Chapter 9
Seren
I hadn’t expected Rykr to take my place at the flogging—or the blistering pain that had burst across my back with every lash he took.
As though I could feel his pain.
Mother’s spell had dulled the worst of it, but it hadn’t stopped the sensation entirely. But as I stared at him now, bloodied, raw welts crisscrossing his back, I hardly knew what to say to him.
Why had he taken my punishment?
And how wasn’t he curled on the ground, unable to move?
I’d seen my mother cast healing spells before, but none so powerful to lessen the intense pain of a flogging. Men who’d been flogged might spend weeks in recovery, even with Zhi healing practices. What did Mother do? I flicked a glance at her. “Have you healed him somehow?” I hissed.
“I’ve done what I can for now, but no—this is not all my doing.” Mother’s face was somber. “We should leave. His resilience is attracting attention.”
Tara gripped me as the Viori left the gathering. “Let’s go, Seren.” She flicked a cautious glance at Rykr. “I’m Tara, by the way. Seren’s sister.”
Rykr didn’t respond, either in too much pain to say much or uninterested.
Tara huffed. “Real friendly Lirien you’ve got here, Ser.”
“I figured I’d get the grumpiest one just to make things interesting.” Then I gave him a firm look. “Wait here.”
“Could I go anywhere if I wanted?” He raised a dark brow, his voice strained.
“You could try, but it wouldn’t end well.” Even in pain, he had a sharp tongue. Annoying. And oddly appealing.
I dashed between people to catch Darya before she left. My back still ached, but the pain was fading. Impermanent. “Darya, wait. I want to thank you for your help.”
Seth’s wife turned, her eyes dark and troubled. “I’m your friend, Seren. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t speak up when you needed me?”
The words hit me harder than expected. I’d spent so long pushing her away and she hadn’t deserved it. Only Amahle and Ciaran had known about my affair with Seth. “Thank you,” I repeated, softly.
Darya squeezed my hand. “I can’t pretend I really understand what you were thinking, but I’m here if you need me.
But I do understand Seth’s worry. Liriens don’t come into the forest to hunt vuks.
They come to hunt us. If love exists between you and your Lirien, he should have been willing to respect our laws and waited.
He shouldn’t have put you at risk. Just … be careful.”
My tongue felt like iron. From the Viori perspective, she wasn’t wrong. At last, I managed, “Each Viori has been at risk since the day we fled Lirien. What I did may have added to it, but it didn’t create it.”
“True, but you deserve more, Seren. And don’t worry. I’ll keep working on Seth. See if I can lessen his fears. But I’d suggest you not let your Lirien stir up any trouble.”
She left me before I could reply.
My mother came up beside me. “We should keep our distance from Seth and Darya. Come. Your husband needs tending to. And we have much to discuss about that oath you took.”
I followed my mother without protest.
Tara stayed behind, to dispose of the vuk’s carcass and clean our cart. Together with my mother, I led Rykr away. Pain distorted his face with each step.
I should have thanked him, but a part of me still questioned why he had done it at all.
Liriens couldn’t be trusted … could they? I’d be a fool to believe otherwise, no matter how honorable this one seemed.
Much as I hated to admit it, Seth and Darya were right—Rykr, a Pendaran soldier, hadn’t been in the forest to hunt vuks … so what had he been doing there? Whatever his reasons, they couldn’t be good for the Viori. I needed to remember that.
We continued in silence. The Viori encampment was laid out like a village, tents arranged with space between them, giving each family a sense of privacy. The closer we got to my family’s tent, the fewer neighbors we had. My family preferred living on the edge of the encampment, away from others.
The tent where I’d spent the last few days with Rykr—our tent—was several feet away from my family’s. Already, the Vangar were removing the enclosure they’d built around it, and the sight loosened a breath from my tight chest. Maybe it would help Rykr feel less trapped. Trust me more.
“I’m Lucia.” Mother gave Rykr a hard look as we stopped at my family’s tent. “Before I allow you into our home, you need to swear that you won’t lift a hand against my family, Rykr Westhaven. Allowing you inside is allowing you into our trust. I do not take that lightly.”
Dread slithered through me. If Rykr learns who my father is …
Rykr could return to Lirien with details of my family—secrets that could get them killed. I should have thought of that sooner.
Rykr grimaced, then gave one brief nod. “I swear it.”
At least he’s not being arrogant now. Maybe he’s finally realizing this isn’t a game—for either of us.
Mother held the tent open.
I removed my boots at the entrance and then helped Rykr with his. The laces were wet and, as I finished, blood stained my fingertips. My hands quivered, my eyes shooting to his piercing blue-green gaze.
Rykr’s eyes held an inscrutable expression. Not gratitude, but not complete dislike either.
I shook the thought away, tearing my gaze from his. Why do I want his approval?
“Thank you,” he said in a low voice as I led him farther inside.
“I’m the one who should thank you,” I said stiffly.
Mother unfastened her cloak and hurried over to her cabinet of potions and herbs.
“Where I come from, no leader would go unchallenged for giving a woman twenty lashes. Especially for something so trivial. As I’ve long known, Viori are savages.”
I didn’t want to agree with him, even though the lack of support I’d received from my tribe had cut through me. “Maybe where you come from, women can’t handle a few lashes.”
The laughter that lit his eyes was almost as disparaging as his words. “Clearly you’ve never been to Pendara.”
“Stop squabbling and lie face down,” Mother said to Rykr, gesturing to the rug in front of the stove. “I’ll apply an ointment to your wounds and bandage them, which will help with infection and scarring. Sleep on your stomach until your wounds heal.”
Rykr did as instructed and Mother knelt beside him, examining the flayed skin.
I could barely look. As she cleaned his wounds with water and cleaning salts, he winced.
Pain radiated up my back—mirroring his.
Worry creased Mother’s brow. “You feel his pain, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
Rykr twisted his head toward me, his face sharp with disbelief. “What? You felt the lashings too?”
“It’s one of the soul-knitting parts of the oath. Souls that are joined cannot be separated,” Mother said quietly. “The Oath of Bryndis is ancient—”
“You’re saying this bond is permanent?” My throat tightened.
Mother nodded.
Her words settled over me like a shroud. Permanent? How had I not known what I was binding myself to?
“From the ages before now, when the Eldra and Skaldra gods roamed the world and had their place among humans …” Mother’s voice was distant, as if recalling something from long ago.
Rykr swore under his breath, shifting as though to sit up, but Mother placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “Stay still if you want to heal.”
As Rykr settled onto the rug once again, Mother continued, “The Eldra were gods of order, devoted to love and the land. Bryndis was among them—the goddess of love. But she fell in love with Varik, a Skaldra god—one of chaos and cunning. Their love was forbidden, an affront to both pantheons. So, Bryndis took an oath to bind their immortal souls as one.”
Her finger moved with practiced ease as she applied ointment to Rykr’s raw, shredded skin. “The oath is a sacred bond, one that melds souls and bodies.”
I gulped a breath, pain rippling through me again as she touched his wounds. “So, I can actually feel his pain?”
“Yes. And he’ll feel yours. The more you give yourself to the bond, the stronger it becomes. You may hear each other’s thoughts. Read each other’s minds. Consummating your union would deepen the effects.”
I stiffened, my shoulders locking. Consummating?
Rykr gave a laugh of disbelief. “You’ve got to be fucking joking.”
“Is it any more unbelievable than an oath that changed your appearance?” Mother flicked a gaze at me.
“I warned you, Seren. This is no simple marriage spell. The consequences are far graver. If either of you dies, the other will as well. And worse, anyone who understands Ibarran magic will know how to use this against you. If an enemy seeks to kill one of you, they may come for the other first.”
Rykr cleared his throat. “So, you’re saying that if I go back to Pendara and someone figures this out … they could kill Seren in order to kill me?”
“Yes.”
“Fantastic.” Rykr narrowed his gaze at me.
“Your thoughts should not be on escape, but on how to survive the Skorn trial. You’ll both have to live, and if one of you is wounded, the other will feel it. That could cost you your victory.”
Dammit. The trial had been deadly enough without the added burden of feeling each other’s injuries.
Mother placed a bandage on his back and I gritted out, “Can the bond be broken?”
Mother’s normally steady hands faltered. “It’s beyond my knowledge.”
“Of course,” Rykr breathed.
I closed my eyes, trying to process my mother’s words. Her books hadn’t said anything about this being irreversible. Nearly all magic could be reversed.
What in Nyxva did I do?
“Is there anyone who knows how to break it?” My voice was quiet, uncertainty threading through my words.
“I don’t know. I’ve combed through all my books.
The difficulty of the ancient oaths is that the gods and goddesses no longer intervene.
Perhaps in another time, a human might have traveled to Eldris, the land of the Eldra gods, or Alvareth, the fae lands where Bryndis ruled, but now …
those paths are closed to us. The Mathema in Doba might have ancient texts, or perhaps the High Magister in Ibarra may know. ”
Places I couldn’t go. People I couldn’t speak to.
My arms folded around my stomach, sickness churning in my belly. “I need a few minutes. I’m going to wash.”
Fetching a few things from my trunk, I tried not to react to each burst of pain that surfaced as my mother bandaged Rykr.
I left the tent, but my mother followed close on my heels. “Seren, wait. Try not to worry. Given what he did for you at the council meeting, Rykr may not be an evil man.”
Easy enough for her to say. I kept my retort to myself. “I didn’t know how else to save him, Mother.”
“I know.” Mother kissed my cheek. “But you must guard yourself around him. Closely. Use only your mind. Let nothing else guide you, including your heart. Your body will yearn for his—that’s its nature. And Rykr is an attractive man. Be careful.”
I shifted uncomfortably. “I get it.”
“I don’t think you do.” Mother’s face darkened. “Don’t consummate this marriage. Rykr is powerful. Too powerful to be tied to you through magic alone.”
“I can handle myself,” I muttered, wishing she’d stop talking.
“Powerful men always believe they’re in control. But women can learn the art of wielding control with such men in ways they don’t suspect. Be careful, Seren. Bonds can be tricky to manage with someone like him. You’ll want to be his lover, but you must resist—”
“Mother, please.” I stepped away. “I may not have your skill, but I’m hardly a child without training. Father and you taught me well.”
Mother’s chin ducked with resignation. But I also saw grief.
Grief for losing one of her children. Fear for me.
“Powerful, ancient magic is no trifle. You don’t know what you’re up against. And the Skorn trial is meant to be impossible.
If your father were here, he might be able to help you prepare for it.
As it is, you’ll need to begin training immediately. I can’t lose you, too.”
I left her, my frustrations mounting.
I can’t lose you, too.
Her words echoed in my mind, looping over and over.
I’d been fighting for my life since the moment that vuk attacked. Now all my hope hinged on surviving a trial meant to kill me … and working with a man who shared my distrust.
He didn’t have to like me. Didn’t have to trust me. But he needed me to survive as much as I needed him. Convincing him to work with me might be as simple as finding leverage.
If I could keep him close, perhaps I could learn more about what brought him here—and what he’s hiding. Maybe then, I could find a way to use that to get him to cooperate. If I was going to survive this mess, I’d need to find Rykr’s weaknesses before anyone else did.
Because if I didn’t, someone else might—and that could be far deadlier.