Another few minutes saw us passing several barns and sheds before finally approaching the main living quarters. A couple dozen cabins were peppered throughout the forest and nearby valley, with several concentrated right here. The largest house reared up before us. Built from knotty white pine, the farmhouse towered three stories above the surrounding landscape, a massive porch wrapping around all four sides. A sizable lake nestled on the far side of the house, fed on its nearest shore by the river that had spat out our three guests. It was toward this convergence we now stepped.
The Clan’s ceremonial circle had been erected barely a dozen feet away from where river met lake. A ring of polished river rocks surrounded the bare earth that hundreds of feet had smoothed down over the years. Another circle of stones surrounded the firepit where my element would be summoned. I couldn’t help the eagerness that gripped me as I embraced Elemental vision. Manipulating magical energy was downright addictive. A controllable addiction, but not one to take lightly.
Several dozen Clan members milled around the outer circle. I knew others would be hidden in the vicinity. They would keep watch while everyone’s attention was focused on the coming ceremony. Rhianne caught sight of us and dragged Ju Li and Mei along in her wake. Her parents knew her even better than I did, however, and cut her off before she could get close. She rolled her eyes, but gave in without argument, waving and falling back with the others. I agreed with her parents. Now was not the time to settle idle curiosity.
A group of four people waited near the center of the ceremonial circle: two women and two men. This was the Clan’s eldest and most powerful Quatrain. I’d never found the courage to ask just how old they were but knew they hailed from a time in China even more ancient than Wen and his surviving siblings.
The couple who served as the spokespeople for Clan Zi stood slightly ahead of the other two. The woman appeared ageless. Her black hair was streaked with white, but no wrinkles marred her smooth bronze skin. Each time her eyes met mine, she seemed to measure my worth in a single moment. She stripped away every layer of protection I had built up during my 29 years and saw right to the core of who I was. She was the Selkie of the eldest Quatrain. The man matched the woman perfectly, with a similar ageless quality. He reminded me of Pat Morita in the Karate Kid movies, seeming both solemn and jovial at the same time.
We stopped in front of the four, who bowed slightly. Those of us already owing allegiance to Clan Zi bowed in return. Bianca and my siblings merely stood watchfully.
Wen motioned to the man and woman. “This is my mother and father, Li Ming and Jin Zi. They have the honor of serving as First Selkie and Gryphon, respectively.”
Jake’s grandmother stepped forward and turned a penetrating gaze upon the three outsiders. “It is said that you seek sanctuary with Clan Zi.” Her English was impeccable, with only the slightest hint of an accent. Jake came by his natural skill for learning new languages honestly. I, on the other hand, had completely bombed high school French.
Bianca took the lead, bowing slightly. “Yes, First Selkie. We do request sanctuary, for both ourselves and my two unborn children.”
Li Ming’s eyes widened slightly and her gaze flicked briefly to Breena before returning to the newcomers. “My son has told you the price for our Clan granting you shelter from those who seek to use you against us.”
Bianca nodded. “That we pledge fealty to Clan Zi and Cassidy Grant.”
Jin stepped alongside his wife, the intensity in his eyes showing just where Wen had inherited his own. “That was but a portion of the price.”
Bianca’s eyes flashed, and she placed both hands on her stomach. “As I told your son, saving Colin has been my intention all along. You have my word that I will lead a group of your choosing to reclaim his body and will bond with him as soon as he is able.”
Before either First could say something that might send the sensitive Phoenix over the edge, I touched her on the arm. “You also have my word that I will ensure she does just that.”
The other Phoenix flushed at the reminder that I would soon have the power to command her in both word and deed. It was the right thing to do, however, because the First Dragon and Phoenix moved up next to their bondsiblings. Their hands flashed too quickly for me to follow. While I was proving far more adept at picking up sign language than I had French, most of my lessons centered on Fire rather than communication with the two Firsts who couldn’t speak out loud. Although Li Ming and Jin served as spokespeople for the Clan, the other pair’s opinions actually tended to carry a little more weight by virtue of their being a century older than their bondsiblings.
Yan, the Dragon of their Quatrain, beckoned to me. I stepped forward without hesitating and he gave an approving smile. His wife Chin placed her hand into mine with an even bigger smile and tugged me toward the southern edge of the firepit. My fellow Phoenix always seemed to have a soft spot for me, especially when she saw me trying so hard to learn sign language. Yan, Li Ming, and Jin each took the hand of one of my future liegesworn before leading them to the other three cardinal points around the firepit. Yan moved to the north, the point most associated with earth, leaving Li Ming to step to the west and Jin to the east.
By now, the sun was beginning to sink, and evening gloom shrouded us all. Chin gestured to the waiting firepit, and scarlet energy ignited a pillar of flame that speared upward before settling into a steady bonfire. She gestured again, and scarlet bands of light encircled the eight of us in something that resembled a watered-down, unfinished version of my firewall.
Yan made an equally showy gesture, and brilliant green energy wove itself around the bands of red. Li Ming summoned blue light that threaded through the other two colors, and Jin completed the circle with blinding beams of white. My body tingled when each successive band of color blended with the others, and I ached to channel Fire myself.
Get a grip, Cass!
That inner admonishment helped me focus on the ceremony rather than my growing need for a magical 12-step program.
Li Ming’s voice broke into the early evening air. “By right of law both old and new, the circle is raised, and these people stand witness to this oathtaking. The elements themselves surround those who would become liegesworn and liegelord, demanding that only truth be spoken here. As First Selkie of Clan Zi, I claim the right to serve as spokesperson.”
The chirping of crickets was the only response when she paused before continuing. “Cassidy Grant, before you can speak the oaths that would bind these three Elementals to you as liegesworn, you must first align yourself with a Beholden Clan. Is it your wish to pledge fealty to Clan Zi?”
I blinked because I hadn’t been expecting this, although I should have. My gaze roamed around the people both inside the circle and near enough to side-eye—most notably my bondmate—but blank expressions made it impossible to tell whether this was mere happenstance or a way for them to push me into taking my own oaths. Not that it really mattered at this stage of the game. I was committed to both Jake and Clan Zi, for richer or poorer and for better or worse.
I made everyone squirm a little longer than necessary before responding. “Yes, I do wish to pledge fealty to Clan Zi.”
“And who will stand as her Clan mother and father since there are no blood relatives present?”
Yet another surprise in this ceremony that had barely begun. We’d been so busy training me in the practicalities of working with Fire magic that there’d been little time to educate me on the formal ceremonies that were so important to Beholden Clans. Nerves fluttered in my stomach as all my childhood insecurities caused by years of hopping from foster family to foster family reared their ugly heads. I needn’t have worried, though, because Yan and Chin immediately made affirmative gestures that signaled their willingness to stand as my Clan parents.
I couldn’t hold back the goofy grin that spread across my face or the warmth that swept away the butterflies. Finding my place here, among people who had started as complete strangers, felt
better than I could express with words. For the first time in my life, I felt truly at home.
And anyone who tried to take this away from me—especially my evil father—would be in for a rude awakening.
It took only a few moments to speak the words that made me an official member of Clan Zi. Yan and Chin used sign language to signal they accepted their duties to ensure I learned all the ways of the Clan, with Li Ming speaking their words out loud. Since my oath to the Clan was mere formality, they moved quickly to the part of the oathtaking we hoped would avert certain doom.
Another surprise struck in the form of Bianca and Dia quickly speaking their oaths of fealty to Clan Zi, and their oaths of fealty and obedience to me; whereas Nic visibly shuddered the entire time he spoke. I wasn’t sure if he was just opposed to giving up so much of his independence—both siblings had been raised outside the Clan system just like me—or if I had done something to make him fear giving that oath, but it didn’t really matter in the end. He gave the oath, I accepted it, and we earned the three adults and two unborn children the right to live another day.
Chapter 5
For a moment, nothing felt different, which surprised me. Bonding with Jake had hit like a sucker punch. Just when I started to think the oathtaking must have failed, violent energy dropped me to my knees. Whimpers broke out before I could stop them, and it took enormous effort to keep from writhing across the ground.
I felt Jake’s frustration from outside the circle and knew he wanted to leap to my defense, but this was one battle he couldn’t fight.
Incandescent light burning with all four colors of Elemental magic assaulted my vision. I gasped before jamming my eyes closed. That didn’t do a damned bit of good, because the multicolored light continued slamming against my senses. It took a moment to realize it was some blend of Elemental and Mindbending abilities sweeping across my psychic rather than physical senses. This point was hammered home in sharp detail when a succession of voices pierced my brain.
((Dear God in Heaven, please give her the strength to protect my babies!)) My eyes snapped open and focused on Bianca, but her mouth didn’t appear to be moving. I noticed that intertwined bands formed from all four colors of Elemental magic now connected the other Phoenix to me.
((This woman cowering on the ground is supposed to save us from our big, bad wolf of a father?)) Dia caught my attention but again, she didn’t seem to be speaking out loud. The same multicolored bands flowed from Dia’s body to mine, although they seemed brighter. Perhaps because we were related by blood? Or because of the bad blood between Bianca and me?
((What if she can tell just by looking at me? What if she knows?)) Those were Nic’s words, even though his lips remained motionless. A brilliant prism of light flowed from him to me, just as bright as with Dia. His terror held a sharp edge, knifing straight to my heart and making me stagger to my feet. Funny how I would have pegged Dia as the sibling more likely to be up to no good.
“What if I know what?”
His skin grew nearly as pale as mine. “Wh—what did you say?”
No denying that I’d heard my new liegesworn’s thoughts as clearly as if they’d spoken into my ear, alhough Dia and Nic’s mental voices seemed louder than Bianca’s. Not that I had the slightest clue how to act on realizing I’d indeed inherited my father’s telepathic abilities. Pretending that I did know what I was doing seemed the safest way to play it in light of Nic’s shady behavior.
“Answer my question, brother. Consider that a direct order.”
He started to shudder even more strongly than when he had spoken his oaths. Worry had me scurry forward when it seemed he might convulse hard enough to snap his own neck. Spit flecked the corners of his mouth, and his eyes rolled wildly, revealing the red-streaked whites in a way that was not at all natural. When drops of blood began trickling from his nose, Dia and Bianca cried out. Could Nic be having an allergic reaction to our bond?
I frowned because that didn’t feel right. This was a hundred times worse than my allergic reaction to the magical tattoo I’d gotten months ago. I’d broken out in hives and had trouble breathing. This seemed more like some alien force was ripping him apart from the inside; almost as if it were rejecting the liegesworn bond.
Elemental light exploded in the air once more and nausea thundered across my insides. A thick thread that was more an absence of color than true black twined around the multicolored cord that psychically connected Nic to me. My eyes squinted as I realized the thread didn’t completely lack color; blinding sparks of myriad shades danced along its surface as it seemed to choke the other cord. The sudden nausea foreshadowed the sense of horrified dread that struck when a familiar voice oozed into my mind.
((Well, well, well, daughter. Looks like you’re not the disappointment I assumed after all.))
((Get out of my head!)) I mentally screamed.
((Oh, my dear girl, I’m not inside your head. Not yet.))
Crushing pressure battered against the mental barriers I had learned to enact when my father last attempted to Mindbend me. I gritted my teeth and poured all my strength into maintaining those barriers. Terror grew when that nauseating black thread steadily worked its way across the cord connecting me to Nic. It spread as surely as I’d once seen blood poisoning snake along Si Si’s arm. Just like that blood poisoning, it would be lights out should that inky black void touch my core. And I didn’t have ER doctors with miracle drugs to save me like she’d had.
((I’m afraid you’re no match for me, daughter. Do you want a taste of what is to come if you keep fighting?))
Sudden dark images began painting themselves into my surface thoughts. Garrett led a terrifying army across the Clan’s borders. They easily destroyed our wards and rained all four elements against our Clan. Bullets and grenades soon followed, and we were no match for the resulting devastation. Broken bodies—all belonging to my new Clanmates—littered the fire-scorched earth. Adults, teenagers, tiny children: It didn’t matter. All were heartlessly slaughtered. Screams rent the air as those few still on their feet tried to run, only to be mown down by magical or mundane ammunition. My father’s forces pressed their advantage, cutting down Jake’s parents and then Jake himself, only to claim their ultimate victory by taking captive Bianca, my siblings, and myself.
The horror those images inspired had me scream both verbally and mentally, ((No! I will never let you do this!))
Pain began dancing along that thread as it battered against my brain, seeking a way past my defenses. The agony it inspired had me gasping and staggering. I managed to hang on thanks to a sudden surge of magical energy sent across the matebond from Jake. But while that energy proved a lifesaver to me, it put Jake more at risk. That dark black energy began questing across our bond to seek weakness there; and Jake was more vulnerable than me.
((Just give in to me, my dear, and all the pain will go away. Unless you want me to destroy your bond with your troublesome Dragon?))
((Go away you son of a bitch! That’s not even possible.)) At least I didn’t think it was.
((It’s not?) His mental voice sounded both silken and steely. And sudden dread that he might not be bluffing terrified me.
His mental presence felt twice as strong as the last time—and I’d barely managed to fight him off that day. What if he really had figured out how to sever a matebond? Even worse, what if doing something like that permanently killed one or both of us? Panic had my gaze zipping to meet Jake’s. “Our father is attacking through my bond with Nic! I can’t stop him!”
Ju Hai was the first to react, speaking from outside the circle in a forceful tone. “Order Nic to reject all other oaths besides yours. Quickly!”
My eyes widened but I nodded as comprehension sunk in. “Nic Willapana, I order you to reject any and all other oaths or bonds and hold solely to mine.”
At first it appeared I’d spoken only hot air, but then Nic’s body drew up taut and he choked out a gasp of relief as that black thread representing our f
ather’s psychic presence faded significantly. I grinned fiercely and acted on instinct, pulling energy from both my liegebond and matebond and striking out against that faded black thread with every ounce of strength I possessed. My breath caught at the sheer amount of power flooding through the liegebond; so overwhelming that my body began to tremble as I channeled it against the monster I ached to slay. Garrett’s mental voice let out a pain-wracked scream that had my grin increasing tenfold before all at once, his presence vanished completely.
Nic sagged, drawing in gulps of air and wiping spit away from his mouth. Jin offered an old-fashioned silk handkerchief, motioning toward his nose. Nic accepted it and swiped the drops of blood away. His eyes met mine, obvious relief battling equally obvious terror: this time of me.
I barely managed to keep rage in check. “I may share some of his abilities, but I am not the same monster as our father any more than you are. I’ll thank you not to treat me like I am.” Nic bit his lips, but his fear didn’t fade. “Or would you prefer I have let you convulse to death?”
Dia shot him a sisterly look of disgust. “Of course he wouldn’t. He’s too smart for that.” Her expression suddenly filled with suspicion. “Although…based on what we just heard, maybe not. This whole time you’ve been working for our psycho father? How could you, Nic?”
Nic stared at his feet, shame evident in the way his body drooped before he mumbled, “I’m sorry but…but I had no choice. Garrett had me injected with an electronic tracker before he let us sneak off his base. By now, he must know where we are.”
Which explained how Garrett had so easily struck through Nic’s bond. The psycho must be somewhere close to have acted so quickly and with so much force. The fact he’d grown so much stronger had skitters of fear pulsing along my skin.
Bianca clutched at her stomach protectively and backed as far from Nic as the still-intact circle would allow. “You little weasel. We trusted you. How could you possibly even think about working for him after everything he’s done?”
Forged from Flame Page 4
