Page 61 of Twisted Bonds
I step forward, Sunder’s tone with Mira not sitting well with me. “If you buffoons knew how to hide your tracks or anything at all about discretion-”
He meets my step, closing in on each other.
“So it’s my fault you’re a self-interested, morally bankrupt-”
Another step.
“At least I can keep her safe,” I spit out, surprised at my own words. I don’t dare look at her, to see the expression twisting on her face. Instead, I watch as my words hit their mark, like an arrow through the heart. Sunder’s face contorts with a mixture of hurt, rage, guilt, shame. He roars, cocking back his fist.
But Bobble grabs him, holding him back.
I stand with arms folded, an arrogant grin plastered on my face as they tussle. Finally, Bobble pulls Sunder’s forehead to his, hands clasped tightly around his head, until he can only look into his eyes.
“Sunder, please. Stop. He’s not worth it. He’s just goading you.” The Third’s voice is a bit too soft. Too intimate. Mira throws her hands up in exasperation while Callum steps up to me, acting like a shield between me and Sunder. Pathetic.
“This is so stupid. Seriously, there are more important things to discuss. Yurghen is back!” Mira pleads. “We don’t even have to work together. Let’s just talk.”
After a moment, Sunder is calm again. The meathead is just too easy. Bobble pulls himself away, one arm around Sunder. The other around Mira. “It’s okay. We’re here now. We’re going to listen. Right Sunder?”
The idiot grunts in response, and I can’t help myself. “Is that ape for yes?”
He lunges for me, and I can’t stop the laugh bouncing around the room as Callum and Bobble both hold him back. Mira places a solemn hand on my chest, and all the humor fades.
“Tairyn. Please. Just be civil. For a few hours. Let’s get through this.”
I sigh, but agree. I can be civil for an hour.
Probably.
twenty-nine
Dan’thiel
Before me, the seven High Guardians of the Otherworld sit in session atop a gilded dais that would make the knees of most kings’ buckle. The intricate carvings span from the floor to the dome ceiling. A small circle at the pinnacle of the dome remains open to the elements, allowing a singular line of sunlight inside to mark the hours.
Five.
That’s how many hours I’ve stood motionless, unable to speak and often unable to hear their debate. Only when they ask me direct questions do they unplug the air from my ears and allow me to respond.
My teeth ache from clenching my jaw for too long. In the corner of my vision, Rynlin peaks his head through an open-air doorway. No indication he can hear anything or even acknowledge my presence.
He warned me not to bring this to the council. He told me there would be consequences. Punishment. And yet watching the living world is not a crime, just frowned upon. Of course, I didn’t mention all the times I subtly influenced the living. A gust of wind here to carry a scent. To release a tree branch. A Dreamshare or two. Nothing egregious.
Well, mostly nothing egregious. I still don’t understand how I was able to channel through Mira. With her maybe. It was like watching a movie as she screamed under Yurghen’s torture. As the First Shard bled to death at her feet. I just reached out and suddenly I was there. I was with her, working through her.
And then there was the issue with that other woman. Lisa, she’s called. She circled the area where the portal was found for days, searching long after the authorities of her world had given up. Something about her passion, her dedication, pulled to me.
The most interesting part was that she wasn’t even that close to the portal entrance when she was sucked inside. She strolled along the banks, looking out over the water, missing her friend. My heart twisted, just slightly, at her predicament and then she was hurtling into Illuemera.
Both of these instances were purely by accident. There was no intention behind either. Surely that must count for something should this council discover them.
A muffled cough comes into sharp focus. A sudden intake of breath surprises me, as my ears are freed from their prison of stagnant air. I blink, still a bit startled as the Head Councilor addresses me.
“Prince Dan’thiel, you’ve admitted to watching the living. Your warnings of this Yurghen and his plan to break open the Great River did not fall on deaf ears. This is a grave threat to all that we know. However, this is not the purpose of our world. The Otherworld and its inhabitants must never interfere with the living. We remove this temptation by not observing. Your situation, however, is unique among us.”
I shift my weight from foot to foot, the anticipation building in my chest as the man looks down at the notes laid before him on his desk. Rynlin stands taller with his back against the wall. Maybe this is a good sign. He clears his throat before continuing.
“We, the council, have decided to overlook this transgression of yours. The observation, that is. The meddling, however, cannot be forgiven unfortunately.”