The bonding ceremony finally came to a conclusion with a huge cheer from the assembled crowd. Of everything I was dreading today, the next part was what I was looking forward to the least (apart from my impending death, of course!).
We would be expected to kiss, Aspen and I. There was no getting away from it. It was the part of the ceremony that signified our bond. I’d never kissed anyone before, not in that way. I knew I was way too old not to have had my first kiss yet, but I guessed I had been holding out for that scumbag Mali to be the one.
Aspen was a beautiful man, and I could see that any woman would be happy to kiss him, but I was a bag of nerves.
I closed my eyes and leaned forward. I could hear the crowd erupt with cheers before his lips even touched mine.
When they did, they were softer than I had imagined they would be. Warm. It was nice. It was hardly a passionate, sweep you off your feet kind of kiss, but it felt like something passed between us in that moment. I’m ashamed to admit that I enjoyed it and was almost sad when it was over.
Mali passed between Aspen and I and began to walk down the stage steps. The crowd parted, as it usually did on these occasions, to make a walkway to where the huge feast would be set up. Long tables filled with food were surrounded by hundreds of chairs that people had brought out from their homes. This time, however, I noticed that there were no chairs, only the tables brimming with food. I followed Mali, hand in hand with Aspen, and although I couldn’t see her, I knew Bryony would be following behind me with Basil at her side.
I was right about the lack of chairs. For some reason, the tables were laid with finger food, sandwiches and pies and various other delicacies that didn’t involve using a knife to cut them. Seriously, who served cold food in the middle of winter? It was as if Mali could read my mind and had somehow known of my intention to stab him. Of course, he couldn’t. No one could read minds, but he’d certainly anticipated it. I wondered if he’d get someone else to taste his food first in case of poison too.
Aspen and I were invited to fill our plates first before the rest of the village joined us. I heaped my plate full. I wasn’t even hungry, but there was every chance that this was going to be my last meal.
I desperately wanted to speak to Bryony, but there was a never-ending line of people wanting to congratulate Aspen and me. I’m not sure why. They all knew we were due to die in a few hours. I’m not sure how that would warrant congratulations, but people seemed to be in joyous spirits as they always were at these events. Eventually, the throng of people moved on from us to the food, leaving Aspen and me alone, well alone as you can be surrounded by hundreds of people.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, putting his arm around my waist. His voice was full of concern and calmed me. Being bonded to him might not have been the worst thing that could happen if it were not for what else was to happen tonight. I wanted to tell him the truth, that I was upset and angry. I wanted to tell him that I wanted to kill Mali and try to escape and that I wanted him to escape with Bryony too. But I couldn’t. There were just too many people around us, and Mali himself was still within earshot. He had his back to us and was chatting with Sandy and a couple of the villagers, but I knew he’d positioned himself that way to eavesdrop on anything that I might say. I began to usher Aspen away from Mali, so I could really talk to him, but Mali, as if he could sense us, turned and grabbed my arm, pulling me (and Aspen with me) into his conversation.
“Aren’t these two young people wonderful?” he addressed the villagers he was previously speaking to. I recognised them as a bonded couple, who regularly came to the temple although I couldn’t recall their names. “To give up their lives for the health of Yelpish. To heroically surrender themselves to the gods so that we all may live freely.”
“Very commendable,” the man said and then popped a sandwich into his mouth as though we were discussing no more than the weather forecast. Mali had hold of my wrist so tightly that I had no chance of escaping him. It also meant that I couldn’t eat as my other hand was still holding my plate. I yanked my hand free of his and placed the still full plate back on the table.
“I need to use the ladies room,” I said and began to turn to leave. Mali grabbed me again and held me even more tightly.
“I’m sure you can wait for a while. We all want to congratulate you.”
“So how does this thing you are doing tonight work exactly?” asked the man’s wife before nibbling on a vol-au-vent.
“The summoning ritual? As you know, we Clubs are not blessed with much in the way of magic,” replied Mali. “I, myself, was born with the tiniest bit.”
“That can’t be true, you’re so powerful.” The woman stood wide-eyed as if this was a thrilling tale. The thing was, it was obviously true. Clubs just didn’t possess much magic. We weren’t Diamonds.
“I assure you, it is true. However, I found that I could harness magic and use it.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?” her vol-au-vents were now completely forgotten.
“No, I cannot conjure up magic myself. Think of magic as a type of energy. I cannot produce this energy myself, but if I can find it or buy it from the Diamonds, which I usually do, then I can manipulate it. It’s really a learned skill, but I found that I was extremely adept at it.”
“So, forgive me if I’m being rude, but if you buy your magic from the Diamonds, why do we need to do this summoning ritual?”
Yes, Mali why? I leaned in, eager to hear what bullshit excuse would come out of his mouth.
“I’m running low on magic. The force field we would need to cover the whole village would take up an extraordinary amount of it. We don’t have the time to travel all the way to the Diamond Kingdom.”
“Not to mention the fact that you want me dead because…”
“Didn’t you need to use the bathroom, my dear?” Sandy cut me off. She grabbed my free arm and pulled, forcing Mali to let go of my other arm. “I need to go too. Let’s go together.” And with that, she yanked me away from the crowd and towards the toilets that had been set up at the edge of the village green.
“Get off me!” I yelled, pulling my arm back and rubbing it. I had matching bruises forming on both arms thanks to the roughness of Mali and now this bitch.
“You go in first. I’ll wait out here for you.”
I had no choice but to step into the little cubicle and close the door behind me. I didn’t need to go at all, so I waited for a couple of minutes while I tried to collect my thoughts. No one was over at this side of the clearing save for the Spade cow and me. There was nothing really to stop me from running into the woods when she went to the toilet herself. If I was gone, they would have to figure out how to protect the village without me. Hopefully, Aspen would follow my lead and figure a way to escape along with Bryony.
Sandy had obviously anticipated it, she grabbed me again as I stepped out.
“I thought you needed to go to the bathroom,” I asked innocently.
“I’ve changed my mind. Let’s go back to the party.” I had no choice but to be pulled back to Aspen and Mali. They were both still talking to the couple I’d left them with. The sound of music drifted over us.
“I think that’s for us,” said Aspen, grabbing my hand. As a newly bonded couple, we were expected to dance for everyone. It was one of the few things that followed a traditional wedding. Usually, a bride and groom would have the chance to practise before the big day. Bonded pairs were not afforded such a luxury, which is why the young women of the village practised with each other to get ready for when they got picked. The boys didn’t, so this usually resulted in a completely mismatched dance with an uncomfortable-looking boy and an exasperated-looking girl with bruised toes. Luckily (or unluckily) for Aspen, I had never partaken of these dancing practise sessions. I’d be as hopeless as he was, and we’d both have bruised toes. We made our way back to the stage, which now had the band upon it and a small space for us to twirl around. I was hoping Aspen and I could just hold hands and
sway for a minute or two. That wasn’t too dangerous. At least, we’d be able to keep at a distance large enough to save all our toes. I was surprised when Aspen grabbed me around the waist and pulled me close to him, much to the excitement of the braying crowd.
He spun me around expertly to the music, and rested my head on his shoulder.
“What are you doing?” I whispered into his ear.
“I’m dancing.”
“You know what I mean,” I hissed. I was aware that everyone was watching us. They probably thought we were whispering words of love to each other. “What about Bryony? Do you think this is really appropriate?”
“It’s our bonding day. What could be more appropriate than dancing together like this?”
I was beginning to dislike Aspen. He was not the man I thought he was. Granted, I barely knew him, but Bryony talked so warmly of him. When he guided me around so I could see the crowd, I tried to see her, but there were so many people that it was impossible to pick her out. How could he so easily dance with me, knowing the love of his life was watching, no doubt with tears in her eyes. I felt bad for enjoying it, the warmth of him guiding me expertly around the dance floor, the feel of his arms around me, the way he moved his body alongside mine. Oh yes, I was really beginning to dislike the man.
“Bryony will be ok,” he added.
I don’t know how he could be so blasé about it. He was saved from my retort by the band stepping up the tempo and the other villagers joining us on the stage.
The afternoon passed in a haze of dancing and being congratulated by villagers who were either in denial or uncaring. Not that it mattered. As the bonded girl, I was expected to be on the dance floor the entire afternoon. I must have looked as if I were in complete misery because Aspen kept telling me to enjoy myself. I think his thoughts were running along the lines of, this is our last day alive, may as well make the most of it.
On one hand, his behaviour was highly commendable. He was putting on a brave face for the benefit of others, but on the other hand, it was weird behaviour for a man who was sentenced to death. He was having a great time, spinning me around the dance floor. I had to admit it to myself; I was kind of enjoying it too. In another place at another time, I would be having the time of my life. The feeling of Aspen’s body pressed tightly against mine was exquisite with the way we moved together. It was something I’d not experienced before. The way a man and a woman could move together. At some point, I just gave into it and let him guide me. The afternoon turned into evening, and I almost forgot what today was about. What was going to happen to me, to us?
Before I knew it, the music changed in pace, and we were dancing slowly. Without realising what I was doing, my head was on Aspen’s shoulder, and we were swaying rhythmically. The temperature had dropped again, so I had to hold him tightly to share his body heat. Then the music stopped. Mali had come to the stage and had taken the microphone. My little fantasy world came crashing down around me. When had it become so dark? I swear it was light not that long ago, but the clear sky and twinkling stars were mocking me. It was time for the summoning ritual. It was time for me to die.
“Ladies and gentlemen, as you know, Aspen and Iris were chosen by the gods to be bonded here today.”
A cheer rose up from the crowd as I looked out over them, I could no longer make out any faces. They were in darkness, and bright shining lights were pointing straight at me, illuminating the stage.
“We don’t have long left to us. The Spades will attack any day, and we need magic, lots of magic to create a border around the village. For those of you that don’t know, the love of this budding young couple will bring that magic to our village. I will harness it and use it to create a force field so strong that it will keep us safe from attack.”
I had visions then of Mali stood somewhere outside our tent with a magical aerial, waiting for us to have sex. It would have been funny if it wasn’t likely to happen that way. I noticed that he didn’t mention that this ridiculous ritual of his would end up with us both dead. I guess no one wanted to hear about that on such a joyous day.
“Midnight is upon us. Let us cheer for Iris and Aspen.”
The crowd roared as Aspen took my hand and walked me to the tent at the opposite side of the clearing. The crowd parted leaving an avenue for us to walk down. It was then that I caught sight of Bryony. She was standing about halfway down, surrounded by throngs of villagers. I tried to hug her as I passed, but Mali, who had been walking behind me, pushed me forward. I caught the expression on her face, though. It was one of complete despair. It would haunt me for the rest of my life—all thirty minutes of it.
4th February
The canvas doors of the tent were pulled aside to reveal a huge circular bed. A blue velvet blanket covered it, which caused me to wonder where on Vanatus anyone could purchase such a thing, probably Cerce or somewhere else in the Heartlands. There was a final cheer, and the doors fell closed behind us. The only illumination was coming from jars with tea lights, which were placed round the edge of the tent. Apart from the fire hazard and the risk of dying from carbon monoxide poisoning, the whole effect was very pleasing to the eye. Shadows danced on the walls giving the place a really cosy feel. If it wasn’t for my impending death, I might have enjoyed this evening. Beautiful romantic surroundings check, gorgeous new partner, check, huge bed, check. Yep, everything a girl needs on her newly bonded first night. If it wasn’t for the thousand or so people cheering outside and Mali getting ready to murder the pair of us, it would have been perfect.
I said as much to Aspen, and he chuckled.
I didn’t know why he seemed in such high spirits, but I’d gone past caring. The noise began to wane outside, and I guessed that someone was moving the villagers away from us to give us some privacy. I could still hear the band who had taken up playing once again. The music they played now was slow, haunting. It seemed appropriate in the circumstances.
I turned to face Aspen and tilted my head up slightly towards his. I closed my eyes and waited—waited for him to kiss me.
The expectation of the kiss was overwhelming, partly due to the fact that kissing him during the bonding ceremony had probably been the single most exciting thing that had ever happened to me and partly because he was taking so long to actually do it.
I was just about to open my eyes when I felt his breath on me. He was kissing me alright, a light peck on my cheek. It was the smallest of kisses, but it ignited something within me. I moved towards him, but I was moving into thin air. I opened my eyes to find that he’d moved away from me completely and was, instead, rummaging around under the bed.
“What are you doing?” I queried.
“Shh!” He placed his finger on his lips. What was going on? He motioned for me to join him. As soon as I ran around to the side of the bed, I was handed the last thing I expected to see, a quiver of arrows. I looked on while he pulled out an assortment of weapons.
“What’s going on?” I asked again, this time keeping my voice to a whisper.
“I’m not planning to die tonight. I know you aren’t. We might not survive the night, but I’m not planning to go down without a fight.”
“You are planning to kill Mali?”
“Nope, I’m planning to defend the village against the Spades.”
“You are going to defend Yelpish by yourself?”
“Actually, I was hoping you’d help me.” He winked at me. “It was your idea in the first place!”
“We can’t do this alone! Are you crazy? Why don’t we just kill Mali and get out of here?”
“If we kill Mali, our village will go down. I’m not prepared to let that happen. I personally can’t stand the man, but I’ve got bigger things to deal with than him. The Spades are coming tonight.”
I was acutely aware that Mali was standing, not ten feet away from us on the other side of the canvas. I hoped that the residual noise from the departing partygoers was enough to cover our whispers.
“How do you kno
w the Spades are coming tonight?”
“The guy who came to our village? He ended up staying with Basil and his family. Basil’s house has a spare bedroom, so he was put there. Even though I’ve not been allowed out of my house, I’ve been kept up to date, thanks to Basil. When I found out that Mali was planning to kill us tonight, I knew I had to do something. Mali might be able to provide a force field for Yelpish for one day, but however much he professes that he is all-powerful, he just doesn’t have the magic needed to keep it going. We are going to have to learn to fight for ourselves.”
He handed me the bow to go with the arrows.
“We can’t learn to fight in one night!” Was he insane? The people of Yelpish weren’t fighters. I’d bet that most of them couldn’t hold a sword properly.
“It won’t be one night. Basil and I have been training a group for the last few days. You’d be surprised just how well they can fight. Basil is a whiz with a sword. The group has set up traps around the perimeter. They’ve been working really hard for the past few days.”
“Basil? The same Basil you called a complete douchebag?”
“Maybe I was a bit hasty. He’s actually not too bad. When I told him your plan after seeing you that night, he thought it was a great idea. I think he is pissed with Mali for not picking him to be bonded to you. Did you know he went to the temple after you had been chosen for the bonding and begged Mali to make him your bond partner?”
“Really?”
“Yep, he did nothing but moan and complain for the first few days until I told him your idea to fight for the village. Then he changed. It was like a spark was lit up under him. I think he likes the idea of fighting alongside you.”
Six of Clubs (War and Suits Book 5) Page 9