“Seraphina, you’ll need to sit across from him in the same position,” Aneera instructed.
“I don’t think your circle is big enough,” Sara said as she stepped over the line on the floor. “Our knees will be touching.”
“That’s the idea, dear.”
Sara frowned and sat, crossing her legs beneath her. Her knees bumped against Darian’s, and she wiggled backwards to put space between them. When he chuckled, Sara glared at him. He tried to smooth his features but not very hard. Why was he suddenly in such a good mood?
“I’m glad you find this amusing, Darian,” Sara said. “On the way over here, I thought you were opposed to this whole bonding thing.” She waved her hand in the air, and his smile widened. “I don’t even get a response?” she asked, her voice rising.
“I can’t think of anything to say that won’t irritate you.”
“And ignoring my question isn’t just as irritating?”
“You two are like children,” Magdelin muttered. Her tone sounded harsh, but her eyes said something different. Sara had never seen someone with the kindness that seemed to surround this woman. Surely, whatever Magdelin had done wouldn’t hurt her, would it?
“Here, take this.” The blond woman placed a red gem the size of a marble in Sara’s palm.
She rolled it between her fingers, her eyes widening as the sunlight reflected through the gem. “Is this a ruby?” Sara asked.
“Yes, it is,” Aneera answered. “But Darian should take that one.”
She took the ruby from Sara and gave it to Darian. He winked at her, and she stuck out her tongue, feeling every bit the child Magdelin accused her of.
“This is yours,” Aneera said as she held out a white stone the same size as the ruby.
“What is this?” Sara asked. “It isn’t as pretty as his.”
Magdelin sat down on the floor beside her, just outside the circle. Sara’s heart raced, anticipation and fear coursing through her. Maybe more fear than anything else. What had she agreed to? More importantly, why had she agreed to this? She swallowed hard.
“Red represents the heart,” Magdelin said, “and white represents the mind. Both must be connected for the bonding to work.”
“And he gets the heart because…?”
Aneera sat on her other side, again just outside the circle. “Because his heart is stronger than yours, my dear.”
“Hmph.” Not likely. Men were notoriously selfish.
“Darian, we’ve already explained what’s happening, but it will require more from you than we originally thought,” Magdelin said. “While she may look strong, her body is not.” She turned her gaze to Sara. “I’m glad you came to us when you did.”
Sara frowned. What was the healer implying?
“I understand,” Darian said, “and suspected as much.”
“I’m not sure you do,” Aneera interceded. “When you join hands, there will no longer be a barrier between you. If you do not control your fire, it will consume her.”
Sara pulled her hands away from her knees and looked at Darian. She remembered the last time he took her hand. It burned like hell.
“I have not endured all these years to lose her now, especially by my own hand.” He rested his hands on his knees with the palms facing up. The ruby sparkled in his left hand.
“You will have to share your mind with her, all of it,” Aneera warned.
“I know,” he said.
Sara watched him take a deep breath, but his eyes never left hers. She wondered what he was thinking. Why these women were throwing out so many warnings. Why he looked so solemn. Could his memories be that bad? Would this bonding thing kill her? Did she care? The rest of her family was gone. If she died now, she could join them and not have to worry about the demons ravaging her world. She frowned at the thought. Could she really wish for death to avoid the demons? No, she’d been a fighter her entire life. It was the reason she joined the FBI right out of college. She wanted to make a difference. Maybe this was another chance to do just that.
“Seraphina.” Aneera drew her attention.
“Please just call me Sara.”
“Okay. Sara, this will be uncomfortable.”
A small burst of laughter escaped her lips, and Darian joined her.
“This is going to hurt, a lot,” he said. “Discomfort is a huge understatement.”
“Thank you for your honesty, Darian,” she said, her smile fading quickly.
“You are most welcome.” His humor died, too, and a surge of worry rushed towards her.
“And remind me why we’re doing this again?” she asked. “What will happen to me when we’re done?”
“To save humanity from a broken world,” he responded.
“That’s not an answer,” Sara said. “What are you doing to me?”
“When the bond is complete, you will share each other’s strengths and fill the gaps in your weaknesses,” Aneera replied. “The more you work together, the stronger you will be.”
“And I’m guessing this is irreversible?” Sara asked.
The two women looked at one another, then back to Sara. “We’ve never considered undoing a bond,” Aneera answered. “I cannot imagine breaking my bond with Mikel.” A shiver ran through the small woman’s frame. “The thought of not having him. I can’t even fathom it.”
Sara glanced at Darian, who once again had that intense look. She couldn’t imagine feeling that way about him, but could she really walk away and let these demons destroy everything? This Council seemed to think they couldn’t win without her. She’d only had a glimpse into their world, but they appeared to be better equipped than anyone she knew to fight against this evil.
“Can I not just stay here and pretend the world isn’t broken?” she asked, already knowing his answer.
“No, we cannot,” he replied.
She sighed with resignation, knowing it was a stupid question. She’d have to trust them. “What happens after we’re bonded? I assume there are changes beyond the sharing strength thing.”
Aneera glanced at the healer, then back to Sara. “While your physical appearance will not change, your mental connection to each other will. Over time, your fighting styles will merge, becoming one. Eli and Juana could fight together while blindfolded. They didn’t need to see each other to know exactly where their partner was.”
“But it doesn’t change me?” Sara asked.
“No, you will still be you, only more,” Magdelin replied.
Sara fought against her uncertainty and forced herself to think of her husband. If he was somehow still out there, she would be strong enough to find him. Maybe she could find Weasel and the others, too. She wasn’t sure these people would let her protect her home first, but she wasn’t sure it mattered. They seemed intent on saving humanity from demons; she would just have to convince them her friends back home needed her.
“Okay, let’s get this over with,” she mumbled, feeling the tension ease with her acceptance.
“Place the white stone in your left hand,” Aneera instructed. “Now, take Darian’s left hand with your right.”
“I can’t do that,” Sara said. “He burned the shit out of me the last time!”
Aneera took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You must trust him.”
Sara hovered her hand over his, still hesitant about touching him. His hand snapped up and grabbed her fingers, pressing the ruby into her palm. She yelped and tried to jerk free of his grasp, but he wouldn’t let go.
“You haven’t caught on fire yet,” he said, and she could hear the laughter in his voice.
She gritted her teeth when she realized there was no pain. Arrogant bastard. “You did that on purpose,” she growled.
“We will never finish this if you two cannot stop bickering.” Aneera’s exasperated tone silenced Sara.
“Darian, place your empty palm over the white stone in her left hand.”
Darian’s hand reached for Sara’s, and she moved it to the side b
efore he could grab it. He shifted his hand in the same direction, and she avoided his again. She suppressed a laugh, watching the corners of his lips turn upwards. Their hands shot back and forth across her knee several times before Magdelin grabbed both their wrists.
“And to think we have to rely on the two of you for our survival,” the healer muttered.
“It’s not my fault,” Sara said defensively. “He makes me stupid.” Her actions baffled her just as much as the healer. There was no room for humor in her life right now, but here she was, teasing this man who was a total stranger to her.
Darian rolled his eyes, but the smile didn’t leave his face. Was he having the same trouble?
“To be honest, I haven’t seen him smile in ages, but now is not the time or place,” Aneera added.
“You’re right,” Darian said, sobering up. “I apologize for making her stupid.”
Sara’s face reddened, and she grabbed his right hand, pressing the white stone into his palm. Pain shot through her arm, raced across her chest, and into her other hand. Darian jerked across from her, his knees slamming into hers. The initial burst of agony subsided, and Aneera’s soft voice reached her ears.
“Regardless of what you see or experience, you cannot let go.” Several moments of silence followed. “Nod your head if you heard me.”
Sara nodded and opened her eyes, not knowing when she closed them.
“I will not allow her to let go,” Darian said, looking directly at Sara. “I will give her the strength she needs to endure my pain.”
Doubt crept to the surface of her mind. A dull, burning ache ran through her arms and chest. What was she thinking? She couldn’t do this.
“Don’t,” Darian commanded, as if he could hear her thoughts. “You are much stronger than you think. We’ll do this together.”
She nodded again and turned towards Aneera.
“Stay focused on me,” Darian’s voice drew her attention. “The only thing that matters until this is done is you and me. No one else can get us through this.”
A surge of sadness washed over her, and she realized it was his. Is that why she got lost in his eyes a few minutes ago? Was she feeling his emotions somehow?
“I’m sorry for the pain you have to witness. It has been two hundred years in the making, and I cannot hide it from you.”
She vaguely heard the ladies next to her chanting in soft voices. The stones in her hand grew warm, and she felt herself falling into memories she knew were not her own.
Chapter 14
Seraphina
A thick fog slowly lifted to reveal a raging battle. The earth exploded beside her, throwing Sara from her horse. Dead bodies littered the ground around her, and a feeling of hopelessness and despair overwhelmed her senses. Lying next to her in a pool of blood was her dying horse, its eyes rolling wildly with its pain. It kicked its back legs several times before settling. Sara noticed a man’s hand on the horse’s neck and a soft voice speaking to it in a language she couldn’t understand. It was Darian’s hand that plunged a dagger into the horse’s heart and his tears that moistened the animal’s fur.
The fog returned and cleared once more, leaving her in a smoke-filled room. She coughed violently, dragging in the hot, caustic air. Darian’s voice called a woman’s name over and over again. He knelt next to the body a beautiful young lady, her hair in disarray and her eyes staring blankly. Sara saw his fingers on her neck, looking for a pulse. He leaned down next to her face and whispered, “No.” A small gem laid in the palm of her hand. He picked it up, and Sara felt his heart break. He had loved her and lost her.
The thick fog returned, dropping her in a large room. A man and woman stood next to her. Darian’s voice echoed through the space, but she didn’t understand his words. The enormous man next to him surged forward towards another. No, that was not a man; his red eyes and dark scales betrayed him. She recoiled from the flesh hanging in shreds from his face. A deep, harsh voice whispered into Darian’s mind. Kill him, and join me. I will give you power, wealth, and everything your heart desires. Anger, hatred, and lust filled her—no, they filled Darian. She couldn’t tell the difference, but it was both intoxicating and frightening.
The scene shifted to another battle. Demons surged towards Darian and his group. Sara looked around, seeing twenty or more men gripping the hilts of their swords, ready to battle. They collided in a clash of steel, and a man’s voice rose above the others. “Darian, find Kal’Gara!” A large, dark portal swallowed the same large man she’d seen in the previous memory. An ominous cackle, followed by a woman’s scream, filled Sara’s ears. She felt Darian’s body sag, and he yelled a retreat. They fled down a never-ending stairwell, and Sara watched as the men around them changed from strong, healthy warriors to dying husks of skin and bone. Their vacant eyes stared back at her, and blackness enveloped them.
“Darian!”
Magdelin’s voice interrupted the black haze, and Sara opened her eyes. Darian’s vacant gaze stared back at her, and flames flickered around their entwined fingers.
“Darian,” Sara whispered.
He didn’t respond, but his eyelids fluttered several times. She stared into his deep blue orbs, thinking about her recent conversation with her favorite fence post. She was certain now he was there listening to her talk about her insecurities, how much she missed her daughter and her frustrations with her new job.
“I remember the conversation about the vice president of your company insisting you drive forty-five minutes to have lunch with him.” His deep voice broke through her revelry, and she smiled.
“He is a rather arrogant bastard,” she replied.
“I gathered that from your ranting to the fence post.”
“I didn’t realize the fence post had ears.”
He chuckled, but his smile faded quickly.
“Thank you,” he said. “It’s been a long time since I revisited that particular memory.”
“Do they get worse than that?” Sara asked.
“No, and yes, just in a different way.” He looked down at her hands and noticed the fire. “Do you not feel that?”
“It’s a warm, cozy feeling that’s burning away the hair on my fingers,” she lied, surprised that she didn’t feel the little blue flames. “Are we almost done?”
Darian extinguished the fire and turned to Magdelin. Sara followed his gaze.
“Yes, but the next part will be the hardest,” she replied. “Aneera’s part is done, but mine will be excruciating for both of you. I’ll try to make it as easy as possible, but Seraphina’s body is dying.”
Sara frowned at Magdelin. Dying? She wasn’t that old! She opened her mouth to question what the healer meant, but Darian spoke before she could.
“Let’s finish this, then.”
Aneera wrapped the end of a red ribbon around Sara’s wrist and the other end around Darian’s, tying together the two hands that held the white stone.
“Again, you cannot let go. The mind is complete, but if you release the white stone before the heart is finished, everything will be undone.”
“We aren’t doing this twice,” Sara said. “So, don’t let go, Darian.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he quipped.
The women started chanting again, and Sara stared at the man across from her. His memories full of death and pain were still fresh in her mind. Surely, that was not his entire life, right? There had to be more than just fighting against these demons. Did he have a wife and family? Did he lose them to the demons as Sara had lost her family? She realized she knew nothing about this man.
“Did you watch me grow up?” she asked.
“Yes, I was at the hospital when you were born,” he replied, returning her gaze.
“You know why my mother named me Seraphina?”
“I do, I suggested it to her.”
“You two know you can have that conversation in your mind,” Aneera snapped. “We’re rather talented, but you’re distracting.”
Darian shrugged
and squinted his eyes. Sara nearly laughed at his expression until she heard his voice inside her head.
“This will be very convenient.” Darian’s voice echoed in her mind.
“I can hear you!” Sara replied.
“I suspected Juana and Eli could communicate this way, but this is amazing.”
“They were the man and woman in your memories?”
“Yes,” he responded.
“What happened to them?” Sara asked. “Eva told me they were bonded like you and I.”
He looked at her for a long time, and she thought he might not answer. “They were the last Watcher and Sentinel.”
She stared back at him, remembering her conversation with Eva. They had given their lives to kill the Overlords.
“Yes, they sacrificed themselves to destroy our enemies.”
“Wait, I didn’t want you to hear that,” Sara thought. “How did you know I what I was thinking?”
“We might have to work on that. There are many things running through my mind I prefer you didn’t hear either.”
“I’m glad we agree on that.”
Suddenly, a sharp stabbing pain surged through Sara’s core, and she cried out. It moved from her abdomen through her chest and into her throat. A fountain of blood strangled her scream, and Darian’s grip on her hands tightened.
“Magdelin! What’s happening?” Darian yelled.
Aneera replied in a panicked voice. “Don’t move, Darian. She is expelling the cancer that was eating her insides.”
Sara heard the conversation around her, but her mind refused to accept it. How did she have cancer and not know it? She felt fine with the exception of the burn in her chest, which she now knew was from Darian. Another violent explosion of blood covered her lap and Darian’s shirt. If he cared, he didn’t mention it. Fear and worry lined his face, and his hands twitched in hers.
Her chin fell to her chest, and exhaustion swept over her in waves, forcing her to lean towards him.
Darian’s voice called her back. “Stay awake, Seraphina.”
Sentinel's Rise: Book 1 - The Watcher and the Sentinel Series Page 10