The Bonded: The Allseer Trilogy Book I (11 page)

Tomias sighed. “Because as I feared, your first battle is against Burk and Abby. Need I remind you that they know all your dirty secrets?”

Fenir gave him an alarmed look.
“We aren’t supposed to tell them!”

“When have we ever followed the rules? It’s more fun this way!”

Kirheen grumbled loudly. “Well, great. What does that mean for us?”

“It means you are starting this competition at a bit of a disadvantage. But fear not, I think I have a way to fix this.”

“And how exactly do you plan to do that?”

“Lean forward my little doves and let me teach you the art of a well-placed lie!” 

It was a day of rest for the Bonded, a day to recover from the bouts of training and enjoy a few hours of peace and quiet before the excitement of the battles kicked in. Kirheen and Garild lay in the grass, grown plush and green with the sudden onslaught of rain. They basked in the warm glow of the sun, breathing in the smell of the earth and watching the leaves twist and dance above them. The branches of the great tree above them broke the sky, making it look like a pane of shattered glass.

Many of the other Bonded did the same. All around them, they could hear the others talking, the air occasionally pierced with bright laughter. It wasn’t long before Burk and Abby arrived, plopping down in the grass next to them. Kirheen sat up, smiling warmly at her soon to be competitors.

“Nice day, isn’t it,” Burk asked enthusiastically. He showed no signs of competitive glee, he just looked relaxed and happy. Abby sat by his side, plucking strands of grass out of the ground and twirling them between her fingers.

“It is,” Garild agreed. “It’s nice that they gave us a day to rest up before tomorrow.”

Abby smiled. “It was kind of them. How are you feeling about tomorrow?”

Kirheen chimed in, trying not to sound too egotistical. “Oh, we’ve been practicing a lot. We’re feeling pretty confident.”

“Don’t be so quick to say that, you’re going up against us first!”

“Oh, that’s right! I’m glad we’re going up against a pusher and a blocker like ourselves. Means we’ll be on pretty even ground.”

Burk and Abby exchanged a look. It was quick, barely a flicker, but it was there.

“Well, we look forward to facing you both tomorrow,” Burk said, pushing himself up. He towered over them, seemingly gaining height and girth day by day. He lent Abby a hand and pulled her to her feet with little effort. “May the strongest bond win.”

Abby gave them a nod and the pair wondered off, probably seeking out Grant to tell him their advantage had crumbled. Kirheen didn’t expect Grant to believe it, but if it even put a moment of doubt in their heads, it would help them when it came time to battle.

After a time, they grew tired of lazing about and went to seek out their next victims. Isa and Ian sat alone on the edge of the field, talking quietly. Big blue eyes filled with curiosity met them as they approached. “Mind if we join you,” Kirheen asked sweetly.

Ian smiled, meeting her eyes. “Please do!” Kirheen felt a sudden flutter in her heart as their eyes locked. It took everything to look away and she silently cursed herself.
Stop that. This isn’t the time to be feeling this way.

They took a seat in the grass next to them and Kirheen took up a blade of grass, twirling it in her fingers as she tried to keep eye contact to a minimum. Garild gave her an odd look, tilting his head ever so slightly as he tried to piece together her sudden silence.

“How are you both feeling about tomorrow,” Garild asked, trying to sound casual.

Isa shuddered. “Oh, I’m terrified. Ian says we can win, but we’re up against Tegan and Irena first. I’m pretty sure Irena is going to tear us both apart.” She sounded meek and terrified, wringing her hands together as she spoke of it.

Ian shook his head. He reached out and grabbed her shoulder softly. “Isa, you’re one of the best blockers I know. Anything they throw at us, you’ll be able to counter. There is no need to be afraid.”

“Thank you, Ian. I appreciate it,” she smiled. Though she relaxed some, her eyes were still filled with fear and she glanced across the clearing, searching for her opponents. They were nowhere to be found and she sighed with relief.

“You’re a blocker too, huh,” Garild questioned, trying to feign excitement. “So am I!”

“Oh, that’s great. I really don’t think it’s very fitting. I feel like I should have been something else. I’m too timid for this. I think it would have been better to be a manipulator.”

“You could always learn,” Kirheen smiled, her eyes focused on Isa. “In fact, after the battles, I could teach you a few things!”

“You’re a manipulator,” Ian asked, eyes wide. “That does suit you. You’re probably a force to be reckoned with.”

“Oh, I’m not that good,” Kirheen said, trying to force the heat from her cheeks. She wanted so badly to meet his eyes, to gaze at those green depths that so reminded her of the forest around them. Instead she smiled at the ground and felt like a complete and utter fool.

“You girls, always so modest,” he said with a smile.

“What about you, Ian? What are you?”

“Oh, me? I’m a pusher. We make a pretty good team, Isa and I.” Isa beamed at his words, smiling brightly. It was obvious by her body language that she was rather infatuated with her bond mate and it made Kirheen sick. She wanted to be where Isa was at that moment, to be sitting by his side close enough to feel the heat from his skin.

“He’s really good,” Isa said, breaking Kirheen away from her thoughts. She tried to keep her emotional turmoil from showing on her face as she responded.

“Any idea what you’re up against tomorrow?”

Ian shrugged. “Not entirely sure. If I had to guess I’d say Irena is probably a manipulator. As for Tegan, I think he’ll be lucky if even he knows that by tomorrow.”

“That was certainly an odd pairing! It will be interesting to see how they do tomorrow. I’ll be shocked if they can even bring themselves to work together,” Garild said. “Well, Kirheen, you want to go find Vienna and Daris?”

“Yes, let’s do that,” Kirheen said, getting to her feet. She self-consciously smoothed her robes, keeping her eyes locked on Garild as she turned to leave. “Thanks for talking with us and good luck tomorrow!”

“It was good seeing you both! May the Allseer lend you her strength.”

Kirheen walked away a bit quicker than she should have and Garild shot out his hand, locking it around her elbow and drawing her to a halt.

“Is there a problem,” he questioned.

“N-no. Why,” she asked, trying to look confused.

“You seem flustered. Did they say something wrong?”

“Oh, no. I guess I’m just nervous about the competition tomorrow. It’s strange to look at these people as opponents, you know.”

Garild smiled, dropping his hand from her elbow. “I can understand that. Just take a deep breath, okay? It’ll all work itself out.”

“I sure hope so,” Kirheen sighed. “At least we’re completely throwing them all off. If anyone talks to each other, they are going to have a hard time figuring out what we are ahead of time.”

They found Vienna and Daris sitting on the steps of their home. They were an odd pair, seemingly content with the only company being each other. They often kept to themselves, taking meals in their quarters instead of joining the rest of them. Vienna glanced at them suspiciously as they approached and whispered something to her bond mate before they were in earshot.

Vienna was tall and graceful with short curly blonde hair and dark blue eyes that shone with intelligence. She was quiet and poised, wasting nothing with her actions. Everything with her was deliberate. Daris, though a bit more relaxed in his mannerisms, was much like Vienna. Tall and muscular, he was an intimidating force with dark hair, olive skin and eyes that were almost black. Unlike many of the other Bonded, the two openly showed affection for each other. Even now, their knees touched and their fingers were interlaced and the approach of others did nothing to deter their actions. It was hard to imagine doing such a thing with Garild. It made her uncomfortable.

“How can we help you,” Daris spoke before either of them had the chance to.

“Oh, we we’re just seeing how you both were feeling about the competition tomorrow.”

“Fine,” Vienna said tersely. “We’d rather not discuss the battles until after they are done.”

Without another word, Vienna turned away from them, turning her attention back to Daris. He gave them a sly grin before turning back to his bond mate.

“Nice talking to you too,” Kirheen muttered as they diverted in another direction. “They’re really going overboard with the friendliness.”

Garild grinned. “Yeah, they are certainly a little odd.”

“Well, what do you say? Is our work here done?”

“I think so. We seemed to have surprised a few people with our trickery. Hopefully it will help tomorrow.”

“I sure hope so.”

They walked back in silence, enjoying the last few minutes of sunlight they could. Even though they knew the battles would happen come morning, it still felt strange. They’d spent so much time practicing, learning each other’s strengths and weaknesses, learning the subtle shifts and changes of their minds... to think that they’d be facing the unknown was scary.

Tomias and Fenir were waiting for them when they returned to their home. Tomias had his hair pulled back away from his face and he lit up with a boyish grin as they entered. “So, how did our subtle manipulation go,” he asked, barely able to contain his excitement.

“Better than expected,” Kirheen informed him, plopping down in her favorite chair. Garild took up a spot next to her, finally able to relax now that they weren’t lying to everyone they talked to.

“I just hope it helps,” said Garild. “I didn't feel great about lying to everyone.”

“Oh, but think of the reward for your efforts, Garild. Think about that! You’ve just thrown off all the enemy teams. You’ve probably got Burk and Abby second guessing everything at this very moment,” Tomias beamed, grinning from ear to ear.

Fenir huffed, blowing his white hair away from his face.

“Oh, come on! It’s exciting!”

They spent the rest of the evening practicing various scenarios, checking for weaknesses in their defense and making sure they would be prepared for what was to come. They went to bed feeling confident, ready to take on anything the world could throw at them.

It was a feeling that faded quickly.

Kirheen stared at the wall beyond her feet, her eyes following the wood grain, tiny glowing rivers weaving through the wraith wood planks.  She’d been exhausted when she’d gone to bed. Weeks of training and scheming had taken its toll, but here in the dark, with the battles looming ever closer, she found it impossible to sleep. Her armor of confidence had cracked and now doubt and fear squirmed in, digging into her heart like worms.

When she did finally lapse into sleep, it was disrupted by nightmares. She moved slowly through a forest, eyes taking in her surroundings. It was autumn and the air swirled around her, leaving her skin covered in goose-flesh.  Leaves crackled under her feet, sounding terrifyingly loud in contrast to the silent forest. Her breath left her in great billowing gusts that twisted and curled playfully.

Each step felt like her last. She could sense the traps around her, waiting for her foot to step off course. Eyes blinked at her from the shadows of foliage and she could hear breathing of creatures far more cunning than she. Looking through the twisting branches above, she saw Herzin staring down, her thin lips pulled into a cruel and knowing smile. Her eyes twinkled with delight, hungry to witness Kirheen fail.

She looked back to the forest floor, trying to ignore the eyes that hovered above her but her heart was hammering away with fear. Herzin was in her mind and this time, she wouldn’t be so lucky. Now she wanted blood and Kirheen knew that this time, she would have it.

She came to a split in the path, one branching off to the west and the other winding to the east. They were identical, neither more worn than the other. Above her, Herzin cackled. “Choose wisely, little girl.”

She stood for a time, silent and afraid, as still as a deer caught in the eyes of a predator. Her muscles ached from the stillness, her lungs burned. Leaves rustled behind her, spooking her into flight. She fled to the East, her feet carrying her as fast as they could. And Herzin laughed, and laughed, and laughed.

Through the trees, she thought she could see a clearing in the distance, a place of refuge. Hours seemed to pass before she finally burst through the edge of the forest, leaves swirling around her as she departed, trees stretching their limbs in an attempt to stop her.

Her breath came in ragged gasps and she glanced over her shoulder, fully expecting to find creatures in pursuit. The trees swayed, angered by her flight but she was safe for the moment.

When she turned back to the clearing, her heart froze. What had looked to be tall, green grass was a barren waste. The ground was cracked and darkened, splitting in great chasms that begged for moisture, despite the fact that the entire area was covered in thick, gelatinous goo. It was dark and putrid and clung to her bare feet, squished between her toes. Giant pools of darkness bubbled and spat and occasionally, a hand would burst from within, grasping desperately for freedom only to be pulled back and engulfed.

This was the future that awaited them, a land of darkness and chaos. In the distance, someone screamed, a terrifying sound that didn’t seem human. She shuddered in fear, hugging herself as she crept across the land. The forest behind her had disappeared, leaving her in a rotting world with blackened eyes watching her from above.

Another scream pierced the air, this one closer and to her right. She shifted her direction, moving towards the scream. Perhaps she could help, to stop the pain that caused them to yell out in anguish. A man sat on the ground with his back to her, his head hanging in defeat. He rocked back and forth, muttering to himself as he did. He wore tattered robes so stained by the corruption that she could never tell what color they once were.