Soul Binder (Soul Saga (Book #2))

by Todd, E. L.

  Drake strode to the door then yelled down the hallway. “ALDO!” The king slammed the door behind him and returned to his seat. Aldo ran into the room and dashed to the king’s desk, a look of fear plastered on his face. He glanced at the corpse before the desk and recognized Victor immediately. He saw the shards of glass scattered across the room and the full bottle Roslyn wine on the desk. He tore his gaze away and stared at the king. “Yes, m’lord?” he asked.

  “Bring me a batch of Aleutian wine.” Drake nodded to the corpse at the base of his desk. Victor’s throat was covered in purple bruises. It was obvious he had been choked to death. “And make sure you bring me the right one.”

  Roxian’s Study

  16

  Zyle sipped his hot tea then returned it to the table. He was baffled, beyond frustrated with the monarch of his people, his queen. They had been debating for weeks about what to do with Accacia, their new prisoner, and he seemed to lose every argument.

  A beefy man walked through the doorway and stood before her. “You called for me, Your Majesty?” His entire body was covered in metallic armor with the exception of his head and a blue sword was belted around his waist.

  Roxian cupped her chin with her hand, her elbow resting on the table. She dropped her arm then stood up behind her desk. “Yes, I did, Uruith. I need you take all the trained warriors we have and patrol the coasts of the island. Search for any other uninvited guests and investigate the small boat on the eastern shore.”

  Zyle sighed in frustration. Roxian was deploying every able fighter to the shores of the island in preparation for a possible attack. “This is unnecessary, Roxian. No one else is coming—they would have arrived by now. You are only going to cause a panic.”

  Roxian ignored his comment. “You have your orders, Uruith.”

  Uruith nodded. He left the presence of the queen and returned to the lobby. He was a principal trainer at the academy, one of the most successful fighters in their history. The fact that he was being sent on a wild goose chase angered Zyle even more. A renowned warrior had more important matters to worry about.

  Roxian turned her heated gaze on Zyle. “How dare you defy my authority in the presence of company,” she said. “You have done it twice now. You challenged my orders to imprison the girl and now this?”

  Zyle closed his eyes for a moment. “It is not my intent to disrespect your authority, Your Majesty. Please forgive my actions,” he said. “I just feel—“

  “Your opinions have no value in my office.”

  Zyle ignored the interruption. “You are overreacting, Roxian. Accacia is not a threat and she comes to us alone—she is speaking the truth.”

  Roxian paced across the red rug behind her desk. She crossed her arms over her small chest and glided across the room. He could see the anger coursing through her body. She stopped and stared at him. “Overreacting?” She continued to walk across the room. “After everything that has happened to us, you think I am overreacting? In case you have forgotten, I am in charge of the remaining population of our civilization—the rest of them drowned to death. Or did you forget?”

  Zyle looked away. The anger in her eyes was replaced by a deep sorrow. She lost as much has he had—maybe even more. “Perhaps you have moved on from Cassandra’s death, but—”

  “Stop it.” Zyle held up his hand. He hated it when she referred to his dead life partner. She drowned in the catastrophe that took the island and the thought made him want to die. He hated hearing about it and despised discussing it.

  Roxian stopped her progression across the room. “I hope you remember what is at stake here.”

  “I have never forgotten.”

  “It seems that you have.”

  Zyle leaned forward. “And what is that supposed to mean?”

  “You know exactly what that is supposed to mean, Zyle. Nothing happens in my realm without my knowledge.”

  “I still don’t know what you are referring to.”

  Roxian stopped directly before him. She placed her hands on her hips and looked at him. The pink flowers in her hair were beginning to loosen from her excessive movement. “Fine. If you want me to be blunt about it, then I will. I know you were with Eden.”

  “That is no secret,” he said. “But the occurrences of my personal life are none of your concern. And I don’t understand what they have to do with presiding over a realm.”

  “What about Cassandra?”

  Zyle closed his eyes and sighed. His anger was bubbling at the surface and he was losing control of his tongue. He knew the real reason of her interest. It was completely selfish. “What about her? I loved her then, and I love her now. I will for always,” he said. “But she isn’t here anymore.”

  “Do you love Eden?”

  “Why did I end the relationship if I did?”

  “Then why were you with her?”

  Zyle dropped his face into his palms. He couldn’t believe she was asking him these questions. He never reciprocated any interest in her personal affairs. He knew she felt entitled to the information because they were family—in-laws, at least. “I’m not having this conversation with you.”

  “Yes, you are.” She snapped. “So tell me.”

  Zyle looked at the anger sketched onto her face. He knew the force of her fury was jealousy. She wanted him, but he didn’t feel the same way. He never would. “Because I am a man and I have needs. Twenty years is a long time to be alone, Roxian.”

  “How could you betray her?”

  Zyle stood up. “Betray her? She’s dead!”

  “You tarnish her memory by loving someone else.”

  “I don’t love Eden. I already said that. My time with her was purely physical. She felt the same way.”

  “You’re disgusting.” Roxian looked away from him, clearly hurt at his personal transgression with another Asquithian.

  Zyle sat down and clenched the arms of the chair with his hands. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but he knew better than to speak them aloud. When you lived with your peers for so long, you never knew how long a grudge would last. It was better to avoid them. “Can we get back on topic now?”

  Roxian stared at the fireplace, which was absent of any flames. It was as clean as the day it had been built. “There is nothing left to discuss.”

  “So you are just going to keep Accacia a prisoner forever?”

  “Until I kill her,” she said.

  “She is telling the truth, Roxian. I felt it with my senses,” he said. “You understand how accurate my abilities are. She is not a threat to us. If anything, she is an asset.”

  “I can’t risk it.”

  “You know who she is, don’t you?”

  Roxian turned around then sat down behind the desk. She said nothing for a moment as she reinserted the blossoms into her golden hair. “Of course I do.”

  “Then that is enough to vindicate her.”

  “Just because she was a helpless victim then doesn’t mean she isn’t a hateful criminal now.”

  Zyle shook his head. “She would never assist the man who killed her parents and wiped out her entire race. Brainwashing can only work to a certain degree—and that crime surpasses the limits.”

  “There is no proof that she is really the same Accacia—it could be a trap.”

  “No,” he said. “I recognize her.”

  “She was just a child then. There is no way to be certain.”

  “I saw her every day before they left. I even have her images stored in my Soul Catcher—she and Accacia are one and the same.”

  Roxian sighed. “Please understand my predicament—I have to do what is in the best interest of my people.”

  “Killing Accacia wouldn’t fall under that category—release her. What could she possibly do to hurt us? She is one woman against a thousand of us. Be realistic, Roxian.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  Zyle shook his head. “The people would love to see her return to them. They adored Portisha and Hen
ral—they would want her back. Laura would especially.”

  “I will consider your request after the warriors investigate the shores.”

  “That could take weeks.”

  “So be it.”

  “Release her under ordered supervision—you cannot contain her like this for a long period of time. When the people of Canu find out what you did to her, they will be upset, even angry.

  “Why?” Roxian crossed her arms over chest. “I am their queen, she is not.”

  “So you will release her?”

  “Only under constant supervision,” she said.

  Zyle nodded. “Thank you.”

  “You can be her supervisor since you are so invested in her well-being, Zyle.”

  He hid his displeasure at her command. He had no quarrels with Accacia. He enjoyed her company and her conversation, but he didn’t want to spend all his time with her. He had other matters to deal with.

  “Very well,” he said.

  The Tower

  17

  Canu was the most beautiful city Accacia had ever seen. She didn’t know what she loved more; the people or the landscape. It was very different from anything she experienced on the Continent. Accacia loved the constant moisture on her skin. For the first time, she wasn’t cold.

  But Accacia missed her homeland dearly. She missed the people of the land even more. Her thoughts always turned to Aleco when her mind wasn’t actively engaged in doing something, so she enjoyed the occupation of her thoughts in this new land. She hadn’t thought about Aleco as much as when she was sailing—which was almost every minute of the voyage. Accacia grabbed the Soul Catcher around her neck and rubbed the outside of the capsule, understanding a piece of Aleco’s soul was within it. She still hadn’t accessed his memories, the ones of his past or their time together. She didn’t know if she could view either of them. She was concerned what she would find in the vault of his past. She didn’t want to see the horrific acts he committed—the very reason why he said she couldn’t love him. She didn’t want her opinion of him to change if he wasn’t there to defend his actions, and he would never be—ever again. She forced the tears back. For the first time, she was successful. Accacia was exhausted from her depression—she hated crying over him. Aleco never would have wanted her to feel so sad. She couldn’t help it—she missed him dearly—to the exclusion of everything else. She even missed him more than Father Giloth, who she prayed was well. A knock on the door shattered her thoughts. She tucked the Soul Catcher into her shirt and sat up. “Come in.”

  Zyle entered the doorway with two guards. “You are free to go.” He smiled. Accacia remained motionless. She had been imprisoned for weeks and was beginning to grow agitated with boredom. She wanted to experience the wonderful city of Canu, not remain locked away in a tower. “Come on, let’s go.”

  Accacia rose from the mattress. “Roxian is releasing me?”

  “Yes.” Zyle smiled. Accacia walked to the door and followed Zyle back into Roxian’s study. “She needs to speak with you before you leave.”

  Accacia swallowed the lump in her throat. “Okay.”

  Roxian stood before the desk with her hands behind her back. There was no preamble to her words. “This release is conditional. I have my finest warriors patrolling the borders of our island and investigating your vessel. If they find anything unusual, I will kill you myself.”

  Accacia nodded.

  “Zyle will be your supervisor for the following weeks—where he goes, you go. You are to remain out of the public eye and never to reveal your identity to the population unless I tell you otherwise. Do you understand what I am telling you?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” she said. “Thank you for your generosity.”

  Roxian nodded. “You are dismissed.”

  As they walked into the city, Accacia felt her breathing become less labored the farther away she traveled from the Tower—and from Roxian. She was never more frightened of a ruler, other than Drake, than she was of her.

  “Are you alright?”

  Accacia looked at Zyle. He was smiling at her, trying to lighten her mood. “I suppose,” she said. “I was released, wasn’t I?”

  “I told you it would be fine.”

  “Thanks to you.” She smiled. “I know you had something to do with my release. I was as good as dead when she locked me up.”

  “I may have defended you a few times.” He winked. “I know you mean no harm to us, so I couldn’t let any harm come to you.”

  They walked through the busy streets of Canu, which were lit by the lime-green beacons hidden in the branches of the trees. It highlighted the entire street with the splash of color, making everything visible. The sun sank behind the sloping mountains to the south of the island and dusk fell upon them. They headed towards Zyle’s eave.

  “You have a lot of influence in politics for a Forester,” she noted.

  “Yes,” he said. “It does seem that way. As the Chief Forester, I serve as an advisor to the Head of the Office. Other leaders of their disciplines serve as a panel of advisors for Roxian. In some cases, we can even overrule a political decision if it is a majority vote—which hardly ever happens.”

  “That is very interesting.”

  “Yes, it can be quite confusing sometimes.” They reached the staircase of his home and ascended the steps. “Be careful,” he said over his shoulder, indicating the lack of handlebars. “Now that our island has been at peace for years, there aren’t many political dilemmas we need to face. The last one was Roxian’s establishment as a ruler—she was never voted by the people. She was just thrown in during the midst of the catastrophe.”

  “Why?”

  “Her husband was the ruler of the Asquithians, but he perished in the flood, leaving her to stand in his stead,” he said. “Some people disliked her as the queen of the remaining Asquithians, and others supported her right to continue the reign of her husband—it has never truly been resolved. Many Asquithians want a new vote.”

  “Why do they dislike her so?”

  “She made some poor choices in the past. Instead of traveling back to the island to search for survivors, she made us continue forward. It was a difficult decision—one that saved many lives, but obviously, when it is your loved one drowning out there, the decision is unforgivable.”

  Accacia walked through the front door then took a seat in his sitting room. Zyle immediately went to the kitchen and prepared a pot of tea despite the late hour of night. He returned with two steaming cups and sat alongside her on the couch, facing the window.

  “Why couldn’t you turn back?” she asked.

  Zyle took a deep draught of his tea then returned it to the table. “We had no water or food, and the waves from the tsunami were destructive. We had to leave the area before the boats broke apart, or we’d perish from dehydration.”

  Accacia finished her glass then set the empty cup on the table.

  “Would you like another?” he asked.

  “No, thank you.”

  “Since I will be your guardian for the next few weeks, is there anything in particular you would like to see?”

  “I would love to accompany you on a forestry mission, observing the plants and animals of the island and how to care for them. I would also like to visit the Battle Academy.”

  Zyle nodded. “Those are both honorable activities,” he said. “I think I can squeeze them in.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  “Accacia, I need you to do something for me.” He gave her a serious look and she nodded. “Promise me you will never venture off anywhere without me, within Canu or outside of it. If you are caught without my presence, it will bode ill for both of us, more so for you than me.”

  “You have my word.”

  “Thank you.” He stood up and walked into his bedroom. He returned a few minutes later and ushered her to a stand. “You must be exhausted. I’ve made my bed—I promise the sheets are clean—and you are welcome to sleep there during the duration o
f your stay.”

  Accacia shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m fine sleeping on the couch,” she said. “I couldn’t possibly intrude on you. Thank you for the offer, however.”

  “I really don’t mind.”

  “I really do.”

  He smiled. “Let’s make a compromise. It will be a while before you receive your own eave, so let’s take turns. “I’ll sleep on the bed tonight and you do so tomorrow. Agreed?”

  “That’s fair enough.”

  “Good,” he said. “You are welcome to use anything in my home during your stay. You don’t need to ask.”

  “Thank you.”

  Accacia crawled under the blankets Zyle set out for her. She lay on her side and stared out the window, looking at the shadows of the trees in the distance and the green beacons shinning in the branches. She listened to the Canu birds sing in the trees, and their beautiful voices eventually lulled her to sleep.

  Accacia tossed and turned in the midst of her dream. Aleco came to her, as he did almost every night. Accacia stood by the fire in the upstairs bedroom of Asylinth Cottage while Aleco sat upright in bed, staring at her.

  He patted the bed next to him. “Come here.”

  Accacia obeyed his command and lay next to him. She felt his arms circle her petite body and the heat of his body flood into her extremities. In the dream it was snowing outside. Pounds of snow caked the grass and the trees. The winter chill crept into the land.

  Aleco looked at her. “I miss you.”

  “I miss you, too.” Accacia felt the tears fall down her face. She wanted to brush them away but realized she couldn’t. She couldn’t move.

  “Canu sounds perfect for you. It is exactly where you belong, Accacia.”

  “I belong with you.”

  Aleco shook his head. “You deserve something greater than me. You deserve to be happy, Accacia. I know that you are happy.”