Page 41 of Twisted Bonds
No use in pretending. “Far.” The bitterness in my tone is for Tairyn along, though. He did this to us. Tore us apart. My reply seems to catch him off guard. His lips tighten, and for a moment, he looks almost regretful.
“Well, that’s a real shame. I thought for sure they’d be able to put that brain cell to use and find you sooner.” Feigning disinterest, he retrieves a worn leather-bound book from the shelving behind him. However, he doesn’t reinstate my shield despite me confirming I’ve just connected with my mates.
“Why did white Chroma appear when we touched in the forest that day?”
The question pops up, emboldened by the presence inside my mind, but he gives me a withering stare that I almost shrink back from. “I know my intelligence and knowledge seem boundless, but I do not, in fact, know the answers to everything.”
“And why did they say you smelled like Yurghen?”
“Certainly, because I do. Or did, at least. Hopefully, I’ve fully scrubbed my body clean of it by now.”
He slams the book he’s been thumbing through and shoves it back into place along the shelf. “Are you going to dodge every question I ask, Tairyn? If you want a bond, let me in. Get to know me in return. And that means showing some trust.”
Tairyn’s eyes flash with something I can’t quite identify before it’s cloaked back behind his usual cool demeanor. His fingers tap a rhythm on the spine of another book, and I recognize it as a habit when he’s thoughtful, or perhaps uncomfortable.
“Fine but you’ll answer my questions in return,” he grumbles out, but the smarmy smile is back. He waits for me to agree before continuing. “When I first woke up in this… state, I sought him out. Asked if I could apprentice and learn more about soul magic.”
“Is that how you got your Chroma back without the bond?” I ask, a little too eager perhaps. He doesn’t balk at that follow-up question though and nods.
“You could say that, yes.”
His features darken, as if seeing something troubling in the distance. A shiver of trepidation seizes me on the inside, a sudden realization that this path I’m treading, seeking answers from Tairyn, is dangerous. I swallow audibly, pressing on regardless. “What did it cost you?”
His gaze snaps to mine, sharp and focused. “Everything,” he whispers. I remember my brief time in Yurghen’s tower, a subject to his experiments. A shadow rolls over me, casting Tairyn in a different light. I remember the way the light in Sunder’s eyes dimmed at his torture, all in the name of scholarship.
I look at Tairyn now, all sharp angles and defenses. Walls around him are so high you could call him a one-man fortress. I bet it did cost him everything to go there and learn from that monster. Leaning back in my luxurious chaise, a blip of sympathy for him blossoms in my chest.
“When I heard a rumor about what’d been done, I went there to his tower to see for myself. Grabbed a few useful books while I was there. It wasn’t hard to pick up your scent from there. Of course, that meant sidestepping him. Now, that’s three questions you owe me.” He holds up one finger as he asks, “You said the bond is not about physical intimacy. Tell me what you know about this.”
“Wait. What do you mean by sidestepping him? Like his… body?”
His eyes dance with renewed interest, but his face betrays nothing. “You don’t know?”
“Know what?”
My heart is racing like he’s already dropped some horrible bombshell on me. There’s something in his tone screaming WARNING! WARNING! All my alarm bells are ringing.
“Yurghen is alive. His soul is tethered to this world. He can’t be killed.”
His screams echo in my mind. His burning, charred flesh. “No, he was basically a pile of ash when we left.”
Tairyn’s head shakes, almost regretful. The blood drains from my face.
“What does that even mean? Is he coming for me? What about Sunder and Bobble? Are they safe?”
The questions pour out of me, a torrent of panic. Tairyn’s gaze narrows, looking at me with an intensity that makes me feel like I’m under a microscope. He raises his hands, motioning for me to settle down. “Calm yourself, Vessel,” he says, his voice surprisingly soothing. “Safe? I wouldn’t say that. But… Yurghen isn’t in a condition to be a threat, not for now at least.”
“What does that mean? Not a threat for now?” My voice is rising again, edging on hysterics. My hands ball at my sides, fingernails digging into my palms. I’m not sure if I’m more terrified or angry.
Tairyn sighs, running a hand through his meticulously groomed hair in an uncharacteristically frustrated gesture. He hesitates, his keen green eyes studying me carefully. “I don’t have all the information. For now, you need to rest, as I’ve lost count of the number of questions you now owe me.”
Rest does not come easily that night. I toss and turn, mind racing over every horrible possibility. It’s nearly dawn when I finally succumb to exhaustion.
nineteen
Mira
That morning, I dream of Sunder, bubbling Chroma dances at the edge of my vision, just out of reach. It makes my head swim every time I turn my head. Yet this is not the typical cabin where we met in Dreamshares before. It’s a dark room at the back of a vaguely familiar inn.