Soul Binder (Soul Saga (Book #2))

by Todd, E. L.

  Aleco looked up into the branches of the Lorunien Tree. He knew the Nature God appointed him, for some inexplicable reason, and Father Giloth merely approved its choice. He had no idea why the tree made such a decision. Aleco didn’t want it. He never wanted that. He wanted to return to Severstein Sea, to his cave, and be alone until death took him. He wanted it to come soon.

  Aleco rose to his feet and approached the stump of the tree. The tears still rained down his face as he pressed his hands against the bark, feeling the smoothness with his palms. “Why?” he asked the tree. “Why did you choose me? I am of no use to you.” Aleco walked around the stump, walking over the uplifted roots from the soil. He felt his anger leak from his pores. “What have I done to deserve this? You made a mistake!” He pounded his fists against the trunk until they bled. “Choose another.” He pulled his hands away and gripped his hair. “WHY? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?”

  The ground beneath his feet shook with the force of an earthquake, knocking Aleco to the ground. He got to his feet quickly and stared at the tree in shock. He angered the Nature God, and Aleco could feel the wrath emitting from its body. Suddenly, feelings flooded his mind, the same ones he felt in Accacia’s presence; unconditional love, physical lust, passion, friendship, happiness, bliss—all these emotions ran through his body with the speed of lightning. Aleco fell backwards again and landed on the grass at the base of the tree. He clutched his chest as the emotions surged through him like an incoming tide. He didn’t know what the tree was telling him. He felt the tears fall down his face as he tried to distinguish the tree’s meaning. He was frustrated. “What are you trying to tell me?”

  An image of Accacia flooded his mind. It was the moment when they exchanged Soul Catchers. She deposited the gem within her necklace and Aleco did the same. Understanding dawned on Aleco and he knew the tree’s message. The Lorunien Tree had selected Aleco as the Nature Priest because he was the closest thing to her. He carried a piece of Accacia’s soul within himself and the Nature God recognized it. Only someone who was worthy of her love was worthy of the office—and Aleco was the man she loved.

  Aleco realized what the tree expected of him; to protect her soul for eternity. The Soul Binders would imprison her soul if she was murdered on the island, but Aleco couldn’t let that happen. He had to ensure her soul belonged to the Nature God, that it will find the light if she met her end. He had to protect her immortality. He was carrying a piece of it now.

  The frustration at his predicament and the responsibilities of his office evaporated. He knew what he had to do. He had to destroy the Soul Binders of the Continent, ensuring the release of her kin and the protection of Accacia’s soul. But the only way to do that was to eliminate the king, the man who hoarded the Soul Binders to himself and used their souls to ensure his own immortality. He had to kill the king, his brother, if he was to succeed. Aleco left the grounds of the tree and headed to the Asylinth House, determined to be victorious in the undertaking. If all went well, if Aleco destroyed the Soul Binders, murdered the king and established the Continent under new leadership, he could sail the seas in search of her. Aleco wouldn’t stop until he found her.

  Asylinth House

  7

  Aleco still wasn’t accustomed to sleeping in the chambers of the Chief Nature Priest, the very room where his uncle slept for decades. He wanted to stay in the cottage, but he couldn’t do it anymore. The memories of Accacia haunted him.

  When he walked into his new bedchamber that night, he ripped off the heavy cloak that always hid his face from view and tossed it on the floor. The embers of the fire were dying so he tossed on another log. The sight of the flames reminded him of the love of his life, just like everything else did, and he looked away. He removed the rest of his clothes and sat on the bed. It was chilly outside but he wasn’t cold. He was never cold. Accacia was always freezing and he was always more than happy to keep her warm. Aleco sighed loudly. He kept thinking about her and wished he could stop.

  He grabbed a bottle of whiskey and poured himself a glass. He downed the entire contents and placed the empty cup on the nightstand. Then, he grabbed Roslyn’s Blade, the herb that Accacia gave him to help him sleep, and lit the tip on fire, letting the smoke fill the room. Now that Accacia was gone, he couldn’t sleep. It was the only time he could stay asleep for more than a few hours without a nightmare taking over. Well, he still had dreams, mostly of Accacia, but they were still painful. When he woke up, he realized that the events weren’t real, just stories of his imagination. The knowledge was so excruitiating, he thought he would die. But he also didn’t want the dreams to stop. Aleco couldn’t win.

  He lay down on top of the bed and closed his eyes. The bedding was completely replaced, at Aleco’s insistence, and he felt his muscles relax on top of the soft sheets. He inhaled the smoke in his lungs and felt his mind start to settle. He couldn’t think clearly anymore, or remember what he was thinking about. Finally, he was asleep. All conscious thought ceased.

  “Tell me,” she said.

  Aleco opened his eyes and saw Accacia lying beside him. Her green eyes shined bright and her thin lips were slightly open. She was completely naked, and he felt his heart accelerate. The curve of her hips shined in the light of fire, and he stared at her body for a moment. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He still couldn’t believe that she was his. Somehow he knew what she was asking. “Nothing.”

  Her hand glided up his chest and made him shiver. He felt aroused any time she came near him, whether she was clothed or not. Even when they traveled across the Continent together and she was wearing guard clothes, he wanted her. He wanted her now. If he wasn’t so upset, he would take her. She smiled at him. “Don’t be an asshole.”

  He sighed, knowing he couldn’t hide anything from her. The look of despair in his eyes was enough to give him away. “I—I miss you,” he whispered.

  Accacia placed her hand on his cheek then kissed his moist eyes, which were starting to leak tears. “I miss you, too.”

  Aleco sighed then wrapped his arm around her waist. “I can’t do this, Accacia. It’s too hard.”

  “Do what?”

  “This,” he said quietly. He ran his hand up her body and felt the curves of her frame. Her hourglass figure was eye-catching. Sometimes he couldn’t look away. “Being the Nature Priest. It should have been you.”

  “Well, I’m not here anymore, Aleco.”

  Aleco blinked back a tear. “Don’t remind me.”

  “You are a better leader than I ever was,” she whispered. “I’m too weak. You are the greatest man I have ever known, the person destined to be king.”

  “That’s total horseshit,” he said. “I would be a horrible leader. I don’t even know what it’s like to be sober.”

  She laughed. “Well, you hide it very well.”

  Aleco leaned over her and wrapped her leg around his waist. “But you see right through me.”

  She ran her fingers down his cheek and looked into his red eyes. “You look miserable.”

  “That’s because I am miserable.”

  “Well, I’m here with you now.”

  “But you aren’t real.”

  She reached out and grabbed his erection. “I’m always real, Aleco.”

  Aleco moaned as he felt her rub him in the way he liked. Her hair was sprawled out on the bed, and her eyes were lit like glowing orbs. She wanted him like she always did. The look in her eyes made his heart squeeze. The moment was equally exhilarating and depressing.

  “Aleco, you have needs,” she whispered. “You don’t have to remain celibate because of me.” She rubbed him harder. “I want you to be satisfied.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t want anyone else.”

  She stroked him harder. “I don’t want you to be alone.”

  “There is no one else for me but you.” He leaned further over her and ran a hand through her hair. It was soft and silky like it always was. “I’m never going to change my
mind.” He kissed her gently and separated her lips with his tongue. The idea of being with anyone else was inconceivable. He could never kiss anyone the way he kissed her. He couldn’t make love to someone after being with her. Accacia moaned as she reciprocated his embrace. Her fingers glided through his hair, and Aleco loved her touch. He loved it when she touched him that way. It reminded him that she loved him, really loved him.

  “Good.” She pulled him onto the bed and climbed on top of him. She straddled his hips and leaned over him. The look in her eyes sent chills down his spine. He wanted her, but she wanted him more. “I love you.”

  “I love you, Accacia.” The look of longing in her eyes made him more excited. She was his and his alone. No one could ever take that away. She was completely devoted to him, just as much as he was to her, and even though they weren’t together geographically, they were still as committed to each other spiritually.

  Accacia pressed her hands against his chest and leaned over him. She kissed his chest and ran her lips to ear. “I want you, Aleco,” she whispered.

  As he felt himself move inside of her, he leaned his head back and moaned. “Accacia.”

  “Aleco,” she whispered as she rode him. The sight of her riding him sent him to the brink with pleasure. He grabbed her hips and dug his fingertips into her skin. He thrust upward and she moaned loudly. “You feel amazing.” She moaned again.

  Aleco rolled on top of her and placed her legs over his shoulders. He thrust himself inside of her hard. “Accacia.” He breathed. “I love you.”

  “And I love you.” She grabbed his back and pulled him closer to her. “I miss you.”

  “I miss you,” he said between thrusts. “I can’t do this without you.”

  She kissed his lips. “Yes, you can.”

  “I don’t want to.”

  “We’ll be together again someday.”

  Aleco moved within her slowly, feeling every inch of her body with his. “Promise me,” he whispered. “I can’t go on without you.”

  She grabbed his hips and pulled him deeper inside her. “I promise. We’ll find each other again.”

  Aleco rocked into her while she gripped his back. Her green eyes shined bright as he made love to her, and he felt his body preparing for a moment of pleasure. Accacia leaned her head back and started yelling his name. The sight of her bliss sent him to the brink and he exploded inside of her.

  The moment of release shattered his unconscious state. When he woke up, he realized it was all a dream. Her pledges of reuniting with him were false. Sweat was trickled across his body and his sheets were soaked. “Don’t go,” he cried. He grabbed the sheets and searched for her. Accacia wasn’t there. “Please don’t go.” He tried to return to the dream, but it was gone. His tears fell from his eyes like a heavy rain and his heart throbbed in agonizing pain. “Accacia?” he whispered. “Accacia?” Every moment with her made him elated with happiness, but every time he left her, it was just unbearable. Tears welled in his eyes and he felt himself give in to despair. He climbed out of bed and dressed himself before leaving the bedchamber.

  He left Asylinth House and sprinted through the forest. It was dark, but Aleco knew exactly where he was going. Not only did he know the forest grounds better than anyone else, but the Lorunien Tree guided him away from unseen obstacles, like an upturned root or a small animal. Aleco ran as fast as he could through the nighttime woodlands. He wasn’t sure where he was going or what he planned to do when he got there, but he kept going anyway.

  A few minutes later, he found himself at the empty harbor. There were no ships docked on the wharf. It was empty. Aleco walked down the pier and stopped when he reached the rope that tied Accacia’s ship to the wharf. It was the last place he saw her. The last place he would ever see her.

  He sat down and placed his legs over the dock and listened to the sounds of the crashing waves. The wind blew down his hood, revealing his face, but he didn’t pull it back up. It was the most pain he had ever been in. He lost his parents, watched them die, but that was nothing compared to losing Accacia. He committed unforgivable acts and when he repented for them, it still didn’t amount to the agony he felt now. Perhaps his punishment for everything he had done was to be given a beautiful gift only to have it taken away. Aleco knew he was a bad person, but he still didn’t deserve that fate. He felt completely paralyzed by the loss of his life’s love. If he didn’t have to destroy the soul binders, kill his brother or save the Continent, he might give into the darkness. It was just too strong to fight against. He couldn’t sustain like this for a long period of time. Eventually, it would consume him.

  The Swan

  8

  “Come on, lass! The sun is finally here!” The man on the deck called down into the hull of the ship. Accacia was lying on her cot, where she remained the entire trip, barely eating or drinking. She hardly moved. The captain of the ship, Slip, checked on her numerous times, but she always brushed him away, stating she was just tired. She had been tired for the past two months. “Don’t you want to see it, darling?”

  “No, thank you,” she replied. “I know what the sun looks like.”

  The man turned to Slip and shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve tried, Captain.”

  “I’ll have a go.” Slip walked down the ladder and into the cramped enclosure. Accacia lay on her cot and caressed a blue stone within her fingertips. Her eyes were closed. The small enclosure housed the bedding of the other shipmates and they slept in rotations throughout the day. Accacia became accustomed to their loud snoring, but it took several weeks. Acclimating to the rocking of the ship and the seasickness took even longer. She was initially hesitant to sleep alongside the crew, her thoughts immediately turning to her own safety, but she quickly learned how paranoid she was being. The shipmates not only respected their female passenger, despite their lengthy time out to sea, but they adored her companionship. She became fond of each one of them, feeling safe in their presence. The sound of the captain’s voice startled her. “Come on, miss. The open sea is breathtaking. You must come see it.”

  Accacia sat up and faced him. “I’m sure it’s lovely, Captain. I just don’t have the heart right now.” The captain looked at her forlorn face with her sunken features. Her lithe body was slimmer than it was when she first boarded the ship months ago, and he was worried for her health. She was as pale as a sail. “I hate to be rude, but I’m not taking no for an answer. I’ll carry you if I must, miss.”

  Accacia sighed. She felt just as depressed as the day she left the harbor of Orgoom Forest, leaving Aleco’s arms forever. She didn’t want to continue her existence. She only left at Aleco’s insistence, but she regretted her choice nonetheless. What was the point of living in safety if she just wanted to die anyway? “That won’t be necessary, Slip. I’ll come along.”

  The captain’s mouth stretched into a smile at her words. He practically clicked his heels. “You’ll love it, miss. The most beautiful thing you will ever see, other than my wife, of course.” Accacia smiled at his reference. Slip was an adorable man, and she had grown fond of him over their trip. Recognizing the pain in her eyes, he always tried to make her laugh during their voyage, or at least make her smile. He told her stories of his encounters out to sea and that helped Accacia forget about her internal torment for a moment. But when the tale was over, the depression returned with a vengeance. “The wide expanse of blue is surreal. One of the hands on deck even said he saw a group of dolphins swimming in the sea.”

  “What are dolphins?”

  Slip’s eyes lit up like lighthouse beacons. “They are wonderful creatures, miss. I’ll show them to you.”

  Accacia and Slip ascended the ladder and walked across the deck. The sails fluttered in the sea wind and the ship rocked in the waves. Initially, she was seasick at the start of their voyage, but the nausea abated when she munched on the special sea biscuits the captain provided. When Accacia felt the rise of her bile, she swallowed the bread and immediately felt well. Slip leane
d against the railing of the ship and looked across the white caps of the sea. The sun was high in the sky and heightened the color of the ocean to a light blue. The waves were somber after the passing storm and the world seemed to be at peace. “What do you think?” he asked.

  Accacia looked out across the ocean and was in awe at the sight. It was one of the most beautiful images she had ever seen. It was worthy enough to be stored in her Soul Catcher. She closed her eyes and felt the fresh breeze flow over her face and tassel her hair. She breathed a lungful of the salty air. The heat of the sun warmed her skin and she could feel the moisture in the air. It clung to her skin and heated her body. She finally didn’t feel cold, and she loved the sensation. “Thank you for dragging me up here.” She smiled.

  The captain grinned and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Of course, miss. I wouldn’t let you miss this.”

  Accacia looked into the water and saw gray fins protrude from the surface. Suddenly, a creature jumped from the water and splashed back into the ocean, screeching as it did so. “What was that?” she asked Slip. “Was that a dolphin?”

  “Yes. They are wonderful creatures. Saved one of my men once, they did.”

  “They are beautiful.” She leaned further over the rail and watched them dance in the water. She never saw anything like it before. Accacia suddenly felt small and insignificant being in the middle of something as large as the ocean. She never knew dolphins existed or that her ancestral people ever walked the earth, so what else didn’t she know about? There was so much to the huge world she never encountered. Father Giloth would watch the dolphins in awe. She wondered if Aleco had ever seen a dolphin, but she forced the thought from her mind. She missed him so much it was unbearable. He came to her every night while she slept, and the dreams were blissful and sometimes explicit, but she enjoyed her evenings with him. But it made waking up excruciating. She would never see him again. The tears poured down her face. Slip recognized her distress and hugged her. “Hush, miss. I know leaving your family behind is difficult, but it will get easier. I promise.”