The Binding (Chronicles of Azaria #1)

by Sam Dogra

  Adam didn’t answer. He dropped a hand into his pocket and stared at the altar. I tensed, waiting for his reaction.

  Finally he took my hands.

  “What do you mean when you say you don’t think he’s compelled?” he asked.

  I sighed, running my thumb over his fingers. Rough and calloused, quite unlike Ryan’s.

  “Whenever I’m near him,” I said, “I get these…urges. The spell pushes all my thoughts aside, until the only thing in my mind is my need to be with him. These attacks strike at random, or whenever the situation suits it. But it never happens the other way around. If Ryan’s ever shown affection towards me, there’s always been a reason for it.”

  “Have you kissed him?”

  My face flushed. Then I actually processed the words.

  “What…What kind of a question is that?!” Had so much time away from the garrison turned him into a gossipy washerwoman?

  “I want to know,” Adam answered. “So?”

  “Well, if it’s that important to you, no, I haven’t!” I snapped. “Not on the lips, anyway.”

  “Yet it’s been almost two weeks,” Adam said, more to himself than to me. “Interesting.”

  “What in the Goddess’s name are you getting at?!”

  Adam glanced at me. His grin was back. I’d forgotten how easily he could wind me up.

  “You know, Eliza,” he said, “maybe you’re missing something here.”

  “You’re going to be missing a few teeth if you don’t explain yourself,” I growled.

  “Hey, relax!” Adam held up his hands. “Think for a second. If what you’ve told me is true, don’t you find it odd that after all this time, Ryan doesn’t seem as, well, into you as you supposedly are for him? Even Fiona…”

  “Of course it’s strange!” I cut in, refusing to let him bring up the topic of my sister. “So what am I supposed to make of it? Having never been in a Binding before, I’ve no idea how long it’s supposed to take the magic to work on the other person.” I crossed my arms. “Maybe it’s different for different people.”

  “Perhaps,” Adam replied, “but I’d say two weeks is plenty of time for the spell to work.” He gripped my hands tighter, raising a suspicious eyebrow. “You’re absolutely sure he saved you when you were in your Binding time?”

  My affirmation was on my lips, but something held me from saying it aloud. Now I’d had a chance to talk things through, all those niggles at the back of my mind started to join together. Adam was right. Two weeks alone with a Bound partner was more than generous for the curse to work. Yet I was certain Ryan remained in control of his emotions. Heck, if he’d been under the curse’s thrall at the lake, Adam would have had a lot more to worry about than a mere kiss, that was for sure.

  So what did that mean? I hadn’t been dreaming all these drives that had plagued me since leaving the Galgiza forest.

  Had I?

  “What are you two doing in there?”

  I jumped, and would’ve fallen off the pew had Adam not caught my arm. We turned to the gate. The bars clanked open, and a red-faced acolyte stormed in. He pointed an accusing finger.

  “The prayer hall is closed until the noon service,” he said, trying to remain calm, but I could see the vein bulging on his temple. “Please remove yourselves.”

  “Sorry, sorry!” Adam waved his hands in apology. He draped his arm around my shoulders and headed for the gate. The acolyte muttered—I caught a line about ‘really, before Her Holiness herself!’—before we were forcefully ejected onto the front steps.

  The sharp wind numbed my ears, but I didn’t have to raise my hood as Adam’s broad frame shielded me. I picked at a fold in his jacket and rubbed it between my fingers.

  “You didn’t answer my question,” Adam said, sliding his hands into his pockets.

  I sighed.

  “I told you already,” I replied, looking for the peaked roof of the clock tower. “I definitely got Bound that night.”

  “But what if…”

  I caught his wrist and looked him in the eye.

  “Adam, I know it’s hard to accept, especially when nothing’s happened over the last two years, but I made a mistake, okay? And since that moment Ryan saved me, I can tell something has taken control of my feelings.” I shook my head. “Do you really believe I’d leave everything behind for no reason?”

  Adam glanced at the ground.

  “You still can’t prove it,” he muttered. “If there’s even the slightest chance you’re wrong…”

  “There isn’t any,” I said. “Whether you believe it or not, you can’t drag me home. Not without Ryan, anyway.”

  Adam scowled.

  “I’m not going back without you,” he said. “I didn’t ride all this way to let you slip through my fingers. If that means he has to come along as well, then so be it.”

  “Adam, he won’t.”

  Adam stepped closer.

  “He’s not going to have a choice, Eliza. I won’t let him cart you around Azaria indefinitely.” Without warning he curled his arm around my waist, breathing softly against my ear. “I won’t let him take you away from me.”

  He stared so intently, I almost forgot to breathe. Gone was the playful teasing; replaced with a deep sincerity I’d seen only once before. That was after Fiona left, and I’d been an emotional wreck. Back then he’d been my anchor in a sea of despair, promising he’d never let me suffer and would always offer a shoulder to cry on.

  Except, I thought bitterly, he hadn’t, thanks to his Guardsmen training. He hadn’t been there when my parents began making choices for my future, he hadn’t been there to ease my long days of silence and isolation, and he hadn’t been there that night beneath the blue moon to stop my worst nightmare coming true.

  I squirmed out of his embrace, wanting some space. Adam’s hold lingered, but he didn’t deny me. We stood in silence, our gazes averted. I took a particular interest to the mud on my boots. Goddess, where had these thoughts come from? It wasn’t Adam’s fault I’d not seen eye to eye with my parents, or that I’d stepped out of a well-protected clearing to play tag with a bear. Blaming him for my idiocy was completely uncalled for.

  My eyes narrowed. Only one thing could’ve put such spite in my head. It looked like the Binding wasn’t limited to my feelings for Ryan; it would also trick me about my loyalties to my friends. That was pretty malicious, even given the magic’s tactics to date. I rolled my eyes. Yet another reason to keep a closer eye on my actions. Because I didn’t want to…

  A shiver ran through my left leg, and my muscles seized with cramp. Gasping, I clamped a hand around my calf, and my limb went floppy. Before I dropped to the floor and smashed my head against the steps, Adam snatched my cloak and hoisted me against him. With his support I tried to stand again, but I couldn’t hold my balance. His eyes widened.

  “Eliza, you’re shaking. Are you okay?”

  I stared into space for a moment, then closed my eyes. The sickness was back.

  “Not really,” I murmured. I must still be woozy from reading the runes. Well, if it had taken me three days to recover last time, three-quarters of an hour wouldn’t have done much in comparison.

  Adam helped me to a nearby bench, and we sat down. My brow was sweaty.

  “What’s going on?” He felt my forehead with the back of his hand. “You don’t look so good.” A panicked expression crossed his features. “Wait, you’re not experiencing Parting, are you?”

  “No, no,” I said, holding my head, which had started to throb. “Ryan’s not that far.” I pointed to the clock tower. “Not more than half a mile, anyway.”

  The tension in Adam’s face lessened.

  “So what’s up?”

  I rubbed my eyes, trying to think of an answer. Part of me wanted to blurt out everything about the runes, yet as I bounced around the idea, I found myself less and less keen. Adam was already sceptical about my Binding, and my hallucinations were less believable than that. Plus, he didn’t seem t
o have noticed anything in the east wing when he found me. Whatever this was, it seemed to be affecting only me.

  I could let him worry about it another time.

  “I’m just a bit dizzy,” I said. “It was a bit claustrophobic in the chamber.”

  Adam nodded, and tightened his arm around my shoulders.

  “Sure,” he said, though the glint in his eyes told me he knew I was hiding something. “Wait here, I’ll fetch you a drink.”

  He strode off towards the crowded stalls. I watched him disappear, then let my head roll back to watch the sky.

  Things were about to get complicated.

  * * * * *

  Ryan was waiting at the bar at The Water and Willow. He was nursing a mug of ale, his brow creased with worry. I swallowed; he must’ve been sitting around for a while. The tavern was pretty empty, so I made Adam linger a few steps behind. I didn’t want to give the wrong impression.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting,” I said, pulling up a stool beside him. Ryan blinked, startled from his thoughts, but once he saw me he smiled. “I thought I’d take a quick look around.”

  “You certainly love exploring new cities,” he said, taking a sip from his mug. “Find anything interesting?”

  I sighed.

  “Well, you could say that,” I said. “You know, they weren’t lying when they said you can find everything under the sun in Dhjerba.”

  “Really?”

  Adam cleared his throat in the background, telling me to get to the point.

  “Yeah. I mean, I managed to run into an old friend. Amazing what you can pick up around here, isn’t it?”

  Ryan raised an eyebrow. Before he could respond, Adam took his cue and strode forward. I’d told him to behave himself, but from the way he smiled, he looked as if someone had dropped an axe on his foot.

  “Ryan, meet Adam,” I said. “Adam, this is Ryan.”

  “Pleasure,” Adam said, sticking out his hand. After a brief hesitation Ryan took it. There seemed little friendliness in the gesture.

  “Eliza’s told me a lot about you,” Adam went on, grabbing a chair and sitting on it backwards so he could rest his arms on its back. “It’s an honour to meet you.”

  “Right.” Ryan looked at me strangely. I tried my best to look casual, though inside I was on edge, knowing a single word could make this end very badly. “May I ask how you know Adam?”

  “Oh, we go way back,” Adam said, before I could answer. At once the alarm bells started ringing, and I gasped. Oh no! I’d forgotten to warn him about what I’d said to Ryan about my home. “I’ve known Eliza since she was three. We grew up together.”

  I held a hand to my forehead. This was going to be a disaster.

  “Really.” Ryan shuffled in his seat, so he faced me. “Eliza, do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

  “Ryan,” I said, as Adam opened his mouth. “Look, there’s something I’ve been meaning to confess.” I hesitated, scrounging up the words. So much for preparing myself. “What I said about my parents, my home, well…it wasn’t…wasn’t strictly the truth.”

  Ryan gave a slow nod. His green eyes narrowed.

  “I…my parents never locked me away,” I said feebly. “I made it up.”

  Ryan continued to stare at me. I focused on his ale mug, licking my lips.

  “And why did you do that?” His voice remained level, but a slight hardness had developed that wasn’t there before.

  “Because…” My breaths started to quicken, so I held a hand to my chest. “Because I needed an excuse to stay with you. Because…”

  “She’s Bound to you,” Adam finished for me.

  An awkward silence descended. My hands trembled, so I bundled them in my lap. Ryan stared, more in puzzlement than anger, but that didn’t make it any less intense.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, unable to bear the quiet any longer. “I wanted to tell you right away, but…I was scared. I didn’t want to believe it. But it’s the truth. I swear.”

  Eventually Ryan sighed. He stroked the edge of his mug with a fingertip.

  “That’s impossible,” he said at last. “You can’t be Bound to me.”

  I frowned.

  “Ryan, I understand this is a bit of a shock,” I said, “but you have to believe me. The night you found me in the Galgiza forest, I was in my Binding time. And you saved my life. So…”

  “It’s not that,” Ryan said. He looked up, his green eyes sincere. “You can’t be Bound to me, because I’m already Bound to someone else.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  ‘...his words stung her deep, but his sorrowful eyes reminded her of his pledge of loyalty.’

  —Tale of the Binding

  The chatter of the tavern patrons faded into the background as Ryan’s words repeated in my head. I stared at him, dumbstruck, while my brain attempted to process the information. Yet no matter which angle it took, it always reached the same conclusion; one it couldn’t accept.

  Because it wasn’t possible.

  I glanced to the bar, trying to figure out what Ryan meant. It was too outlandish an excuse, even for someone in denial, but nothing else could explain it. And despite myself, I couldn’t stop a new hope flourishing. If Ryan was being truthful, could there be a chance I wasn’t as stuck as I’d thought? That I might yet walk away?

  I shook my head. I was deluding myself. The feelings that had taken over since we’d left the Galgiza…they weren’t mine. I knew they weren’t. My heart was trapped to his, whether he liked it or not.

  He couldn’t be Bound to someone else.

  “I’m sorry, what?” Adam cut through my musings. Ryan looked back to his mug, and sighed. He pushed his drink aside, then turned to face me properly. He reached out for my hand, but a dark glare from Adam made him reconsider, so he rested his elbow on the bar.

  “You heard me,” he said. “I’m Bound to someone already.” I opened my mouth to protest, but he held up his hand. “Before you say anything, yes, I know, you’re wondering why I’ve not turned into an Unbound.” He fingered his collar, and I caught a glimpse of his necklace. “It’s linked to why I’ve been travelling. I was going to explain that along with everything else.”

  “If this is some kind of sick joke…” Adam snarled, but I held his shoulder.

  “Let him talk,” I said. I dropped my voice to a whisper. “I know you’re itching to punch his face in, but this might change everything.”

  “He’s a lying snake!” Adam hissed. “Everyone knows you can’t be Bound twice. How can you trust a single thing that comes out of his mouth?”

  “You don’t know him,” I muttered back, more to convince myself than anything else. “You wouldn’t send a convict straight to prison without a fair trial, would you? Give him a chance.”

  Adam pulled a face. I glared back. I wouldn’t back down on this one, even if I’d be proven wrong. Eventually he shifted in his seat and dumped his chin in his hand, sulking. Allowing myself the briefest of smirks, I nodded at Ryan. I’d deal with Tantrum-boy later.

  “Okay, Ryan, I’m all ears.”

  Shaking off his bemusement, Ryan sat forward.

  “It started four months ago in Terent,” he began. “Like you, I used to be affected by the Binding, and whenever it struck, I would go riding with Cielo. But that day, I had an accident. I managed to make it back to town alone, a few moments before my time came to an end. I planned to wait before calling for help, but a woman came across me first. When she offered to tend my injuries, I ended up Bound to her.”

  “All well and good,” I said, tapping my finger against my sleeve, “but that doesn’t tell me why you’re not a drooling lunatic in an Unbound asylum. Or if the lady you left behind met the same fate.”

  “She hasn’t,” Ryan said. He seemed awfully confident. “And that’s because I’ve…”

  The inn door burst open, drowning out the rest of his sentence. A broad-shouldered Guardsman dressed in the Dhjerban red and grey pushed his way inside. On a
ny other occasion, this wouldn’t have been out of the ordinary. However, four soldiers wearing Terent’s sky blue and white followed, along with a man in civilian clothing. The latter wore a grey longcoat, and walked with a slight limp. A scar trailed over his left cheek, blemishing his dark features, and without his stockhat I could see his black curls.

  My jaw hit the floor.

  Aronzo!

  But how? We’d never seen him come back up at the lake…

  Aronzo’s gaze fell upon us, and he pointed at Ryan.

  “Those are the ones, Captain,” he said. “Arrest them.”

  “At once, sir.” The Terent troop dispersed, surrounding the bar. Ryan and Adam pushed me behind them, hands on their weapons. All eyes in the tavern turned towards us.

  “Do not resist, Ryan,” Aronzo said. He pulled a scroll from the crook of his elbow. “The Dhjerban officials have granted me full rights to charge you. By order of your father, Lord Glenford, you and your accomplices are under arrest for theft of his personal belongings, for failing in your duties to Lord Svendmar, and for the attempted murder of the head of his household. You are to be detained at his home in Terent pending further investigation.”

  “Glenford?!” I gaped at Ryan. “You’re Lord Glenford’s son?”

  Ryan only managed an apologetic shrug. I shook my head, my thoughts whirling. Lord Glenford was the most powerful noble in the North Territory, one of the oldest of the twelve noble families of Azaria. And while I guessed Ryan was from a wealthy background, discovering he was from this family made my blood run cold. Lord Glenford was a ruthless man who clung to old traditions, and he’d go ballistic if he found out his only son was Bound to a commoner. He wouldn’t think twice about executing me.

  Assuming, of course, I was actually Bound…

  “Hey, watch it!” Adam grumbled, as his sword was taken and his arms pinned behind his back. “We’ve nothing to do with…”

  I stomped on his toes.

  “Quiet!” I whispered. “If they arrest Ryan and leave us here, you might turn me into an Unbound!”

  “You can’t be Bound to him if he’s Bound to someone else!” Adam shot back in an undertone. “We don’t have to be dragged into this along with him.”