Yve blinked and realized only Daen and two Captains of his Royal Guard remained with her on the main floor.
Yve glanced longingly to the upper staircase where Brynna herded the Seryts toward the sleeping level. And she knew this was just the beginning of a lifetime of duty keeping her from her bed.
Thinking of her bed led to thinking of the man who'd shared it with her only the night before. Suddenly, sleeping alone seemed like the last thing she wanted to do.
"Yes, of course," she said.
She straightened her skirts and led the way down the stairs.
-12-
MADDYN meandered through the Temple garden, eventually finding his way to the evergreen nook. Exhaling carefully, he sat down on the bench and stretched out his legs. Despite three weeks of healing and rest in both his forms, he still experienced an occasional twinge when he moved too fast.
Dusk settled pink and gold in the sky above the Temple garden, darkening to purple at the horizon. Soon the moon would rise. When it did, it would be full.
And, in the morning, Caerwyn would arrive. And then Maddyn would leave with him, following his brothers into a possible battle.
He'd finished what he'd come to Galwei to do, and it was time to move on. To help his family. To protect them and watch their backs as they prepared to fight the coming evil.
He knew what he had to do. What he was meant to do. But, for the first time in his life, he was torn. Regret and frustration sat side by side with duty.
One constant, ceaseless thought kept holding on. Holding him back.
Yve.
His bond-mate. For a few more hours, anyway.
She was the reason he was in the garden. The pull between them steady and insistent. He wanted to believe it was just the moon-bond. That if he stayed away tonight, it would disappear.
But he wasn't as certain about that as he should be. Wasn't even certain he wanted it to be gone.
What he felt was so much more than the ephemeral tug of the moon's magic. It was the memory of her laughter. The sharp acuity of her wit. Her strength. Her trust.
The heated, languid memory of her kiss.
The caring and compassion of her smile when he woke in the healers' chamber to find her by his side.
The stolen moments they shared as he healed. Moments that grew fewer and further between over the three weeks it took before the healers pronounced him fit enough to travel.
No one really understood what happened that night in the Labyrinth. Even now, only a handful were aware of its existence. But everyone knew enough to know Yve had stopped Kelan Orra's murderer.
More and more, she was acclaimed as a hero and accepted as the true heir to her title. Which meant more and more work that pulled her in a dozen different directions.
He'd passed a handful of Seryts working in luneil beds during his wandering, amused to notice Elder Seryt Gyrt toiling away. Even the elder Seryts accepted her leadership, now.
After the first week, Maddyn had seen her only a few times, when the strain on the bond became too much for them to ignore. Often, they met in the garden, drawn there without a word to spend a few stolen moments. They'd sit, side by side, on this bench, hands covertly clasped between them while they talked quietly about everything and nothing. Both too aware of propriety and the increased scrutiny her newfound acceptance brought with it.
They both had a duty. Both had promises to keep. And those oaths pulled them in opposite directions.
Yet the draw to be together was insatiable and inescapable. Lately, they'd both worked little by little to suppress the bond and the emotions that flowed between them much too easily.
He'd started it, seeing the way she winced when he moved too fast and pulled at his wound. He'd wanted to protect her from his pain. She tried to shield him from her agitation with brainless courtiers and snippy elders.
Now, there was a gulf of distance between them, and he hated it. Even though his time in Galwei was over. Even though he knew he'd probably never see her again. Even though their paths were headed in opposite directions.
He should be in the Keep, packing the last of his things and readying himself to leave with his brother tomorrow.
He couldn't quite make himself move from the bench, though. Couldn't quite give up on the pull to be near her.
So he would see her one last time. But he wasn't ready for the finality of goodbye.
So he'd watch the sun set and enjoy the garden for a while.
*****
Yve hunched over the dozen or so scrolls scattered across the desk in front of her. Despite staring at them for half an hour, she hadn't really seen them at all.
She had locked herself in the secret library, hiding away from the growing demands of leading the Order. Hiding from the knowledge of what day it was. Or, more precisely, what night it was about to be.
The full moon would rise and set without Yve going anywhere near Maddyn. In the morning, the bond would be permanently broken. And, if rumors were to be believed, Maddyn would be gone for good as well.
Of course, rumors were all she had to go by. They hadn't talked about it. Had carefully avoided talking about so many things in the weeks since the night they'd confronted Lennar in the Labyrinth.
They hadn't talked about the future. Or the past. Or the bond. Or how they felt. It had only been quiet, stolen moments. Precious and fleeting time together she jealously hoarded.
The first few days, she'd been by his side as much as the healers would allow. But soon, she'd been pulled away, more and more.
The Order now accepted her, ignoring the fact that all of their original objection still held true. Now, they expected her to lead. To know answers to questions she'd never even considered and to make decisions and pronouncement and be the Kelan that Orra had been before her.
Yve realized quickly she'd liked it better when they'd been dismissive, gleefully waiting for her to fall on her face.
And they weren't the only ones suddenly clamoring for her time. Various nobles, courtiers, and sycophants sensed the shifting power and all wanted to be first to ingratiate themselves with the new Kelan, now that she'd proven to be more than just the punch line of some cruel joke.
She'd let herself be pulled and tugged and torn in a hundred direction because she had no idea how to say no. No idea what to say no to. She still wasn't sure what a Kelan did.
For a few minutes, she'd known. She'd felt what it meant to be tied to something larger. To be part of something greater.
Then the crisis had been over, and she'd been yanked back into the real world. Forced into meeting with nobles she'd never heard of, sucked into schedules and planning, stuck in an endless loop of running to keep up with all that was asked of her while feeling like she was accomplishing nothing at all.
More and more, her days had been filled with inane task after inane task. And she did them because she didn't know what else to do. Because she owed it to Orra and the Order to do what was expected of her.
But today. Today she'd snuck away. Tucked herself into the secret room and hidden from everyone while she licked her wounds, even though they hadn't been inflicted yet. She could admit to herself that she didn't want any of this.
She didn't want to be Kelan if it meant being trapped in politics and propriety. But she didn't want to break her promise to Orra, either. Didn't want to leave the Order to sink back into the moribund adherence to tradition.
Most of all, though, she didn't want the bond to end. She didn't want Maddyn to leave.
But she knew him. Understood him. And there was no way she could ask him to stay. His family was the center of his world. His duty and honor the core of his identity. All of that pulled him away.
There was nothing left for him to do in Galwei.
And everything she was tied to was here.
The Temple was her home. The Order had become a surrogate family. Enna had entered her novitiate at the same time as Yve, and they'd been as close as sisters ever since. In the past thr
ee weeks, Brynna had quickly become a good friend and her rock.
In fact, Brynna was all that was keeping her sane. Not to mention on track, making sure important things got done. And patiently explaining why they were important. Also, occasionally and covertly reminding her that no matter how condescending or irritating Magistrate Davane behaved, she couldn't tell him he was a spiteful, pompous twit.
So, despite her intention to hide for the foreseeable future, she wasn't surprised when the library's secret entrance slid open, and Brynna slipped inside holding yet another stack of papers. Unfortunately, Brynna always insisted she read each one before putting her name on anything.
"Whatever it is, can't it wait?" The whine in her voice made Yve wince, but not enough to take it back. "I'm sure this week's assignments will work just as well next week."
"They won't, and I've explained why more than once," Brynna said primly, but a smile twitched at the edge of her lips. "But that's not what I'm here for. This is the treatise I borrowed from the historical accords."
Yve perked up. Along with helping her become a passable administrator, Brynna's skills and knowledge had been irreplaceable in Yve's attempts to dig through centuries of legends and records. Trying to piece together the true history of the Order, the Temple, and the Labyrinth was a tangled mess of half-truths, misdirection, and myth.
"What did you find?"
Yve swept the useless, endless recitation of gardening history aside and made grabbing motions with her hands.
"I figured out what the word on your medallion is. It means emissary-Kelan. I found mention of it in the record of Kelans. I'm not sure I understand it, because the few times it appears, there is an overlap in dates when the Kelans took office."
Brynna handed over the stack, and Yve skimmed through the records with growing excitement until she found the first entry with the title scribbled in next to it.
"Wait. Wait. I remember this." Yve jumped up and starting sifting through the books until she pulled out the one she'd been reading the day Maddyn arrived in Galwei.
Flipping through the pages until she spotted the passage she'd never gotten the chance to finish reading.
"'When her daughter returned from the trial of the Labyrinth, Kelan Aina announced her task was fulfilled. She passed on the title and the gift to her daughter and became an ambassador for Galwei.'"
The whisper of Orra's words when she'd given the medallion to Yve ghosted through her mind.
I know this is a burden. Promise you will carry it anyway. Promise you will not pass on the gift or the burden until your task is complete.
Yve had assumed that task was leading the Order for a lifetime, as Orra had. But maybe her task had simply been to protect the Order, and the world, from the abomination Lennar had been determined to unleash.
Or was it all wishful thinking? Was she imagining things? Stretching the visions and the memories and the legends until she forced them to mean what she wanted them to mean?
Maddyn kept telling her to trust herself. To trust her instincts. When she looked back now, she could see she'd been right about so many things, even when everyone around her had told her she was wrong.
Now, she knew she was meant to be part of the Order. She'd felt it in the Labyrinth, felt it when the visions struck, felt it when she touched the ley-pool and became one with the power for a brief moment. But she wasn't meant to be Kelan. She wasn't meant to be a Seryt, either. Not in any conventional way.
But this. This was something she could do. Something she wanted to do. Something her instinct pushed her toward.
It wasn't wishful thinking. That would be believing she'd ride off with Maddyn, bond intact, to find her adventures. But they hadn't talked about the bond or the full moon. Not once.
She knew he cared about her. She'd felt that. Could feel it still, even with the way they'd strangled the connection until almost nothing passed between them. But he'd never said it out loud. Never hinted he might want something as permanent as the bond with anyone. And she'd never asked.
Hafgan wasn't done. There were other shrines in danger of what Lennar had attempted. Other people and places the sorcerer and his pet Warlord would gleefully enslave with atrocities. If she could stop them, even slow them down, she had to.
She couldn't make this choice about Maddyn or the bond or her disdain of paperwork. This was a choice for herself. For the Order. And for the Goddess. Deep inside, where she'd learned to trust those inexplicable instincts, she knew what she had to do.
"Come on, Brynna. There is something we have to do."
There was no doubt left. Only certainty. Yve grabbed the bemused High-Seryt by the hand, leading the way into the Labyrinth and a new future for both of them.
*****
Brynna didn't protest or question Yve at first, just quietly followed along, eyes wide with wonder and expectation.
After a couple of turns, though, she asked with earnest anticipation, "Are we going to the center?"
"Yes," Yve answered, turning her head to hide the smile when Brynna reached out to reverently to brush her fingertips over the wall. The deeper they traveled into the maze, though, the more nervous the High-Seryt seemed to get.
Yve was experiencing a little trepidation herself. This was the first time she'd ventured back into the Labyrinth since leading Daen and his guards back to the center the night of the confrontation with Lennar. She shivered at the staggering sense of presence that filled the tunnel. When not in the middle of a crisis, the buzz of power filling the corridors was overwhelming and disconcerting.
Yet, it was also familiar and welcoming, and Yve found herself drawn forward, drawn unerringly toward the center. It took a couple more twists and turns before she noticed that it was affecting Brynna the same way. The High-Seryt would already be shifting her weight to step in the right direction before Yve opened her mouth.
At the next intersection, Yve stopped, trying hard not to telegraph the correct path.
When Brynna looked at her questioningly, Yve asked, "Can you see the leylines?"
Looking confused, Brynna shook her head. "No. I don't have the gift. Only you can see them."
Her flash of disappointment was restrained and quickly tucked away behind her mask of primness.
"Right," Yve agreed, but she wasn't so sure. Between the research, the visions and Brynna's own reaction to the Labyrinth, Yve was pretty sure Brynna at least had the potential. If she didn't, Mother Orra would never have made her High-Seryt. Or presumptive heir to the title of Kelan.
"You can feel it, though. Can't you? The power of the maze. The pull of the center."
"I...maybe. I feel. Drawn. But I'm not--"
"Which way, Brynna?" Yve demanded brusquely, making the High-Seryt answer quickly before the doubts settled in.
"I'm not..." Brynna glanced in the right direction but bit her lip.
"Don't think," Yve said softly. "Feel. Trust your instincts."
Brynna let out a long breath, then swept down the right corridor. Yve fell into place and suppressed the urge to laugh in triumph.
Yve let Brynna lead all the way to the center, then held back to let the High-Seryt absorb the sensation and sight of the foundation of their Order. And their kingdom. It was even more intense when there was nothing to focus on but the power and the sanctity of the ancient shrine.
Yve was taken by surprise by the glow of pride and protectiveness that surged through her. She'd defended this. Saved it. No matter what path they went down now, a piece of this would always be hers. A part of her would always belong here.
Brynna stood in front of the altar, hands hovering over the stone, face softened into serene acceptance.
More than ever, Yve was certain they were in the right place. That she had made the right choice. She had no idea what it would mean for either of them, going forward. What she would be left with. What choices she would have. After. But for now. In this moment. This was what they were meant to do.
Brynna must have felt the
shift in the air. Or perhaps she'd just communed enough with the presence of the place for the moment. Either way, she opened her eyes and looked back at Yve, suspicion crowding out the peace she'd been exuding a moment before.
"Why are we here?"
Yve considered a dozen different approaches but figured direct was best.
"Do you still want to be Kelan?"
"I've told you. I accept what is. You are Kelan. Mother Orra chose you." She paused, looking around the circular chamber, no doubt imagining what Yve had told her about the events of that night. "Obviously for good reason."
"But that reason is over. It needed to be me because a warrior alone would have failed. And a Kelan would have failed. Only two bound as one could stop him. But I'm not meant to direct the Order the way it is now, Brynna. I'm not cut out for administration or politics or even to lead. The Seryts respect you. They always have, despite your age."
"They respect you, too. Now."
"No. They are a little in awe. And maybe a little afraid. But they still see me as the novitiate with crazy ideas. The Order is too important to Galwei as it is to go back to what it was centuries ago. But I think we've seen that it needs a few of those rebellious, rambunctious Seryts willing to do whatever it takes to defend the kingdom as well. You are meant to be the Kelan. I am meant to be the emissary-Kelan. Whatever that means."
"How?"
"I'm pretty sure, here, in the center, I can pass the gift to you. Do you remember what the inscription said?" Yve lifted the medallion off her chest. "The mark of the Kelan is the key to enter the Way and find the path to center and knowledge-Goddess."
A tingle sparked through her as she said the words and knew she was right.
"This is where we stand at the center and know the Goddess. And the gift is a very special type of knowledge. I think passing on the mark of the Kelan using the power here, at the center, will also pass on the gift. Without having to die. If you have the medallion and the gift, you will be Kelan."
By Destiny Bound (The Lost Shrines Book 2) Page 15