by Lisa Daniels
“What does that mean? What does it mean for a guardian to be bonded?”
The voice was silent for far longer than she had expected. When it spoke, it seemed confused. “I don’t understand what you are asking. Guardians bond to their mystics. They have a connection that links them. Do you—were you really not taught about the relationship between a guardian and mystic?”
“What is there to teach? A guardian serves a mystic, but he gets a say in who he will serve.”
“That is not how it works at all.”
“It’s not like I know. I was never going to leave Solona because my father never wanted me to.”
“Oh ye gods, you should have been assigned a guardian a long time ago because of your skill. My father monitored you until he died. I figured you didn’t have the ability since no one was assigned to you.”
“Wait, wait, what do you mean your father monitored me? How can a voice have a father, let alone monitor someone?”
The voice was silent for far too long. Iris looked around the room. “Hello? Did something happen?”
“Are you kidding me?” The voice was almost shouting when it finally reached her mind, and Iris covered her ears. “I am so sorry, Iris. I am so sorry. For everything.”
“What are you talking about? Why do you sound angry?”
“I can fully understand Caden’s reaction now. I can believe that no one told you that mystics should always wear gloves until they are paired with a guardian.”
“What? Why?”
“Because a guardian and mystic can begin bonding by having skin to skin contact. It doesn’t always happen, but it is best to protect against it because you don’t want to be bonded to someone who isn’t compatible with your personality.”
“What is bonding?”
“Oh my gods, I am going to… Iris, bonding creates a link, a thread that forms between a mystic and her guardian. It is a physical connection that ties them together. When your guardian is hurt, it will hurt you. If your guardian dies, then the mystic will feel an intense pain. It is why mystics tend to be more cautious about putting their guardians in danger, but it is the guardian’s duty to keep the mystic alive. It is why our lifespans are so much shorter than the average shifter lifespan.”
“How long do shifters usually live?”
“It depends on the shift, but guardians usually live for around 400 years.”
“That’s a long lifespan. So how long do guardians usually live?”
“Caden is one of the oldest at 125. My father was slightly older; he was 135 when he died. That was one reason he was assigned to your mother.”
“That is a much shorter lifespan.”
“Yes, and there are plenty of shifters who are against it these days, but those of us who serve do so willingly.”
“So about bonding…”
“Yes?” The voice sounded like it was waiting for her to ask a particular question but was letting her get around to it in her own time.
“You said it is a physical connection. When the guardian dies far too young for his species, she feels it?”
“Yes, she does.”
“And she feels his other pain, too?”
“The closer she is to him when it happens, the more pain she feels.”
“So if I were to, say, kick my guardian in the face, I would feel that pain?”
“Yes… you would feel that pain.”
“Um, and if he were to, say, fall off a ladder and hit the ground, I would be affected by that, too?”
“Yes, it would definitely make it harder for you to run. And when you get shot by an arrow, or when you feel seasick, he feels it, although not quite so bad from this distance.”
Iris sat in the water, moving her knees and looking at the light marks from when she had fallen on them more than two weeks ago.
“Iris, are you okay?”
“I guess I am nearly done with my questioning. That is a lot to take in.”
“I know. That is definitely a lot more than you should be trying to manage on your own right now. Especially after what you have already been through over the last couple of weeks.”
“Okay, um, I have two more questions then.” She let out a shaky breath, “I am trying to focus on myself now, and it looks like there is a thread stretching away from me. It looks reddish. Is that my link to the other side, or is that something else?”
“That is a link to me.”
“Because you are my guardian?”
There was a pause before the voice said, “Yes. And I am sorry that it is reddish, that is also a very bad sign.”
“Why?”
“That… I am sorry to say it, but I am not able to talk about that yet.”
“Because Caden doesn’t want you to tell me?”
“Because I am not ready to face that. He is already really angry at me because of that. Among other things.”
“The thread or the color?”
There was a slight cough, which confused her. Iris asked, “Did you just think about coughing?”
“Yes, I did, because it was either cough or say yes.”
“The question was, is he mad about the color of the—oh, he’s mad about both.”
“Very, very much so.”
“I’m sorry, that was more than two questions.”
“It’s okay. I will answer almost any questions you have because I did not make an agreement with your father and I don’t have to live up to Caden’s promise to him. Keeping you in the dark for another two weeks clearly was a terrible idea, but even Caden makes mistakes.”
“I don’t think he did. I was mostly passed out.”
“That’s true, but right now I am just angry at a lot of people for this whole predicament.”
“Um, sorry, but are you mad at me, too?”
“No!” The voice was more animated than she had heard it so far. “I am not mad at you at all. None of this is your fault, and I do not blame you for anything that you have done since waking up. Knowing what I know now anyway, there is no way I could be upset with you.”
“Just one more question, then.”
“Ask as many as you need.”
“I'm scared, Ian. How long until you can get to me?”
The voice almost sounded like it was smiling. “It will be okay. It will be four hours if I stay on the boat. I can make it to you in an hour and a half if I swim.”
“Cats hate the water, though.”
“Not all of us.”
“Then…” Iris rubbed her legs with her hands as she fought making the request. She knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help it. “Could you please swim here?”
“If you promise me that you will try to relax until then. As soon as I get there, I will help you.”
“I promise.”
“Alright, I will see you soon.”
Iris felt the voice leave her head, and the longest hour of her life began as her head fell silent.
Chapter 7
Two Different Perspectives
Iris paced around the cabin, her mind going through so many different scenarios on how things would work out. So much was up in the air, and the more she thought about it, the more nervous Iris felt about the future. The more nervous she felt, the more red and black she saw overlapping with the world. Finally, she closed her eyes and tried to take a deep breath. An image of Ian smiling at her in the classroom appeared in her mind, and she couldn’t help but smile. Next, she imagined a large tiger swimming in the water, and she giggled a little bit. Then she imagined him coming in through the window and how she would throw her arms around him and feel so much better. She imagined kissing him and laughing in his arms, then she was confused by the image and she opened her eyes.
There was a gentle rap at the door. Iris looked at a clock and saw that it had only been a little over an hour. That meant the person knocking would be one of the crew. She moved to the door and hid her body behind it as she opened it a crack.
Standing on the other side was an incredibl
y wet Ian. His eyes were taking her in as she squealed, grabbed his arm, and pulled him into the cabin.
“I’m sorry,” she pulled him into the room and to the bath area. “I shouldn’t have asked you to do that. Here. Use as many towels as you need. I have several men’s outfits for you in here. Nothing for myself but—”
“Wait, I am not important. I am here to make sure you are alright.”
Iris smiled at him, “I am feeling a lot better now. It’s weird. Is that normal for a mystic and a guardian? I guess that would make sense, they would be naturally comfortable together, right? I mean, that’s got to be because of the bond.”
Iris stopped and looked at Ian. His expression was a mixture of surprise and amusement. “I am not quite sure what to say to all of that. I have to admit that I’ve never been bonded before.”
Iris felt her mouth drop open a little. He reached out and closed it for her, then quickly pulled his hand away. Iris giggled, “Well, that’s a hell of a first time.”
“Yes, this is one… very ill-advised pairing.”
Iris frowned, “What do you mean ill-advised?”
Ian coughed and rubbed his hands on his arms. Iris picked up a towel and wrapped it around him as he talked. “Thank you. I have not been assigned to anyone before. And you. Not only do you have no training on what it’s like to bond with a guardian, you have some of the most dangerous abilities a mystic can have. And you haven’t been trained in magic. You really should have someone like Caden, someone with years of experience. But you are unfortunate yet again, and are stuck with me.”
“Stuck?” Iris frowned. “I’m stuck with you as much as you are stuck with me.”
“I don’t see it that way.” His eyes looked at her in a way that was decidedly different than in the classroom.
Iris felt herself warm up a little. “Oh gods, I’m starting to feel hot again.”
Ian threw the towel off. “Come here, I can at least help you with that.” He held out his hands.
Iris looked at them for a moment. Ian began to apologize, “I’m sorry, I’m still wet. Do you want me to change?”
“No, it’s okay.” She placed her hands on his and immediately she felt more relaxed, but she also felt warmer.
His eyes looked into hers as he held her hands. After a few moments, his brow creased. “Are you feeling better?”
Iris nodded, “As soon as you arrived I felt better.”
He chuckled, “That is difficult to imagine after the way you kicked my face.”
Iris’s smile immediately fell. “Oh gods, I did, didn’t I?” She took her hands out of his and moved close to him. “I am so sorry. Is there anything I can do?” As she got closer, Iris noticed that the skin around his eyes were darker. “Are you getting black eyes because of me?” She put her hands on his face.
Gently, he took her wrists in his hands and put them down. “It’s okay. It will all pretty much be healed in a day or two. We tend to heal fast, and my genetics are actually among some of the fastest for healing. It was why my father…” Whatever he was saying, Ian seemed to forget halfway through.
Iris smiled at him, “And a fast healer, too. On top of everything else.”
“What do you mean?”
She started beaming as she looked at him. “Top of your class, renowned guardian for a father, extremely handsome…” She pulled her hand out of his and reached up to brush away a strand of his wet hair.
Ian swallowed and took a step back. “I should probably change, and you need to get to bed. I will sleep right beside you on the floor.”
“That hardly seems fair. You could have slept in a bed if I hadn’t asked you to hurry.”
“I wouldn’t have slept. You realize I can feel the pressure building in you, right? I was really worried, and I kept trying to tell you to get in the water. I don’t know when it finally broke through.”
“I remember when it did. It was like reaching my room when I’m exhausted. A little bit of comfort in the misery of wading across the room.”
“Was your room full of water or something?”
“What? No. It just feels like time keeps slowing down as you try to get to your bed. Hearing your voice was like that second when you are falling onto the bed, and it feels like everything will be alright.”
“I think I should say thank you?”
She gave him a little push, then remembered that his clothes were completely wet. “Come on. Let’s get your new clothes. You are going to get sick if you wear that all night.”
“There is nowhere for me to change in here.”
“I’ll turn around.” Iris smiled at him as she pulled fresh clothes out of the drawer and placed them on a nearby chair.
“Are you sure you are comfortable with that?”
“If you prefer, I can watch you change. That wouldn’t bother me either.”
“Really?” He gave her a look of incredulity.
She folded her arms.
“Okay,” he smiled at her, “I see what you are doing. And I think I can make you squirm.”
“Go ahead and try.”
He gave her a cocky smile and began to unbutton his shirt. Iris found her face flushing a little. “You can always turn around. You don’t need to be raising your body temperature.”
“No, you don’t. I can handle whatever you dish out.”
“You had better be careful about the threats you make to a man alone with you in your room.”
“I’m not scared.”
“That’s not what you told me a little over an hour ago.”
She reached out to give him a slight push. Her hand slipped on his wet skin and slid over his shoulder and down this back under the shirt. She began to blush furiously. “I am so sorry. I—”
She felt a hand on hers, “You don’t need to apologize. I don’t mind.”
Iris looked up into Ian’s face. He was so close, she could see some tiny details of his face. He had a little dimple on the left side of his face, and his lips looked almost perfect. She tilted her head to the side and looked at his mouth. Her eyes drifted down, and she was looking at his muscular chest. She stretched out her hand, and he let go of her. Her hand moved down his pectoral muscles, and she saw the start of a six pack that was still half covered by his shirt. She undid the last couple of buttons.
“May I… is this what all guardians look like?”
“For the most part, yes. We have to be in top shape to keep our mystics protected.”
“Is it alright if I…” She was staring as his stomach. He did not stop her as her hand touched the muscles. “Wow, those are really hard. That’s incredibly impressive.” She smiled and looked up at Ian’s face. His eyes were looking down at her, but he wasn’t smiling. “Are you alright?”
He swallowed, then he tried to smile. “It just doesn’t seem fair.”
“What isn’t fair?”
“You don’t even seem to realize—”
Iris leaned in and kissed him. Her hands slid up his stomach and chest, and under the shirt. Ian wrapped his arms behind her back and pulled her to him as she opened her mouth a little. She let out a little gasp as his tongue slid into her mouth. Pressing against him, she felt him lift her off her feet. Pulling her mouth away from his, she moved her mouth near his ear. “What isn’t fair?”
Ian’s voice was low and soft as he said, “Never mind. You seem to know exactly—”
“What isn’t fair?” She kissed him again.
When she pulled back, she opened her eyes and saw that Ian’s eyes were still closed. He licked his lips, “It’s unfair that you get to feel me, but I don’t…”
Iris let go of his neck. He immediately released her and took a step back. She put a finger over his mouth before he could begin to apologize. Giving her head a little shake, she begun to unbutton her shirt. It was only when it was half open that she remembered she didn’t have any undergarments on. A light breeze pushed her shirt out of the way, exposing one of her breasts. She continued to unbutton her sh
irt.
Ian looked at her hands, then at her face, then back down. “May I…”
“Of course. It’s only fair.”
He stepped forward. His hand slowly rose, and Ian hesitated before placing his hand on the underside of her breast. He stepped closer as he slowly moved his hand around the breast. His eyes moved up to hers and Ian leaned in and began kissing her as his other hand slid behind her back. Iris moaned a little and pushed her hips into him.
He pulled back a little, but he did not move his hands. “Iris, you know this is dangerous, right? I don’t know how far this can go before I won’t be able to stop.”
“You don’t have to stop.”
Ian’s hands stopped moving as he looked down at her. “You know that this isn’t supposed to happen, don’t you? Guardians and mystics should never be lovers.”
“Caden and Callie are.”
“They aren’t normal. They are an exception. Caden is always an exception. I am not. I am only 29 years old, the youngest shifter to become a guardian. Ever. This is why. I should not be giving into this right now. I am supposed to stop.”
“I don’t want you to.”
Ian closed his eyes and lowered his head, “You are making this so much harder.”
“Has any part of this been easy? Since the moment you touched me, we have both been in over our heads.”
He laughed, “That is definitely true. But this is a whole different level of—”
“I don’t care.” She placed her forehead on his chest.
“But you are still so young. And you know next to nothing about what our relationship is supposed to be.”
She shook her head, “My whole life, I have tried to do things to the extent of what people expected. I didn’t press for more information, and I waited for people to decide they were ready to tell me. You don’t treat me like a child or a prize. When I look into your eyes,” she lifted her face up, “I can see the same fear and hope that I feel.”
“Oh, no one warned me how good you were.”
“That’s because I’m not.”
He smiled, “That isn’t what I meant.” Ian leaned down and kissed her. “I feel it is only fair to warn you, I don’t have any experience with this either.”