Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Epilogue
Harmony of Their Souls
Soul Tenders Series
Book Three
By Serena Lindahl
©2018 Serena Lindahl
All Rights Reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying or recording without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Front Matter
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Epilogue
Front Matter
This is an optional synopsis to refresh your memory on the first two books.
Houses
Military House (Mason) - guardsmen and Soldiers - Athletic, strong, and protective with a strong sense of justice. Bad traits of House Patrons-might include being overly competitive or destructive. Color-Red
Information Exchange House (Ian) – Spies, couriers, and assassins - Love mysteries, puzzles, and secrets. Typically have a good memory and are adept at being sneaky. Bad traits of House Patrons-might enjoy gossiping or be voyeuristic. Color – Gray or Black Nickname-Shadows
Scholar House (Reed) – teachers, researchers, and scientists – Love learning and knowledge, very detail oriented. Bad traits of House Patrons-might appear cold or absent-minded as they spend a lot of time in their minds. Color-Blue
Earth Planning and Development House (Seb) – architects, engineers, and land tenders – Great at envisioning the big picture, nurturing, and future-oriented. Bad traits of House Patrons-might miss the details in the grand scheme of things, can be overly optimistic. Color-Green Nickname - Greenies
Merchant House (Clay) – Bankers, shop owners, and salespeople – Great with numbers and calculations, good business sense, and persuasive. Bad traits of House Patrons-might be greedy, duplicitous, or shady in their dealings. Color-Yellow or Gold
Citizens that don’t test high enough in any House only have two options:
Performers – have a talent for showmanship, singing, art, or theater. Use their creative talents and encounter a difficult life because they don’t earn much money.
Commoners – Jack of all trades, master of none, blue-collar workers and grunts – generally perform manual labor and also have a hard life.
Each House has an Advisor to the King, a Head which interacts with their patrons, and four tiers. The first tier is the best paid, most successful, etc.
Synopsis
Kiarra has difficulty fitting into any of the Houses. The Soul Tenders tell her she has five Soul Matches (also called bondmates), one from each House. She is destined to be the next Queen of Megreria, and her five matches are in training as her Advisors. Women with more than one bondmate are often a conduit for the power of their men. They form power of magic within their bodies and enhance the abilities of their matches.
In the second book, Kiarra and her bondmates discover the history of their country; they learn that their ancestors fled their own country (Baldony) because men sought power by forcing bonds, which led to corrupted souls. Kiarra’s many greats grandmother, Mellisande, founded the Kingdom of Megreria and had five bondmates. The refugees from Baldony, their ancestors, formed an alliance with Acclesh which has been broken over the centuries. The Caden line began with Queen Mellisande’s son, Caden, who betrayed his family, outlawed multiple bondmates and formed the House structure. His direct descendants have been ruling ever since. Queen Mellisande had two other children - a son Walton who conspired with Caden and is Kiarra’s direct ancestor, and a daughter who was to be the rightful ruler. She fled to Acclesh with her Accleshian father, the Spymaster. Her direct descendants now rule Acclesh.
At the end of the second book, the King and Queen of Megreria are killed by their son, Everett, whose soul is already believed to be corrupt. He is being assisted by an evil Sorcerer from Baldony. At the beginning of the third book, we find Kiarra and her mates on the run with the help of an Accleshian man. They are forced to leave the city to give Kiarra time to grow the bonds with her men and increase her power before she returns to fight Everett and the evil Sorcerer.
Cast of Minor Characters (mentioned in previous books):
King Demetrius and Alyssa Caden- Former King and Queen
Prince Everett Caden- Demetrius’s son
Matilda Walton- Kiarra’s Mother
Rowan Walton- Kiarra’s brother, a Soul Tender of Megreria
Delia Walton- Kiarra’s sister, destined Soul Match of Prince Everett
High Commander Calum Brantley- Head of Military House, Mason’s father
Simon Carson- King Caden’s Advisor to the Information Exchange House, Spymaster, originally of Acclesh, Ahnika’s father
Joseph Brown- King Caden’s Advisor to the Scholar House, destined Soul Match of Matilda Walton
Chancellor Drummond- Accleshian born, liaison to Acclesh and friend of Carson’s
Ahnika- Princess of Acclesh, Carson’s daughter, Kiarra’s distant cousin
Queen Mellisande- original founder of Treleaven, Kiarra’s many greats grandmother
Jeff- Mishokian born, grandson of the wise woman, Spy in the Information House, friend of Ian’s
Mishokian wise woman- name unknown, possesses seer abilities
Master Gregory- Head of Merchant House
Gillian- Mason’s friend in Military House, protecting Mason’s mother and sisters while Mason is away
Rufus Winters- King Caden’s weapons master
Locations:
Megreria- country in which our story takes place. Isolated peninsula, surrounded by mountains on one sid
e and water on other sides
Treleaven- Capital of Megreria
Forspent, Bleshing, Abilon, Bashir- cities in rural Megreria
Acclesh- neighboring country to the north over the Caplan Mountains, currently ruled by Kiarra’s distant cousins.
Mishok- Desert nation south across the Barbar Sea from Megreria
Baldony- nation to the east of Mishok, birthplace of many Megrerian ancestors, rumored to be uncivilized, war-torn, and rife with corruption.
Author’s note on capitalization – Grammar rules may not apply to capitalization in this work. Some words are capitalized for emphasis or importance.
Chapter 1
Kiarra
When I woke in the morning, I felt both warm and sore. It took me a minute to realize I had fallen asleep on the floor. I stretched, encountering bodies on either side. Without opening my eyes, I identified Reed and Seb bracketing me. The events of the day before came more slowly than the identities of the people lying with me on the hard surface. The King was dead, his beautiful, sweet wife as well, likely murdered by their own son. A man with a soul of darkness and corruption was helping the Prince take the throne that was meant for me, preparing to preside over our country and stomp out destined Soul Matches for good.
My breath caught in my throat, and I felt a strong arm tighten around my waist. I nuzzled back against Reed and opened my eyes to see Seb. He was awake, his boyish grin comforting as he smoothed back a lock of my hair. His eyes were dark green this morning, sad and hopeful at the same time.
“Good morning, Kee,” he murmured.
I smiled sleepily. I had fallen asleep with all my men surrounding me, but now only two remained. “Where are the others?”
Seb’s hand trailed lightly down my jaw, his eyes following the path of his fingers. “Mason and that Accleshian brute are preparing for the journey out of the city. Ian is helping the Mishokian Spy tie up loose ends here. Clay is in the outer room, but I’m not certain what he’s doing.”
I nodded and closed my eyes again. Fear for my men that weren’t in the room swamped me suddenly, like a fever. My bond was the strongest with Mason, as he was the only one I’d had time to connect with one-on-one. I could feel him outside; his steady presence comforted me. Ian was farther away, but safe. Clay was nearby, his mind occupied. I wondered what particular calculation captured him this morning.
“I would like to believe none of it is true.” I spoke softly even though I felt Reed stirring against my back. The Scholar was a heavy sleeper, but I was certain the hardness of the ground didn’t comfort him like a normal bed.
Seb’s eyes twinkled. “None of it?”
A smile tilted my lips. “Just the bad things,” I amended. I’d had a wonderful week of pleasure with my men. I’d had the opportunity to love them all for the first time. I had gotten to know them better; we had discussed plans for when we had more influence in the government, and we had learned the history of my many times removed grandmother. I wouldn’t relinquish any of it, although we now found ourselves in a horrible predicament.
Seb’s hand trailed down my neck, and I shivered, but not with cold. My eyes pinned him. “You and I need to talk.” A moment of panic entered his eyes, but I leaned forward and kissed him lightly, forestalling his fears. “There are things in here,” I pressed a finger into his chest, “that you keep hidden behind a smile. I want to know all of you, Seb, not just the happy face you present to the world.”
The ghosts which haunted him chased across his eyes, turning them more brown than green. My request challenged him. He kept everything locked inside, masked behind a playful nature. In a way, though, he was more tortured than Ian who physically bore the scars of a painful childhood. “Trust me.”
He smiled, but his gaze remained sad. “I do trust you, Kee, more than anyone else. I feel you here, and I know you are nothing but good.” His larger palm trapped my hand against his chest, the center where our souls merged within us. “I know you will never hurt me, but I’ve carried this pain for so long.”
“So let me bear it as well,” I whispered.
He brought my hand to his lips. His lingering kiss sent another shiver through me. “All right. We should have plenty of time to talk on the trip.” His tone rang with forced cheer. None of us looked forward to leaving the city we’d been raised in. As far as I knew, only Ian and Clay had ever traveled more than a couple miles outside the walls.
“Do we have to go?” I whined.
Seb nodded. “They know the name of Everett’s companion. He is Baldonian; his name is Synlair. They don’t feel he’ll come after you if you run; but if you stay under his nose, he might find the insult enough to challenge you.”
I couldn’t overcome my reservations about leaving, but I wouldn’t put my men in danger. Until I completed the bonds with all my men and mastered whatever skills that process gifted me, I wouldn’t be a match for the foreign Sorcerer. The Mishokians and Accleshians, who better understood such things, assured me this was true. My intuition aligned with them, although my mind and heart rebelled.
“What about our families?” I was almost afraid to ask.
“I was waiting until you woke to check. That was part of Ian’s mission this morning; to make certain those who could be used against us made it to safety. Many of them left the city last night, but we aren’t sure about everyone.” Seb planted another kiss on my lips. “Take your time waking up, Kee. I’ll go see to the preparations.”
My hand clutched his as he rose; my need to strengthen our bond as firmly within me as Mason’s was almost overwhelming. Unfortunately, circumstances wouldn’t permit it, so I let him go slowly. I rolled over and studied my other match’s face as Seb slipped from the room.
Reed still slept deeply, his head pillowed on his arm and his tangled curls a mess. Stubble coated his cheeks and upper lip, likely more than a day’s worth as his face had started to darken yesterday. My fingers stroked down his cheek, enjoying the silky feel of his whiskers. The differences between my men amazed me. Ian’s whiskers were rough all the time, Clay had very soft hair on his face, and Reed’s was somewhere in between.
Reed groaned in his sleep and cracked his eyes. Seeing me, he closed them again and tugged me against his chest, nuzzling his face into my hair. When he spoke, his voice was rough with sleep. “When I was a child, I saw the love my parents had for each other. They would stay in bed long after Seb and I had awoken, just holding each other. I always looked forward to the day when I would wake up next to my true match. I didn’t expect us to be lying on the floor or to have other men joining us in that bed…”
His words trailed off and a quiver of apprehension sparked through me. Reed had the hardest time adjusting to the situation of being one of my five Soul Matches. His arms tightened around me as he sensed my emotions through our fledgling bond. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Kiarra. I never felt like I really belonged to this world until I met you. I love my family, of course, and I’m happy that Seb is one of the men with us, but it’s more than that. I feel like we - you, me, and the others – are part of something bigger. It fills me with purpose and passion. And I love you, Kiarra mine. I love the way your brain works, I love the way your body moves, I love the way you laugh, and I love the way you feel.”
His hand smoothed over my hair as his words soothed my heart and soul. How did I get so lucky? Mason had confessed his love last night, followed by Reed this morning. I knew they weren’t just an expectation; they meant so much more. The emotion which thrummed within our chests was as vital to our soul connection as the joining of our bodies. His breath ghosted over my ear, making my skin tingle.
“I love you too,” The truth of my words skated along our bond. His body trembled with the passion and conviction I put into my declaration. I loved all my men, perhaps I had since shortly after meeting them. My men were just another part of me, a vital piece I couldn’t live without. As with every part of me, I was confident there were moments when I would encounter fr
ustration or irritation, but I accepted all of them unconditionally.
Seriousness sobered my thoughts as I remembered the threat we were up against. The Sorcerer, Synlair, didn’t just want the throne. He wanted women like me to never join with their destined Soul Matches.
Reed felt my mood shift. He pulled away to smile at me, and I brushed a stray eyelash off his cheek. Our kiss was a slow meeting of tongues and lips that cemented our shared joy in each other’s bodies. Just as the heat rose in us, though, something skittered along the bond. I gasped and broke the kiss, my chest pinging in alarm.
“Ian!” I was on my feet in seconds, Reed joining me. I ran into the main room, startling Clay who sat at a table studying a ledger I didn’t recognize. Whatever he was reading had him singularly fascinated.
“Ian,” I repeated when he looked up in alarm. “Where is he?”
“He went with Jeff,” Clay answered, concern bringing him to his feet. I pushed through the Commoner’s living space, nothing more than a room, and into the early morning chill.
Mason and the huge Accleshian I had met the night before were saddling several horses. The beasts skittered nervously when I burst upon them. Mason caught me up in his arms, preventing me from running into the street. “Whoa, Kiarra. What’s wrong, love?”
I grasped at my chest. The pain had lessened to nothing more than a dull throb, but the fear still gripped me. “Where’s Ian? He’s hurt.”
Panic forced the connection between Mason and me to tremble. I was closer to him now. I could almost sense the direction of his thoughts as he considered where Ian might be, the best way to get to him, and the weapons he might need.
“Easy, Lass, I’m all right.” I sprang out of Mason’s arms and launched myself at my Shadow, my legs wrapping around his waist. He barely prevented himself from falling backward. The solidity of his body against mine filled me with peace. The beat of his heart was still strong, and our bond returned to normal. I jumped down just as quickly though, fearing he was still hurt. My eyes and hands wandered over him, searching for blood or injuries. His crooked grin spread heat through me. “I love your hands on me, Lass, but now isn’t the time.” His smooth, dark gaze comforted me.
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