From Spirit and Binding

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  out of my eyes, my mouth. It was all too much, but it was fine. I would push it all out into the wyverin. Because if he were truly an enemy, then I needed to end him.

  I need to end anything in our path.

  End it all. Scorch the earth, drown the world. Become the power.

  I pushed those thoughts from my mind.

  No, those weren’t my thoughts. That was the magic beckoning me. It had tried once before when things had been too much. I couldn’t allow that to happen again.

  It had been Easton’s hold that had brought me back then, but he wasn’t here anymore.

  I would have to do this on my own. And I would do it.

  Because I was strong. I had literally been born for this. Was meant for this.

  And I would rely on no man, no Wielder to protect me.

  I had to do this on my own.

  Because, at the base of it all, I was alone.

  All alone.

  “Why is a Creed Wielder coming at us?”

  “You know that not everybody wants you to succeed.”

  “Then who is his master?” I asked as others gathered around.

  Luken was on my side, Teagan on Wyn’s.

  I looked over my shoulder at Rosamond, who stood by Rhodes’ wagon, her hands outstretched. She was an Air Wielder as well as a Seer, and strong.

  She would protect her brother, as would the healer. The other warriors would protect all of us. And I would do my best to do the same for them.

  “Let’s see what he wants first,” Wyn suggested, and I nodded. “For all we know, he’s a deserter. The Creed are supposed to protect the Air Wielders, right?” I asked, looking over at Luken.

  He gave me a tight nod and pulled his sword from its sheath. He used his blade to project his Air Wielding, as well as to fight like a warrior. It was something that I had been training to do when I was in the Obscurité Court, training with Easton’s uncle and Easton himself. However, I was nowhere near as good as Luken, and I wasn’t sure I ever would be. He was just that good, as if he had been born with a sword in hand.

  The only time I’d ever been good with a blade was when I’d almost died from being run through with one, and then used it to project power back towards Lore. I’d killed him after he basically killed me, as well as Cameo—Easton’s mother and former Queen of Obscurité.

  “They were meant for that at one point. I don’t know what the king has in store for them now. We know that some of them were working with the Lord of Water, Rhodes and Rosamond’s father. I honestly don’t know what they want now. Their secrets, like the League’s are that they are Water Wielders, as well. They hide themselves and do what they think is best. Or what those in power tell them to do. So much is unknown about them.”

  “I’m surprised you’re not a Creed member yourself,” Teagan taunted, his voice nonchalant.

  I glared at him. “Do we really think this is the time?” I asked.

  “I didn’t mean any offense by it.”

  “Sounds like you did,” Luken snarled.

  “Guys, we do not have time for this.” I was exhausted, emotionally and physically drained, and dealing with two posturing males fighting for whatever control or dominance they thought they deserved. It was far too much for me right then.

  “All I’m saying is that he’s a skilled warrior, and the Creed tends to pluck babes from their homes to raise them. And Luken would have had strong power before that.”

  “I’m a bastard.” Luken breathed heavily. “And since we don’t discuss the man who spawned me, I was never Creed material.”

  There was such vehemence in his tone that I looked over at him, my eyes going wide. I knew that Luken was a bastard, it was something he said often. And I also knew that nobody spoke about who his father was. I didn’t even know if Luken actually knew who he was. At least, I couldn’t really tell if he did. I only knew that it was something no one talked about.

  Apparently, on a battlefield with a wyverin coming at us seemed to be the perfect time.

  “I’m glad you were never Creed. At the moment, however, let’s focus on what’s in front of us.”

  Before we could say anything else, the wyverin opened his mouth, and fire sprayed us. Unlike the poison and ghost fire the Domovoi had, this was actual fire.

  And fire I could deal with.

  “I guess that answers that question,” Wyn called out over the flames.

  I put my hands up in the air, my fingers outspread. The wyverin’s fire dissipated, splitting in two directions.

  I couldn’t actually make it go away, but I could do my best to redirect it.

  The dragon screamed, spewing more flames.

  Wyn went to one knee, slamming her hand down to the ground, and a shock of Earth flew into the air, a wave of soil and dirt and sand and remnants of whatever had once been here slamming into the wyverin.

  It screeched again, but then there was another shot, and another. And another.

  The wyverin wasn’t alone.

  No, there were more, at least twenty.

  Twenty dragons, each with a Creed warrior of their own.

  “Dear gods,” Luken whispered. “They don’t seem friendly,” he rumbled, and then we were fighting.

  The wyverins came at us, each using their fire, with the Creed warriors using Air to direct the flames where they wanted.

  Luken shot his sword towards one, used his Air Wielding to slam power into the side of one of the wyverins.

  It shrieked, rolled in the air, and its warrior fell off and smacked into the ground, though not with the sickening splat I expected. He must have used his Air Wielding at the last second, so he didn’t hit as hard.

  After all, we had learned before that Air Wielders could fly. Much like the Water Wielders could use the tips of waves to make it look as if they were flying, as well.

  No, these were highly trained warriors, far better at Air Wielding than I was.

  The only person I knew of who was better was Rhodes, and he was currently passed out and healing in the wagon behind us.

  “Circle the carriages,” I called out. “Protect Rhodes and what we have. Watch each other.” I shouted out commands, and the others moved into formation.

  Wyn gave me a smile and nodded. “That’s our Spirit Priestess. Be our leader.”

  “You guys do what you need to. You know more than I do.”

  “Stop doubting yourself,” she shouted as she shot another wave of Earth towards one of the riders. “You’re stronger than you think you are.”

  “Thanks for that.” And then there was no more time for talking.

  Wyn held up both hands and then slammed them together in front of her face, two towers of Earth coming together like a heart in the Air as the point slammed into one of the wyverins, pushing it to the ground. It made a horrible crying sound as it started to be buried, and I hoped that there was some way to save it later. I didn’t know if the wyverins were bad, or if they had been forced into service by the Creed. I didn’t want to hurt innocent creatures. I didn’t want to hurt anyone.

  And then my power leapt within me, and I just wanted to rage and burn them all. No, I couldn’t. I had to find balance, I had to make peace. I hadn’t been sent here to kill.

  Though maybe I was.

  “Once a wyverin is touched by evil, there’s no going back. Those who can ride them, who take control of them, they are the ones who turn their souls. There are good wyverins out there. The souls of those who have been touched by the Creed and are against us are no longer bound to this realm. They’re gone, Lyric.” I looked over at Teagan, who had dirt on his face, and Fire licking at his hands.

  “What do you mean?”

  “They aren’t truly alive,” he said softly, though I could hear him over the din. “Once they are ridden in the way they are now, they are just shells. Pawns. You’re not hurting innocents. You’re protecting those you care about. And the Creed are the ones who killed them. They’re the ones that hurt them. If we stop those who a
re against change, stop those who use innocents for their own gains, we can protect the other wyverins. These? We can’t save them.”

  Another wyverin made a crying sound, and I flinched. “They’re crying,” I whispered.

  “They were dead long before now,” he said. “You’re helping them find peace.”

  “Are you lying to me to make me feel better? To help me control my powers?”

  Teagan shook his head, his dark hair falling in front of his face. “I don’t lie to you, Lyric. Even when it might be easier to do so to make you feel better. Come on, we need to protect the others.”

  I nodded, pulling away from him to keep fighting. Teagan shot out more Fire, burning through two wyverins at once. He was strong, but he was going to burn out quickly if I didn’t help. There were other Wielders around us, but they were Air and Water, and since we only had the water in our pouches and in the air itself to use, they weren’t as strong as Earth or Fire Wielders would be. The Air Wielders were helpful, but they were more like healers, less like warriors. That was fine, I had some of the strongest Wielders in the Maison realm at my side. And I had the strength of four elements within me. Something I would do well to remember.

  And so, I moved forward and pushed out my hands, palms outstretched.

  Air rushed from me, a shocking wave that slammed into two riders. They fell, and Luken was there with Teagan, both fighting the Wielders hand-to-hand, or sword-to-hand as it was in Luken’s case.

  Whenever a Creed Wielder fell, those two took them out. Wyn and the other warriors were helping eliminate the wyverin, while Rosamond and the rest protected the wagons. And I was taking out anything in our path.

  There was some water in my pouch, so I pulled it out, using my palms to hold it like a globe. When I pushed my hands together, it created a vortex, a sphere of Water that grew and grew as it collected the Air molecules around it. This was something that Rhodes had taught me, or at least had begun to teach me.

  When the sphere grew large enough for me to handle, I tossed it into the air and used my Air Wielding to shoot it forward. It slammed into two of the riders, spiraling with them so it was almost a tornado of Water in the air that suddenly crashed down, hitting the ground with such force that it created a mud bath that pulled the enemy in, sucking them in so they would be crushed by the weight of the dirt itself.

  There were shouts and screams, but only from those against us.

  I didn’t want them to die slowly. I didn’t want torture, I didn’t want pain. So, I used my right hand and shot out another wave of Fire, scorching those in my path. They screamed no more. It was just the burnt shells of what they had once been, remaining embers of fate and loss.

  I used my Air Wielding again, and then my Water Wielding, mixing them together to pull them out of the air. And then my Earth Wielding caught them and crushed them, while the Fire Wielding put an end to them quickly.

  I did it over and over again, taking out each wyverin and Creed pair as they came at us. Soon, the others on my side came to me, watching me with horror in their gazes.

  Horror or something else I couldn’t grasp.

  And then there was a scream, one that didn’t come from a wyverin, didn’t come from a Creed. I looked up and to my left as one of the Air Wielders fell to the ground, a talon sliding through his chest.

  I screamed, Fire erupting from my body, from my face and hands. It slammed into the wyverin and burned it to a crisp, screaming as the Creed warrior tried to leap off. I sent my Earth towards him, slamming him to the ground. Then, he was moving no more.

  I hadn’t been fast enough.

  I hadn’t been strong enough.

  Blood splashed onto the dirt as the fallen Air Wielder fell, dying as he did. His life’s blood draining as if it were nothing.

  People came to him, tried to help him, but I couldn’t control anything. Fire licked at my elbows, the Air within my body trying to push out. I had no more water in my pouch to use with my Water Wielding, but Earth rumbled beneath me. I took a step, and the ground cracked. With another step, another crack.

  I had to shut it down, I had to protect those around me. I couldn’t do it. I didn’t know how to control four elements. No one had before. I was supposed to have had a trainer, a road map.

  I didn’t have any of that anymore. I looked at the face of the nameless soldiers as they stared at me and tried to say I was sorry. Attempted to say I would stop next time. That I wouldn’t let this happen again. But I couldn’t lie.

  I saw the blame on their faces, saw the fear.

  And I knew it was directed at me. They were scared of me. And I was terrified of myself.

  I closed my fists, forcing all of the Wielding back into myself. I knew I was shaking, but I was in control.

  I didn’t have Easton to hold onto, didn’t have anyone.

  The wyverins were dead. The Creed, at least the ones in front of us, were taken care of.

  And we had only lost one.

  Was that good enough? Was the math acceptable?

  Suddenly, there were hands on my face, and I looked over at Wyn, who held me, her eyes wide.

  “You’re fine, Lyric. You took out the rest of them. You took out so many. Now, just breathe, hold in your Wielding.”

  “He’s dead because of me.”

  “Yes, Pod is dead. And we will mourn him. We will carry him home to bury him. But it is not your fault. It was the wyverin, and the Creed who controlled them.”

  “I should have been stronger,” I whispered, though I wasn’t crying. I wasn’t really doing anything. I needed to be stronger, I needed to protect everybody. I couldn’t even protect those near me. We only had a few on our side, and I had lost one. Arwin’s body was in one of the wagons, and he was dead because of me. Rhodes had almost died because of me.

  I didn’t know what to do.

  And then Wyn’s lips were on mine, and my eyes widened. There was heat there, though not what I had with Easton. No, she almost reminded me of Rhodes. Someone close…but not who I needed her to be.

  She pulled back and grinned, while Teagan and Luken each coughed into their fists.

  “What was that for?” I asked, pulling away and putting my fingers on my lips. They stung from her touch, and I wondered what the hell had just happened.

  Wyn just shrugged, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “What? I figured Easton’s kiss helped you before, why not mine?” she asked, and I knew she had only done it to bring me out of my shock, to anchor me to the present. It had worked. Then I was laughing, and then I was crying.

  I knew this wasn’t over. We had to keep going.

  And I knew it couldn’t all be my fault.

  Easton was gone, and he couldn’t help me.

  That meant I had to help myself. No matter the cost.

  Chapter Six

  Easton

  * * *

  I knew pain.

  Pain and I went way back.

  It wasn’t something I was unfamiliar with. After all, I had been training to be who I was, and what I needed to be within my power, my entire life. And I wasn’t human. So, I had over two full centuries of figuring out exactly how to survive in a world that was breaking. One that had slowly shattered after the Fall and hadn’t been put back together correctly. One where the secrets of those around me had pushed their tendrils of agony beneath my skin as I fought to become who I was.

  I had walked in my family’s shoes, knowing that an end would come, that I wouldn’t be able to save them all.

  I hadn’t known it was Lore, who was speeding up the destruction of our people. I hadn’t known he was the one who’d killed my father. I hadn’t known he wanted my mother to the point where he would try to kill so many.

  And he had killed many.

  I didn’t know why I hadn’t seen any of that. I’d only seen a man with a thirst for power. I hadn’t known the power he had within his grasp.

  I had fought alongside my people, did my best to save them from the Negs—the absen
ce of light and dark. The monsters that roamed the streets and could be controlled by those with darkness within them.

  Lore had controlled them.

  Now, I knew they were actually controlled by The Gray.

  By the monster that now controlled me.

  Pain? Yes, pain had been part of all of that.

  And now…it was back. I had to deal. Somehow.

  I tried to ignore my surroundings, attempted to ignore the slicing of my skin and the way the cold leached any warmth from my body, from my bones themselves.

  I didn’t know how long I’d been trussed up with chains and hung from the ceiling, my toes barely able to touch the ground. I had been stripped of my shirt, and divested of my shoes. I only wore my pants, though there were holes in them now from where the whip had dug in. Where it had bloodied my skin and ripped parts of my soul from me.

  That was the problem, wasn’t it? Did I truly have any light within me? Did I have a soul?

  Or did The Gray own it?

  He had cursed me from the beginning. It hadn’t been Lore, like I thought.

  I had been wrong about so many things.

  Because if it had been Lore, then the curse should have broken when the man died. When Lyric took his life.

  Lyric, the Spirit Priestess.

  The one I could not love.

  She loved me. She thought I was her soulmate, and maybe I was.

  Because I remembered the wound on my stomach when she’d had that mortal blow from the sword Lore had thrust into her belly. I remembered the shocking pain and the mirrored image of her wound.

  But I couldn’t be her soulmate.

  Because I was cursed. Destined to never hold her as mine.

  I needed to break the hex.

  I had to get out of here.

  It was imperative that I get back to Lyric and save my people. While I might not love her since I couldn’t hold that emotion within me, there was a hollowness deep inside me that needed to be filled with…something.

  And maybe that was my people.

  It made sense. I had left the legend of the Spirit Priestess to destiny in fate and that of the Lumière Kingdom. I’d turned my back on it for good reason, but I’d still done it nonetheless. I had left Rhodes and the others to search for the Priestess while I stayed in the Maison realm, trying to keep the Obscurité Kingdom from shattering into a million pieces.