“Yes, it was so close. But here I am, doomed to rest in this pit forever.” He sighed, propping himself up with an elbow. “I suppose there is nothing left to do but the inevitable. We…I forfeit.”
Garild pushed them from his mind, shattering the illusionary forest. He felt exhaustion wash over him, coating every inch of his being in fatigue. Despite it, he managed to feel an immense sense of joy and he looked at Kirheen with a look of utter disbelief.
“Kirheen and Garild, you have won this battle.”
Her face lit up, a mirror of the dumbfounded joy he felt, and she lurched towards him, wrapping him in her arms excitedly. Garild returned her hug, feeling elated at the closeness. A grin broke across his face and despite his best effort, he couldn’t make it go away. They’d actually won!
“Alright you two. I suppose you’ve earned some praise. That was very well played,” Burk said, clapping him on the shoulder. “You both did well.”
“Thank you, Burk! You gave us quite the challenge.”
“Not enough of one, I’m afraid,” Abby said with a smile. She was quickly blocked out of view by Tomias and Fenir and Garild let himself be ushered from the room, the cheers of the other Bonded waning as they stepped outside. Having won their battle, they were free to rest until the next match, something Garild wasn’t apt to deny, despite his excitement.
As his excitement left him, the full weight of his exhaustion hit like a ton of bricks. His shoulders slumped and his eyes grew heavy, muscles relaxing until they felt heavy and lifeless. Kirheen too seemed to be feeling the after effects of using so much power in such a short amount of time. Her eyes fluttered rapidly, as if she could somehow blink away the tiredness she felt.
“That was close, but incredibly well played. I find myself feeling quite proud,” Tomias said, his excitement bubbling just below the surface. His eyes twinkled and Garild could only imagine he was already scheming to rub their victory in Grants face the first chance he got.
“Don’t get too comfortable. You’ll be up again soon.” Three pairs of eyes narrowed and bore into Fenir with the force of a meteor slamming into a planet. He waved a hand in the air, brushing off their glares like he was swatting away flies and turned away from them.
“I feel completely drained. How are we supposed to keep up this kind of momentum,” Kirheen asked, rubbing her temples in slow circles.
Tomias sighed. “I won’t lie. It’s going to be tough, but your training this winter is going to help. We worked as hard as we did so you’d have the stamina to last through these battles.”
“I hope you’re right,” Kirheen grumbled. “If anyone needs me, I’ll be resting over there.”
“I think I’ll join her,” Garild muttered, unsure whether the words had even left his mouth properly. His tongue felt thick and clumsy, too big for the space it occupied. He’d thought to catch up with Kirheen but she seemed so far away. When he did finally reach his destination, he crumbled to his knees, turning himself to rest his back on the smooth, cool bark of a wraith wood tree. Kirheen was already situated, her head reclined back and her eyes closed.
“Good work today,” Garild said, letting his thoughts drift out to her. The wind rustled the leaves above them, tiny whispers of sound that lulled him into a more relaxed state.
“Same to you. I’m glad you’re on my team.”
He smiled, letting her words fill him with warmth. Before winter, he’d thought himself such a fool. He didn’t think Kirheen could ever come to care about him or see him as an equal, but over those cold, bitter months she’d changed. While he still doubted she felt the same way he did, it didn’t seem like such an abstract possibility anymore. There was hope for them and despite his own desires, he was willing to wait. For now, just sharing a friendship was enough.
They rested for a time, silent and comfortable, letting the fatigue slip from their bodies. Walls were mended, weak spots bolstered for the battle to come. A part of Garild wished he were back in the temple watching the other battles. He wanted to learn from them, to watch them make mistakes and adapt to new situations. That knowledge would be a powerful aide in the next battle. His body and mind demanded rest through and he was weary to ignore such urgings.
The realization that he’d fallen asleep in earnest didn’t come until Tomias woke him. He smiled apologetically and reached down a hand to help him up. “How long was I out,” Garild asked, looking around. Kirheen stood to the side, awake but quiet. Her eyes were cast to the temple and his stomach turned sour. “Oh.”
“Afraid so,” Tomias said. “It’s almost time for your next battle.”
The nervous energy he’d come to be well acquainted with surged as he followed them back to the Temple of Gathering. As they entered the room, the other Bonded burst into cheers.
“Celene and Aeirn, you have won the battle.”
They beamed, obviously delighted by their victory. They shook hands with their opponents, Carter and Fiona and both parties faded back into the crowd. Kirheen and Garild rejoined the rest of the Bonded, standing slightly back from the crowd as if it would prevent them from being called next.
“That concludes our first round of battles. You have five minutes before we start the next set of matches. Please be ready,” Nyson said. He waved at them dismissively and the room exploded with conversation. Strategies were discussed, victories and losses fussed over, debates arising about the power of manipulators. All of this swirled around Garild. It filled the air around him but he heard little of it and participated even less.
Kirheen seemed to be in a similar mood, keeping her distance from the others and not slipping into the conversation. He reached over and grabbed the soft fabric of her robe.
“You ready for the next match,” he asked.
“Yes, I guess so,” she said, but her face seemed troubled. She frowned, choosing to confide in him rather than hide her feelings. “I am ready, I just… I feel more nervous this time. Our first round wasn’t exactly easy. It can only become more difficult from here, right?”
“I suppose you’re right,” he said softly, searching the room and picking out the remaining competition. There were in for a tough fight, regardless of who they ended up against.
The break they’d been granted was gone before they could process its existence. Nyson took his place back at the end of the room and the room settled into silence. All eyes watched the Union Master and Garild felt the hair rise on his arms. When Nyson spoke, the words settled into his heart like they’d been pounded into him with a hammer.
“Kirheen, Garild, Ian and Isa, please step forward.”
Chapter 18
Kirheen kept her eyes cast down towards the floor, trying to avoid the green eyed distraction standing across from her. Now was not the time to be caught up in silly feelings, not the time to feel her heart fluttering in her chest or her breath catching in her throat.
There was also the very real terror that if things fell apart during the battle, her mind would be open for Ian to pick through. There would be nothing stopping him from learning the truth, nothing hiding the answer that he seemed to seek with his eyes.
“Good luck,” Ian said and she merely nodded, choosing instead to focus her eyes on Isa who seemed just as nervous as she was, though for entirely different reasons.
“Same strategy as before,” Garild asked her.
It took her longer than it should have to formulate a response. “Yes. Get in before they have a chance to do anything. One of them is a manipulator. Let’s not take any chances.”
The match started with a power struggle, Garild locking energy with one of their opponents as he sought control. He feigned a dip in power and then burst forward, effectively pulling Isa and Ian into his illusion. They appeared in a clearing, watching the trees around them with cautious eyes. Garild had chosen to use the forest again, though he'd changed it from the last battle.
Isa looked upset. “I'm sorry, Ian. I tried.”
“Don't apologize! He's strong. We're
in for quite a fight.”
Instead of dashing off into the forest, the pair opted to set up a fortress at their location. Kirheen watched from the nearby trees as Isa conjured up a wall around them and together they fortified it to a surprising degree. There would be no getting to them physically.
A moment later, Kirheen felt a twinge of pain as someone began an assault on her senses. She hadn't been expecting it and the next blast of power sent her to her knees, the world around her a blur of greens and blues as it spun. She flung up her defense as best she could and squeezed her eyes closed while she waited for the moment to pass. When she opened her eyes, she was staring at the canopy of trees above her.
“Isa is going for individual attacks and somehow she is doing it from afar. Watch your defenses. We're going to need to end this quick.”
“Got it!”
Kirheen gathered herself up off the ground and turned back towards the clearing. The fortress was still there, but without a way to see through it, there was no telling whether they were in it. She didn't know how long she had been down. It had felt like seconds, but time was funny in illusions. Turning away, she gasped as she came face to face with Ian.
It was sheer instinct that saved her.
She managed a thin shield just as a blast of power hit hard. It was enough to shatter her defense, but not enough to take her out of the match. Her shoulder smacked painfully against a tree as she was flung back. The shield had deflected some of the energy back on Ian and he had been knocked onto his back. Kirheen used the time to stagger forward, fully intent on taking him out of the match.
Ian raised a hand in front of him. “Kirheen, please don't. I think I'm hurt.”
Something in his voice stopped her in her tracks, something in his green gaze that pleaded for mercy. She locked eyes with him and found herself unable to look away. She saw Isa step through the trees a moment too late. There was nothing she could do as a wave of power rolled her way, the force of it whipping up leaves and dirt like a tornado.
A great wall of dirt rose to her left, blocking her from the impact. It was still enough to crumble the wall but it gave her time to retreat. Garild stood at the edge of the trees, ready for another attack. Isa and Ian stood a few feet away and they eyed each other, both groups tense and at the ready.
“You almost fell for that, Kirheen. I'm surprised,” Ian said.
Kirheen felt herself blush. “I knew Garild was there! I was trying to throw you off.”
“Is that so? You seem mighty concerned.”
“Keep him talking,” Garild said.
“Oh, the concern wasn't for you. It was entirely for myself.”
“You're a terrible liar.”
“But I'm such a great distraction!”
At that moment, a dozen snakes appeared beneath the feet of Ian and Isa, hissing and slithering around their ankles. Isa screamed, her big blue eyes wide with panic. Unable to stay still, she stepped back, her foot digging into one of the slithering menaces. It responded in kind, lashing out and fixing it’s fangs into her calf. It was too much for her to handle and she quickly dropped her concentration, taking her out of the match. Ian, though looking a bit unnerved, managed to keep his focus. “Well, that was humiliating.”
Kirheen smiled. “Care to forfeit?”
“Not just yet,” he said and flung a burst of power towards his feet. The illusion shattered, the snakes breaking apart into dust. He used the force of the blast to fling himself backwards and launched a wave of energy towards Garild before Kirheen could react.
The blow took him in the shoulder, spinning him around before he collided with the ground. Ian darted off into the trees, intent on drawing out his defeat. Kirheen took off after him, ignoring the leaves and branches that scratched against her skin as she darted through the forest.
Ultimately, it was his haste that cost him the match. In his attempt to flee, Ian had stepped into a trap. He swung in the air high above her, twirling from a rope around his ankle.
“Now do you forfeit,” Kirheen asked with a smile.
He scoffed. “Of course not! I can still beat you from up here.”
“I’m so very intimidated. Come on, I’ll let you make the first move.”
Ian sent out a blast of power towards her but it wavered as it got closer, breaking apart before it made contact. The movement had caused the rope he dangled from to spin wildly and Ian groaned, immediately regretting his action. “Alright, I forfeit.”
The link between them dissolved and they opened their eyes to a room erupting with cheers and shouts. Isa looked completely embarrassed, her cheeks tinged red. “Did it have to be snakes?”
Garild laughed. “What would you have preferred? A bear?”
“I’d take anything over those! Uck!”
“Kirheen and Garild, you have won this round,” Nyson called from the back of the room. Garild was grinning ear to ear and she couldn’t help but join him. With two battles under their belt, it was finally starting to feel like training was paying off.
“You two did well. It was a good fight,” Ian said. “Kirheen made a great distraction. That was clever of you, Garild.”
Garild merely nodded, eyeing Ian suspiciously. Ian and Isa bowed, stepping away from the center of the room to reclaim their spot among the others.
Kirheen laughed nervously as they stepped away. When she turned to Garild, she was surprised to see an annoyed look on his face. “What's your problem?”
Garild shrugged. “It's just... I don't know. I get an odd feeling from him sometimes. The way he looks at you...”
Kirheen prickled with irritation. “Quit being paranoid. You don't know anything,” she snapped and walked away, leaving her bond mate behind to puzzle over her reaction. Tomias and Fenir were waiting for them at the far side of the room. As she came within reach, Tomias grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into a hug.
“Again! My students dazzle with their talent! Look upon them, for they are mighty!”
Kirheen rolled her eyes. “You're too much, Tomias! You're going to jinx us before the next match.”
“Next and final! You've only one round to go! How are you feeling?”
“Better than before, but still exhausted.”
“I need a nap,” Garild announced as he joined them.
“I'm afraid you won't have much time for that. You’ll be up again soon!”
As if on cue, the next match was called. “Vienna, Daris, Celene and Aeirn. Please step forward.”
“This should be interesting,” Garild said.
And it was. The match lasted all of five minutes before a clear victor was called.
“Vienna and Daris, you have won the match.”
Kirheen watched them turn towards each other, watched Vienna smirk, her blue eyes cold and calculating. Her blood turned to ice as Daris turned his head to look over his shoulder. His dark eyes found hers and he smiled. Glistening teeth, blood lust in his eyes, the smile of a wolf ready to kill.
Chapter 19
Kirheen tried to look calm, but those hungry eyes had unnerved her. Even now her hands shook, her legs feeling like limp noodles as she crossed the room. The other battles had been difficult, but she hadn't felt fear, not like she felt it now. It infected everything, creeping over her skin like ivy suffocating a tree.
Her opponents would be standing for the battle, sneering down at them from great heights while they cowered on the floor. She wanted to match them, wanted to show them that she could be strong too but the wobbling in her knees told her it wasn’t about to happen. “I'm going to need to sit for this battle,” she informed Garild.
He gave a quick nod, wiping his hands on his robe as he did. They positioned themselves on the floor, trying not to feel self-conscious under the scrutiny of Vienna and Daris. The seconds ticked by painfully slow until Nyson called for the battle to begin.
Before she even had a chance to think, she was struck by a force so powerful it felt like she'd been picked up and slammed against
a wall. She jumped to defense, trying to push back against the attack. She could feel Garild losing his grip on the situation and then they were pulled into an illusion. It wasn't one of theirs.
“Allseer be damned,” Garild cursed. “I'm sorry, Kirheen. I couldn't hold the illusion under that much pressure.”
“It's fine. We just need to be very, very careful.”
Vienna and Daris had opted to use the field again. It had earned them victory in two battles so far, each time ending in a brutal assault by way of giant fluffy monstrosities. Kirheen wasn't about to lose in such a way.
The tall field grasses rustled, looking like shimmering glass strands in the moonlight. Far ahead the card floated, shining brightly. “We're not going to go for that. We both know it isn't real.”
“I thought as much. You think one of them has it.”
She nodded. “Yes. We know they both know what it looks like. I'll hammer it out of their heads if I have to.”
“Let's do this.”
Kirheen led the way, opting to walk along the perimeter of the field rather than through it. It stretched on for a long time, but Kirheen didn't mind. They weren't even after the card. “Get ready to split.” At the count of three, Kirheen broke away from Garild and went diving into the tall grass. As she did, Garild began releasing small bursts of power, not enough to drain him but enough to light him up like a beacon for anyone nearby.
It worked flawlessly. Crouching down, Kirheen watched as Daris crept through the grass to her right, dagger gleaming in his hands. His movements were slow and controlled and he was completely focused on Garild. He hovered just on the edge of the field and Kirheen worked her way closer. He was pinned on either side and she held her breath, trying to still the frantic beating of her heart.
“Now!”
Garild whirled, flinging a wide arc of power forward into the grass. Daris hopped back, giving away his position and Kirheen lashed out, flinging another arc of power his way. It hit him in the back, knocking him off his feet. His face connected with the ground and then he shattered like glass. “Illusion,” Kirheen shouted frantically. The words had barely slipped from her lips when Daris came crashing through the grass in wolf form. He slammed into Kirheen, knocking her onto her back. Teeth snapped the air in front of her face and Kirheen tried to fend him off, her hands gripping tightly on the fur around his neck while his claws dug tracks into her shoulders.
The Bonded: The Allseer Trilogy Book I Page 15
