The Allseer Trilogy

by Kaitlyn Rouhier

Garild narrowed his eyes. “That’s reassuring. I’m already so nervous about this. You really aren’t helping.”

  “Tomias is right,” Fenir added, glancing over the remaining competition. “I wouldn’t be so worried. You’re better than they are.”

  “You shouldn’t talk bad about the other students,” Kirheen chided playfully. Fenir winked at her, his lips twitching as he suppressed a smile.

  “You’re both going to do just fine. Shake off your nerves. You’re up next.”

  Kirheen shook her head. “You’re not helping, Fenir!”

  He grinned, walking away to join the other instructors. Tomias lingered, bouncing from foot to foot as his nerves got the better of him. “Good luck to you both. Just remember everything I taught you, okay? Work together and you’ll win.”

  “Thank you, Tomias,” Kirheen said. As Nyson strode back in the room, he hurried off to rejoin the other instructors. Her stomach twisted, anxiety turning her innards into knots as Tomias walked away. She turned to Garild and smiled half-heartedly. “You ready for this?”

  He laughed nervously. “I think so? I mean, what could possibly go wrong?”

  “Yeah,” she agreed, forcing words around the lump forming in her throat. “What could go wrong?”

  CHAPTER 18

  “Kirheen and Garild, please step forward.”

  Garild locked eyes with Kirheen, the sound of their names still ringing through the hall. She shrugged, but he could see a shift in her eyes, gray pools churning with worry and fear. He knew she was strong, knew she had what it’d take to win, but he also knew how vulnerable her mind would be in the battle, and just how deeply that frightened her. He wasn’t sure whether to be more frightened of their opponents or her fear.

  Sweat gathered on his brow, slid down the side of his face. He wiped it away with his sleeve and licked nervously at his salt-tinged lips. Kirheen was moving towards the center of the room and he hurried after her. With the full scrutiny of the other Bonded pelting his back, each step felt like a lifetime.

  He kept his eyes on Kirheen, on the graceful curve of her neck. She’d pulled her ashen locks into a high tail and he watched the strands sway back and forth with her movement, hoping to lose himself in anything but the thought of the battle. She glanced over her shoulder and gave him a quick nod. They stopped mere feet from Nyson and Herzin and waited for their opponents’ names to be called. Kirheen kept her head down, avoiding the cruel gaze of her former instructor. He couldn’t blame her. Garild found it hard to look at Herzin, the sight of her filling him with an uncharacteristic rage. He’d never forgive her for making his bond mate feel so vulnerable, so helpless.

  “Abby and Burk, please step forward.”

  Even knowing it was going to be them, it was still hard to hear their names called. Burk and Abby were all smiles and bouncing steps as they cut across the room. They wore sage green robes, their symbol of a beautiful stag standing in a forest of wraith wood trees emblazoned in creamy white on the back. Burk leaned towards Garild and nudged him with his elbow.

  “We’ve been looking forward to this,” he said, his grin nearly consuming his face. “This is going to be fun!” Garild attempted to return his smile but could barely muster more than an uncertain frown.

  Kirheen shifted. “Tomias has me so worked up about this matchup, I could punch him!”

  “Let’s hope we threw them off a bit. If anything, we’re in for a good fight. We can do this.”

  “Just pull them in fast. I’ll feel better if we’re battling it out in your mind.”

  “Got it!”

  He needed to strike quick. If he was lucky, neither of his opponents would be a manipulator, and he could focus on shaping the battlefield to their advantage. Being on familiar ground would make the battle a lot easier, so long as everything went according to plan.

  “You may begin.”

  Burk and Abby settled on the ground and waited for Kirheen and Garild to do the same. When they were seated, Abby flashed them a quick smile. “Good luck.” She bowed her head forward and closed her eyes.

  The battle had begun.

  Garild quickly settled into his own mind, focusing his power and carefully crafting his illusions. He cautiously weaved his power around Burk and Abby, and with a sharp yank, he pulled them into his mind. He sighed with relief, thankful his little trick had worked flawlessly.

  “Ah, so you were bluffing,” Burk laughed, surveying the forest that was still materializing around them. “Tricksters, both of you!”

  “It was pretty clever,” Abby admitted, sticking close to her bond mate. They moved cautiously, taking small steps and watching their surroundings with sharp eyes. “A forest might not have been the best choice though. We’ve been training in something like this for weeks.”

  To prove her point, she deftly avoided the traps that had been laid out for them, side stepping a concealed pit and skirting around a bundle of vines intended to ensnare them. Garild hadn’t expected her to see through his traps so well. He needed a distraction.

  As Burk took another step forward, a branch cracked loudly beneath his foot. Startled by the sound, a flock of birds burst from the nearest tree, flying overhead in a flurry of wings and screeches. It frightened them both and, just as he’d hoped, Abby took a cautious step back, planting her foot on a trap she’d just avoided.

  A vine tightened around her ankle, sweeping her legs out from under her and hoisting her high into the air. She spun helplessly, glancing around for any way out of the trap she’d sprung. “Burk, you’re going to have to conjure something to get me down or I’m stuck here.”

  “I’d love to get you down, my dear Abby, but I have this slight feeling that trap was on purpose.” He spun around, pushing out with his powers at a nearby bush. Kirheen leapt out of the way, narrowly avoiding the blast. As she landed, she glared at Burk. “I’d even go so far as to say Kirheen was waiting to ambush me. Nice try!”

  From the pocket of her robe, Kirheen pulled out a card. She showed the blank back to Burk, her smile taunting him to follow as she dashed off into the trees. Burk cursed, glancing up at this bond mate and then back to the path Kirheen had taken through the underbrush.

  “You so much as think about it, and I will personally beat you over the head with this branch I’m hanging from,” Abby shouted, waving her arms with her words. The motion set her to spinning again and she groaned. “Get me down and we go after her together!”

  “Okay, okay.” Burk concentrated, forcing his own illusion into existence. A dagger appeared in Abby’s hand and, with some difficulty, she managed to saw through the vine holding her. It gave way with a snap and she fell, hitting the ground with a thump. The impact forced the air from her lungs, and she wheezed as she got to her feet, trying to catch her breath. He brushed leaves and dirt from her robes, but she shoved him away.

  “You could have caught me!”

  “Sorry! I was making sure we weren’t going to get ambushed again. We need to be more careful.”

  “Apparently,” Abby coughed, flipping her braid back over her shoulder. She closed her eyes, and Garild could feel her powers weaving through his mind, searching. “She’s not that far away. Let’s get her.”

  They were far more cautious as they picked their way through the forest, avoiding or deflecting the traps Garild conjured for them. “Be careful, Kirheen,” Garild warned. “They are heading your way.”

  “I sense them. I’ll be careful.”

  Kirheen skidded into a clearing, sending leaves fluttering into the air. She dropped to one knee and placed the card on the ground. “I’m going to set the trap.” Placing her hands on either side of the card, she let power flow through her fingers. There was a bright burst of light, and then a tree began to form around the card. It creaked and groaned as it grew, the card pulled deep into the translucent bark of the tree. It would give them valuable time to defend their card if their opponents attempted to get to it.

  Pleased with her work, Kirheen ran off into
the trees, keeping close to the trap but out of sight. She flared her powers, hoping to attract Burk and Abby to her hiding spot. They took the bait and moments later, they burst into the clearing.

  Abby stopped in front of the tree, surveying the oddness of it from afar but not daring to step any closer. “Well, that’s an odd-looking tree, isn’t it?” she mused, peering up at the branches through squinted eyes. Burk kept an eye on the surrounding forest, only giving the tree the briefest of glances.

  “And obviously a trap.”

  “Obviously.”

  “Well, it’s a bit inconvenient but get to choppin’, Abby. It might not actually be a trap.”

  Abby rolled her eyes. “Just look at it. It’s got to be a trap. Though, with the amount of work it would take to get to it, it could be the real deal.”

  “Or it could be a trap.”

  “Oh, would you just make up your mind already! I still sense our friend.” Abby tilted her head to the right. “She’s close.”

  Burk glanced towards her hiding spot. “We’ve got two options. Go after the card or go after Kirheen. So, trap or no trap?”

  “I’ve got a bad feeling about this. It feels like a trap. It’s too…there. I don’t trust it.”

  “I’m thinking that’s exactly what she wants us to think.”

  Abby groaned. “Burk, you are not helping! Just try and break the damned thing.”

  Burk grunted and stepped up to the tree. With his hands pressed against the bark, he released a burst of energy that ripped through the tree. With terrifying ferocity, the energy rippled across the surface, shattering the tree into hundreds of pieces. He stepped back with a satisfied smirk and watched the card slowly fall.

  With his attention locked on the card, Kirheen burst from the trees and collided with Burk, shoving him roughly to the side. He fell hard and the ground gave way beneath him, dropping him into a dark pit and cutting him off from the battle above.

  Kirheen recovered just in time to avoid a powerful blast from Abby. They circled each other, both tense and ready for anything. Abby chanced a glance at the card half buried in the dirt nearby and Kirheen laughed. “You’re on your own. You really want to go for it?”

  “Yes. I do.” Abby threw her hand forward, shooting a wave of energy towards Kirheen. It traveled fast, and Kirheen threw up her hands, blocking the energy and diverting it to either side. Even so, it still took her breath away and shoved her back a few feet.

  “And here I thought Burk was the muscle.”

  “He wishes.” Abby smirked, shooting another blast of power at Kirheen. Kirheen arced power around the oncoming blast, but Abby managed to roll to the side, just narrowly missing the crackling ball of energy. Kirheen gathered her strength, preparing to fire another shot when something locked around her ankle and yanked her backwards. She flailed her arms wildly, desperately trying to remain upright. It was too late to recover, and she tumbled backwards, falling into the pit that was supposed to have trapped Burk.

  She collided with the ground hard, and the force of the fall was almost enough to break her concentration. Garild could feel her connection with his mind wavering, and he let some of his power flow to her, patching up her mind where it had been battered by the fall. Kirheen struggled to get back to her feet, wincing as she waited for a blow that never came. “Kirheen, he’s a manipulator. Be careful.”

  Burk smiled as he climbed up over the edge of the pit using a ladder he’d conjured. He shattered his creation as soon as he’d made it to safety and leaned back over the edge to wave down at Kirheen. She glared as he stalked away from the edge, heading towards the card. Abby gave him a high five, and together they walked towards their victory.

  “That wasn’t so bad,” Abby said, bending down to pick up the card. She flipped it over and her face fell, lips curling back in rage. “Burk, she still has the card!”

  Burk cursed and dove back towards the pit, but Kirheen was nowhere to be found. “Abby, she isn’t here!”

  Abby ran to the edge of the pit. “Where did she go? I can’t sense her!”

  “Now!”

  Garild released a wave of energy from behind Burk and Abby, knocking them both off their feet and into the pit below. The fall broke Abby, forcing her out of the match and nearly took out Burk as well. He lay at the bottom of the pit, looking up at the sky above. “Real clever, you two. And painful. Thanks for that.”

  From the wall of the pit, Kirheen emerged, her skin shifting and changing as it reverted to her normal skin tone. “You ready to give up, Burk?” she asked, smiling down at him.

  “Oh, I don’t know. I think I’ll stay here for a while. It’s quite nice down here, actually.”

  Garild, no longer in danger, glanced down into the pit. Burk waved at him casually. “Never took you for a manipulator, Burk. That could have cost us the match.”

  “But sadly, it didn’t. Now I’m doomed to stay here in this pit forever.” He sighed and propped himself up on his elbows. “I suppose we better bring this to an end. We forfeit.”

  Garild pushed them from his mind, shattering the illusionary forest. Exhaustion washed over him, coating every inch of his being with fatigue. Despite it, he managed to grin as he came back to reality. Kirheen was staring at him with a look of utter disbelief.

  “Kirheen and Garild, you have won this battle.”

  Her face lit up, mirroring his own dumbfounded joy, and she leaned over to embrace him. Garild returned her embrace, feeling elated by the closeness, at the shared happiness between them. They’d won.

  “Well played, friends,” Burk said, clapping him on the shoulder. “You both did well.”

  “Thank you, Burk! You gave us quite the challenge.”

  Abby shrugged. “Not enough of one, I’m afraid.”

  Tomias and Fenir came barreling into view, grinning from ear to ear. Tomias ushered them to their feet and out of the room, the cheers of the other Bonded waning as they stepped outside. Having won their battle, they were free to rest until the next match.

  As his excitement waned, the full weight of his exhaustion hit him hard. His limbs grew heavy, shoulders hunching as he struggled to remain upright. Kirheen seemed to be suffering much the same, her steps slow and unsteady, eyes fluttering rapidly.

  “I have never been so proud,” Tomias said, his excitement bubbling to the surface. “I am going to rub this victory in Grant’s face until the end of his days.”

  “Don’t get too comfortable,” Fenir chided. “There are more battles to come.” Three pairs of eyes narrowed and bore into Fenir with the force of a meteor slamming into a planet. He waved a hand in the air, brushing off their glares as if they were little more than annoying flies, and turned his back.

  “I feel completely drained. How are we supposed to keep up this kind of momentum?” Kirheen grumbled, rubbing her temples in slow circles.

  Tomias sighed. “I won’t lie. It’s going to be tough, but your training this winter is going to help. We worked as hard as we did so you’d have the stamina to last through these battles.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Kirheen said. “If anyone needs me, I’ll be resting over there.”

  “I think I’ll join her,” Garild muttered, unsure whether the words had even left his mouth properly. His tongue felt thick and clumsy, too big for the space it occupied. He’d thought to catch up with Kirheen but she seemed so far away. When he did finally reach his destination, he crumbled to his knees, turning himself to rest his back on the smooth, cool bark of a wraith wood tree. Kirheen was already situated, her head reclined back, eyes closed.

  “Good work today,” Garild said, letting his thoughts drift out to her. The wind rustled the leaves above them, tiny whispers of sound that relaxed him.

  “Same to you. I’m glad you’re on my team.”

  He smiled, letting her words fill him with warmth. Before winter, he’d thought himself such a fool. He didn’t think Kirheen could ever come to care about him or see him as an equal, but over those cold, b
itter months she’d changed. While he still doubted she felt the same way he did, it didn’t seem like such an abstract possibility anymore. There was hope for them and despite his own desires, he was willing to wait. For now, just sharing a friendship was enough.

  They rested for a time, silent and comfortable, letting the fatigue slip from their bodies. Walls were mended, weak spots bolstered for the battle to come. A part of Garild wished he were back in the temple watching the other battles. He wanted to learn from them, to watch them make mistakes and adapt to new situations. That knowledge would be a powerful aide in the next battle, but his body and mind demanded rest, and he was hesitant to ignore his needs.

  The realization that he’d fallen asleep in earnest didn’t come until Tomias shook him awake. His instructor smiled apologetically and reached down a hand to help him up. “How long was I out?” Garild asked, blinking away sleep as he glanced to Kirheen. She stood just behind Tomias, awake but quiet, her eyes glued to the temple.

  Tomias followed her gaze. “It’s almost time for your next battle. Are you ready?”

  Garild nodded, the nervous energy he’d become so well acquainted with surging through his veins as he followed them back to the Temple of Gathering. As they entered the temple, the other Bonded burst into loud cheers.

  “Celene and Aeirn, you have won the battle.”

  The pair beamed, delighted by their victory. They shook hands with their opponents, Carter and Fiona, and both parties faded back into the crowd. Kirheen and Garild rejoined the rest of the Bonded, but they hung back, keeping to the outskirts as if it would prevent them from being called next.

  “That concludes our first round of battles. You have but a few moments before we start the next set of matches. Please be ready,” Nyson called over the crowd. He waved his hand dismissively and the room exploded with various conversations. Strategies were discussed, victories and losses fussed over, debates arising over the power of manipulators and their roles in the battles. Such discussions should have distracted Garild, the noise swelling and filling the air around him, but he heard little of the conversations and participated even less. He was far too nervous to discuss the coming battle, and Kirheen seemed to share his feelings, keeping her distance from the others and out of the conversations taking place around them. He reached over and grabbed the soft fabric of her robe.