CHAPTER seven
ELYSIA
We’re escorted to a separate building in the east wing of the Tower, a soul-binding academy named The Concordium.
I hadn’t realised such a place existed. Then again, I never asked my father much about the ceremonial process, let alone what came after. I hadn’t planned to follow through with a soulbond.
Why learn about a cage I never intended to step inside?
Kaden walks behind me, his mismatched eyes burning holes into the back of my head. We haven’t spoken a word to each other. He’d spent the night in his quarters while I locked myself in mine.
The Concordium looms into view. Dark, weathered stone streaked with moss and faintly glowing ivy climbs within the cracks of every brick, and arched stained-glass windows spill fractured light across the path.
Inside, the main hall is starkly different from the Binding Hall.
No silks or plants, no ceremony. Just a circular chamber, its ancient stone walls so aged they look as though they might crumble inward.
The floor is polished mahogany, so fine that I can see my reflection.
Heavy wooden doors ring the chamber, their frames arched and etched with runes.
In the centre rises a grand staircase with handrails swirling and carving in intricate patterns. As I get closer, I realise Celestria’s emblem is woven into the design.
Descending the staircase is a tall, slender woman who moves with swan-like grace. White hair cropped to her shoulders, sharp green eyes, and features both aged and arrestingly beautiful.
“I am Instructor Seraphine Vale, bonded High Mage of The Council. I’ll be your physical training instructor while you reside in the Tower. It is lovely to meet you.”
Her voice is smooth as liquid silk. When she offers me her hand, her touch is soft but humming with quiet warning. She begins a briefing of the curriculum as she leads us up the stairs and to the right, but I’m too busy taking in my surroundings to really take any of it in.
The room we enter is vast, empty but for sparring mats, weapon racks, and a raised wooden platform at its centre. The walls are made of the same grey, weathered stone, and tall windows spill light across the floor in fractures. Runes are carved into each wall to withstand raw magic.
A few other bonded couples already linger, shifting in the silence with poorly disguised curiosity. Instructor Seraphine informs us our introductory class will begin in fifteen minutes, then sweeps out, jasmine trailing in her wake.
I turn, studying the three unfamiliar pairs.
Their magic hums beneath their skin like growing storms. All of them are powerful bloodlines; that much is clear.
I don’t notice Kaden’s approach until his scent of cedar wood and cinnamon washes over me, drowning my focus.
“That’s Thane and Sirena.” He murmurs, tilting his chin toward the couple on our right.
Sirena is slightly taller than me, with silver hair that reaches her elbows, a body that looks as if it were carved by the gods, striking blue eyes and tanned skin.
Thane looks to be about six feet, just shorter than Kaden, built like Celestria’s warriors.
Chocolate-brown hair cut short, and honey-coloured eyes that seem to soften his sharp facial features.
“Thane is of the Thornheart bloodline; he wields ice. Sirena is of the Ebonspell bloodline; she’s an impeccable lightning wielder. They grew up together here in the Tower and found love in each other… If you ask me, they make a great match for soul-binding”
He nods toward another pair, “That’s Lorenzo and Odette, he’s of the Embersoul bloodline and like you, he’s a formidable fire wielder. She’s of the Duskborn bloodline, a water wielder. Fitting, isn’t it? Flame and tide.”
Lorenzo has wavy blonde hair and is tall and toned, though not quite as muscular as Thane. His eyes are dark green, and his skin is as fair as my own. Odette has wavy, mousey-brown hair that finishes just below her shoulders and pale green eyes. She’s tall, the same height as Lorenzo.
“And those two?” I enquire, nodding to my far left.
“Ronan and Brynn. He’s Duskborn as well, and Brynn is Thornheart too. He’s an air wielder, and she’s a shadow wielder like me.”
Ronan’s slightly shorter than the other men, just under six feet if I had to guess, with messy white hair and a boyish grin adorning his face, his eyes a striking ocean blue.
Brynn, beside him, looks otherworldly. Long, plaited black hair to her waist, bronze skin, silver-white eyes that are almost colourless. She looks like a fae folklore in flesh.
I turn my head toward him, brow arched. “And how exactly do you know them all?”
“Thane and Sirena, I grew up with, right here in the Tower. I don’t know the rest of them, though.
” He straightens, rolling his broad shoulders with deliberate ease.
“I’ve just seen them in passing. They all work with The Council, most of them defending Celestria’s borders.
So, I make sure to learn what I can about anyone of note. ”
I don’t miss it; he all but admits to digging into people’s lives.
My gut knots, the thought slithering under my skin. If he’s willing to pry into strangers, how much does he already know about me? About my father?
His mismatched eyes pin me, green and blue blazing with something unreadable as that smug grin curves his lips, canines sharp as blades. Amusement pulses through the bond, mocking me, matching the wild rhythm of my pulse.
I clear my throat and force a tight smile before turning away. If I stay here, I’ll burn under his gaze. Better to test different waters.
Ronan and Brynn are easy enough to find, having moved from their original spot, now admiring the weapons hanging up on the racks.
Ronan is already watching me, that boyish grin tugging at his mouth like he knows something I don’t.
Brynn stands beside him, serene and steady, her silver-white eyes giving nothing away.
Something about her feels… lighter. Less poisoned than the tether that drags at my chest.
“Elysia, right?” Ronan’s grin spreads as I approach. “I have to say, soul-binding ceremony or not, I’d remember a face like yours anywhere.”
I arch a brow at him as his gaze lingers a little too long, obvious in its flattery. Deliberately, I flick my eyes toward Brynn, a pointed look that says your partner’s shameless.
Brynn laughs, the sound soft but rich, shaking her head. “Don’t worry, Ronan’s not stepping on my toes. We’re not that kind of bonded pair. We’ve been friends since childhood, and The Council decided we’d make a strong match for the borders.”
Ronan smirks, “See? I’ve got permission.” His voice drops into a teasing murmur. “Which means I’m free to appreciate just how striking you are without anyone hexing me.”
His hand takes mine, bringing it to his lips and placing a firm kiss.
Heat slams into my chest… only it isn’t mine.
Ronan leans a little closer, brushing the edge of his hand along my arm. “You’ve got this look about you, you know. Like you could cut me in half with a flick of your wrist. I think I like it.”
The bond snarls as Kaden’s annoyance spikes, suffocating and burning under my skin. My jaw tightens as I force myself to ignore it, though the hunger to lash back at him almost consumes me.
Laughter cracks through the air as Lorenzo and Odette cross the room, their grins equally joyful and almost mischievous.
Odette’s eyes light up when she spots Brynn, “Brynn! I almost didn’t believe it when they said you were leaving the border. The Council finally pried you away from the front lines, ey?”