“Garild, can you wait here for just a moment. I need to speak with her alone.”
He started to protest but, as Garild normally did, he crept away from the confrontation, allowing Tomias to carry her from the room. He carried her over to a chair next to the dying fire. Fenir sat in the dim light, his face half hidden in shadow. He watched them with inquisitive eyes, eyes still alive and not robbed of life as they had been in her nightmare.
Tomias eased into the chair, shifting so she was cradled more comfortably in his arms. Her fingertips dug into his skin, and she relaxed her grip on his arm, sighing as her tears slowed to a halt. He rested his chin on top of her head and chuckled softly. “Well, now that that is over, do you want to tell me what happened?”
Kirheen tried to laugh, but it came out as a failed puff of air. “I’m sorry. I thought it was real. It all felt so real.”
“They often do for people like us,” he said softly. “These powers aren’t always the blessing we’re told they are. What happened in your dream?”
She hesitated, feeling very vulnerable as she pieced it all together in her mind. “It sounds so stupid now.”
“I won’t judge you, Kir. I just want to help.”
Nodding meekly, she took a shuddering breath. “I…I was in a forest. It was a lot like the forest Garild likes to create when we’re practicing. I knew to watch for traps, but every step I took was so loud – impossibly loud. When I looked above me, Herzin was there watching. She wanted me dead. I could feel it.” She waited for Tomias to comment but he said nothing, merely nodded. “I came to a split in the road and something scared me, so I ran. I made it to a clearing, but it changed, turned into something monstrous. It was terrifying. There was darkness everywhere. I can’t even begin to explain it. Herzin was still watching me, only her eyes were black, like she’d been corrupted. And then I found you and…and…” Words melted away, fresh tears blurring her vision.
How could she tell him that she’d seen him hovering over Fenir’s dead body? How could she tell him that he’d been so still and lifeless because Tomias had made him that way? She couldn’t do it. “I saw you there and you were covered in the corruption. It was coming out of your skin, your mouth, your eyes. You, you attacked me.” She burst into sobs, burrowing her head under his chin. He shushed her, rocking her gently.
“And then you woke up,” he sighed. “I’m so sorry I frightened you. You must have been so confused. I heard you thrashing about in your sleep and came to check on you. I didn’t realize it was so bad. I shouldn’t have woken you so suddenly.”
“It’s not your fault,” she sniffed.
“Was there anything else you saw?”
Death.
And Fenir, so cold and broken. “No. That was it. Is that what it’s like? Is the Darkness really so terrible?”
Tomias nodded. “I’ve yet to see the Darkness with my own eyes. The Allseer has blessed me with that much. I have, however, heard many stories very similar to what you described.”
“How do we even face such a thing?”
“We do what we have to, Kir. It’s a sacrifice we have to make if we are to remain safe here in Sanctuary. You’re really worried about tomorrow, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” she agreed. There was no point in lying to him.
“That worry might be what triggered your nightmare. Don’t fret so much. You’re strong, and smart, and far too clever for your own good.” He smiled. “We’ll be there to keep anything bad from happening. You’ll be letting unfamiliar people into your mind, but you know how to block them now. You know how to turn their powers against them. Don’t forget your strength. You’re going to do just fine.”
“What about Herzin?”
Tomias sighed. “It’s true, she’ll be watching in on the whole thing which means she’ll be in your mind as well, but she’d be a damned fool to try and pull anything in front of Nyson. He wasn’t exactly thrilled by her antics before, if you couldn’t tell. And, as I said, we’ll be there to protect you.”
Fenir nodded, gifting her with a rare smile. It seemed such an odd occurrence that she found herself smiling too. “Thank you both,” she said. Finally calmed, she felt a sudden rush of shame, her body pressed so close against Tomias. In the moment, that closeness had been a comfort, but now it felt strange. She squirmed and he loosened his grip, allowing her to untangle herself from his arms and stand. “I’m sorry,” she muttered, “I’m going to go back to bed.”
“No need to apologize,” Tomias reassured her. He stood and stretched, yawning as he raised his arms above his head. “You are more than welcome to stay up with us. I’m loath to admit it, but it’s hard for us to sleep too.”
Kirheen smiled. “Thank you, but I think I’ll need all the sleep I can get.”
“Very true.”
She turned to leave but his hand slipped around her arm, pulling her to a stop. “Kir, it’s all going to be okay. Remember, we’re going to protect you no matter what. I promise.” His brown eyes were steady, burning with some unspoken truth.
“Thank you, Tomias. Fenir. I’ll see you both in the morning.”
As she stepped back into the darkness of her room, Garild stirred.
“Are you okay?” he asked from the shadows. She could barely see his outline in the dim light of the glowing wraith wood. “I was really worried about you. What happened?”
“I’m sorry, Garild. I’m fine. It was just a bad dream. You can go back to sleep now.”
“Do you need to talk about it?”
She sighed, too drained to recount the nightmare to him. “I’d rather not. I just need sleep.”
“We’re going to do great tomorrow,” Garild said softly.
“I know,” Kirheen whispered, slipping beneath the covers. She listened to the sounds around her for a time, to Garild as his breathing deepened and he sank back into a dreamless sleep. She listened to the creaking of the house, the trees rustling outside as the wind caressed them. She thought of the battles to come and found her fear dissipating. Tomias had said he’d keep her safe and she trusted his word. She trusted Garild to stand by her side in the battles, and she trusted her own strength to help them both. Whatever struggles they might face, they’d make it through.
CHAPTER 16
Tomias leaned over Kirheen, his hand hovering in the space between them. He felt terrible about waking her. With the night she’d had, it seemed cruel to rouse her from a peaceful slumber, but the battles weren’t going to wait for them, and he was forced to choose cruelty. Losing a battle was one thing, being disqualified for oversleeping was quite another.
Holding his breath, he reached down and gently shook her shoulder, half expecting her to go leaping from her bed in fright. Instead, her stormy eyes fluttered open, tinged red from lack of sleep and shed tears. “Rise and shine my little blocking master. Your talents are required.”
She blinked sleepily, comprehending his words. With a groan, she rolled over onto her stomach, pulled the pillow out from beneath her, and clamped it firmly over her head. He had to strain to make out the mumble of words from beneath the pillow. “Can’t I sleep a little longer?”
If only. Tomias reached down, plucking the pillow away from her grasping hands. “I’m afraid not. I already let you sleep far longer than I should have. You need to be up and ready as quick as you can, or the battles will start without you.
“By the Allseer,” Kirheen mumbled. “Fine. I’ll get up.” She rolled over, throwing her blankets over the side of the bed. Garild shifted in his bed and sat up, brown hair sticking out in all directions.
“Is it already time?” he questioned.
Tomias chuckled. “Yes. Get up, both of you. And hurry it up!”
His words were met with an elongated sigh from both of his students. He left the grumbling pair to the task of getting ready and joined his twin in the front room. Fenir sat in a chair by the fire, slowly devouring an apple as he stared out the window, surveying the forest beyond. He barely shifted as
Tomias sat next to him.
“You think they’re ready for this?” Fenir asked, taking another chunk out of the apple.
“Guess we’ll find out soon enough. I can’t tell who is more nervous about all of this; me or them?”
“If you desire clarification, I can provide. It’s you. They aren’t even out of bed yet.”
As if to prove him wrong, Garild came stumbling out of the room, fumbling with a silver sash around his waist. He was wearing a new robe, dark blue with their symbol emblazoned in silver on the back. Though he’d tried to smooth his hair, it wasn’t enough to keep him from looking like he’d just rolled out of bed.
“How are you feeling, Garild?”
Garild, finally content with his sash, looked up and shrugged. “I’m not sure. Nervous? It’s just a competition and I know it doesn’t mean much, but it’s getting to me. We’ve put a lot of training and time into this and…I want to win. Hard to believe, huh?”
“A little competitive spirit is good. Use it,” Tomias said. “And trust me, you aren’t the only person nervous around here. Apple?” Tomias asked, holding out a basket of apples to Garild. He sneered down at the basket in disgust and took a seat. “You won’t get another chance to eat, you know?”
“I know. Just the thought of eating right now makes me sick to my stomach.”
Kirheen bustled into the room, deftly tying her sash as she hustled towards them. She gave Tomias a brief nod before snatching an apple from the basket and taking a seat next to Garild. Tomias shrugged and set the basket back down by his brother.
“And how are you, Kir?”
Her teeth were parted, apple almost to her lips. She glared at him over the top of her apple and then lowered it with sigh, shuffling it from one hand to the other. “I just want to get this over with.”
“Are you nervous?”
“Yes. No. I’m excited to use my powers in earnest against an unfamiliar opponent. I’m not so delighted about that unfamiliar being in my head. It’s one thing to have any of you in there, but to have someone else is a little scary, to be honest.”
Tomias nodded and smiled at her reassuringly. “It’s going to be difficult. You’re going to be pushing yourselves to the brink today, but I know you’ll do great. This nervousness we’re all feeling is good. It means you know you can still lose and that will keep you cautious. Walk in with an attitude and you’ll fall the hardest. Remember that.”
They both nodded, their silence broken by a knock at the door. Trista bounded into the room, radiating levels of cheer not felt by the rest of them. “Good morning,” she called, sauntering towards them with a covered basket slung over her arm, earning her their full attention.
“What did you bring us today?” Tomias asked, though his nose picked up the familiar scent of his favorite cakes as he asked. “Ah, fantastic. My favorite.”
“And fortunately for everyone else, none of them are for you,” she chided, stopping next to his brother. She set the basket in his lap.
Fenir grinned. “Told you she holds a grudge.”
“Yeah, yeah. Shut up,” he said to his brother. “My dearest, darling Trista. What would it take to put me back in your good graces?”
Trista rolled her eyes. “You never were, you know that. I’m not sure why you’d start trying now.”
“Because I’m hungry,” he replied, grinning widely. Her green eyes twinkled with amusement and she motioned for Fenir to hand him a cake.
“At least you’re honest. But you only get one for now. The rest of you get to eat until your content and he can have the crumbs.”
“Oh, thank you, dear lady. You are far too kind,” he said with a mock bow. He took the cake from his brother, giving it a light squeeze and relishing in the spongy texture. It was gone far quicker than he’d hoped, and he watched as Fenir handed out the rest, leaving only a few at the bottom of the basket. He eyed them hungrily, but Trista strategically positioned herself between him and the cakes.
“Grudge was a damned understatement,” he complained to Fenir.
“Maybe you should be nicer.”
“Pfft, never.”
Despite their earlier hesitation, they devoured their cakes, looking satisfied as they settled back in their chairs. “I think we’ll be disqualified for being so well fed ahead of time,” Garild said, rubbing his stomach happily. “Do you ever get in trouble for this?”
Trista smiled. “The good thing about not having powers is nobody really pays attention to what I do. I get left alone unless I’m needed for healing. My obvious favoritism of this group has gone unnoticed, at least as far as I know.” She handed Tomias another cake and then went to stand behind Fenir. She leaned against the back of his chair, her fingers brushing through his hair absentmindedly. Tomias was hit with a surge of emotion he wasn’t expecting, and he dropped the cake he’d been prepared to take a bite out of. He brushed the crumbs from his robe and glared at his brother. A couple deep breaths and he was back in control of his emotions, and Trista was none the wiser of his very sudden infatuation with her.
“Thank the Allseer for that,” Garild said. “Not sure how we’d make it without the extra food you keep bringing us.”
“He’s not kidding either. There never seems to be enough food around here,” Tomias agreed.
A deep hum filled the air, reverberating through the walls before disappearing a moment later. The noise repeated two more times before he realized it was the sound of a horn. It was time.
“Well, that’s our call.”
Kirheen and Garild exchanged nervous glances.
“You’re both going to do great,” Tomias reassured them. “Let’s hope the Allseer is on our side today. Let’s show them what we’re made of.”
CHAPTER 17
The Temple of Gathering had been cleared, the tables and chairs removed, leaving a long hall alive with excited murmurs. The Bonded stood to either side of the hall, clustered together in nervous bundles. Kirheen swallowed hard, eyes drifting over the Bonded standing across from her. This was it, the moment they’d trained so hard for.
Waiting was unbearable. At the front of the hall, she could see the instructors, looking about as nervous as their students. She caught Tomias’ eye and he gave her a reassuring smile. Even Fenir, normally so diligent about ignoring them, took a moment to bow his head.
Herzin stood at the back of the room, watching the Bonded like a hawk. Her posture was rigid, her face devoid of a smile as she scanned the room. When her eyes drifted towards her side of the room, Kirheen looked away quickly, not wanting to meet those hate filled emeralds.
Garild was a mouse at her side, standing slightly behind her shoulder as he glanced around the room. She could hear the shuffling of his hands twisting together nervously and it set her on edge. She gritted her teeth, trying to stifle the urge to whip around and force his hands apart.
The group of instructors parted, clearing a path for the Union Master. He stepped confidently towards the back of the room where Herzin stood, a scroll in hand. The two took a moment to deliberate about the contents and then he turned towards them. The room fell silent, all eyes glued to the man that held their fate in his hands.
“I’m sorry for the delay,” Nyson said, his gravelly voice ringing through the hall. “I know this is a time of great anxiety for you all. Your patience is appreciated. The Union Battle is the first of its kind and we’re very excited to see the results of all your hard work. You’ve all grown so much over the long winter months. It is an honor to be able to stand before you and know that the future of our kind rests in your hands.
“The rules of this battle have been explained to you by your instructors. We stand firmly by the rules we’ve established. Anyone found breaking them will face punishment befitting the crime. Do not bring shame to your bond. With that said, let us announce the first battle.”
The room grew still, not a single lung drawing breath while the seconds ticked by agonizingly slow. “Vienna and Daris, please step forward.”
There was a collective whoosh of air as everyone resumed breathing. Vienna looked to Daris and smirked, her eyes burning with secrets only her bond mate could understand. They wore dark red robes, a symbol of a wolf standing on a cliff, the full moon hovering behind it, emblazoned on the back. Vienna took Daris’ hand, and the pair crossed the room to stand before Nyson. They stood tall and proud, fearsome predators waiting for their prey.
“Tyrin and Bell, please step forward.”
Bell jumped at the sound of their names, her brows knit together in frustration. She brought her hands to her lips, shaking her head in disbelief. Her bond mate, Tyrin, stroked her long blonde hair and whispered softly in her ear. She gathered her courage and allowed Tyrin to lead her to the front of the room. Blue robes clashed with red, their symbol that of two gentle feather fish forming a circle. A meal fit for a wolf.
“You will have twenty minutes to figure out the card held by your opponent. Any battle going beyond the twenty minutes will have the victor decided based on the skill level shown. Please, turn your backs to one another and Herzin will come by with your card.”
They did as they were told and Herzin approached with a deck of cards, similar to the ones they had used in practice so long ago. She drew a card from the top and showed it to Vienna and Daris. They nodded, and Herzin repeated the process with Bell and Tyrin.
The two groups took up a position opposite each other. Bell and Tyrin opted to sit on the floor, legs crossed under them, but Vienna and Daris remained standing, fingers interlaced. The contrast was startling. Vienna and Daris looked absolutely sure of themselves, while Tyrin and Bell looked as if they’d already lost. Kirheen was glad they’d been spared being in their position.
“Let the battle begin.”
As she’d been taught, Kirheen let her mind drift, floating out to latch on to the mental struggle happening on the far side of the room. It had taken quite a bit of practice to learn how to spectate without getting in the way. She was glad to have learned it well enough to watch the battles as they took place.
The Allseer Trilogy Page 13