Blood Bond (The Stones of Terrene Chronicles Book 4), page 21
“I take it you mind-wiped her?” Avery scrutinized her again, taking in her casual stance and lack of concern for where she was.
“Of course. And now she hates her husband and will stab him through when she sees him next.” Videl eased back into his chair. “That much is fool-proof.”
“Indeed.” Avery's bottom lip jutted out as he nodded slowly. “You’ve done well for yourself, my boy. Truly, I’d feared you lost forever when the barrier went up, but you used that time wisely, and now you’ve made it back to me.” Avery ladled some buttered chicken into the bowl in front of Videl. “I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you.” Videl plucked a flat bread and used it to gesture at the door. “I’m curious, Uncle. Where are the majority of your guards? This entire place seems barren.”
Avery served himself and took a quick bite before answering. “I sent most of them south to conquer the land in our name. All the Coven leaders are focusing their attention on the south, so I didn’t need to keep many here for myself. Oh, don’t be concerned.” He shot Videl a sharp smile. “There are enough here to keep Magus Heights protected from any who get it in their head that this is a good time to take out ‘old Lord Avery’ and become the new leader here. But the majority are south. Probably taking care of our Monomi problem while they’re at it.”
Satisfaction and contentment were a potent wine in Videl’s head. “May their blood cleanse the land of their own taint.”
Avery lifted his goblet, his gaze returning to Jade. “I’ll drink to that.”
Chapter Forty
Jade
Jade grunted and rolled away from the sharp edge of the blade. She pulled her feet under herself and launched at Serena, leading with her dagger. Serena stepped aside just barely enough to miss the cut.
Jade collided with the smaller woman, and they both went down.
The point of Serena’s dagger pricked into Jade’s neck, and Jade groaned. “Point to you.”
Serena smirked as she got to her feet. “You got distracted.” She stretched side to side, then pointed at the three straw dummies dressed in black that they’d set up earlier. “Throwing stars for that first one. Get that wrist flick down. Then daggers. Kidneys, liver, lungs.”
Jade grabbed the small stack of triangle-shaped throwing stars and started chucking them one by one at the dummy. Her aim had gotten better in the last day, but it still had drastic room for improvement. At least this time Serena hadn’t snorted in laughter at the first throw.
Who was shorter on words? Pamela or Serena? Jade couldn’t help drawing the lines of similarities and differences between the two. Both knew their way around weapons with a confidence that spoke of a lifetime of training, but where Pamela had been sharp and bitter, Serena was quiet and reserved. As if fury and focus had been distilled and poured into a body of demure determination.
Serena obeyed Master Videl without hesitation, and yet … there was something about her that Jade couldn’t put her finger on. As if Serena knew something that Jade didn’t, and she wouldn’t— or couldn’t— say anything.
Jade hated mysteries.
Her dummy held more throwing stars than the wall behind it. A triumphant grin split Jade’s face as she stalked toward the second dummy. She’d improved. Now to work on her favorite part: getting up close and personal with her dagger.
She lost herself in the rhythm of the one-sided fight, striking and rearing back, striking again. No twirls or fancy moves, just clean jabs and quick strikes.
Soon the black shirt the dummy wore was little more than shreds, and yet Jade didn’t stop. The Monomi would pay. Blood for blood. They’d taken Master Videl’s father, and she’d spill their blood in retaliation.
No one would walk free.
All would pay for that travesty.
She struck the neck of the dummy, imagining the feel of the dagger sinking into human flesh. She yanked the blade out, and straw spilled across the cold concrete floor. Slow clapping broke through the adrenaline-induced haze of her mind, and she searched the enclosed training space for the source.
Master Videl stood by the doorway, flecks of snow dusting his black coat. He clapped once more, a lazy smile of pleasure spread across his handsome face. “Come here, both of you.”
Jade sheathed her dagger and wiped the sweat off her forehead and cheeks as she walked over to him. He looked … happier. As if the short time here had breathed new life into him.
“Your form is improving, Jade,” he complimented as soon as she was within casual speaking distance. He gave Serena a nod of respect. “You’ve done well with training her.”
Jade preened at his praise. She would be the lethal shadow at his side, taking out his enemies one by one.
Videl pointed to the dagger on her hip. “I fully suspect that they’ll have our trail soon, and the one you took that from will be here before we know it.”
Serena and Jade both tensed. Glee shot through Jade, but Serena’s expression was tight, unhappy. Jade bowed deep to give motion to the eager energy that raced through her. Soon. She would be able to avenge some of Master Videl’s losses soon.
And she could start paying back some of the debt she owed him.
Chapter Forty-One
Weston
Weston stood by a bay window that overlooked the eastern side of Doldra, hating himself for what little help he could offer right now. Beyond, fires raged, people fought and died, and what could he do? He was not a trained warrior. He was a tactician, and a largely untested one at that.
“Your Highness, the couriers have successfully gone out.” Niles bowed as he stated the message.
“Thank you, Niles.” Weston pushed away from the window and clapped his bodyguard on the shoulder. “That’s some good news.”
And they needed good news like that. Whether the missives reached Abigail, let alone Perennia and Piovant, in time was a gamble in and of itself, but at least that thread of hope was there. Maybe Doldra could hold out. Maybe reinforcements could make it promptly. Maybe they could find a way to break the bond. Maybe they’d withstand the coming onslaught.
Or maybe it was all a desperate gamble to survive till the bitter end and die as slaves.
Weston wove through a crowded corridor to return to the command room, where a tense silence reigned, all focused on a man in Doldran reds, a glowstone blinking in his hand. The room let out a collective sigh that sounded like relief, and Weston slipped past Esther and Zebediah to reach Brandon and Andre.
Andre saw Weston first and signed, “Titus used the parajumpers and surprised the Elph. Successfully killed one rager.” There was no joy in Andre’s posture.
“So there are still four ragers out there?” Weston clarified.
Brandon drummed his fingers on his sword hilt, his eyes tight. “Only four. But now those troops are grounded and surrounded.”
Weston studied the street map rolled out on the table. Deep blue markers surrounded a cluster of red models. How could they get those men out? “Civilians?”
A soft sigh brushed his shoulder, and Esther joined them, gesturing at the black pieces clustered by the middle wall. “They’re everywhere. There’s no way to get them all safely in, and even if they were here, what could we do with them?”
Weston’s stomach sank. “Are there known leaders in the Elph? Generals or whatever they use for their top ranks?” He stole a glance at Brandon’s haggard expression. “Can you turn any, have them fight for us?”
Esther shook her head, everything about her tight, angry. Whether it was his presence, or the situation at hand, he couldn’t tell. “They have a leader somewhere. They have to. But it seems like they’ve all been given blanket orders. And even that isn’t certain.”
“Do you have any captured? I can talk to them,” Brandon suggested.
Esther whirled away. “Ensign Brigley!”
A young man jogged over and saluted. “Yes, ma’am?”
“Do we still have the bonded we captured?” Esther’s voice hardened. “Or were they disposed of?”
Brigley’s brows drew together and smoothed out again in the span of a second. “They’re still under guard, ma’am. But they’ve been difficult to keep alive.” He grimaced. “It appears that they’re under orders to kill themselves if captured for so long.”
Brandon seemed to straighten next Weston. “I’ll talk to them.”
Weston couldn’t stand around, doing nothing, while Titus led troops and Brandon interrogated prisoners. He had to be useful. Not violently so, like Everett, but … better than just waiting for news to come to him. “I’m going with you.”
Brandon opened his mouth as if he were going to reject that, then he seemed to reconsider, analyzing Weston. “Then let’s go.”
Weston swallowed his relief for action as he followed Brigley and Brandon out. Maybe Brandon could weasel information out of the bonded, and they could use that to help strategize a way to somehow win this impossible war.
Chapter Forty-Two
Ben
Ben’s emotions couldn’t decide what they wanted to be.
Happiness lit his blood like a glowing stream of warmth and barely contained joy, because Raine had agreed to essentially be his girlfriend. But nervousness jittered in his blood, vibrating through his nerves, his bones, because of the knowledge that they could possibly destroy the blood bond, but at a very steep cost. And fear churned in his stomach, knowing that Jade had been in Victor’s hands for nearly two weeks.
Ben gazed out over the snow-covered terrain passing below the airship. It was hard to compartmentalize today.
They were told to not spend time on breaking the bond just yet, to focus on finding Jade. And that gave a trickle of relief, but it was like an earthen dam, straining to hold back a flood. Ben held no illusions. It was going to come down to the bond. How could it not, when so many in the north were bonded already? When they were marching on the southern lands?
Unless finding Victor and Jade somehow gave them a magic tool that would let them order everyone to put down their weapons, the bond would need to be broken. With blood. That hope was something out of a fairy tale and not worth daydreaming about.
They were lucky to be following Jade in the same direction they’d need to be for the daises. If one could really call it luck when they were going to a place that would eventually lead to their possible demise for the good of all.
If they made it back to Earth, would they all be together upon arrival? Would they be scattered? Just how scattered? Was there anything they could do that would help encourage their return to Earth?
Like a pocket-sized talisman or trinket that so many of his brothers-and-sisters-in-arms held onto, believing such charms would help them get home safely. Would something like that work in this situation? Ben paused on that thought. With how magic here worked … maybe that wasn’t such a far-fetched idea.
He left the frozen safety rail in favor of the much warmer mess room where Finn was. The elder sage sat at the long, time-scarred table, papers scattered before him as per usual. Geist and Zaborah sat on the far end of the table, faces tense and intent as they played a game involving colored tiles.
Ben pulled out a chair near Finn. “If the situation changes and we do need to break the bond, do you think we could do anything that would help us return to Earth or Terrene?”
Finn’s shoulders lifted and fell as he sighed, jotting a small mark on one of the papers before putting his pen down to look at Ben. “I’ve been wondering that myself. Do you have anything from Earth still on you?”
Ben’s dog tags seemingly got heavier around his neck just from the question. “I have a few things, but not much.”
“Enough that you can share with Raine?”
His mother’s ring flashed into mind, and Ben stuttered. “I––yes.” He glanced sideways at Geist and Zaborah and dropped his voice. “I could give her something, but the meaning of it back home, I––”
“I have seen the way you two interact, and in case you’ve forgotten, I was in love and married, too, long ago.” Finn’s voice held a note of amusement. The mirth in his timbre grew at the same rate as Ben’s embarrassment. He didn’t lower his volume. “I’ve already given you my blessing, son. Whatever you give her, and how she and you choose to perceive said item, are up to you.”
“Right,” Ben managed to squeeze out of his lungs. They’d only just started dating by Earth standards. He tugged out his dog tags and ran a finger along the gold of his mother’s wedding ring. To give this to Raine, now … what if she survived and he didn’t? What if he died and she wasted her life waiting around for him? It wouldn’t be fair to her.
“Whatever you’re over thinking, let her decide for herself,” Finn advised. A small, sad smile quirked his lips. “Let her have what choices she can.” He made a small shooing motion. “Go talk to her.”
Clearly dismissed, Ben got out of his chair and made it halfway through the room without really realizing he was moving. His mind raced. He always thought he’d have time to plan for something like this. Then again, he could just give her the ring and ask her to hold onto it for safekeeping. And if she made it back to Sara somehow, she could use it to prove who she is. That could be a safer option, actually …
Geist smirked at Ben and walked over, ushering him out the door and into the frigid airship hallway. “How much are you panicking right now?”
Ben blinked away the maelstrom of thoughts. “How did you— oh. Right. The hearing thing.”
Geist’s smirk widened. “You got it. You going to stammer and blush your way through this, too?”
Ben slipped the ring off his chain and returned the dog tags around his neck. He gently deposited the ring to his pocket while avoiding eye contact with Geist. “Oh, shut up.”
“Here.” A small flask waved under Ben’s nose. Geist lifted it toward Ben. “Take a sip or two and ease up on those nerves.”
Ben eyed the flask before accepting and opening the lid to sniff the contents. “How long have you been carrying whiskey with you?”
Geist shrugged, a nonchalant motion that belayed the sincerity of his words. “Going on a mission to rescue Jade during the end of the world? It seemed like a good idea to come prepared for anything.”
Ben snorted and took a small sip, savoring the bite of the drink and the way it flooded tingling warmth through him.
“You can have more than that, if you need it.” Geist remarked, leaning casually against the hallway wall, as if the wind chill in the corridor didn’t strike straight through to the bones.
Ben capped it and handed the flask back to Geist. “Thanks, but I want a clear head for this.”
Geist nodded and slipped the flask into a leather holster on his belt. “Fair enough.” He sucked in a deep breath, sniffed the air twice, then grew a wicked grin. “Good luck.” He pivoted on his heel and jogged out to the main deck, the wind immediately whipping his black hair every direction. “Hey Raine, just who I wanted to see!”
Ben stifled his groan and shook his hands out, exhaling hard. It’s not like he was proposing. He was just … giving Raine the ring his mother wore … as a talisman of sorts … for her to hopefully get to Earth safely. Once she’d settled and healed, then he could ask her about forever.
He couldn’t fool himself.
He was totally proposing.
Ben shook himself mentally and walked around the corner, pausing long enough to hook up his safety line and brace himself for the freezing wind. The air slapped into him with the force of an icy solid wall. His breath left him in a gasp.
Geist chuckled where he stood by Raine, his breath puffing white. “Anyway, it’s a bit cold up here. I’m heading back in.” He clapped her on the shoulder and winked at Ben as he passed him.
Raine’s dark eyes sparkled despite the shadows that lurked in them, and her cheeks and tip of her nose were already pink. Ben swallowed hard when she smiled at him. He was such a goner.
Maybe he should’ve had two more swallows of Geist’s whiskey.
“Hey.” He scanned the empty deck. Where could they go that was somewhat private, though? He grimaced. “I wanted to talk with you, but not out here.”
She grinned even as she buried her chin into the raised collar of her duster coat. “Not one for freezing temperatures?”
“Not if I can help it.”
She laughed and held out her gloved hand. He linked his fingers through hers, and she leaned into him as she steered them to the guest quarters that had been given to Finn. “We can shelter in Papa’s room, I bet. I know he was going to get lunch, and he probably brought his papers with him, so—” she pushed open the door with one hand, revealing quarters with a larger bed than the bunks downstairs, a decently organized desk with a lit glowlamp, a washbasin, and a hefty chest.
Raine shot Ben a look of triumph. “And there we go. Instant shelter.”
She perched on the edge of the bed, bracing her boots on the chest as she wrapped her arms around her legs. “Do you have as much on your mind as I do mine?” She shook her head and loosed a long sigh. “I know Prince—wait, no—Lord Weston said we’re to focus on finding Jade, but …” she trailed off and looked up at Ben with huge brown eyes that made his knees melt. “I can’t shake this gut feeling that it’s not going to be so simple as we find Jade and they win the war.”
Raine rested her chin on her knees, her lips quirking as her voice dropped. “Whether we find her or not, it’s going to come down to us, isn’t it? And my feelings about this decision is a strange mix of complete peace and sheer terror. It makes my knees want to lock up.”
“That describes it pretty well.” Ben hesitated before pulling out the chair to sit on. “And you’re right. Unless something really changed down there, I can’t imagine them not taking us up on our offer to abolish the bond.” He drummed his fingers on the polished chair arm. “The lives of a few for the lives of many? It’s only a matter of time.”
She hummed her agreement, her gaze glued to the floor. “I just never thought it would end like this.” She flicked her hand out, gesturing without words. “I mean, despite growing up with the thought that I’d be lucky to grow old and die in peace without anyone finding out what I am, I still somehow thought I’d last longer than this, you know?”
