Linked

Chapter 5

Kaileen

I screamed Elia's name as loud as my throat would allow me. I dug my nails into the Surveillance Force guard's shoulder but they didn't stop dragging her and Jax out of the hall. "All citizens of the city, please sit down and be silent so that we may continue the Ceremony." Elia's father said into the microphone, staring pointedly at me. The guards posted next to the doors stepped forward menacingly. I had no choice but to sit and keep my head down. How could Jack do this? How could he watch his own daughter being taken away as emotionlessly as a robot? Kyle squeezed my right hand gently, and I felt a warm rush of appreciation for my new Link. I would normally have savored the rest of the Ceremony as it was an once in a lifetime experience, but I couldn't stop thinking about the defeated, blank look in Elia's eyes as she was being captured. She hadn't even tried to struggle. What had Jax done to her? Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I looked up into Kyle's face. Looking very concerned, he glanced at my left hand. I hadn't noticed, but I had been clenching my fingers into a tight fist and now there were four half-moon cuts on my palm that were starting to well up with red blood.

Looking around, I saw that the Linking Ceremony was over and there was a queue of couples all walking out of the hall, hands linked. We stood up to follow them. As soon as we had changed back into more comfortable clothes, Kyle grabbed my uninjured hand and started to sprint in the direction of my house. I couldn't help but raise one eyebrow at him as we ran. He knew me so well. I took a deep breath and put on some speed. I ran like I had never ran before, and we were both breathing hard when we reached my house. I turned to Kyle and started to say, "Thank yー" when he tugged me to him and kissed me. I was surprised to feel butterflies in my stomach, even though I had thought I didn't have any feelings for him. The kiss was soft and tender, and Kyle tasted so familiar, like I could relax and completely be myself but he would love me whatever I did and whoever I was. He pulled away before I knew it, and both our hearts were racing, whether because of all the running or what we had just done, I didn't know. He pecked me on the cheek one last time and left, not looking back.

Kyle

What had I just done? I hadn't thought I would lose my self-control like that. But Kaileen... She tended to have that effect on me. It wasn't against the rules to physically show affection to your Link, but I felt, well, guilty. We had been friends for so long that I knew how Kaileen would act the next day, all awkward and distanced. I wondered if I should have told her last night that I had been walking home after applying to be Linked with her. I shook my head to clear all of my uncertain thoughts and scanned my wrist to let myself into my house. I was already imagining what Kaileen would be doing right now, throwing all her things into a backpack to try to go find Elia. I could go and try to convince her to not go, that it was a pointless mission, but when my Link set her mind to something, her resolve was as hard as a rock so I just sighed and started to pack my own bag. Even if Kaileen failed or somehow miraculously succeeded in her rescue plan, I planned to be there for her, because I was Linked to her and she was Linked to me.