“Jordan, wait for me outside? I’d like your help with something,” Stryx said, still perched on Ryland’s shoulder.
Jordan pointed to herself, shocked. “Me? Really?”
“Yes, you. Really.”
Jordan flushed and stared at me wide-eyed, but I merely shrugged. I had no idea what he wanted her for. When she finally went out into the yard, Stryx gave me his attention.
“Before the two of you speak, I need to say some things.”
My eyes rolled. Here he went with his wise words. Yes, I knew the grief was making me a jerk, but I didn’t care. Didn't everyone realize I’d just buried my parents? Didn’t they realize I didn’t want to talk about anything other than killing Alaryk?
Sure, I had been convinced there was no way I could complete the task when I first found out what I was supposed to do, but Jordan was wrong when she worried the deaths of my parents would push me exactly where Alaryk wanted me.
It had done the opposite. It had given me the push I needed to woman up and have zero qualms about ending the bastard.
“Kaliah, that’s enough. Yes, I realize it’s only been five days, and I’m not trying to be insensitive to your emotions, but you need to get it through your stubborn head that you can’t do this on your own. It’s not you versus Alaryk. It’s us against him. We need to work together as a team, or he will win.”
I huffed. “How do you know that?”
“Because Alaryk has a few decades of rage on you. The hate in his soul is far superior than I hope you ever experience. He has had the drive to either kill you or turn you to his side for nearly fifty years. It seems he’s settled on making you his mate, which is almost worse. This is not something you can fight on your own, no matter how much you wish to. None of us can.”
Ryland’s feet shuffled. “Maybe a few more days, or even a week, won’t hurt to allow Kali the time she needs.”
Stryx clicked his beak. “Time will not heal what ails her.”
His beady eyes narrowed on me, and I really wanted to stick my tongue out at him, or better yet, drop kick him across the yard.
Our relationship was turning into a love-hate one, and I didn’t like it.
Our stare-down lasted a solid minute before I caved. “Was there something else you wanted to say?”
“Why don’t we have a seat?” Stryx suggested.
Great, that was never good.
I took the only chair so I could have some space. I didn’t figure anything he wanted to tell us without Jordan was going to be something I really wanted to hear.
“The reason I didn’t ask Jordan to stay is because the two of you need to make this decision on your own. I know Ryland's standpoint, but Kaliah, you need to know what it means when you make certain decisions.”
“Like what?” I asked.
“First, before Alaryk showed up, you were ready to complete the bond with Ryland, but you’ve been avoiding it ever since. Your powers are erratic, and that’s because your bond isn’t complete. Your crown is not enough to contain what lies within you.”
A rumble sounded within my chest. “Why not? I know you keep saying this, but I think I’m handling it well enough.”
“You were never meant to carry the burden of this magic alone. You were always meant to have a partner. Someone who would stand by your side and lift you when needed. Someone who would protect you with their own life without a second thought. Ryland is your anchor to the goodness you were born from.”
My fingers tapped on the arm of the chair as I recalled my conversation with my grandmother. She’d, too, called Ryland my anchor, telling me I didn’t need him because I was weak. I’d believed her then, but I’d had a hard time remembering it as of late. My stubbornness was out in full force, and I didn’t know how to stop it.
“Yes, Stryx. I know Ryland is my Meraki. I understand all of what you’re saying, but it doesn't change anything. I won't be forced into something I'm not ready for.”
“Is it really that you’re not ready, or because you believe it's what is best for everyone else?” His feathers ruffled, and I wanted to strangle him. I really hated that he was in my head at all hours of the day. Learning how to kick him out was high up on my priority list.
Ryland stood. “Stryx, I know you mean well, but this isn’t working. You shouldn’t put this on her. Circumstances have changed, and I respect her wishes to wait, as should you. We all know what’s at stake, and we will handle it. I won’t bond with her just because you believe it’s the only way we can win.”
Well, he just earned some major bonus points with me.
“If that’s what you both wish, then I’ll stop trying to help.” Stryx flew out the door, more frustrated than I’d ever seen him before.
Leaning forward, I let my hair fall in front of my face and rubbed my hands over my eyes. Hurting Stryx wasn’t what I had planned. I was well aware he was only trying to help, but I had my own thoughts I couldn’t ignore. I knew what I thought was right, and I just wanted to make the hurt go away.
Why was that so hard to do?
Ryland kneeled before me. “Do you want me to leave?”
My first thought was to say yes. I’d been doing fine on my own the last five days. Well, fine if you considered starting lightning storms and breaking things in the house fine.
Though, I couldn’t find the willpower to send him away.
“You can stay if you want, but I’d understand if you chose to leave.” At least he still had an out if he wanted one.
I didn’t imagine he felt great about being saddled to me. I would bring nothing but trouble into his life if he decided to stay.
“Kali, look at me.” His fingers nudged my chin, not forcefully, just enough to give me the push I needed to quit hiding.
His eyes stabbed me right through the chest. They offered nothing but comfort, compassion, and understanding. He wasn't there to judge me or push me or anything else. He was just there.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured. Though, it wasn’t for anything specific. I knew I hadn’t made all the right choices, and he’d probably paid the price for at least some of them.
“You have nothing to apologize for. You are in mourning. We all are. We understand your hurt, even if ours isn’t exactly the same.”
“You were really close with them?” I knew he had been their assigned guardian, but I didn’t know what that actually entailed.
He nodded. “I was. They took me in after my own parents died and treated me like their own. You know, they didn’t think they could have kids. There were decades when they’d done everything they could to get pregnant, but it wasn’t until they least expected it that you came along.”
The hole in my heart tore a little further. I’d never known that. I ached for my mother who had deserved as many children as she wanted, because she was the best mom anyone could ever wish for.
“When they found out about you and the prophecy, I’d asked to go with them, but Arvayta needed me more than them, or so they’d said. That was, until you were twelve and something big happened. I don’t know what it was, but it scared them enough to ask for Jordan.”
This piqued my curiosity. “I’d almost drowned around that time. I wonder if that had anything to do with it. But why didn’t they want you?”
He grinned, a dimple I’d never noticed before appearing in his left cheek. “You were just figuring out what boys were. Do you really think they wanted one trying to get close to you?”
So very true. I’d probably have refused his friendship anyway. Boys hadn’t always been kind in middle school.
“So, what now?” I asked, because I really had no clue.
He took my hands in his and squeezed tight as his smile faded away. “I won’t force you into something you’re not ready for, but I will remind you of a few things. The first, I’m all in with this. Whether we’re bonded or not, I will have your back, either as your friend or your Meraki. I won’t let you go against Alaryk alone. I will follow you wherever you go, no mat
ter the danger.”
A lump lodged in my throat as I tried to swallow. His words struck emotions in me I’d much rather have ignored.
“Second, I know you’re afraid, and it’s okay to be scared, but you need to remember one thing. You are my life now. No matter what happens, I accept you for who you are. There is nothing I’ve learned about you that I would change.”
I opened my mouth to interrupt him, but he held up his hand. “I’m not done yet.”
My eyes widened at the demanding tone, but I quite liked it and wished he showed that side of himself more often.
“You are not perfect, but neither am I. We are both incomplete, but together, I really do believe that we can do whatever we set out to accomplish. I’m not trying to pressure you. I just need you to know that I’m still here and always will be. Nothing has changed for me.”
He paused, seeming to wait for me to say something, but I was speechless. I didn’t know how to respond.
For a brief moment, I let myself begin to wonder if Stryx had let Ryland in on any of my internal thoughts, but I shook away the notion. The owl might be a righteous pain in my ass, but I trusted him fully. He wouldn’t betray me in that way.
“Even though I plan to give you space, I want you to know, I also intend to pursue you when appropriate. I won’t have you thinking just because I respect your need for time that I’m no longer interested,” he added with a slight grin.
His hands cupped my cheeks, completely taking me by surprise as he slowly moved in closer, clearly giving me time to push him away if I wanted, but I couldn’t.
There was nothing in me that didn’t want him to do what he was doing. So, instead, I met him in the middle and a soft sigh escaped my lips as his pressed against mine. Once, twice, and then a third while I held him closer.
He only let the chaste kisses last for a moment before he pulled back. “One last thing. That won’t always happen. I won’t be used. You either want more with me or you don’t, but I won’t get stuck somewhere in the middle. Just remember, I’m all in, Kali. Whenever you're ready.”
He stood and turned for the door while I was left on the chair, completely in shock.
What the hell had just happened? How had it happened?
I had no idea, and I wasn’t even sure what it meant.
Suddenly, I was back to being alone again, and, for the first time since I saw my parents’ prone bodies, I didn’t want to be.
Chapter Three
The next day, I got up at a reasonable time and took a shower. Getting ready for the day filled me with equal parts relief and anxiety. In order to stop Alaryk from hurting anyone else, I knew I would have to train harder. I wasn’t stubborn enough to think I could stop him as I was, but at the same time, taking this step and leaving the house, I was moving forward.
Without my parents.
I wasn’t ready to live a life in Arvayta without them. We’d only had mere weeks together in this new-to-me world, and it wasn’t fair that they hadn’t been able to show me everything they loved about this land.
None of it was fair.
But today wasn’t about that. Today was about becoming a better me, so I could do what I’d been daydreaming about for nearly a week.
Jordan came out of the guest house as I opened the back door. “About damn time,” she huffed.
“Have you been waiting for me?”
“Duh. But Ryland said if I forced you to go to training that he would burn my favorite shoes. So, I decided to wait by the window until I saw you at the door. I knew you’d eventually come out, even if I wanted it to be a little earlier.” She reached for my hand. “Now, let’s go kick the asses of Ryland and Oliver.”
Before I could respond, the air was pulled from my lungs and everything went black for mere seconds until my feet were on the grassy grounds of the training fields.
“Who said I wanted to be here?” I asked, even though it was exactly where I had intended to head. A part of me had missed bantering with her, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to prod at her.
“You had no choice. As your best friend, I made a vow to make sure you don’t do anything stupid unless we’re doing it together. I know there is still a lot of healing left to do, but I won’t let you do it alone all the time. You had five days. Now, give me this one.”
I smiled at her, probably my first true smile in days. “I love you, Satan.”
“I love you, too, Chuck. Now, go show the boys how you earned that nickname.” She winked. “They already know I'm the devil.”
Shaking my head, I had no doubts. They’d known Jordan a hell of a lot longer than I had, and I actually felt bad for all they’d probably had to endure before she was sent to Earth.
We walked toward the training building and found only Ryland and Oliver in the center, both using swords against each other.
“Are they trying to take the other’s head off?” I gaped, then hissed as Oliver got awfully close to making contact with Ryland’s shoulder.
“Oh, calm down. Neither of them will actually bleed, at least not intentionally. If they do, that’s what we have Lorelle for. She’s the healer of all things. She once healed my feet when there was nothing left but bone and burnt skin.”
I shuddered. “Do I even want to know how that happened?”
“Dragons. Dirty, nasty beasts when they want to be, but I showed him who was boss in the end. I might have crawled away, but at least I was still breathing.”
She had no fear whatsoever, and I drew on that courage, knowing I’d have to channel my inner Jordan to get through whatever was coming our way.
“Hey, losers. Quit fighting like sissies and let us show you how it’s done,” Jordan yelled from the doorway.
Ryland met my gaze as he lowered his sword. “You sure you're up for this?”
“I am. Maybe not every day, but I’m going to take things one at a time for now.”
An owl hooted from outside, and I’d yet to see any others in Arvayta besides Stryx, so I turned back around. As soon as I walked back past the corner of the building, Stryx was perched on a boulder.
“It’s time to see what you’re capable of with some guidance. Are you ready, Kaliah?”
“I thought you said I had to be bonded first?” I countered, hoping he wasn’t up to any tricks.
“If you wish to be successful, I still stand by my words, but it doesn’t mean I can’t teach you a few things. Now, come.”
I eyed a stray rock on the ground, really wanting to throw it at him for commanding me like a dog, but I resisted as the others appeared outside as well.
“We’re training with him today?” Oliver said with a layer of shock to his voice. I still sometimes forgot Stryx was a bit of a celebrity around Arvayta.
“Don’t make his head bigger than it already is. He’s just an owl,” I replied, then wind promptly knocked me on my ass.
“What was that, Kali?” Stryx asked from above me with his wings still flapping and keeping me pinned to the ground.
There was so much pressure, I couldn't even speak, but I hoped the glare in my eyes told him exactly what I thought.
After my feathered frenemy was done showing off, I stood from the ground, wiping the dirt off as I followed the others. Stryx took us out into the furthest part of the fields, away from anyone else.
He landed on a boulder, moving his gaze between each of us. “The four of you are unique in your own ways. You balance each other out in methods you’re unaware of just yet, but I hope for you to learn.”
Jordan raised her hand like we were in school, though she didn’t wait to be called on. “What about the bonded animals? Where did they go after the fight?”
Ah, that was a great question and something I had completely forgotten about.
“They are near but need time to adjust. This is a different world for them, so they need a bit more time before being overwhelmed with their bonded. I thought they’d find them during the fight, but only a select few did. The rest will need
to be done more carefully,” Stryx answered.
Maybe I could hang out with them and take my time away as well. I knew exactly how they felt.
“Kali and Jordan work well together because they are polar opposites,” Stryx continued while stretching his wings out and making himself a focal point.
As he paused again, Jordan produced a flame from her hand, which I instinctively put out with water without thinking.
“How did I do that?” I asked, shocked my reflexes had taken over so easily.
“It’s the Arelia power seeping through. It wants to be used. Your mind knew what needed to be done, so it did it.” Stryx turned his head toward Oliver. “Kill that bush.”
Oliver grimaced, but did as he was told.
As soon as the leaves began to turn brown, my hands twitched to provide the plant with life, to give it water and let it thrive, but I held back.
“Kali, let it out,” Stryx demanded when I didn’t let my instincts take over again. The action made me feel like I was losing control, and I wasn’t fond of that.
Regardless of how stubborn I could be, I trusted Stryx and opened my hand. Magic flowed out the ten feet toward the bush before turning into water as it covered the branches of the bush. Relief poured into me as the green began to come back.
“Oliver controls the earth. He could have healed it on his own, but if he was ever unable, Kali, you need to know you’re capable of assisting him. Though, we need to do something about the mental restraints keeping you from reaching your full potential,” Stryx said as soon as I cut off the water to the plant.
“Yeah, easier said than done for someone who didn’t know a whole lot about this world until a few weeks ago,” I grumbled.
“And you're not going to learn with that attitude,” Stryx retorted.
Ryland stepped forward. “What about me? Kali seems to create her own storms just fine. How do we help each other?”
Stryx spread his wings again, but this time, drifted off the rock and circled the two of us. “You and Kali are nearly one in the same. Should you complete your bond, the shared power between the two of you will be nothing like we've seen since the last King and Queen.
Of Blood and Sacrifice (Royal Fae Guardians Book 2) Page 2