By Destiny Bound (The Lost Shrines Book 2)

by Amberlyn Holland

  Maddyn stepped close once again, gently brushing his thumb over the medallion. Yve held her breath wishing his fingers would graze against the skin underneath it. Telling herself she wasn't disappointed when they didn't.

  "The Kelan saw something in you. She said you were here for a reason. That you had a part to play. This wasn't a mistake. You heard her words. There is something you must do. She gave this to you for a purpose. I felt the energy that passed between the two of you. That was no accident."

  His hand dropped away, but his pale gaze held hers, the intensity refusing to let her look away.

  "Maybe not. But I have no idea what those reasons are. What I'm supposed to do. Or how the gift works."

  His mouth tensed into a thin line. "Most of us don't know how our gifts work when they're first thrust on us. And sometimes, they're so frightening we resist exploring them. But they always have a purpose. It's up to us to be prepared when it comes time use them."

  Yve thought about the burden Maddyn carried. The terrifying and awe-inspiring Attribute. The rumors and legends that went along with it.

  She remembered the strain on his body, and the cold, distant blankness in his eyes when he'd unleashed the dark glow of his power. When he brought Daen back from death. The pain and exhaustion etched in the lines of his face when he'd succeeded. The wary way he'd looked at her, expecting rejection or fear or worse. More than anyone, he understood the weight she was struggling under.

  "I'm sorry. I didn't think--"

  "No need." Maddyn waved off her apology. "You don't have to understand your gift or your purpose yet. You just have to be willing to learn. The only way you fail is if you give up."

  Yve swallowed, surprised he had such faith in her, despite their rocky beginning. His certainty was palpable, buzzing in the air between them. A wave of reassurance and confidence.

  Nodding in acknowledgment, she swayed toward him, her feet shifting of their own volition to bring her closer to Maddyn. He reached out, one hand curving around her shoulder to steady her, the other gripping her fingers gently in his. When he took her hand, she shivered. An echo of that electric surge she'd felt once again flashed between them and hummed along her skin.

  The air around them crackled, and a silver glow encased their joined hands, raced across their flesh until it burst into a glowing halo around them.

  Shocked and silent, they stared at each other until Daen's exasperated sigh broke the tension.

  "Another moon-bond?" Daen asked, voice stunned and dismayed. A hint of envy underscored the question.

  Maddyn jerked his hands away from her and took two full steps back. His head twisted toward the door, eyes wide and wild, like he was searching for an escape route.

  Yve glanced between him and the prince, confused and uncertain. Moon-bonds were fairy stories. They existed in silly tales told to children.

  But neither man looked like this was a joke.

  And the legends she'd spent her life chasing had been those same kind of fairy stories to others. Now they seemed alarmingly real.

  She felt it then, a pulse of doubt mixed with want that echoed the fear and intrigue in pale eyes now locked back on her.

  Straightening her shoulders, Yve crushed the romantic girl who wanted to swoon and giggle and wallow in the sensation of connection. She'd just accepted a burden and made a promise to the Kelan Orra. Being bound to a stranger would make keeping that promise much more difficult.

  *****

  Moon-bond. The word echoed in Maddyn's head, appalling yet tantalizing. Even with the distance he'd put between them, it wasn't enough to shake the want that enveloped him. At the same time, the urge to run from it pressed against his control.

  "That's not possible," he insisted flatly, despite the evidence of his eyes and his mind. The silver mist was fading quickly but, as much as he wanted to, he couldn't deny its existence. Any more than he could deny the sizzle of power that had passed between them. Or the way her confusion and hurt, want and resolve hinted at the edge of his own rolling, contradictory emotions.

  Daen turned his head toward the broken stained glass above the altar. The bright glow of full moon spilled through unimpeded and bathed the whole Centrum in its brilliant light. Outshining the fading silver mist.

  "If I remember my legends correctly," he said thoughtfully. The tinge of envy gave way to resignation and a hint of amusement. "It takes three elements to forge a moon-bond. Two harmonious souls meet in a place blessed by the Goddess. Under the light of a full moon. To experience an ordeal of pure emotion."

  Yve stared at him, then down at her hand where the silver glow faded, sinking back into her skin.

  "I can't..."

  Yve curled her splayed fingers into a tight fist and let it drop to her side. Her chin lifted, and her intention firmed into rock solid resolve along the bond that already seemed to be strengthening between them.

  "It doesn't have to be permanent," Daen reminded them. "If you don't consummate the bond at the next full moon, you'll be free of each other."

  Yve's shoulders lowered slightly in relief, but she still looked strained to the point of breaking.

  "Even temporary... If I'm the new Kelan, we need to keep this a secret. We can't..."

  The knife-sharp surge of pain and regret that sliced into his heart took Maddyn by surprise. It shouldn't hurt. He didn't want this either. He couldn't afford to let this get in the way of his mission. Yet the ache persisted.

  He was almost grateful when his heightened hearing caught the sound of rushing footsteps crossing the garden. Instantly alert, Maddyn pushed to the front of the Centrum, placing himself between Yve, the prince and whatever new danger was coming. He reached for the sword that wasn't there and cursed. Out of respect, he'd left it off for the meeting with Kelan in the Temple. He wouldn't make that mistake again.

  The polished uniforms of the squad of palace guard allowed him to relax slightly and drop his hand away. Then he caught sight of the Seryts trailing behind them and felt Yve's sinking dread and considered running for the first time in a long time.

  Daen stepped closer to Maddyn and Yve. "I think it's best if we keep Maddyn's true purpose in Galwei a secret from anyone who doesn't already know it. The matriarch's death may be a coincidence, but it seems unlikely."

  Before Maddyn could respond, the crowd pouring in reached them, and he didn't dare risk being overheard, even to agree.

  For several minutes, chaos exploded in the Centrum. A cacophony of why, who, how filled the room. Along with the grief and fear and anger as the Seryts came to terms with the loss of their matriarch. Healers attending to Daen as he ordered and organized a search for the murderer.

  Needing to distance himself, Maddyn stepped away from the turmoil. At the altar, he inhaled deeply. Yve, Orra, and Daen were the only fresh scents. Frowning, he took another breath. Still, no unaccounted for scent.

  It was as if the assassin never existed. The sweet, sickly smell of Daen's blood on the altar and the now shrouded Orra were proof that the cloaked figure had been here.

  Maddyn closed his eyes, recreating the scene in the black canvas of his mind. Dark red cloak. Flash of candlelight on the metal blade. Faster and more agile than Maddyn had expected.

  After Irana murdered their parents, Madd and his brothers sought out what knowledge of sorcery they could find. There was little more than rumors and whispers. But each bit they gleaned allowed them to protect themselves a little more from Hafgan and his minions.

  There were whispers of a heinous sorcerous creation known as a Blood Cloak. Sorcerers soaked cloth in the blood of victims, performing dark rights and magic, destroying life in order to create a robe that covered scent as well as other magical and mundane ways of tracking a body.

  Red cloak. Blood Cloak.

  The assassin was a sorcerer or one of his minions.

  *****

  Yve tried hard to remain still and unobtrusive in the riot of activity erupting around her. The members of the Order had surrou
nded the Kelan immediately, wailing in grief, demanding answers, whispering prayers. Daen, bless him, despite being woozy and unsteady from his wound and near-death, had taken charge. He answered questions, directed some of the guards to find an appropriate shroud for Matriarch Orra while coordinating the rest into a search.

  So far, very little attention had been paid to Yve and she was thankful for the reprieve. She wanted to run and hide.

  It was both a relief and a disappointment that Maddyn had distanced himself, stepping away from her and the chaos. She still felt him, felt his confusion twisting into cold, futile anger. She shivered at the icy, implacable resolve. His had his back to her, examining the altar closely, before moving to the broken stained glass.

  Realizing she was staring at him, again, Yve tore her eyes away. Every time she let her mind shy away from the overwhelming reality of the momentous events occurring around her, she automatically sought him out. She tried, instead, to focus on the Seryts attending to the matriarch. She should be among them. But she was still too overwhelmed and too afraid of their reaction to call any attention to herself.

  Brynna finished the last fold of the simple black shroud and stood up. She raised her face to the ceiling, blinking a few times but it did nothing to clear the sheen of tears.

  When the High-Seryt dropped her head and looked around the room, however, her eyes were determined, and her back was ramrod straight. Looking for the next task needing her attention. Brynna's gaze landed on the prince, holding himself up with pure strength of will, and she immediately called for a healer. Then she began admonishing Daen of the need to care for himself.

  Yve wondered, yet again, if the Kelan had made a horrible mistake. She was never going to have half the presence and calm self-assurance that Brynna so gracefully and naturally displayed.

  The first step of proving herself worthy of the matriarch's gift was to find her backbone and start taking part in the activity around her. She moved closer to Brynna, who had handed Daen over to the newly arrived healers.

  "Is he going to be all right?" Yve asked, straining to keep her voice from shaking.

  "He seems fi--"

  Brynna stopped abruptly, mouth a perfect O and eyes glued to the amulet around Yve's neck.

  Yve froze as well, uncertain and terrified of the next few moments.

  "Blessed Kelan," Brynna greeted formally, dropping to her knees and clasping her hands at her heart. The stiffness in her shoulders and her inflexible spine gave the traditional pose of greeting a brittle air, though.

  She spoke the formal address in a normal tone, but it cut through the noise and chaos of the Centrum like a pealing bell. Everyone turned to stare. Despite her best effort, Yve fidgeted under the intense attention.

  Elder Seryt Gyrt glowered and pushed past the others. She planted herself firmly in front of Yve and wagged her finger at the gleaming silver medallion nestled on Yve’s throat.

  "Always inappropriate and disrespectful. Pass that to true Kelan. This is no time for your childish presumption.”

  Enna stared, eyes round but uneasy. "It's not... She wouldn't... Obviously, she's the next Kelan. Right, Yve?"

  Even Enna, her best friend, wore a doubtful frown, despite coming to Yve's defense.

  "Impossible," Gyrt sputtered. "The matriarch wouldn't pass her gift on to one such as this. She's been grooming Brynna since she arrived here as a child. Everyone knows she is the next Kelan.”

  "I'm not."

  The words were firm, a tight denial uttered from the High-Seryt. Brynna stood up carefully pressing the pleats of her skirt into submission before raising her chin to face the elder Seryt. Her expression was arranged into a careful, serene mask, but she couldn't completely hide her hurt or her confusion. "I'd have felt it when she passed. I'd have felt the gift settle on me. We all know the stories. I didn't."

  Her voice caught, and she looked toward the carefully shrouded figure of the woman who'd raised her.

  "I didn't know until I saw her."

  Seryt Gyrt blustered for a moment, mouth opening and closing repeatedly until she finally blurted out, "Perhaps the passing is just delayed. Yes. Delayed because this presumptuous child donned the amulet she was never meant to wear. Once she gives it to you--"

  "Enough," Madd growled. "Kelan Orra placed the medallion around Yve's neck with her own hands. I saw it."

  "As did I," Daen added before Gyrt could spit out another accusation. "I heard her, as well. She said Yve had an important role to play. She made her promise to carry it. There is no doubt of Blessed Kelan Orra's will."

  His eyes, soft and sympathetic, slid toward Brynna, but the High-Seryt kept her eyes on the rustling members of the Order. Her expression remained stoic and blank, but tension vibrated in the lift of her chin and the hard edge of her voice.

  "The prince is right. We must honor the passing of Kelan Orra and prepare for her funeral rites." Her eyes blinked briefly before turning to face Yve. "And our new matriarch, Blessed Kelan Yve, needs our support."

  Every eye in the room snapped back to her with varying degrees of accusation, confusion, suspicion and agreement.

  Yve automatically sought out Maddyn. She wanted to hide, to step behind Maddyn and lean into his solid strength. Let him shield her from all of the speculation and expectation like he'd shielded her from discovery in the alcove. But that wasn't an option. Despite the bond, he wasn't truly hers to lean on. And the last thing she needed was to give the older Seryts yet another reason why she was wholly inappropriate to carry the title Orra had bestowed on her.

  Besides, their worlds were rapidly moving in two different directions. In a month, she'd still be Kelan. Still have duties and responsibilities to the Order. He'd have moved on. Back to the Isles or to somewhere else on his quest to stop Hafgan and Tresk for good.

  Instead, Yve forced herself to stand tall and address the Order. "We must begin preparations for the ritual to help Orra on her passing."

  The healers took charge of the shrouded Kelan's remains and Yve allowed herself one last, grief-stricken moment before she turned and led the Seryts out of the Centrum. They would spend the hours until dawn in the meditation chamber, reciting the prescribed prayers and readying the ritual objects for the rite of passing.

  She glanced back once to see Daen and Maddyn in close discussion. She knew they would do everything in their power, but that wasn't enough to soothe her. Yve made a silent promise to herself, to the Seryts and to the memory of Matriarch Orra. She would do everything possible to protect the Order and defend the kingdom.

  She'd never expected to be more than a Seryt. Would never have asked for it. Wasn't even sure she wanted it.

  But the matriarch had believed in her, and, whether they liked it not, knew it or not, the Order was depending on her. She intended to do everything in her power to prove herself worthy.

  Whatever was going on. Whatever had led tonight's tragedy, it started with what Maddyn was seeking. So that is where she'd start too. Trying to find Maddyn the answers he needed.

  *****

  Maddyn wanted to follow when Yve led the Order away. The bond, new and buzzing with random sensations tugged at something deep in his soul.

  Instead, he forced himself to turn away, refused to watch as she disappeared from sight. He let the confusion, frustration and restlessness have full rein, allowed it to twist through him and fuel him. And then he called on his Hound.

  Maddyn's vision blurred white, his muscles itched and burned from the inside out while his body altered and he exchanged forms.

  Gasps of shock echoed behind him, along with yelps and shouts of surprise and alarm. Nothing new. Nothing he hadn't heard and ignored a thousand times before. He wasn't human. He wasn't Milesan. He wasn't of the Tribes.

  In saving him and his brothers, his foster parents created something new and completely unique.

  New and unknown always led to fear and uncertainty.

  Fully in Hound form, he flexed the rippling muscle under the white
fur. Let the sounds and scents drench, hoping his heightened senses in this shape would pick up something even his Milesan advantages hadn't given him.

  But there was still nothing. With a growl of frustration, he exploded off the floor. His paws barely touched the altar before he was pushing off, leaping out through the broken stained glass.

  The second round of shocked, choked sounds amused him.

  On the ground outside the Temple, he took stock. In front of him, the wall rose thirty feet above him. No sign of rope or conveyance to get the assassin to the top. Under normal circumstances, he'd dismiss it as an option to escape. But these were no ordinary circumstances. And he'd learned enough about sorcery in their years of pursuing Hafgan not to dismiss the impossible.

  Still, if that was the way assassin escaped, Maddyn had no hope of finding him. If he stayed inside the walls, however, the cloak would give him away to the numerous guards spreading out in pursuit of the assassin. He'd have to take it off somewhere quiet. Maddyn's best chance was to search for the sudden appearance of a scent where none should be.

  So, going over the wall was out. To Maddyn's left was the Temple garden, and, beyond that, the Keep itself. Enough people strolled there regularly in the evenings that the intruder would have been taking a big risk of being seen as he fled from the Temple. It was also the direction the guards and the Seryts had come from. Hopefully, at least one of Daen's men was observant enough to see someone fleeing in the night.

  To his right, a path lay behind some of the outbuildings. The area was less inhabited at night and the assassin's best option of escape. Also, Madd's best chance of finding something useful.

  Of course, if the assassin knew anything about the Hound's skills at all, he'd do the exact opposite. But it was the only choice Maddyn had.