Chapter Fourteen #2
In response, Richard swung his leg low, knocking Alaric off his feet again, the pain from hitting the mat making his teeth grind.
“You can’t always be using your magic. The Stonebound can sense it.” His father corrected, leaning over him. “Do better.”
Once again, I was swept away into another memory; this one much more recent.
I was staring at myself, as Alaric, from across the library.
I was sitting with Sara-Kate when she mentioned going upstairs to the teacher’s lounge to grab a snack.
We left, and Alaric followed closely behind, his focus set on my retreating figure.
A feeling of anxiety and protectiveness rushed through him; the need to follow was so strong he couldn’t have stopped himself even if he wanted to.
He watched as we fled into the storage room, avoiding the teachers. He stayed close to the shadows, using his magic to conceal him. Once the coast was clear, he walked towards the door and leaned his ear against it.
“Mari!” Sara-Kate screeched.
Without another moment’s hesitation, he pushed the door open, a terror he had never quite experienced gripping his heart, threatening to pull it right out of his chest. He barked an order at Sara-Kate, leaving no room for argument as she finally relented and left.
He fell to his knees in front of me, my head in my hands as I fought off the worst headache I had ever experienced until then.
He took my face into his hands, forcing my blue eyes to meet his.
His thumb ring began to burn red-hot, the pain slicing through him so intensely that he almost pushed me away.
“Alaric?”
“Headache, right?” He asked, pushing through the pain. “Been happening for a while now?”
“Yes,” I groaned. “Every day. They won’t stop.”
Suddenly, the idea came to him that the ring was trying to tell him something, but it didn’t make sense.
This was his father’s ring, and his father's before that, and his father's before that.
A Bloodwright heirloom passed down from mentor to apprentice.
Only Bloodwrights could be trained by their own bloodline. Unless . . .
He took the chance, sliding the ring off his thumb; the relief was almost instantaneous as he slid it onto my pointer finger. What should have been much too large morphed to fit perfectly, the heat dying down to a cooling wave as it gave me relief in that same moment.
He looked into my eyes and the thought imprinted on his mind: my Twinflame.
I was thrust back into reality, in my own body, and faltered forward, about to crash to the floor when Alaric caught me, his deep green eyes reflecting the same shock and empathy I was feeling.
If I saw glimpses of his own memories, then he must have seen some of mine. Great. No one warned us about that.
He held me steady as the light and heat receded from our joined hands.
The golden sigil death mark had encroached itself onto Alaric’s skin, forming a perfect binding when our hands were held together.
The mark glowed and then softened, fading until it just looked like a faint scar on both of us.
The throbbing in my hand had disappeared, but in its place was what felt like a tight tether, strung loosely around me for now, but connected to Alaric in a way I couldn’t quite wrap my head around.
I felt stronger, my power thrumming more deeply throughout my body, as if it were fully awake and purring.
I looked up to Alaric, noting the wonder and awe in his eyes just before he crushed me to his chest, as if he could keep me there forever.
And I wanted him to. I wanted to stay in his arms forever, to stay with the one who had saved me, the one who understood the grief I myself endured. I needed him. And that, beyond Stonebounds or murders or blood-binding rituals, scared me the most.
The only sound I could hear was Alaric’s rapidly beating heart, in tune with my own as if the blood-binding ritual had reset our biological bodies to be in sync in every way. His breathing was ragged as he pulled me closer still, resting his chin on my head.
“The binding is complete.” Elias’ voice echoed within the chamber. I had completely forgotten where we were and who was watching. All that mattered was Alaric at that moment.
The chamber was so quiet I could hear the drip of water echoing somewhere in the tunnels.
Elias lowered his hands, his face unreadable, though his eyes gleamed with something I couldn’t name—pride, fear, or both.
I heard someone scoff, their heels clicking against the stone as they turned away.
Others followed until finally it was just Alaric, me, and the rest of the Council.
Dan coughed uncomfortably, most likely to get our attention.
Alaric and I had to forcibly remove ourselves from each other’s embrace, but kept our hands linked. We turned to face the Council, united.
“Welcome to the family, Mari.” Nico beamed, stepping forward to envelop me in an embrace. Alaric still refused to let go of my hand, both of our powers seeming to simmer on the surface, desperate to intertwine. I felt that at that moment, with Alaric by my side, there was nothing I couldn’t do.
Nico pulled back and then leaned in to embrace Alaric. “This is a rare blessing among a thousand curses. Cherish each other.”
“Or a malediction meant to doom us all.” Dr. Duvall countered, brushing past us towards the exit. “Do try not to take us down with you should you fail.”
“Well, now that’s out of the way, let’s get back to business,” Richard replied dismissively, pulling at his cufflinks. “I expect you both here tomorrow after school to continue your training. Alaric, let’s go.”
“Go?” Alaric countered. “I’ve just been bonded to my Twinflame, and you want us to separate already? Can’t we have a few moments together?”
Richard looked between us disdainfully. “I was under the impression that a Twinflame bond would make you stronger. Is this going to be a crutch instead of a strength worth the name?”
Alaric and Richard held eye contact, each one waiting for the other to fold. Tension was rising when I finally broke it, feelings of anger and resentment, not my own, but Alaric’s, forcing me to speak.
“It’s okay, Alaric,” I said, pulling his attention away from his father and back to me. “I’m pretty tired. I’ll see you at school first thing.”
“I’ll meet you in front of your apartment,” he countered, turning to face me. “Text me when you get home.”
“She’ll be with me,” Uncle Dan added, stepping forward. “She’ll be fine.”
“My life is tied to hers now, so please forgive me if I don’t take your word for it,” Alaric bit back.
“I’ll text you,” I replied. “I’ll share my location with you too.” Suddenly, the idea didn’t sound as preposterous as it had earlier today.
Relief flooded Alaric’s eyes as he leaned down to kiss me on the cheek. His touch flared the power within each of us so intensely, we both inhaled sharply. He finally let go and followed his father out of the chamber, glancing back at me until he disappeared down the hall.
The tether that I had felt tying me to him sharpened, and an empty echo within my chest hummed incessantly.
I had to fight back the urge to run after him.
I feared his absence was another sort of death mark that the bond could never heal, a hollow dearth that both terrified and comforted me.
I needed him, and needing him might be the most dangerous thing of all.