Champion's Bond

by Rinelle Grey

  Kriss winced, waiting for one of the human men to object to being interrupted by a child. That’s what her father would have done. But when she glanced at them, there was not even a hint of annoyance on any of their faces.

  In fact, the tall one, Lyall, smiled. “That’s all right.” He looked down at the little girl, and Kriss could see the love shining in his eyes. It was so intense it made her heart ache.

  Brianna picked up the little girl and brought her close to him. “Lylis, this is Lyall. He’s going to be living with us now. He’s your daddy.”

  The other man, the nervous twin’s partner, returned with another little girl that looked so similar to this one they could have been twins. He paused in the doorway, an uncertain look on his face.

  The first little girl, sucked her thumb thoughtfully for a moment, then taking her thumb out of her mouth, she asked, “But do I have two daddies?” She looked from one man to another, confusion written on her face.

  She must have thought the other man, the nervous twin’s partner, was her father up until now. Uh-oh. This was not going to go well.

  Lyall looked down at the little girl and nodded. “Yes, you do. You have two mummies, so it makes sense that you have two daddies, too.”

  He was rewarded by a big hug from the little girl and the smile that wreathed his face had to be seen to be believed. Kriss looked away, uncomfortable with the feelings the picture stirred in her. She didn’t know the four mage’s story, but it seemed they were doing a good job of sorting it all out so that everyone, even the little children, were happy with the outcome.

  She hoped the outcome for the trolls would be just as happy. She wanted to ask when they were going to remove the curse from everyone else, but now wasn’t the time. It would happen, she just had to be patient.

  “So what does this mean?” the nervous twin asked. “Are we going to…? What?”

  Lyall looked at the old man.

  The old man looked at each of the four, then heaved a sigh. “All right. I will see to it that the twin law is changed, under one condition.”

  Kriss held her breath. Here it came.

  “What’s that?” Brianna asked suspiciously.

  “That you come back to Isla de Magi for the wedding. Lyall’s mother would be devastated if she missed it.”

  “Of course.” Lyall smiled. “We will have to come back to heal mother anyway, so it makes sense to have the wedding while we’re there.”

  “I never said I was going to marry you.”

  Kriss felt a little twinge of satisfaction. See, the humans weren’t perfect after all. She felt complete sympathy for the expression of shock on Lyall’s face.

  “What do you mean, you’re not going to marry my son!” the old man demanded. “After all this effort, you’d better be planning to. Lyall, you’re not going to let her get away with that, are you?”

  “Father, leave this one to me to sort out, please?”

  Kriss looked back to Brianna and saw a grin on her face. What?

  “He has to ask me first.”

  What, it was all a joke? The humans were teasing each other?

  The nervous twin took the little girl from Lyall’s arms and set her on the floor, holding her hand. “We’ll be in the kitchen. Come make some orange juice with me, Lylis.” She looked over at the old man. “I think they might need some privacy.”

  The little girl grabbed his hand. “Come make owange duce.”

  With a bemused look on his face, the man let himself be led out of the room, followed by the nervous twin’s partner and the other little girl.

  Leaving only Brianna and Lyall. Kriss felt like she was intruding. She wished she could get up and leave too, but she wasn’t sure these human legs would hold her.

  Lyall smiled over at her and Jasyn. Jasyn reached out and took her hand and gave it a squeeze. The earnest expression on her husband’s new face overwhelmed her. Everything was so different. Nothing was ever going to be the same again. Nothing.

  The human man knelt down in front of Brianna and took her hand, staring up into her eyes. “Brianna, would you do me the honour of being my one and only wife?”

  She smiled down at him, tears glistening in her eyes. “I will, Lyall. There’s nothing I want more.”

  He stood up and enfolded her in a hug. Kriss felt like bawling.

  That was real love, she could see it in their faces. Lyall was prepared to do whatever it took to win Brianna’s heart, even if it meant disobeying his father and leader. He was willing to fight for her.

  Would she ever have a love like that?

  Even if they had a chance to live in peace, her relationship with Jasyn would never be like the one Lyall and Brianna shared. Jasyn would never fight for her. Not only because he wasn’t the fighting type, but because he didn’t feel that way about her. His whole focus was on finding peace for the trolls. And now that he’d achieved that, there was no more point to their marriage.

  What she and Jasyn had was a sham. A pretend marriage to instil hope and trust into the trolls.

  A sham that was no longer even needed.

  16

  An Uncertain Future

  Even though the demonstration of human love had been moving and had removed any lingering doubts over whether he’d made the right choice, Jasyn was glad when the couple left the room.

  When Kriss pulled her hand out of his though, his heart sank.

  “So what do we do now?” she asked.

  Her human face was easier to read than her troll face had been. She was upset about something. Did she think they’d made the wrong decision?

  Much as he would have liked to discuss his future with Kriss, he had other responsibilities. “Our first goal has to be to remove the curse from the rest of the trolls,” he said quietly.

  A shadow crossed Kriss’s face. He’d said the wrong thing, hadn’t he? She must have been referring to their personal future.

  Her head jerked in a nod. “Yes. Everyone should have the chance to go through that painful transformation and be stuck in a weakling body like this.”

  Jasyn’s stomach dropped. “Do you think we’ve made a mistake, Kriss? Don’t you see how this could change everything for us? Wouldn’t you rather have this life, where people talk about their problems and solve them peacefully?”

  “We’re not human, Jasyn. We might look like them, but underneath, we’re still trolls. We didn’t grow up in this peaceful world and we don’t even know how to fit into it.”

  “Don’t our children deserve the chance to grow up in a world like this? We might not be able to change things for us, but we may be able to change the future for them.”

  “What children? We’re never going to have children, Jasyn. You know that.”

  She had been talking about their personal future. And she was upset about it for some reason.

  “We don’t know what the future holds, Kriss,” he said earnestly. “And right now, after such a big change, I don’t think it’s the time to discuss it. But even if we don’t have children, other trolls will. And as champions, we’re as responsible for those children’s future as we would be for our own.”

  Kriss turned away from him, her hair swinging to hide her face. Her voice was muffled as she said, “You don’t need me now. I don’t know how to function in this new peaceful world you have planned. But you do. You can do it on your own now.”

  Everything was falling apart. This should have been their moment of triumph. They’d achieved what they set out to do. Part of it, anyway. What went wrong?

  There was only one thing Jasyn was sure of—he couldn’t bear to lose Kriss.

  “Everyone is going to be feeling unsure and useless for a while,” he said. “The most important thing right now is to keep things the same as much as possible. The trolls are going to need you, Kriss. None of them know how to adjust to this new world, and they will need someone to show them. Someone who is as foreign to it as they are.”

  Jasyn held his breath. She didn’t say
anything for a long time.

  Then she heaved a sigh. “All right,” she said. “I guess my usefulness isn’t completely over yet.”

  Jasyn couldn’t bear to see her so miserable. He reached out and took her hand. “You will always be useful to me.”

  She looked at him with a haunted expression in her eyes.

  He could see what the problem was. They’d formed this marriage for a reason, to bring about this moment. Now that it was here, they didn’t know how to move forward. She didn’t know what he expected of her any more than he knew.

  He hoped this wouldn’t be the end of it all. Maybe now they’d have time to see if there was something more between them.

  The door opened and one of the human women, he thought it was the twin with the yellow magic, the gentle one, came into the room. It was harder to tell them apart when he couldn’t directly compare them.

  “Are you hungry?” she asked them. “Do you feel up to eating?”

  Jasyn’s stomach rumbled at the question. When had he last eaten? He couldn’t remember. But there was something he needed to do first.

  “What about the other trolls? Is there a plan for lifting the curse from everyone?”

  She stared at him blankly for a moment. Then she smiled. “That’s right, you were unconscious, so you missed it. It’s done. As soon as both of you were turned back into humans, they did too.” She hesitated, then gently added, “We could hear the screams from here. They’re all right though, just like the two of you. We’ve brought them into the village. I’m sure they’ll all be glad to see you when they wake up.”

  Jasyn couldn’t believe it. “That doesn’t make sense. Why did everyone change after the two of us were changed?”

  “Lyall thinks it might have something to do with the gems. Since we used both of them to remove the curse from the two of you, they stopped working. The gems, the curse, and the shield that prevented the use magic in the village were all connected in some way. Now that the gems are inactive and the shield is gone, it seems the curse is as well.”

  Jasyn nodded. It seemed a bit of a stretch, but he had no other explanation.

  “Lyall is the mage and Brianna is his partner?” he asked, just to clarify.

  The woman nodded. “Yes, sorry, I can't believe we didn't think to introduce everyone. I’m Mianna, Brianna’s twin. Obviously.” She shook her head. “And my husband is Terion.”

  Jasyn responded in kind. “I'm Jasyn, and this is my wife, Kriss.” He looked over at Kriss, and was relieved when she forced a smile, not denying his introduction.

  Mianna smiled. “So how long have the two of you been married?” she asked.

  “A little over two years.” Jasyn smiled, remembering the ceremony and how nervous he had felt. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Then when he remembered the next day, his happiness cooled. He didn't mention the date, but from the expression on Mianna’s face he could tell she was thinking the same thing.

  “That's about how long Terion and I have been married. It was the day before the big battle…” Her voice trailed off, and she looked distinctly uncomfortable.

  This was going to be a sticking point in any conversations with the humans. They had fought for so long, and there was so much blood between them. How were they going to overcome it?

  Not by avoiding it, that was for sure.

  “Kriss and I, too,” Jasyn said softly. He paused for a moment, then added, “I'm sorry.”

  Mianna shook her head, then smiled at him. “That's all right. It wasn't like you ordered the battle.”

  Jasyn winced. “Actually, I did.”

  Mianna’s face darkened, and her breathing shortened. “You did? Then you are the one responsible for my mother’s death. How could you? Why did you attack in such numbers that day?”

  Kriss was watching him, her face dark as well. He could guess what she was thinking. He should have kept his mouth shut. He might have just ruined everything.

  But all he could do was tell the truth. He wasn't going to build peace on a bed of lies.

  “We were searching for the gem,” he admitted quietly. “I thought if we had it, then I could use magic in the village to protect myself from fighting. I hoped it would give me the chance to talk to you and maybe find a way to propose peace.”

  Mianna crossed her arms and glared at him. “So you came into our village and killed so many of our people because you wanted peace?”

  When she put it like that…

  “Well, it's not like you were going to listen to us otherwise. Look, there is bad blood on both sides, you have to see that. We did what we had to, and you did what you had to. We can't change the past, but hopefully now we can find a way to a better and more peaceful future.”

  The expression on her face wavered and she bit her lower lip. Slowly, she nodded her head. “I hope so…”

  A chilling scream split the air, interrupting her words.

  Jasyn’s heart hammered in his chest. He threw back the blanket and struggled to his feet. His new human legs felt weak and wobbly. Or maybe that was nerves.

  Mianna ran out of the room. Jasyn took Kriss’s hand, and she didn't object. She must be feeling as unsure on her feet as he was, and did his best to follow the twin.

  Once outside, he looked around. The screams had stopped now and he wasn't sure if that was a good sign, or a bad one. There was a crowd gathering around one of the houses on the other side of the square.

  He stumbled in that direction, pulling Kriss with him.

  The crowd parted to let him through, their hush unnerving. Mianna had stopped just in front of them, her hand over her mouth.

  The sight in front of the house was even more unnerving.

  A man stood in the doorway, holding a young woman by the arm. In his other hand he held a sword, swinging it wildly.

  The braids swinging around his face, along with his oversized armour, meant he had once been a troll, but his face was so different Jasyn didn't immediately recognise him.

  “Mugos,” Kriss muttered. “That bastard. I should have known he'd be the one causing trouble.”

  Jasyn wasn't sure how she'd recognised the former champion, then he saw it. Dangling from the man’s belt was the same braid he'd worn as a champion.

  This was bad. Very bad.

  “I didn't ask to be a weakling like the rest of you. Change me back,” Mugos demanded.

  Someone needed to do something. And everyone, including Kriss, looked at Jasyn.

  “Let the girl go and we can talk,” Jasyn said, stepping forwards.

  Mugos’s eyes narrowed. “This was all your idea, wasn't it, Jasyn? I bet you like this. Now everyone is as much of a wuss as you were. Had enough talking yet?”

  He was trying to bait Jasyn, but it wasn’t going to work. The girl’s frightened eyes urged Jasyn to act. “Let her go,” he repeated.

  “If I let her go, you’re just going to throw some magic at me, like you did last time, and pretend that you’re all powerful and know exactly what’s right for all the trolls. Well, you don’t. You don’t know what is right for me, and there are plenty of others who agree with me. And we won’t be ignored any longer.”

  There were others who felt like Mugos did? That was news to Jasyn. But it shouldn’t have been surprising. The trolls had been living this life for such a long time that there would be resistance to change. “You can’t get what you want by threatening others,” Jasyn said calmly.

  “It has always worked before,” Mugos said. “And when something works, I don’t try to change it, unlike some of us.” His eyes were on Kriss, his gaze practically raked her human body. A smirk twisted his lips. “Though maybe there are some advantages to this new body.”

  White hot jealousy flashed through Jasyn. His impulse was to throw magic at Mugos, just enough to knock him out. Only the knowledge that it was exactly what Mugos expected held him back. He needed to show that talking worked, that he wasn’t just making this up. So he took a deep breath.

  “If you
want to go back to being a troll, I’m sure that can be arranged. We didn’t intend for the curse to be lifted all at once, it just happened like that.”

  “Sure, sure,” Mugos taunted. “You weren’t trying to drag me down to your level. Why should I believe you?”

  “Drop it, Mugos,” Kriss said flatly. “Now is not the time for this. We can discuss it later, in private.”

  “In private, huh? Why do I not believe that either, Kriss? You never did want to be private with me. That was all a trick, too.”

  Seemed like Mugos wanted to have this out, no matter how much Jasyn tried to diffuse the situation. Trouble was, the world could never go back to the way it was before. Too much had changed.

  And while the humans had been careful not to touch the gems physically, in case the curse transferred through touch, there was no certainty that it would make Mugos a troll again. And even less knowledge of what that would mean for everyone else.

  Jasyn needed to step up and be the leader he claimed to be, before the humans believed all the trolls thought like Mugos.

  “It's over, Mugos. Drop the sword, now.” He took a step forwards, holding out his hand for the weapon.

  The ex-champion’s arm tightened around the woman and he waved the sword. “Don't tell me what to do. I don't have to listen to you.”

  “What's going on here?”

  Brianna strode into the crowd, which parted for her immediately. She took one look at Mugos and put her hands on her hips. “Release her immediately.”

  She gave him a few seconds to respond, but all he did was glare at her. So Brianna took one more step forwards. Magic flared from her fingertips and Mugos dropped to the ground. He hadn't even had time to move his sword.

  Jasyn should have been the one to do that. He could have. Would he ever learn when to talk, and when to fight?

  After giving the fallen man one last look and assuring herself that he wasn't moving, Brianna turned to the girl, “Are you all right, Sari?”