Under different circumstances, she might have laughed at how outmatched they were in terms of strength. She was a girl, strong of mind but weak of flesh and he was a wolf rippling with muscles she could feel beneath the layers of fur. She was quickly losing the battle against him and her focus was slipping. Sucking in her breath, she flung out with all she had, letting the power rip from body. It slammed into Daris, tossing him through the air like a rag doll. He hit the ground with a yelp and rose a moment later, growling and snapping his teeth at her. Such a use of power would have been considered incredibly wasteful, but at the moment Kirheen didn’t really care.
Now standing, Kirheen and Daris circled each other. She tried to ignore the burning, bloody lines arcing across the front of her. She could feel warmth sliding over her skin beneath her robes, trickling over her belly and down her legs. The mere sight of the blood seemed to work Daris into a frenzy and he lurched forward, his powerful stride bringing him close. He made to knock her down again when a swath of field erupted into flame between them and burst out towards Daris. The heat was incredible and she staggered away from it, holding a hand up to block out the light. There was a yelp of pain from the wolf and a moment later, Kirheen felt the energy surrounding Daris dissipate.
“I got him,” Garild said. “I'm heading over to you.”
Kirheen watched the flames die down before her and waited for her bond mate. There was a soft rustle of grass behind her and she opened her mouth to greet Garild. A hand slipped around her neck and the cool touch of a dagger caressed her throat. “Ah, Vienna. I was wondering where you were.” Stupid, stupid… You let your guard down.
“Shut up, Kirheen. One wrong move and I open your throat.”
“Mad about Daris? He had it coming.”
The dagger pressed against her throat and she felt a sting as the blade nicked her flesh. Garild stepped into view, his eyes going wide as he surveyed the scene. “Garild, forfeit now or I end this on my terms.”
“Don't listen to her. Don't you dare. You hit us both if you have to but take her out.”
“I know.”
Garild held up a hand. “Please, Vienna. Let's be rational here. It's two against one.”
Vienna snorted. “Is that what this looks like to you? Two against one? There isn't anything you can do.”
Garild went to step forward and stopped, halting mid-step at an angle that looked entirely uncomfortable. He looked up in shock, his face strained.
“Garild?”
“She...she did something to me. Kirheen, I can't move.”
“You see, Garild, you couldn't do anything if you wanted to. In fact...” Her hand slipped away from Kirheen and she stepped around her casually. Kirheen made to hit her but found she couldn't move. It felt like she'd suddenly turned to stone and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't force her body to move. They were done for. “I could take either of you out right now. Or I could toy with you. I could drag this out for the rest of the time until your begging for mercy.”
“Garild...no matter what she does, you stay focused. None of this is real. Stay here. Do not let her win.”
“I'll do my best,” he said but as Vienna crept close with the dagger, his face paled. She slashed at him and Garild gasped as the dagger cut across his chest. Kirheen winced, looking away as blood welled up on his skin.
Another slash. And then another.
“Kirheen, I'm slipping.”
“Don't! Damn it, I have an idea! Cling on with all you have and be ready to attack!” As Vienna dove forward with the dagger, Kirheen yelled. “Hey, Vienna! A shame I didn't get to do this to Daris! I would have had fun cutting him to ribbons. A beast like him deserves to be put down.”
The hand holding the dagger stopped in the air, the tipped pressed against Garild. She turned her head slowly, locking eyes with Kirheen. “Do not speak of him.”
“He's probably pretty humiliated right now, isn't he? He was probably hoping for another five minute battle, huh? I guess in a way, he got it, he just wasn't the victor this time.”
Vienna was furious. She whirled around, stepping towards Kirheen with the dagger held in a white knuckle grip. She raised it high, preparing to slam it down on Kirheen. With a smile, Kirheen broke her focus, taking herself out of the match. She opened her eyes to reality and turned towards her bond mate. Garild had his head bowed forward, his chin resting on his chest. “Forgive me for this,” she whispered. “And for the love of the Allseer, stay focused.” She flung her fist forward and hit Garild in the side of the face with enough force to knock him to the floor.
Garild felt physical pain as something hit him in the side of the face. At first he thought it was something Vienna had done, but she still had her back turned. The blow disoriented him as he tried to sort reality from the illusion. He reached up to touch his face and froze, staring at his own hand hovering in the air before him. My hand...I can move!
As Vienna turned, he forced all the energy he had left at her mind, taking out her defense in a single, unexpected blow. “Green dot, two yellow lines,” he shouted and then broke his link from the battle. When he opened his eyes, he was sprawled on the floor, his jaw on fire from where something had connected with his face. He sat up slowly, reorienting himself to the room. Vienna and Daris stood over him and from their dour expressions, he could tell what was about to happen.
“Congratulations Kirheen and Garild. Victory is yours,” Nyson said and the Bonded went wild. Cheers and shouts reverberated off the walls and he looked towards Kirheen in disbelief. She was rubbing her knuckles and he had a moment of realization that the object that had connected with his face had actually been her fist.
“Ki-Kirheen? Did we just... is this real?”
Kirheen smiled at him and that smiled turned into a laugh. “I think we did.”
He was overwhelmed. He reached forward, pulling her into a tight embrace. They stayed that way until they were swarmed by the other Bonded and pulled apart. They mingled for a time, hovering in a cloud of excitement and adrenaline as they chatted with the others. Vienna and Daris, humiliated by their defeat, marched from the room, anger following in their wake like a swarm of bees.
Eventually, Tomias and Fenir made their way over.
“By the Allseer, if that wasn't the most exciting thing I've ever seen. I'm so filled with pride I think I might burst,” Tomias said, grabbing each of them in an arm and squeezing them. “That was an excellent battle. You'll have to tell me how you knew how to break her power, Kirheen. We never went over that.”
“You're right,” Kirheen said, her eyes hinting at some inner turmoil. “We didn't talk about it. What was that? And why did we never discuss this in training? That could have cost us the match!”
Tomias met her eyes. “And I apologize for that. I didn't think... We'll talk about it soon, just not here.”
Garild was confused by the exchange and glanced between them. “What are you talking about?”
“Later, Garild. Later. You two enjoy your victory right now. We can discuss details another time.” With that they turned and drifted from the room. When he turned towards Kirheen he watched her eyes following them, her brows furrowed in frustration. He was about to ask her what she was feeling when he was pulled away by Burk and tossed among the others, a dozen different voices vying to talk about their victory.
“It's rare. It's not something we talk about often because it isn't something we see. To be honest, aside from Nyson, I don't know many with that power.”
Kirheen sat in front of the fire, chewing on a piece of bread while she listened to Tomias explain what had happened in their last battle. It had been such a terrifying feeling. One minute she'd been in control and the next, she hadn't been able to move or use her powers. It had been like someone had gone in and cut her brain from her body. No matter how much she told her body to do something, it wouldn’t respond. She never wanted to experience it ever again.
“It was terrifying. And Nyson has this power?”
<
br /> Tomias nodded. “Yes, he does. As far as I know, he doesn't use it. It's a bit of a touchy subject. People don't exactly like the idea of that level of control. As you said, it's terrifying if you aren’t expecting it.”
“Is there a way to break through that, aside from punching your bond mate in the face?”
Garild sat to her left, his fingers idly massaging his jaw where she'd hit him. It was already starting to color, a great purple and yellow patchwork of bruises. “Please,” he said. “I could do without her punching me ever again.”
Tomias sighed. “I wish I had better news, but I honestly don’t have a clue. What you did in the battle, hitting him outside the illusion, it was almost like hitting the reset switch. It allowed his body to recognize what was happening and break through it. But would that work every time? Would someone more experienced be able to prevent that from happening? We don’t know.”
Kirheen stared at the fire, mulling over his words as she watched the flames dance. As much as she hated the thought, she almost wished she were friends with Vienna. She could ask her about her powers, about how they worked. Not knowing made her feel vulnerable. It was something she didn't know how to face and until she did, she didn't think she'd be able to rest easy.
It opened the door for more questions. If this was a branch of power that existed that she hadn’t even known about, what else could exist? What other powers lurked out there waiting to overwhelm her? It was a sobering thought and she spent the rest of the evening in solemn silence, her mind trying to piece together a puzzle that wasn’t yet making sense.
Chapter 20
The coming days were a flurry of activity with workers from the eastern villages bustling to and fro as they prepared for the festivity to come. The workers, men and woman found unfit to battle the Darkness, moved with a focused manner, their gazes never wandering from the task at hand. They rarely spoke to each other, their heads bowed over this or that as they prepared for the feast.
Kirheen watched all of this as she meandered through Sanctuary, finally feeling well enough to leave her room. The battles had been rough, taking a toll far greater than she’d ever experienced. Despite the days spent in bed, she couldn’t have been happier. Against all odds, they had won, earning the respect of the Council, Bonded and instructors alike. It was a good feeling, powerful even, and she delighted in the peace it had brought to her heart.
The celebration was to take place the following night, as the sun sank low in the sky. Food and drink and merriment had been promised until the wee hours of the morning and she looked forward to such revels.
She passed the next day quietly, choosing to keep to her bed as she flipped through a worn book Trista had given her. Its cream colored pages were cluttered with drawings and information about various plants found in the region. She came to rest on a page with a short, dark blue mushroom covered in inky black spots. It was found in dank, dark places and was incredibly dangerous to humans if consumed. Such information was interesting, but completely and utterly useless to her. She closed the book, tucking it away beneath her bed.
Several hours before the festival was to begin, Kirheen made her way to the little hut that Trista called home. She’d promised to help her tidy her hair for the festival and Kirheen looked forward to the change. Most days she wore her hair pulled back away from her face in a loose tail or wore down but unkempt. It had grown terribly long the past few months and she found it harder to care for, the wispy strands tangling and knotting despite her efforts, which were few if she were to be honest.
Kirheen knocked softly on the door of the hut and Trista appeared a moment later. She smiled warmly and ushered her inside. The room seemed foreign, so devoid of vials and bottles and burnt plant matter that she almost laughed. Everything had been tucked away neatly, leaving a room that you could actually step through without fear of breaking your neck. The smell of cinnamon filled the small space, creating a sense of warmth that drew Kirheen in.
“What brought this on? Expecting company,” she asked, raising a brow.
“Ah, is it that obvious,” Trista asked, her cheeks turning a shade of pink that was much too obvious on her pale skin.
“Is there a certain white haired man paying you a visit later?”
Her green eyes grew wide, her lips parting in shock. “Beg your pardon? I—he..”
“Oh please,” Kirheen said with a roll of her eyes. “I’m not stupid!”
It was pretty obvious the two had feelings for each other, and though unable to communicate, they shared a bond not so unlike the one seen in the Bonded around them. Kirheen had suspected it went beyond the flirting they seemed to do on occasion, though this was the first time she’d seen fit to voice that. She imagined such a thing was frowned upon greatly, but she found herself caring little for the rules and stipulations laid forth by the Union Master. If they cared for each other, she saw very little reason why they shouldn’t be together.
“I know you aren’t stupid, Kirheen. I just…”
“Trista, it’s okay. You don’t need to explain. I’m just messing with you.”
Trista huffed, hands on her hips and her lips pulled into a frown of disapproval. She procured a chair from the far side of the room, and sat it in the empty space next to her bed. Kirheen sat down willingly, letting her tangled hair down. Trista ran her hands over it disapprovingly.
“This won’t do. You’ve just won the battles and you look like it. We’re to celebrate the Allseer tonight and we can’t have you looking like this. You’ll need to bathe if we’re to do anything with this hair of yours.”
Kirheen grinned sheepishly. “I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to keep it neat, but it’s getting so long, I’m finding it hard to do.”
“Well, we’ll worry about that later. Come on, off to the baths with us.”
They left the hut behind, weaving through the trees towards the direction of the baths. The baths were actually a set of hot springs that bubbled out of the ground just a short walk from the village. Set in a craggy nook, the multiple springs were blocked off from each other, one for the girls and the other for the boys, separated by a crude wooden fence. It wasn’t much, but it did the job.
At the edge of the pool, Kirheen stripped out of her robe, feeling slightly self-conscious in front of Trista. Trista was tall and lean, her skin pale and freckled and smooth. She was self-assured, confident in her body in a way Kirheen had yet to learn.
Trista sank into the pool, relaxing into the hot water. She rested her head against the rocks behind her, her red hair spreading out like a fan. Kirheen shimmied out of her undergarments, wrapping her arms about herself as if that would hide her naked skin. She tip toed into the water, sucking in a breath as the heat kissed her. It took her a moment to adjust but then she melted into the pool, feeling the stress of the past few days dissipate.
They soaked for a time in silence, eyes closed while they listened to the sounds of the wilderness around them. Trista raised her head, opening her eyes to look at Kirheen. “I know it was already mentioned yesterday, but congratulations. You did very well. Your bond has grown strong.”
“You think so?”
“I do. You and Garild have grown much closer.” There was a momentary pause, before Trista spoke again. “Would you permit me a personal question?”
Kirheen hesitated, fearing the question before it could even be asked. “I suppose.”
“I, I’m not sure how to ask this, but would you say your bond is of a romantic nature,” Trista asked cautiously.
Kirheen fell silent, her thoughts scrambling together into a confusing mess. In a way, Trista was right. Their bond had grown stronger. They’d grown closer as friends, finding comfort and strength in each other’s presence .Their harsh training over the winter months had brought them closer than she could have imagined, had forced her to trust him completely with her thoughts and her feelings. Growth had brought out a physical charm in Garild that had been lacking before and it hadn’t gone entirely unn
oticed. But for all of those things, Kirheen couldn’t see Garild as more than just a close friend.
Relationships were an odd thing in Sanctuary. Love was something Kirheen knew very little about. How much of that was taught? How much just simply existed? It was obvious that they Bonded young men and woman together for a purpose. She’d known from a young age that eventually she’d be expected to bear a child with her bond mate, though what that entailed held little meaning to her. It was clear to her that they were Bonded together not just for their powers but also for their personalities. The intention was for them to fall in love. How could a bond get any stronger than that? Wouldn’t you fight to protect the things you loved, no matter the cost?
Whatever the concept of love meant to her, she could not say that she felt such feelings towards Garild. It was hard to her to grasp what that would feel like, what it would mean. She did feel things from time to time. Sometimes the sight of Ian would set her heart a flutter, her skin would grow hot and she’d feel a longing deep within her. She tried her hardest to hide those feelings. Somehow it felt wrong. It made her feel ashamed that someone she wasn’t supposed to have a connection with could make her feel such a way when her own bond mate didn’t.
Trista smiled as if reading her thoughts. “For all we teach you, it seems the whims of the heart get left untaught. I only asked because I’m curious how much you know of such things. You’re a young woman and matters of the heart are bound to become a problem sooner or later. You don’t love Garild, do you?”
The Bonded: The Allseer Trilogy Book I Page 16
