“You have to push through the pain. These are the consequences of using magic against someone you care about.”
I snorted. I did not care about Ryland, but that was an argument for later.
Pressing my hand back against his shoulder, I realized Ryland’s eyes were rolling around instead of staying focused, which explained his lack of smartass replies, but also urged me along.
Maybe books weren’t going to be the best way to learn more about how to be a better me…
Once the stinging dulled, I removed my hand and Oliver helped Ryland lay on the floor while he recovered. “I’d maybe recommend calling it a day and coming back tomorrow. You don’t want to be here when he comes to,” Oliver grimaced.
“Yeah, alright. I’m pretty sure Stryx has some explaining to do anyway. At least tell him I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to hurt him.”
He nodded. “I know. Don’t worry, he’ll get over it.”
Turning away, I stayed silent with Stryx still on my shoulder. We made it all the way to the door with one foot already outside when I heard Ryland’s roar. “Where is she?”
“Keep going, Kaliah. You can deal with him tomorrow,” Stryx said as I let the door close behind me and ported home.
Porting came so naturally, I hadn’t even realized I’d done it until we were standing at the guest house door.
“Talk. Now,” I demanded, because I was over being confused and it was going to end immediately.
Chapter Eleven
Stryx didn’t say a word until we were inside, and he made me confirm that Jordan wasn’t there, either. Why that mattered, I had no idea, but I didn’t really care as long as he started to spill whatever it was that he knew.
Even though it had only been three days since I arrived in Arvayta, I felt like I’d been a part of this place for the last year through my dreams. Waiting any longer to figure out what role I played in all that was happening was not an option.
Stryx stood on the arm of the couch, his wise eyes staring at me for much longer than necessary before he spoke. “So, you know Alaryk is the dark fae who feels he deserves retribution for his family that died because of the decision your grandfather made which ended up killing all of the pure fae.”
“Yep. Got all that down. Tell me something I don’t already know,” I replied.
His feathers bristled, but he continued. “When the Fates predicted what would come of you and your magic, they not only said what might go wrong, but they also talked about what could go right. There is a reason I spent an entire year preparing you as best I could, Kaliah, and it’s time you knew why.”
Thank the freaking Fates.
“As you know, we’re bonded, but it’s not just because your blood comes from mostly fae. When the bonded animals were created for the fae, it was only the purest and strongest who received the gift of a bond. You’ve already been told that the Fates only step in when the scales of good and bad tip too far in the wrong direction. Well, they are worried Alaryk is stronger than any of us are prepared for on our own.”
“What do you mean? Stronger how?” I asked.
“I’m not sure. The Fates have to be careful with what they disclose. I don’t have much information other than the bonded animals will be coming back, and even Arvaytans with minimal fae blood in them could be assigned one. The Fates are giving us a huge advantage here.”
“So, we know Alaryk is stronger than the rest of us, but the Fates’ solution to that is to gift the guardians with bonded animals. What else?” While all of that sounded good, it still didn’t tell me how we moved forward or how we were supposed to defeat the dark fae.
“Well, for one, you have to be the one to kill Alaryk.”
My face paled. There was no possibility of me being able to murder someone. There had to be another way.
“Just breathe before you pass out,” Stryx huffed, clearly irritated with my more human side.
“I can’t do that,” I said when my heart slowed.
“You can and you will, Kaliah. I need you to focus on what it means if you don’t. Good people will die if Alaryk continues to live. His dark magic will seep into you, and what you think so horrid at the moment will become a common act, because if Alaryk doesn’t die, he will make you just like him.”
“So, you’re saying that if I don’t commit murder, then I’ll become a murderer?” Great options. Super freaking great.
“I know it’s not ideal, but yes, those are your choices.”
“Not ideal. Right.” I snorted. “Why me? Why not someone who has been doing this for a few decades like Ryland?” If he was good enough to be my trainer, then he should be good enough to off the dark fae.
“Ryland will have his role in assisting you, but he cannot wield the weapon required to do the job.”
“What’s his role then?” I asked.
“Well, as you’ve already found out, Ryland is your Meraki. He is almost as important to you as I am. The stronger your bond grows, the stronger you will become. He will train you and he will assist in making you the best fae you’re capable of becoming.”
Laughter burst from deep within me. This whole situation was a hot mess. Sure, the bond with Stryx was easy. We’d been building up to that for months, but if the fate of the worlds depended on me and Ryland accepting the predestined bull crap that had been forced upon us, well, good luck. That was all I could say.
“We don’t need luck, Kaliah. I understand that you and Ryland haven’t gotten off to the best of starts, but it will get better,” Stryx said, once again reading my thoughts.
“How come I don’t hear anything you think?” I asked, trying to change the subject.
“Because you haven’t accessed your full magic yet. Once you’re capable of doing so, there is a way to block them. If you’re good, I just may teach you how to do so.” The little fluffy monster winked at me and I snarled back.
“What now? I play nice with Ryland and hope he doesn’t want to pummel me after I almost accidentally killed him?”
“Was it really on accident, though?”
My jaw dropped. “Of course it was. I only meant for it to sting, as in pain level, not actually sting him like a bee.”
“Regardless, you need to apologize and mean it, so everyone can move forward. The two of you need to find a way to get along or you’ll doom us all.”
My eyes glared at him. “You’re a jerk, you know that?”
“No, I’m not. I’m the only one who will be brutally honest with you. I won’t sugarcoat anything, especially when it comes to the lives of others. I know you feel like I’ve given you an impossible task, but I’ve been watching over you your whole life, and I know you can do this, Kaliah.”
That was the creepiest, yet nicest thing anyone had ever said to me. I was going to do my best to believe it, but the thought of killing anyone, even someone evil, was still off-putting to me. I wasn’t sure how I was going to conquer that particular task, but I’d deal with it when the time came.
For the time being, I’d focus on training like Stryx was saying and hope the rest would just come to me when I needed it. Assuming it would be a him-or-me situation, maybe it wouldn’t be as hard as I was thinking to end his life if it meant saving myself and thousands of others.
“Tomorrow, I’ll be back, and we’ll try to split your training up more, so not all of it involves so much one-on-one with Ryland. I’ll be helping, and Jordan is capable on her own as well. You’re obviously not mentally prepared to deal with him yet, but you will be soon. For the rest of the day, I want you to work with Jordan on porting and bringing your magic out. I’ll be staying in Arvayta, so it should keep your magic flowing enough for those simple tasks.”
“What happens if you need to leave? I’m just helpless again? Why am I unable to do even the simplest things without making contact with the water or having you near?” I rapid-fired the questions at him, because I didn’t have a chance in hell of surviving if I had to depend on someone else being around eve
ry time I needed to use magic to protect myself.
“I placed a block on your magic. It would have torn your human body to shreds if I didn’t. The water gives even the youngest of Arvaytans the ability to use simple magic. As soon as you’ve gotten a better hold on the power, I’ll release the block, but until then, the training wheels stay on.”
Frustrated, I glared at him, but he didn’t seem the least bit fazed. I wasn’t a child, but I was certainly being treated like one.
Jordan burst into the house, breaking the tension. “Girl, what did you do to Ryland? He broke Oliver’s nose and gave him two black eyes by the time they were done training.”
Sigh. Poor Oliver. I’d definitely have to apologize to him. “I didn’t mean to do anything. I’ll say sorry to them both when I see them again.”
Then, Jordan noticed Stryx in the room and her eyes widened. “Oh, I didn’t mean to interrupt. Should I come back?”
“Not necessary. I was just leaving, actually. Jordan, will you take Kaliah out to practice porting and basic orb skills?” Stryx asked.
“Uh, yeah. I can definitely do that.” Jordan was starstruck, and I was doing my best not to laugh.
The door was still open from when Jordan had come home, so Stryx nodded to me, then took off. Once he was gone, I let the laughter out. “What is up with you?”
“Do you not understand who he is?” she gaped.
“Uh, he’s an owl who is old, smart, and powerful,” I replied with a shrug.
Her eyes rolled. “He’s also kind of famous in our world. He was there in the Dark War. He was the bonded animal to Queen Taliah. Most importantly, he’s not just any bonded animal, he’s the leader of them all.”
Huh, Stryx was keeping more secrets than I thought, but I also understood. He probably knew I would have been more closed-off to him if I had known all of that. Instead, he’d come to me as a friend with a smartass attitude who didn’t take no for an answer. He was exactly what I needed when I needed it.
“Well, I don’t think he wants to be treated special, so feel free to be your psycho self when you’re around him like you are with me. He’s in my head twenty-four-seven, so he already knows you.”
She grinned. “True. Let’s go do as he suggested. Have you been able to port on your own yet?”
I nodded. “Twice.”
“Good, head outside and we’ll make it a third.”
“Why do we have to go outside?” I asked.
“Because you can’t port in or out of any building. That and not leaving worlds are the only two restrictions to the perk,” Jordan answered.
That wasn’t actually a bad thing. At least nobody could just appear in my bedroom if they wanted.
We went outside and Jordan disappeared right after telling me she’d meet me by the fountain. Not worried at all, I pictured the area and disappeared. Though it definitely took more effort than it had when Stryx was with me, it wasn’t nearly as difficult as when I’d tried to do so that morning.
When I arrived, Jordan was watching some kids play in the street with some scooter-bicycle hybrids. One of the boys was on the smaller side and kept my attention as he wobbled a lot more than the others. The poor kid, who was maybe five or six, could barely even see over the handlebars.
My skin began to tingle, and I lost sight of the boy for a few seconds while my attention was diverted. At a quick glance, I saw Ryland walking down the side of the street, also paying close attention to the kids with a soft smile on his face.
Suddenly, there was a crash followed by the sound of crying. My eyes frantically searched for the boy I’d been watching, but by the time I found him, Ryland was already standing over him and untangling his small body from the boxes he’d crashed into.
“See, he’s not so bad,” Jordan whispered from next to me, but I ignored her as I continued to watch.
Ryland wiped the boy’s tears and whispered something to him that had the child grinning from ear to ear. Ryland then helped him back onto the scooter-bicycle before showing him what I assumed were a few tips on how to maneuver through the cobbled streets.
When the boy pushed away, Ryland stood, and his gaze landed on me. Even though he had caught me staring, I didn’t look away. I couldn’t even if I tried. He held me captive, and I seemed to be doing the same thing to him.
Maybe there was a bit of hope for us after all. Even if I didn’t find my happily-ever-after with Ryland, if we could join forces long enough to save my life and that of others, then it would have to be enough. Or so I kept telling myself.
Chapter Twelve
Surprise came over me when I realized Ryland wasn’t going to make attempts at payback for almost killing him once he saw me. It shocked the hell out of me, considering how angry he’d been when I’d left him in the training center. Instead, he did something much worse.
Once our eye contact had been broken, he’d turned away and kept walking, completely ignoring me. I wasn’t sure what to think about it or how I felt about his actions. Sure, he had infuriated me before, but we were supposed to be partners.
After speaking with Stryx, I’d mistakenly let my heart consider the idea of having a real soulmate, but had I already ruined the chance? Jordan knew more, and she needed to tell me something, so that I would know how to proceed. I needed to quickly nip whatever budding feelings I was experiencing if it was an utter waste of time.
Maybe he already had a girlfriend and I was basically ruining his life. I’d heard Jordan mention something about an old boyfriend she had to let go, so maybe something similar was happening with Ryland.
Before I could begin questioning her in the middle of town, Jordan zapped us to the back side of the training center. “Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, why?”
“Well, your face went through a horde of emotions back there, and I wasn’t sure whether you were going to start crying or yelling when Ryland walked in the other direction.”
I laughed. “So, before I could make a scene, you ported us here instead?”
“Yep. So, spill it.” She nudged my shoulder before walking toward a medicine ball and tossing it at me.
With a grunt, I caught it and responded, “Actually, I think it’s you who needs to spill it. Why was Ryland so nice to me when I first arrived, then he became so angry?”
She grimaced and readied herself to catch the ball. “He doesn’t hate you. He’s confused by you.”
Throwing the ball as hard as I could, I took my frustrations out with my force. “I know he’s one of your best friends, and I hate putting you in the middle, but I need to understand. You have to give me something.”
Jordan dropped the ball and sat on it. “I don’t need you throwing heavy items at me when we have this conversation. Come over here and have a seat.”
Thank the Fates, she was actually going to give me something good. Sitting on the ground, I leaned back and rested on my hands while I waited for her to continue.
“Ryland is a bit older than me, so when I started training, he was already established as a guardian, but he took me under his wing when he saw what a fighter I was. Oliver and I began training at the same time, and the three of us have been pretty much inseparable since we became a team. As I got to know Ryland, I also got to know his Meraki.”
My mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. Had I been stupid to think that each person only had one soulmate? Was I expected to share him if we found a way to work things out? No freaking way.
Jordan held her hand up. “I know what you’re thinking, and we’re all just as shocked as you are. It’s why I left with him when you woke up in the water instead of staying with you like I planned. I knew he’d have no idea, and he’d need someone to break the news.”
“How did you know so fast?” I asked, because I had no freaking clue until I’d overheard them talking.
“His eyes. Before he saw you, his eyes were a light brown color, and now they’re identical to yours. It’s a Meraki trait. Being as though we co
me from a monarchy, the male counterpart always changes to match his female mate. But that’s not as important as what you want to know and what you need to understand.”
My breath held as I waited for what she said next, which was not at all what I expected.
“Ryland was bonded with another woman named Sara. They’d met during guardian training and were together for nearly twenty years before she died on a mission in one of the darker sections of the Otherworld. It took nearly a decade before Oliver and I got our friend back, but Ryland finally came around and accepted he would be alone for the rest of his life.
“He threw himself into work, became an even better guardian, and received a promotion as direct guard to your parents. It wasn’t until they knew you were coming that he ever once left their side. When they left for Earth and he wasn’t able to go with, Ryland lost his purpose, but Oliver and I kept him busy with other things like fighting dragons.”
“And then you left him as well to protect me. I bet he wasn’t happy about that one,” I said.
“Not one bit. He had wanted to go himself and thought there was no reason for you to need a girl best friend, but now we understand, he couldn’t meet you until you were here,” Jordan replied.
Cheese and rice. I understood why he was being a jerk, but at the same time, I had no clue how Ryland was feeling. Sure, I’d dated back on Earth. I’d been with a guy for a couple years in high school, but he’d gone off to college in the Midwest and we’d called things off. I never thought of the guy as my soulmate, so it was completely different.
“You can’t tell him, Kali. I mean it. I’ve been put in an impossible situation with the two of you, because I love you both, but I also can’t sit by and watch both of you ruin what could be the greatest opportunity in your life. While finding your Meraki isn’t super rare, it doesn’t happen for everyone, and it should be cherished, never neglected. By doing so, it could be broken and never happen again.”
The longing in her voice was evident, and I hated that she’d been without hers for so long.
Of Dreams and Sorcery (Royal Fae Guardians Book 1) Page 8
