CHAPTER seven #2
Brynn smiles, slinking her arm around Odette and giving her a light hug. “Didn’t exactly have a choice. The Council decided Ronan and I needed to complete the bond and ‘train properly’ here.”
Ronan leans over my shoulders, resting one arm atop them, his grin lazy. “They make it seem like we don’t already know what we’re doing. If you ask me, they just missed my charming company.”
Odette chuckles, a blush creeping up her neck as she pulls away from Brynn, who shoots him a sharp side-eye, though there’s a ghost of a smile tugging at her lips. “Sure, keep telling yourself that and people might start believing it.”
Lorenzo cuts in, running a hand through his messy blonde hair “So are we getting introductions, or am I supposed to stand here clueless like a new recruit?”
Odette rolls her eyes as Brynn gestures to me, chuckling. “This is Elysia Morningstar, Kaden’s… very unlucky match.”
Lorenzo grins and steps forward, offering a hand. “Lorenzo Eastwood, but everyone calls me Enzo. It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard of your line, Emberfall blood, right?”
I take his hand, his grip firm but kind “Yes, I’m a fire wielder.”
“Makes sense, fire has always run deep in your bloodline. It’s nice to have another fire wielder around.” His hand releases mine as he places it back in his cargo pockets.
“I’m Odette Valentine, water wielder and unfortunately soul-bound to this drama queen.” She tilts her head towards Enzo as her hand reaches for mine.
I finish shaking her hand and stand back up straight, “I feel for you, I’m recently bound and recently regretting it too.”
A smile pulls at her features as Enzo claps his hands together. “Ah, another one who got roped into this against her will, excellent!”
Brynn snorts as Odette and I collectively roll our eyes.
“So how did you two end up soul-bound together?” I continue, “besides not having a choice in the matter.”
Enzo chuckles and glances at Odette before answering.
“For us, it's a family tradition. The Embersoul line has been soul-binding for generations. My father says it keeps our blood strong and our loyalty sharper.”
Odette nods in agreement. “My bloodline is Duskborn, we serve The Council, always have. Soul-binding is an honour where I come from. Not a choice exactly, but…” she shrugs, a wistful smile touching her lips “I’d have done it anyway, for Celestria.”
“For the people,” Enzo echoes, his voice a little too rehearsed.
I study them, wondering whether they believe that or if it’s just something they’ve learnt to say out loud.
Brynn leans against the weapons rack, her dark hair spilling over one shoulder. “Ronan and I didn’t have much of a choice either. We were requested by The Council to soulbind. They need us stronger for the borders, especially since attacks have heightened as of late.”
Ronan nods solemnly, his arm dropping from my shoulder. “Couldn’t refuse, not without losing rank… or our heads.”
“Or our heads.” Brynn echoes dryly.
A voice cuts through the air as Sirena steps forward, Thane and Kaden trailing behind her.
“Oh, you must be Elysia!” Her voice rings clear and bright as summer bells, “I hear you’ve been giving him a hard time.”
She jerks her chin toward Kaden with a grin that’s nothing short of wicked.
I raise a brow, mouth curving. “Trying my best.”
“Good,” Sirena says, laughing. “He can be an ass, don’t let him.”
Thane comes up beside her, slipping an arm around her waist. “She means that in the kindest way possible.”
Kaden mutters something under his breath that sounds suspiciously like ‘I’m right here.’
Sirena waves him off with a smile before turning her focus back to me. “So, what made you agree to soul-bind with this brute?”
A small smile tilts my lips, “I didn’t get much of a choice. Apparently, my bloodline made me… desirable. If refusing didn’t mean dying, I’d have told them where to shove their summons.”
Kaden’s voice rumbles softly beside her. “For once, we agree.”
Sirena tuts as she swats him on the arm, and even Thane’s stern mouth curves into a small smile. Kaden doesn’t flinch from her hit, only exhales through his nose, arms folded across his chest like a fortress.
“Ignore him, he’s in a foul mood… he’s not gotten laid in a while.” She pauses, looking over her shoulder at Kaden, who scowls at her comment. She only chuckles and leans in to hug me. “I’m Sirena Ashvyn. Lightning wielder, chaos incarnate, and lifelong thorn in Thane’s side.”
She winks and steps back into Thane, his arm slinking back around her waist.
“Elysia Morningstar. Fire wielder, occasional troublemaker, and apparently now a lifelong thorn in Kaden’s side, too.”
Her eyes sparkle with what I can only deem as mischief. “I like you already.”
Thane steps forward to shake my hand, tall and composed. “Welcome to The Tower.” He says, voice deep and calm. “I’m Thane Axton, ice wielder. It’s nice to meet the woman behind Kaden’s brooding”
My eyes widen slightly, feigning shock as my hand flies to my chest. “You mean to tell me Kaden isn’t always broody!”
A deep chuckle leaves his lips. “No, he’s always in a foul mood; you just seem to bring it out a lot more.”
“Guilty as charged.” I tune, giving him and Sirena a small wink.
Sirena stifles a laugh as her eyes meet Kaden’s, who is scowling at me, no surprise.
I give him a small, innocent smile in return before continuing, “So what brings you two here? The border? Honour? Stripped choice of will?”
Sirena’s grin softens as she leans slightly into Thane’s side.
“All of us grew up in The Tower together… Thane, Kaden, and me. We were orphaned during the first border wars, and due to our warrior bloodlines, The Council took us in. They trained and shaped us to serve Celestria.” Her lips press together, not quite a smile.
“It wasn’t a choice, but it wasn’t all bad either. ”
Her gaze softens as she looks at Thane. “I found him here, the love of my life. And Kaden…” she tilts her head affectionately toward him. “He’s not so bad either, once you scrape past all the scowling and brooding.”
“Debatable.” Thane teases, his tone light.
Enzo chuckles, “Yeah, no offence, but he’s terrifying.” His gaze meets Kaden’s, “Are the rumours true? That you took down twenty ossaryn at once with just your shadows?”
Kaden’s mismatched eyes flick toward him, cold and unimpressed. He says nothing, just gives one slow nod.
Enzo blinks, then laughs nervously. “Right… remind me not to get on your bad side.”
“Seems like a wise choice,” Brynn murmurs.
Sirena grins, clearly unbothered by Kaden’s silence. “He’s got his moments, you’ll see. He’s all scowl now, but underneath? He’s—”
“Still scowling.” Kaden cuts in, deadpan.
Sirena’s eyes shoot down to the pink mark on my shoulder, “What's that?”
“Oh,” I chuckle, shrugging, “I threw my dagger at him.”
Her grin is nothing short of wicked, “Uhm, firstly… badass. Secondly, why?”
“He was being a prick.” I retort, matter-of-factly.
She stifles a laugh and shoots Kaden a look, “Well, he probably deserved it.”
“I’m sorry—you threw a blade… at him?!” Enzo asks, shocked curiosity lacing his tone.
“Look at that, another woman with more balls than you.” Odette chimes next to him, which earns her a scowl.
Soft laughter ripples through everyone as Instructor Serpahine walks in, her boots echoing across the room as she approaches the raised platform.
“Welcome to the Concordium, you’re all here because you have recently been soul-bound.
Some of you may think your bond is power, intimacy or even a gift…
” a pause, her gaze flicking over us all, deliberately slow.
“You’re wrong, a soulbond is a weapon, and if you can’t master it, it will cut deeper than any blade.
Today, I want you all to perform a simple exercise to start your physical training.
Synchronisation is important, especially during combat.
Let’s start with something easy. I want you all to share one heartbeat, one breath and one pulse of magic. ”
Instructor Seraphine steps onto the raised platform, turns to face us, then continues.
“First, focus on your breathing, match the rise and fall of one another’s chests.
Steady your heartbeat so the rhythm aligns with your partners, till you are one heart, one pulse.
Then and only then, should you focus on sharing a pulse of combined magic between you.
” She smiles and points at Enzo and Odette, “You two, why don’t you try first? ”
Enzo squares his shoulders, tugging Odette forward with him towards the platform. He mutters something under his breath, fire already licking across his fingers. Odette rolls her eyes but lifts her palms, summoning a shimmer of water between them.
Once they reach the platform, Enzo turns to Odette and takes her hands in his, their eyes fluttering shut as they focus on their breathing. A few seconds pass, and their chests begin to rise and fall in time with one another.
At first, it’s steady, steam curls in soft tendrils where fire meets water, but then Enzo’s temper flares. A jet of flame spits from his hand and nearly catches Odette’s sleeve. She curses, snapping a whip of water around her wrist to snuff it out.
“Gods Enz, careful.” She snarls, shaking her head.
He runs a hand through his hair, “Sorry, Odette.”
“Why did I have to get soul-bound to the clumsiest person in Celestria?” She groans, asking no one in particular.
Instructor Seraphine coughs, a brittle sound that silences their muttered bickering instantly.
Next, Sirena and Thane step up. They stand next to each other, linking their pinkies, using the contact as a tether for concentration. They are composed and steady, their bond humming in a seamless rhythm. Then Sirena falters, a flicker of raw emotion surging through her into a Thane.
He stumbles back as if struck in the chest before quickly steadying himself with a grunt, shooting her a look that’s half frustration and half concern.
Ronan and Brynn follow, walking up to the platform to stand in the middle as the others did before. Ronan grins wide and full of excitement as he flexes his hand. Brynn exhales softly as she places her own palm in his.
It takes seconds. Their breathing matches, their bond thrums like an organ all its own, and then a spiralling current of shadow and wind circles their bodies in perfect harmony. After a few seconds, their magic disperses into the air, and they both step away from each other.
Ronan turns to walk off the platform, his gaze landing on mine, giving me a wink as if to say, easy.
Annoyance prickles hot through the bond, and my brow arches as I glance at Kaden behind me. Only to find his mismatched gaze not on me at all but locked on Ronan. His glare is pure venom, while Ronan flashes him the world’s biggest shit-eating grin.
Finally, Kaden tears his gaze away and strides toward me with deliberate steps. His hand clamps around mine, firm and unyielding, pulling me toward the platform.
I take my place opposite him, and he closes the space between us. For a heartbeat, it feels like the world shrinks down to just the impossible nearness of him. He shuts his eyes, and I do the same, focusing on the rhythm of our breathing.
Then his fingers graze my waist. Static tingles across my skin before he pulls me flush against his chest.
A quiet gasp slips out of me, and my eyes fly open, chest heaving.
Kaden’s eyes remain closed, a smirk tugging at his lips.
“Concentrate, Elysia darling.”
My breath trembles and that familiar annoyance begins to bubble, but I force my eyes shut again. My hand lifts, pressing against the steady thrum of his heartbeat, electric sparks nipping at my fingers at the contact.
I match my ragged breaths to the rise and fall of his chest. Slowly, our lungs sync, simultaneously breathing for us both. His heart becomes my own, beating as if it’s always belonged there.
Then power surges through me with the force of a tsunami.
The room shudders, sparks cascade down the walls and scorch the stone.
Rune-lights flicker violently, nearly extinguished before flaring too bright.
Windows shake in their frames as if the Concordium itself strains against us, and my dagger emanates a silver-blue glow in response to the power coursing through my veins.
For one terrible moment, it feels like we could crack the world open just by breathing wrong.
“Enough!” Instructor Seraphine’s voice slices through the chaos, sharp as a blade.
One hand lifts, a gust of wind slamming down between us, separating us before the bond devours us whole.
Her expression is unreadable, but her voice is frosty.
“You two will either save us all… or you will burn this tower to ash.”