The Bond and Other Curses || Book Two

CHAPTER 1 (PART 2) - TRITTEON

THREE DAYS LATER

TRITTEON

The long, dark hallway outside Rilyin's suite had always been a comfort. I was seven the first time I had taken up night watch over his door, always in the same spot. There was something about the way the dimmed chandelier above, when aided by a gentle Thet Veehm, cast an array of glittering beams across the marble floor as it spun slowly, that sparkle awakening that dormant instinct deep inside, when dragons guarded treasure and kingdoms instead of weak, delicate humans. The sensation had always mesmerized me, helped calm my mind during the occasional long nights I felt the need to take up the position in place of a Kovei.

But for the first time in my life, the swaying chandelier wasn't the cause of the sensation, and for the second time in the last three days, I wasn't standing guard for Rilyin's protection.

Through the darkness, every instinct was fixated on the fourth door at the end of the hallway, every curving detail carved into its glossy black surface thrown into stark relief. And the cursed bond I now shared with Orion gave me a glimpse into everything she felt. I knew she hadn't fallen asleep yet, that she was still trying to force herself to do so, that her anxiety was eating at her so painfully she wasn't sure if she could bring herself to do it.

No, I couldn't read her mind. But I'd gotten good at reading her emotions from afar over the last three, torturous days. I wanted so badly to go in and give her comfort, to reassure her that I wouldn't let her nightmares reach their worst. I hadn't spoken to her much since our last night at the Rest House and I couldn't help but wonder how in depth she felt my emotions—if we felt each other equally.

Though Pharro's threat still rang through my head, I couldn't help but feel a bit of triumph over the fact that her fear of coming anywhere near me had given me the opportunity to rid us of the horrible pain we had both felt when leaving each other's side. It had taken two days of full-time exposure to regulate it into nothing more than a dull pressure that was easily ignored.

I still didn't fully comprehend what the bond was in its entirety—though Pharro had made its purpose clear—but I was slowly beginning to understand what it could do. And despite the fact we were clearly making progress, the more I learned, the more I feared telling her, and I couldn't help but feel she would never forgive me for the ignorance that had led to our binding.

That thought alone made me hope, more than anything, she couldn't feel my emotions like I could hers.

I rose from my chair beside Rilyin's door, wincing from the stiffness I had acquired in my legs, and straightened up as thoughts that weren't mine reached my ears. My entire body ached from the training exercise I had put it through earlier, and the exhaustion from the last few sleepless nights I had endured since I had connected myself to Orion were not helping the situation. I shouldn't have done the exercise in my current state, but a vigorous training session was the only thing that fully cleared my mind.

It only took thirty seconds before the two figures rounded the corner into the hallway, so I knew Pharro had been using a shield to block their conversation. My Vek range was much wider than that.

I bowed as Pharro and the skittish, sleep-deprived Ambassador Ezlinn Vasprey approached, stopping in front of me.

Ezlinn eyed me with a look of disgust. Only a few days ago, she had adored me. But she had become increasingly paranoid and untrusting since her Guardian, Angquin, had been marked by Daniel, turning my friend into a mindless, bloodthirsty machine unless kept in a Poeir Neutralizing cell. Without a Guardian by her side, Ezlinn had very little trust in anyone, especially me. Anger, worry, and sleep deprivation had altered her mindset into fully believing I was to blame for Angquin's condition.