’s just a competition and I know it doesn’t mean anything but I can’t help but let it get to me. We’ve put a lot into this and…I want to win. Hard to believe huh?”
“A little competitive spirit is good, Garild. Use it. And trust me, you aren’t the only nervous one around here. Apple?” Tomias held a basket of apples out to him and he shook his head quickly, choosing instead to sit down. “You won’t get another chance to eat, you know?”
“I know. Just the thought of eating right now…”
Kirheen bustled into the room, deftly tying her sash as she hustled towards them. She gave Tomias a curt nod before snatching an apple from the basket and planting herself in a seat next to Garild. Tomias shrugged, setting the basket back on the floor next to his brother.
“And how are we feeling this morning, Kirheen?”
Her teeth were parted, apple almost to her lips. She glared at him over the top of her apple and then lowered it, shuffling it in her hands. “I just want to get this over with.”
“Nervous?”
“Yes? No? I’m excited to use my powers in earnest against an unfamiliar opponent. I’m not so delighted about that unfamiliar being in my head. It’s one thing to have any of you in there, but to have someone else… Uck, just thinking about it is making my stomach hurt.”
Tomias frowned. “It’s going to be difficult. You’re going to be pushing yourselves to the brink today but I know you’ll do great. This nervousness we’re all feeling is a good feeling. It means you know you can lose and that will keep you cautious. Walk in with an attitude and you’ll fall the hardest. Just remember that.”
They both nodded, falli
ng into a moment of silence before a knock at the door caught their attention. Trista bounded through the door, radiating levels of cheer not felt by the rest of them. “Good morning!” She sauntered into the room carrying a covered basket and earned the interest of everyone in the room.
“What did you bring us today,” Tomias asked though his nose picked up the scent of wraith blossom cakes as he asked the question. “Ah, my favorite.”
“And fortunately for everyone else, none of them are for you,” she chided, stopping next to his brother. She set the basket in his lap, allowing him to open it and look at the contents.
Fenir snorted. “Told you she holds a grudge.”
“Yeah, yeah. Shut up. My dearest, darling Trista. What would it take to be put back in your good graces?”
Trista rolled her eyes. “You were never in my good graces, you know that. I’m not sure why you’d start trying now.”
“Because I’m hungry,” he said with a grin. Her green eyes were amused and she motioned for Fenir to hand him a cake.
“At least you’re honest. Only let him have one for now. The rest of you get to eat until your content and he can have the crumbs.”
“Thank you, dear lady. You are too kind,” he said with a mock bow. He took the cake from his brother, giving it a light squeeze and relishing in the spongy texture. It was gone far quicker than he’d hoped and he watched as Fenir handed out the rest, leaving only a few at the bottom of the basket. He eyed them hungrily but Trista strategically positioned herself between him and the cakes.
“Grudge was an understatement.”
“Maybe you should be nicer.”
“Pfft, never!”
Despite their earlier hesitation to eat, Kirheen and Garild were down to the last of their cakes and they look satisfied and content. “I think we’ll be disqualified for being so well fed ahead of time. Do you ever get in trouble for this, Trista?”
The Bonded: The Allseer Trilogy Book I Page 12
