The woman was exiled, set loose in a world overrun by the Darkness. The fear of watching her be hauled away, flailing while she howled like an animal was still something that haunted him at night.
“After all this time, brother? What’s done is done.”
Tomias huffed, shoulders sagging. “Sometimes I hate that you can read my thoughts. But, I do think of that moment, brother. I think I always will. What happened to you wasn’t right and it wasn't fair.”
“I don't regret what happened. If things had been any different it would just be me sitting here today. That blast would have killed you and you know it. Besides, being this way affords me certain… benefits.”
“Like being able to scare children with a glance? I must admit, your infamous glare has become downright terrifying.”
Fenir smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. It was a look he saw so rarely these days, and most of the time only when Trista was present. He’d always had an affinity for the bright eyed healer, a small spark of light in his dreary world. Tomias could understand the allure. She was beautiful, even when streaked with plant paste and smelling of skunk bloom. He even allowed himself harmless flirting, something his brother found entirely frustrating. Regardless, he knew that it was one person that Fenir truly treasured. It wasn’t something he’d just take from him, even if the occasion arose.
As if manifesting from his thoughts, he watched as Trista made her way across the clearing. Her long red hair was loose around her shoulders, a rare and beautiful sight. Her face was bright and clear, free from the soot that had marred it before. She smiled sweetly as she approached. Fenir returned the smile, his features softening. He could feel the sudden rush of anticipation coming from his brother and he blocked it away, trying not to let it infect him.
“Good afternoon,” Tomias called, giving a slight wave of his hand. “How are you faring on this fine day?”
She snorted, setting a basket down between them. “I, unlike you, have been positively busy this morning.”
Tomias scoffed. “But you look so clean and fresh, very unlike the hard working lady we both love.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. You’re looking positively lazy. In fact,” she bent down, inspecting his face. She grabbed his chin between finger and thumb, brushing over his stubble. “So much so, you’ve apparently completely given up on shaving.”
He could feel a wave of jealousy washing over him. This too he tried to block out, but it seared against his walls like an inferno. “Hey, now! I happen to like the new look. I was thinking a nice beard would suit me just fine.”
“You do that and Fenir will officially be more handsome than you,” she joked, turning towards his brother. “And how are you today, Fenir?”
He shrugged, giving her his best crooked smile. It frustrated him that he couldn’t speak to her. His thoughts remained locked away, unable to be shared. Trista, unlike everyone else around her, didn’t have any special powers. She wasn't born with them. What she did have was an affinity for plants, the hands of a healer and a kind nature that earned her admiration from all that met her.
Despite not being able to communicate, she was always kind to Fenir. She never left him out of conversations, even if it meant sounding like she was talking to herself. Tomias tried to help when he could, but he always felt strange speaking for his brother, as if his words were something he wasn’t quite meant to hear, let alone speak, especially not when it came to speaking to Trista.
“Is Kirheen feeling better,” she asked, drawing him away from his thoughts.
“All back to her fiery self! She is…” He stopped suddenly, sniffing the air. “What in the name of the Allseer, Trista?” He turned towards the basket; a basket that had suddenly began to emit the most delicious of smells. She smiled, brushing her hair back behind her ear.
“Wraith blossom cakes,” she said, bending down and opening the basket. She removed a white cloth from the top, revealing a pile of round golden cakes, their spongy middle speckled with blue. “Wraith blossom is a wonderful flower. It helps with mental clarity. I thought it might help with training today.”
Tomias frowned. “You mean, I have to share?” He made to reach into the basket but she slapped his hand away.
Trista returned his frown. “I know how you are around stuff like this! Hands off until Garild and Kirheen have some.”
“Fine, fine. Not like I wanted them anyways,” he huffed. “I’ll have you know, I promised them a whole hour of sleep so they could feel rejuvenated and prepared to take on another round of mind games. If I wake them now, they may just kill me.”
Trista turned on him, hands on her hips. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind something to eat! With this kind of training they'll always be hungry!”
“Well, do you want to go wake them? If you truly insist, but I must warn you fair lady, it’s a dark and dangerous place in there. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”
“Then Fenir will just have to accompany me on this most dangerous of quests,” she turned, about sending Fenir into a panic. He whipped his hand back away from the edge of the basket, hoping she hadn’t seen. If she had, she pretended not to. “Will you join me?”
She held out her arm and Fenir rose from the steps, linking his arm with hers. Before they slipped through the door, Fenir took the opportunity to sneer at his brother. Tomias merely chuckled, leaning back until he was sprawled out on the porch. The midday sun beat down on him, warding him against the chill that had slowly begun to creep into Sanctuary. Soon, the trees would be bare, leaving behind nothing but a glowing blanket of leaves. And once those faded, the trees would fall dark.
The winter months always seemed unusually dreary because of it. He took comfort in the glow of the trees, that icy blue light that seemed to mimic the moon itself. He always felt uneasy when the trees stopped shining, as if somehow they protected them from the Darkness beyond the walls. If even there was such a thing to protect them from.
It was a thought that often filtered into his mind, no matter how hard he tried to lock it away. There were so many secrets, so many things Nyson wasn’t willing to tell. Sometimes he wondered if the Darkness really existed at all, or if it was just a tall tale, something to keep them within the confines of Sanctuary. He’d heard plenty of stories, sure, but he’d seen little to no evidence that there was anything outside the walls that would hurt them. Despite his doubt, it wasn’t something he was willing to figure out himself. If the Darkness did exist, he didn’t want to face it alone.
And certainly not in the dead of winter.
The click of the door disrupted his thoughts. He leaned his head back, watching as a very bedraggled Kirheen stumbled through the door. She was followed by Garild, his mouth stretched wide in a yawn.
Kirheen stopped a few steps away from him, looking down through bleary eyes. “What are you doing down there,” she asked slowly.
“Just taking a moment to relax. Did either of you get any rest?”
Garild plopped down on the stairs, pouting as he rubbed at his eyes. “That didn’t feel like an hour,” he complained.
“And I know just who to blame for that,” Tomias sighed, earning a cold stare from Trista as she stepped out the door. “But at least she has something to bribe you with.”
“What smells so good,” Kirheen asked, sniffing the air.
“That would be the bribe.”
Trista rested her hand on Kirheen’s back, urging her to sit down. She did so, taking a seat next to Garild. Satisfied, Trista opened the basket, the scent of the warm cakes wafting into the air. Tomias tried to ignore the rumble of his stomach as the smell hit him once again.
“Here is one for you,” Trista smiled, handing Garild a cake. “Try not to eat it too quick.”
He thanked her, taking the cake in his hand as if it were something delicate that would crumble if he moved too quickly. He sniffed at it and took a bite off the edge. “This is delicious,” he exclaimed and then bit into the moist cake in earnest, finishing it off in
two large bites.
Kirheen was handed one next, and she stared at it, taking it all in before she stuffed it in her mouth. She didn’t even bother to savor it. “Thank you, Trista. That was really delicious!”
Trista beamed, her face triumphant. “I think that may be the first time anyone has complimented me on my cooking.”
“These…these are really quite awful, Trista.” She whipped around, hands on her hips. Tomias had taken a cake while her back was turned and he wiped away the crumbs with the back of his hand.
“See what I mean? Ungrateful”
Fenir shook his head. “Please tell her I find her cooking to be the best in all of Sanctuary. I don’t want her to think I don’t appreciate such a fine gift.”
“Oh, gag me,” Tomias mentally huffed. “Fenir would like you to know he isn’t the savage that I am and that he does appreciate your cooking.”
“Well, that’s kind of you. Thank you,” she said, smiling warmly at Fenir. When she turned back to Tomias, her eyes were steely. “As for you, you’ll be lucky if I bring you anything ever again.”
“Ah, and what a loss that will be,” Tomias frowned.
Kirheen and Garild were in a considerably better mood by the time they’d both devoured a few more cakes. No longer were they bleary eyed and hunched over from exhaustion. They looked alert, ready to take on another bout of training.
“Are you both feeling good enough to keep training,” Tomias asked.
They took a moment to answer, taking the time to check their walls. “I’m ready,” Garild said and Kirheen nodded.
Trista collected the empty basket. “Glad to see you are both feeling better. Good luck with your training today. Don’t push them too hard,” she warned, eyes flashing to Tomias.
“I won’t,” he assured her.
“Good.” She smiled, spinning on her heels. She headed back across the clearing, Fenir watching her as she went. Tomias turned his attention back to his young pupils.
“Shall we try again?”
“Yes, we’re ready,” Kirheen said.
Kirheen scooted away from Garild, turning her body towards him so they were face to face. She was focused, her eyes alight with determination. Garild too seemed eager to try again, a small grin playing on his face.
Tomias handed each of them a card, shuffling it back into the deck once they’d memorized the new pattern. “You may begin.”
Chapter 10
Kirheen did not hesitate. The second the word was spoken, she closed her eyes, focusing on forming the link that would connect them. It was easier this time around; she could feel the pressure build and then snap, the invisible rope between them pulling tight. She stood before the blue threads of his mind, feeling confident that this time she would win.
She took a moment to check on her mind, staying alert for signs of Garild. There was nothing there. He’s on the defense, she thought. She turned her head, inspecting the wall before her. It seemed to stretch on forever. It seemed pointless to just break straight through without knowing where she needed to be. She needed to find what she was after first. She took a deep breath and reached out, touching her hands to the wall. The threads vibrated against her fingers, sending tremors through her arms.
The humming vibration of the threads filled her ears, drowning out her thoughts. As she pushed on the threads before her, flashes of images filtered through her mind. They were nothing but blurs, a kaleidoscope of colors taking shape, only to melt together again before she could decipher the meaning of them. Focus on the card, he’s hiding it somewhere.
She forced herself to push harder, to find meaning in the meaningless. The threads vibrated faster, the noise filling the spaces in her mind. And then she saw it, a bright flash of white, a card with a blur of color. She smiled to herself, victory within her grasp.
The thread that had revealed the card burned brighter, shooting off to her right, weaving in and out of the wall. She followed it for a time, stepping confidently towards the answer. After a time, she came upon a spot in the wall that was thicker than the rest, the threads closely coiled to prevent anyone from getting in. Found you.
Focusing the energy she had left, she forced her powers against the block, blackening the threads as she struggled to break through. They snapped loudly, sending a shower of blue sparks falling around her. As she pushed out with her powers, she could feel the energy draining, leeching out of her fingertips. She wouldn’t lose to Garild, couldn’t lose to him. Losing meant letting someone in to her mind, and she had already vowed not to let that happen.
The thought made her flick her attention back to her own mind, but as she did so, she felt the connection to Garild waver. She pushed back into his mind, feeling the connection reestablish itself. A wave of fatigue washed over her, her limbs feeling weighed down. She wasn’t left with a choice. If she tried to guard her mind while attacking, she’d only wear herself out. Breathing deep, she pushed once more against his mind, blasting through the wall.
As the sparks settled, she could make out the card. Two thin green vertical lines and a yellow circle decorated the card, the image clear in her mind. “I found it,” she exclaimed. She was giddy with excitement, her heart pounding wildly.
“Tell me what it is,” Tomias said.
“Two vertical green lines and a yellow circle.”
“Wrong.”
The shock sent her back out of Garild’s mind and into reality. Her jaw dropped and she looked at Tomias with an incredulous stare. “But it’s right there! I can see it! Two green lines and a yellow circle.”
Garild still had his eyes closed, his head dropped to his chest. There was a sickening realization that he was still in her mind. She felt her wall crumble, a sharp pain echoing where it shattered and then Garild was alert, staring at her triumphantly. “Two blue triangles with a red line beneath.”
“No,” Kirheen whispered. “No, you couldn’t. I already saw your card.”
Tomias smirked. “Was it his card? Maybe it was the card you wanted it to be? Or maybe he set it up that way to lure you away from the real answer so you’d let your guard down.”
Kirheen gritted her teeth, trying to fight back her frustration. She could feel it bubbling beneath the surface, filling her words with acid. “How is that even possible? That had to be his card.”
“But it wasn’t his card. You fell into a trap, Kirheen, and the sooner you admit to it, the sooner you can realize your mistake. You went chasing after the first sign of victory and you left yourself open.”
She wanted to fight back, to tell him he was wrong, but she knew it was pointless. Garild had bested her, whether she wanted to admit it or not. “I don’t understand. How did he set that up so fast? I attacked right away?”
“I set it up before we’d begun. I knew you’d want to win, so I set it up to lead you away from the real answer. I’m sorry Kirheen,” Garild said, his eyes filled with guilt.
Kirheen glared at him. “Is that even fair?”
“It is if you want to win,” Tomias said, nodding. “You think everyone is going to play fair with you, Kirheen? Do you think everyone will follow rules? Did Herzin follow rules? Would the Darkness?”
Her anger got the best of her and tears stung her eyes. She ground her teeth, trying to keep them from spilling over. “No, they didn’t. But I thought…”
“You thought that you could just bully your way into winning. You thought Garild was just going to break before you and that you’d be triumphant and everyone would sing you praise. It doesn’t work that way, Kirheen. It won’t work that way in training and it won’t work that way out in the real world either. The Darkness will not just sit by and let you break it. It will find every weakness, every moment of doubt and exploit that, do you understand?”
“I don’t want these powers,” Kirheen said, lip quivering. “I don’t want them and I don’t want this responsibility. I don’t want to worry about my mind like this.”
“Kirheen.”
She felt Tomi
as reach for her as she darted from the steps, felt his fingers brush against her arm. She wanted to run, wanted his arms to wrap around her and tell her she'd be okay, wanted to leave Sanctuary and let the Darkness swallow her whole. It was too much. It had always been too much. She wasn’t meant for such powers and she raced for the one person she thought might be able to help her.
She collapsed on the steps of the quaint hut in the trees, the smell of willow bark and amber lily filling her nose. The noise must have alerted Trista for she was by her side a moment later, shushing her gently as she sobbed.
Kirheen sat cross legged, watching the crackling blue flames of burning wraith wood. The warmth of the fire was rejuvenating, calming her nerves and settling her spirit. Trista bustled around somewhere behind her, creating some concoction she promised would help her feel better.
Water bubbled loudly in the kettle that hung over the fire and Trista swooped in to retrieve it. There was the rush of water filling a mug and a moment later, Trista was pressing a warm cup into her hands. “Drink it. It’ll help.”
Kirheen nodded, lifting the cup to her lips gently. It was smooth and rich, tasting of berries and herbs. “Thank you,” she whispered, basking in the warmth that spread through her.
“Of course.” Trista seated herself on the floor next to Kirheen, careful to not spill the contents of the cup in her hand. She stayed silent for a time, watching the flames and sipping at her drink quietly. After she’d downed her cup, she set it aside and turned her attention to Kirheen, eyes filled with concern. “You want to tell me what this is all about,” she asked.
Kirheen swallowed hard, feeling tears spring to her eyes at the question. The comfort of the drink and the fire had almost made her forget the reason she'd come in the first place. She set her cup aside, her stomach turning sour. “I’m sorry, Trista. I didn’t know where to go.”
Trista smiled sweetly. “I didn’t say it was a problem, Kirheen. You’re clearly upset though and your mental health is just as important as your physical, so start talking. Did something happen in your training? I told him to take it easy on you.”
The Bonded: The Allseer Trilogy Book I Page 8