From Spirit and Binding

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  I closed my eyes and focused on the power within me, knowing that if I weren’t careful, I’d burn from the inside out. Or worse, hurt someone. I knew I had to figure out how to handle all four at once, but I knew the answer would tear me apart. Because the only person who could calm me was gone. Taken.

  And never mine.

  I would focus on what I could do. I would rely on myself and only myself.

  As I put my hands out to my sides, my fingers spread wide, my Air Wielding burst from my fingertips, and Fire slid along the path that Air made.

  I held back a curse and clenched my fist, but it was too late. My Wielding spun out from me, and Teagan and Rhodes both ducked out of the way, their hands outstretched towards the elements that I had conjured.

  I fell back on my butt and shook my head, trying to bring my Wielding under control, but it shook me, and despair spread through me. I didn’t have time for any of those feelings. Instead, I helped the others soothe my elements, that way, I didn’t end up hurting anyone. I knew I had to be done for a little bit.

  “I’m just not getting it,” I roared, slamming my fist into the ground.

  “It takes time,” Teagan said. “We’ve had years, decades really, to figure out our Wielding. And a lot of us only have one or two.”

  “I’m supposed to end up with five.” I didn’t have my Spirit Wielding yet, and I didn’t know what it would take to unlock that one. Considering that every other element had taken a part of myself, or me being forced to watch my friends getting hurt or almost dying to unlock, I was not looking forward to what might happen or what it would take to unlock Spirit.

  “It’s just going to take time,” Rhodes said, his voice placating. Or maybe I was thinking too hard. Everyone was trying to help me, and here I was, complaining about it. I hated that I wasn’t Wielding the way I needed to. I knew that I was missing something. Or someone.

  Because before, the only way I could control everything and hold it all back, was when Easton was there.

  He wasn’t here anymore. And I couldn’t rely on him. I had to figure things out myself. So, that meant more training.

  It also meant something else.

  “We’re going to have to travel soon to figure out the rest of the prophecy,” I said, sighing into my hands. I shook that off and stood up, ignoring Rhodes’ outstretched hands. I was so tired of relying on others, of leaning on them. I should be able to do this on my own. I should be able to fix things. I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt because of me. And Rhodes had already almost died. It had been sheer luck that he had lived. I didn’t want him to get hurt again. Not because of me.

  “We will. We’re leaving in two days’ time to try and figure out the rest of the prophecy.” I looked at Rhodes and tried to smile, but nothing came. I felt so empty, yet full of rage and confusion at the same time. It didn’t make any sense.

  “Yes, you and Luken and Rhodes will search for more of the prophecy. While Wyn and I will search for the other thing we’re currently missing,” Teagan said.

  I looked at Teagan and nodded. The plan was for him and Wyn to go out and search for Easton. I wanted to go, too. I wanted to find him. I needed to. But we had to split up. We had to find Easton and unravel the rest of the prophecy.

  There was no use staying here anymore. And while we also needed the training, we needed Easton and my powers more.

  Because we couldn’t keep up with the lie of Easton’s disappearance for long. Soon, people would start asking more questions, and we’d have to find those answers.

  “We’re going to do this.” I knew my voice sounded a little desperate, but all of them nodded at me. I was grateful for that. Because I was a bit stressed out. Okay, I was a lot stressed.

  “We’re going to figure this out. Because that’s what we do.” Luken sounded so sure, and as he went down to his knee to rub the top of Braelynn’s head, I wondered how he could be so certain. His soulmate was dead. At least, part of her was. The fact that he now had to pet her in some weird way didn’t exactly make up for that.

  My best friend was gone, and I had to remember that I had important things to do. Or so they told me. I needed to figure out the prophecy, had to unlock my final element, we needed to find Easton, and I had to make sure Emory was okay.

  I hadn’t forgotten that my ex-girlfriend was currently chained somewhere in the Fire territory. I hadn’t really known what to do about it when I first saw her, wholly altered by some unknown force. Now, though…now, I knew I had to save her. Because I didn’t want anyone else getting hurt because of me. I couldn’t let it happen.

  “Okay, one more round, and then we can call it a day. We have papers and scrolls to read through anyway.” Rhodes dusted off his hands.

  “Well, that sounds boring,” Teagan said, and Wyn came up to his side.

  “Hey, you used to help me study all the time,” Wyn said.

  “Yeah, because I used to be able to make out with you in the stacks while we did.”

  Wyn just rolled her eyes, and Teagan grinned.

  Rhodes looked between them, confused, and I really didn’t have the energy to explain Teagan and Wyn’s weird relationship. Not that I knew everything about it. It wasn’t my place.

  “Okay, time to go again.”

  I put out my hands and let my Air Wielding through. Maybe it was because it had been my first element, or perhaps it was because Rhodes was in front of me calling for that element itself, but it came easily. And I felt like I had more control over Air than I did the others.

  Rhodes gave me a small smile and nodded, and I let my Air flow.

  It danced around us, ran through my hair, and then through Rhodes’.

  I had to pull back on my other elements so they didn’t come out, not when we were trying to use one at a time before slowly adding in a second and maybe a third. The power bubbled within me, and I did my best not to ignore it but to acknowledge its presence. To be the one in control.

  “Okay, now let out your Earth Wielding,” Teagan whispered.

  I nodded, my eyes closed as I focused within. I had to learn how to do this with my eyes open, as well. But, first things first.

  Try not to destroy this castle, too.

  As I embraced Earth, the earth buckled in front of me, beneath my feet, and under everyone around me as well, if their startled shouts were any indication.

  I tried to rein it in. Yet everything was out of sync. I wasn’t doing this right. I opened my eyes, and Rhodes’ silver eyes widened, as well.

  I tried to suck my Wielding back in. It was too late. My Earth created a wave beneath our feet, and I stumbled forward, right into Rhodes. Considering that he was falling forward, as well, he ended up on top of me as we hit the ground.

  My breath was knocked from my lungs, and I gripped onto Rhodes’ shoulders, his body sliding between my legs as I kept my head from slamming into the ground. He had his hands braced on either side of my shoulders, his mouth a bare inch from mine as we looked at each other before breaking out into laughter.

  “Well, that’s one way to get things done,” Teagan said, and I blushed, my face so hot, I was pretty sure everyone knew how awkward this was.

  Rhodes cleared his throat and tried to get up off me, and then froze.

  “So, it seems you also used some of your Water Wielding, because mud is trapping my feet.”

  “That’s something I’m going to have to learn,” Luken said, laughing. “Okay, let’s get you out of this,” the Air Wielder said, a smile on his face.

  “Oh, great, I’m so glad that I can be the life of the party,” I said, sheer mortification making me want to slide deeper into the soil and hide from everyone.

  I knew given the position we were in, everybody was likely taking mental snapshots. I was really glad that phones and cameras didn’t work in this realm. There was no way I wanted to see how we looked just then.

  “What did I miss?”

  I froze, wondering if maybe I had hit my head when I hit the ground.<
br />
  Because I had to be dreaming.

  I turned my head, my cheek brushing along Rhodes’ lips as I tried to see who was speaking. Because I knew that voice. I had trained to that voice.

  “Easton,” I whispered, not knowing I actually said the words out loud until Rhodes stiffened above me.

  “Easton!” Wyn said and ran towards him, jumping into his arms.

  He hugged her tightly before letting go, his gaze on mine.

  I saw the darkness in his eyes, those same shadows I had seen when I first met him. The ones that spoke of the unknown.

  I didn’t know who this man was. Who this Easton was. Or, maybe I did.

  “Are you going to get off her anytime soon?” Easton asked, his voice a growl.

  “Working on it,” Rhodes said, his tone far too light. Whatever had been holding our feet together melted back, and Rhodes hopped up and then grinned down at me, those silver eyes sparkling with something I couldn’t quite name.

  He held out his hand for me, and I took it, wanting to get up as quickly as possible to reach Easton. When I looked over at him, all I could see was Easton watching us, his gaze on the fact that I was touching Rhodes.

  I didn’t have time for this.

  “So, where the hell were you?” Rhodes asked, pulling me out of my daze.

  “I thought you were dead,” Easton snapped.

  I couldn’t say anything, not when the two of them were looking at each other like they wanted to kill one another. And, I feared that I knew why.

  And I didn’t want to be any part of that.

  They stalked towards each other, Easton not even looking at me. I didn’t know how he was here, how he had gotten away, or if whoever had taken him was still controlling him. I needed to make sure he was okay. Because he was here. And that had to mean something.

  Easton wasn’t paying attention to me. No, he was only paying attention to Rhodes.

  “So, you didn’t die?” Easton asked. “Pity.”

  “Yeah, I could probably say the same about you,” Rhodes spat.

  They were facing each other now, only a few inches separating them, and neither of them was looking my way.

  Everyone else’s gazes were darting between the two of them as if they were spoiling for a fight. No one was breaking them up.

  I was done with this.

  Easton was back, but I couldn’t deal with everything running through me. My elements reached out towards him, begging for his touch, and I didn’t want that.

  I wanted my own control.

  I wanted to make sure he was indeed alive.

  Apparently, antagonizing Rhodes was the only thing that mattered.

  So, I put my hands forward, let my Air Wielding slide to my fingertips, and shoved the two of them apart.

  They slammed into the walls on opposite sides of the courtyard, their eyes wide.

  It would have been comical if I weren’t so angry.

  “Are you done yet?” I asked, my voice sharp.

  Before I let either of them answer, I turned on my heel and stalked away.

  The others could come after me if they wanted. I needed answers. And I wasn’t going to get them if they kept fighting like they were.

  I needed to make sure Easton was okay.

  And I hated that I felt like that was the only thing that mattered.

  Chapter Ten

  Lyric

  * * *

  My feet slapped against the pavers of the walkway as I ran across the other side of the courtyard and toward my room within the castle.

  I couldn’t get my thoughts in order, and it was getting harder to breathe, so I pushed all of that away and kept moving.

  How could this be possible?

  How was Easton back?

  And was it really him?

  Because if something…no, something had taken him before. Why had they let him go?

  I didn’t want to look at him. Because if I did, and it turned out to be an illusion or something worse, I didn’t know if I’d be able to handle it.

  Visions of that chain of smoke from before filled my mind, and I tried to push them out. I didn’t want to imagine Easton being taken away from me. Not when I saw it happen over and over again every time I closed my eyes. That and Rhodes falling off the cliff, his wide, silver eyes filled with nothingness.

  It didn’t matter to my subconscious that Rhodes was alive and back to his normal self. At least, as normal as he could be since I wasn’t sure if he remembered much of anything after his father’s attack.

  I kept moving, though, knowing someone was following me. And I knew exactly who it had to be.

  There was only one person who could make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Could make me shake—and not in the ways the darkness had.

  I could feel him in every ounce of my being. He might not be my soulmate in the ways that mattered, might not be able to actually love me, but I knew who he was. I could feel his energy touching my skin as he drew closer. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up even more, and my skin pebbled.

  Yes, I knew who he was. This was Easton.

  I couldn’t face him. Because what if it wasn’t him? What if everything had changed.

  “Lyric.”

  I moved faster. I was running now. I hated running. Oh, I used to love it. It used to be the one thing that I did when I was in the human realm.

  Now I could fight. I could use my Wielding.

  I hated running away. But I just couldn’t face him. Not now. Maybe not ever.

  I turned to the right, a little confused about exactly where I was, and cursed under my breath. I’d taken a wrong turn somewhere, and now I was at a dead end. There was nowhere to go.

  I fisted my hands at my sides, my chest heaving, my Wielding spiraling inside me, begging to come out.

  It didn’t, it wouldn’t.

  Not when he was there.

  Strong arms wrapped around me, a hand sliding through my hair, the other wrapped around my waist.

  “Lyric.” A warm breath hushed against my neck, and that voice went straight through my body, all the way to my toes.

  “It can’t be you.”

  “Don’t run. Please, don’t run from me.”

  “How are you back?” I whispered, the words tearing from me.

  I closed my eyes, willing myself not to lean into him, not to do anything to indicate that I thought this was real. Because this couldn’t be real. I had lost him. I had lost him long before the smoke took him.

  And I didn’t know what to do about that.

  Because I had so much in my life that I had no idea how to fix. And I honestly didn’t want to face anything. I wanted to hide and cower and pretend that everything was okay.

  I knew I couldn’t. And I shouldn’t.

  “Lyric,” Easton whispered and then let go of my hair before putting both hands on my hips and turning me in his hold.

  When he cupped my face, I opened my eyes and looked into those dark irises of his, trying to catch my breath.

  “I’m here.”

  “You can’t be.”

  “Why were you running?”

  “I lost you. How are you here?”

  I didn’t answer. Suddenly, his mouth was on mine, his tongue parting my lips. My body shook.

  I kissed him back, closing my eyes and wishing that this wasn’t a dream. Because Easton couldn’t be here. He had been taken. He was gone. He didn’t love me. He never could. So how was this Easton kissing me? How was he with me?

  It didn’t make any sense. And I was afraid it never would.

  His fingers traced along my brow, and then moved down my cheek and along my jaw. His other hand ran through my hair, tugging at my messy braid that I had put in earlier, even though it had slowly unraveled during my training with the others.

  I didn’t know if anyone else was around, but in this moment in time, it was just the two of us.

  I didn’t think that Rhodes and the others would really leave me alone with Eas
ton. Not now. Not knowing exactly where he had been and what he had been doing.

  Easton had been taken. I saw it happen. It didn’t make sense that he was here right now.

  I pulled away, putting my hands on his chest.

  That’s when I realized that he was shirtless. He wore only pants, not even shoes. And there was blood. So much blood on him.

  He had cuts and scrapes all over his body, down his back.

  “What happened to you?” I hadn’t actually meant to say the words. I was afraid that he would tell me and then turn away. Because something had to have changed him. Right? He couldn’t have been taken like that only to come back out of nowhere just fine—injuries notwithstanding. Yes, it looked as if he had fought, but I could tell that something was wrong. What was going on?

  “I’m back. I made it back.”

  To me?

  No. Not to me. Because even as he looked at me, even as he touched me, there was something missing in his eyes. Something that I knew should’ve been there. He didn’t feel like my soulmate, not like he should. He felt like he had before. I could feel the connection. Only it wasn’t what it needed to be. He was the King of Obscurité, Easton, son of Cameo, lord of all within this kingdom. And he wasn’t mine.

  I pulled away, my hands shaking.

  “Why won’t you tell me what happened?”

  “I’m back.”

  “And you’re covered in blood. You look like you were tortured. What happened?”

  Why can’t you love me?

  I pushed those thoughts from my mind, annoyed with myself. I didn’t need to act like a downtrodden, sad little teenager who couldn’t find the boy she loved. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t love me. There were more important things to worry about. It didn’t matter that my feelings were pulsating inside me and clawing at me just like my Wielding did.

  The Air around me spiraled, lifting his hair from his face. I frowned, the darkness in his eyes encroaching.

  “What’s wrong with you?” I asked, my voice soft.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Where were you, Easton?”