A hand dropped to my shoulder, and I jumped. I was so lost in my thoughts, I hadn’t noticed Ian approach. If the man had moved like a shadow before, he now moved like air. He was so silent and swift; it was awe-inspiring to experience.
“How are you faring, Lass?” Ian asked, brushing his lips across my neck. I shivered. His touch felt like the breeze whispering across my skin.
“I can feel the darkness of the city,” I admitted. “We haven’t been gone for long, but so much has changed. The people are scared.” I shivered again, but for a different reason. As I was connected to the land and the people now, I could feel the city’s fear and an undercurrent of anger. They questioned why they deserved the sudden changes in their life, and I couldn’t offer them an answer.
“We feel it too,” Ian said. “Probably not as keenly as you, but it’s nudging the edges of our web.”
We walked together to the fire. Reed had finished rereading the book an hour ago, but he had been tense, morose, and lost in his thoughts since. Everyone let him be, understanding he needed time to sort through the information. Seb built a fire while Clay prepared a simple meal from the rations in their bags. Mason collected firewood and cared for the rest of the horses. I had enjoyed riding and hoped to do it often once we defeated the Sorcerer. After the beautiful morning we had shared, I made a vow to myself. We would live through this. I refused to believe that the short time we had been given was all we were allowed in this lifetime.
“Web?” I asked Ian, glancing at him curiously as my restless mind finally processed his words. “You see the bond ties now?”
“Aye,” Ian responded. Seb and Clay nodded in tandem. The simple strands had merged after the final link, and every moment together strengthened the cords in the network. “After Reed bonded with you, we began to see it. We also discovered something else. We can mind-speak with each other now, not just through you.” A surge of happiness filled me. I was proud of their bond, and the skill would come in handy during our attempt to free the city.
“Could you see the Sorcerer’s dark magic on the flames when he started the fire?” I looked at each of them in turn, but they shook their heads.
When Mason returned to the fire, Clay handed food around the circle. I leaned on my Soldier’s muscular body with my feet pressed against Seb’s thighs. Although the ground was hard and the night was eerie with its lack of sound, I felt comforted. The men’s love and understanding surrounded and buoyed me.
Silence filled the air until Reed lifted his head with a snap. Across the fire, his dark blue eyes appeared haunted and hopeful, an unusual combination. “Teamwork,” he said. We all stared at him until Seb threw a piece of bread across the fire at him.
“Teamwork? That’s what you have after thinking and moping about for hours? No shit, Brother, that’s what the bond is all about. We know we have to work together.”
Reed shook his head. His dark curls bounced, and his eyes were bright with fervor, not perturbed by Seb’s sarcastic tone. “It’s not just working together and filtering energy to Kiarra. We must each give energy to the other. What do we have that the Sorcerer doesn’t?”
“Good looks?” Seb asked casually.
“Love?” Clay asked softly.
“Each other,” I added.
Reed nodded. “We have each other. He might be strong, but he needs to steal his energy from others. We give ours freely, even to the point of death.” His voice lowered, but the webbed bond didn’t shift in the slightest. Everyone agreed with his assessment. We all would fight to the death for the others. How we had become so close to each other in so little time had to be Fate led, especially when I considered how difficult the bonds would be for my cousin. Our group had the worst problem to face, however. We were being challenged and, hopefully, being given the tools to meet that challenge.
“So, we have to work together to fight him?” Ian asked dryly, and, though I loved Reed, I agreed with Seb. The revelation was less than inspiring.
“Well, not only that,” Reed argued. “We need to work together, we need to remove his sources of power, and we need to tease his addiction to power.”
“How do we do all that?” Mason asked.
“Several ways,” Reed continued. “Kiarra must remember to rely on us. She needs to rely on her connection to the land as well. We must each use our abilities and work together. We must eliminate any sources of power, so that means we must stay away from him, and keep him from siphoning power off of anyone – including Everett and likely Delia.”
Reed looked directly at me, and I shivered against Mason. He hugged me closer to his side, and Seb rubbed my calves through my breeches. I hadn’t thought much about my sister. I hadn’t wanted to when there was nothing I could do from so far away. I feared for how much she had fallen, either into corruption or brokenness, but I prepared myself for both. It was more disheartening to think about Mother or Rowan. If they were hurt or threatened, I would have difficulty focusing.
The men immediately started forming a plan which included everyone. I listened absently. My part wouldn’t come until we actually stood in front of the Sorcerer. I couldn't plan for that, aside from the strengthening of our bond, which had already occurred and continued to increase the longer we were together. My cousin’s words haunted me. I needed to protect them and reduce my distractions.
Night fell, and I spent a moment in each man’s arms, kissing them and reassuring them. I arranged an expression of false certainty on my face because dread had begun to seep into my bones. Before we lay down to sleep, I addressed my matches.
“No matter what happens, I love all of you. I know time has been short, and we have not known each other that long, but the Fates have drawn us together. We were meant to be together, and more than that, we choose to be together. Nothing that happens from now on can change that. Reed, I love your intelligence, your honesty, and your passion. Clay, I love your compassion, your openness, and courage. Seb, I love your intensity and your playfulness. Ian, your darkness calls to me, and your light inspires me. Mason, your strength in every aspect reinforces me and fills me with power.”
I choked up as they repeated words of reassurance to me, each telling me they loved me, and we soothed ourselves to sleep. I couldn’t sleep. I knew Mason and Ian intended on staying awake to watch, but I could feel the magic drawing closer, the dark magic. I wouldn’t see them in the morning.
I pulled my power to me but could do nothing when Mason and Ian both slumped to the ground. They were only sleeping, but fear iced my veins. Soldiers crept from the woods, their eyes and souls black with the enchantment upon them. I attempted to pull the darkness from them, but I was too late. The Sorcerer’s image appeared, his white skin glowing in the gloom he wrapped around himself.
“How nice of you to wait up for me, Your Majesty,” Synlair sneered. I rose, stepping away from my men, and threw a spell at him; but he wasn’t really here. Just like at the farmhouse, this vision of him was merely a mirage. His angular face twisted into the semblance of a smile. The Soldiers crept forward. My body was held immobile as a strange metal crawled over my wrists. I felt the enchantment that prevented me from accessing my power or pulling energy from Mason to physically overcome them.
The web surrounding me dulled. It still wove around my men, but I couldn’t feel them or contact them. As the Soldiers stared at me with their dead eyes and Synlair cackled, I realized I had let him capture me. I would give anything for my men’s safety, including my life. I knew we needed to work together, but I was hoping if I met the Sorcerer by myself, their nearness wouldn’t distract me. I hadn’t counted on this strange magic that kept me from accessing my powers.
“Why are you doing this?”
Synlair cocked his head and blinked as if the answer was obvious. “The Gods have promised me great rewards.” His eyes glowed fervently. Either he was insane or there was more at play here than any human could imagine. “I’d rather you not be awake for the ride back to the palace.”
/> His influence pulled at me, and I spared a moment to glance at each of my matches before I sank under his spell. I committed their faces to memory and smiled at their collective beauty before the darkness claimed me.
Chapter 27
Seb
“Where is she?” The roar startled Seb to his feet, still shaking the cobwebs from his head. He couldn’t believe he had slept so deeply. The last thing he remembered was curling up at Kiarra’s feet, enjoying the feel of her body against his.
Seb blinked. Ian was awake, but he was not screaming like Mason. He paced back and forth across the clearing, his face dark with anguish. Clay sat with his head hanging in his hands, and Reed blinked awake uncertainly.
Seb automatically looked around for Kiarra, but he couldn’t see her. Worse, he couldn’t feel her. He fell to his knees on the hard ground, clutching at his chest. The web hadn’t broken. The golden light connecting them was constructed of thick, resilient cords, but the thread that led to Kiarra was shrouded. She still lived, but they could determine nothing else of her condition.
“Argh!” Mason roared so loudly the ground shook. He slammed his fist into the closest tree and splinters flew everywhere, a fist-sized hole opening halfway into the trunk.
“Enough, Brother,” Ian growled. His voice was as dark as Mason’s, but the anger remained under tight control. “We will not free her by sitting here and punching trees.” Mason glared at Ian for only a moment before his large form compressed in on itself.
Pain replaced the anger along their bond, and Seb nearly crumpled again from the force of it. He could only assume the Sorcerer had Kiarra. How none of them had felt her departure was a wonder. The Sorcerer was too powerful if he could pull her from amongst them so effortlessly. He hung his head like Clay, tears stinging his eyes.
“We need to look at this rationally,” Reed interjected. “It changes nothing. We still go to the city, get into the palace, and defeat the Sorcerer.”
Anger rose within Seb, riding on the heels of his tormenting despair. “Easy for you to say,” he spat, rising to his feet. “You don’t feel love; you only think rationally. I bet you didn’t even love her.” Reed’s eyes blazed with fire. The brothers met toe to toe, hazel eyes sparking against blue. Reed’s body vibrated with anger.
“I didn’t love her?” he asked, his voice deathly soft. Seb didn’t back down. All he could think about was that he’d never see Kiarra again. They wouldn’t win against the Sorcerer, and they wouldn’t save the city. Their happy ever after was impossible without Kiarra. Seb made a fist, ready to punch his brother in the face. He wouldn’t win a fight, but the physical pain would distract him from the agony squeezing his heart and soul.
“Enough,” Clay’s voice held so much power, his demand vibrated along the bond. Reed and Seb startled, looking toward the Merchant. He never raised his voice; he was the most stable out of them all. He stood tall despite his crutches, his broad shoulders back, and a look of command on his face. “We all miss her. We are all angry she is gone, but fighting amongst ourselves will not save her. We can be men and brothers and proceed with the plan, or we can stay here and squabble like children. Which do you think will help Kiarra more?”
Seb’s shoulders slumped. They had thought their bond so strong. Yet the moment their center point disappeared, they fell apart. Reed embraced him and they clung together, forgetting their anger of a moment ago. “I’m sorry, Reed,” Seb murmured. “I know you love her as much as we all do.”
Reed merely nodded, heaving a deep breath. They turned back to the other three. “Right then,” Seb said, “what do we need to do?”
An undercurrent of anger still trickled along their bond, mingled with determination. Each one of them was dedicated to freeing Kiarra, whether they lived through the process or not. The closer they traveled to the city, the more the web between them solidified, nearly visible at all times. Their tie to Kiarra strengthened as well. The cord led toward her, but there was nothing but darkness at the end of it. They hoped it was the Sorcerer’s influence and not something more sinister.
Seb’s first job was to get them into the city while encountering the least number of people. The gate with the fewest Soldiers was easy to find, but he couldn’t see much beyond that. He couldn’t distinguish guards or Military House patrons from the other citizens or determine their alliances.
Ian cloaked them as they approached the gate, taking advantage of the fact that it was still early in the morning. The sun hadn’t fully risen, and they used the darkness to their advantage. It was more difficult without Kiarra lending her energy directly to the Shadow. One guard noted them and opened his mouth to shout an alarm, but Mason clubbed him on the back of his head. He sank to the ground like a sack of potatoes. He was merely unconscious, not dead, but Seb realized just how lethal Mason was. It had been effortless for the Soldier, like knocking on a door.
Once past the gate, they veered into the Commoner tenements and dismounted. It would be easier to travel by foot from there. They convened in the shadow of a building. Seb shivered as he looked around. The Commoners appeared even more downtrodden than usual. Their small group didn't gather much attention as if the citizens considered curiosity a dangerous risk. They walked with their heads down, intent on their jobs. They didn’t talk to each other. The usual roar of the Market Quarter was absent. The city was eerily silent, despite the early hour.
“It’s amazing how much can change so quickly,” Seb commented with another shudder. The men nodded, grave expressions on their faces.
Ian looked at Seb. “Status, Planner.”
Seb closed his eyes and accessed his mental map. “The High Commander is still in the Military Quarter. There are too many people to avoid from here on out.”
Ian nodded. They had contemplated using the tunnels but were worried they’d find themselves trapped by the Sorcerer’s spells. When Reed mentioned it, Mason had shaken his head and nixed the idea, saying only that he had a bad feeling about it. No one had questioned him. They all knew his bad feelings were usually premonitions. They would reach the palace the complicated way.
The men had dressed in their colored House tunics so they would blend in among the tiers. Here, in the Commoners area, they seemed suspect; but the Commoners had too much on their minds to bother. Ian wanted to talk to Jeff, but Seb couldn’t find his signature, either. That worried Ian, but it stood to reason. He and Carson would be hiding, even from magic, if they were able.
“Ok, same plan, then,” Mason commanded. They nodded their heads and began the trek towards Low Road. Ian attempted to remain concealed. In King Demetrius’s time, four men of different Houses traveling through the city together would have gathered looks and pointed fingers. Even when they made it to Low Road and more House colors appeared, the patrons were too distracted to do anything more than look askance. It sent another shiver down Seb’s spine. His city was changed.
They chose to enter in the quarter between Scholar House and Merchant House, but the Military presence had increased since they’d left the city. Avoiding the Military Quarter did not evade the Soldiers or patrols. They hung about like gloomy statues, waiting for citizens to make mistakes or speak ill of their new regent. From afar, Mason said he recognized none of them, and Seb wondered where they came from.
“You four, halt there.” A voice called out. They stopped, and Seb put on a smile, following their plan. They were trying to prevent being captured first; it set them on an uneven playing field.
“Yes, Sir? Is there a problem? I am from the Planning House, just giving these men a tour of the streets that need to be repaired as it relates to each of their Houses. They were directed by their Heads to bring the information back.” It was a gamble, they weren’t sure the Heads still existed. The guard, a swarthy-faced man with a missing front tooth, squinted at them.
“He’s trying to remember the appearance of the men he was directed to alert the High Commander about,” Reed said through their bond. Seb hid his surprise.
Since when had Reed learned to read minds?
Clay stepped closer, but Seb could see his hands shaking slightly on his crutches. He didn’t know if this would work; none of them did. “We are not the ones you’re looking for,” he said plainly, flashing his handsome smile as if he were convincing the man to buy a barrel of fine wine.
The man’s brows drew together. “You kind of look like…”
Clay interrupted him, and Seb felt the little tug along the bond as Clay accessed his power. He gave the Merchant his energy willingly. It had been decided that Seb and Reed would give their energy when it was needed so Ian and Mason could conserve theirs until they reached the palace walls. “Surely, man, you are not looking here for what you want. You need to check Military House.” They argued back and forth for a couple minutes, haggling as if they were completing a bargain, and the tension in the group grew until the guard abruptly nodded.
“Right. I have to go look over there.” The man turned on his heel and slipped between the Housing units to Military Quarter. Clay breathed out heavily in relief.
“That would have been easier if you would have taken more energy,” Seb chastised Clay.
Clay shrugged. “He was just one man and not very bright.”
Seb looked at Reed “And how did you know what he was thinking?”
“I have been receiving flashes for a while; some people are easier than others. It stands to reason that the use of knowledge might also include the gift of knowing others. I can’t read your minds.”
Seb restrained a snort. The jump from reading books to reading minds hadn’t been obvious to him. When they passed the entrance to the alleyway between third and fourth tiers, they heard a whisper. The Mishokian wise woman stood in the shadows, her rainbow scarf around her waist. She beckoned them, but Seb hesitated. They didn’t know this woman. She had helped them escape the city, but a lot had changed between then and now.
Harmony of Their Souls - A Reverse Harem Fantasy: Soul Tenders Book 3 Page 17