Chapter 63
Faylinn
“Lord d’Refan, the delegation from Samyr,” a butler announced with a sweeping bow as he backed away from the chair that looked distinctly like a throne, even though Lord d’Refan proclaimed it wasn’t a throne.
Acting like a king and he hasn’t even been crowned.
I almost laughed at the pretentious absurdity that was so indicative of Lord d’Refan, but held my tongue. My mind tended to wander, especially during these types of events, and I didn’t want the delegate from Samyr to think I was laughing at him, lest I unintentionally provoke some sort of war.
It was easy to see that tensions between Samyr and Vespera were strained at best, and this exchange of Vessels was the only positive interaction these two territories would have for years.
What a historic time, I thought balefully as I blew a wayward curl away from my face. Lord d’Refan obviously heard my breath and turned a quick glower on me before refocusing on the slowly approaching delegate with a gaggle of women in tow.
Why are all the Vessels women? Where are the men?
I knew from my research that Samyr was a nation-state made entirely of Vessels—there were no Mages listed in their census, but there were male Vessels.
The realization struck as soon as I saw the female Vessels—they were all primped and primed, dressed in long, bold-colored dresses that clung to their forms. Each wore a semi-vacant expression with a demure smile plastered on their painted lips.
They all looked similar—especially with their matching makeup and hairstyles—and it was difficult to discern who was who.
I wonder which woman is Rohak’s Vessel. The thought soured my mood nearly as much as the realization that Samyr only traded female Vessels.
That truth was made abundantly clear when the same number of women Vessels from Vespera were brought forward, Sasori among them.
A quasi-dance ensued where the female Vessels from Samyr curtsied to the Vesperan Vessels before each touched the hand of a Vesperan Vessel, symbolically showing the exchange.
The new Vessels from Samyr were quickly ushered from the room by the manor’s healer, the Vesperan Vessels were given the same treatment by a second delegate from Samyr.
I watched as a smile played over Sasori’s lips.
She looked back at Lord d’Refan for a second and I saw her imperceptibly nod at him before confidently striding from the room.
What is happening there?
The mystery surrounding Samyr only grew.
“Is that all?” Lord d’Refan called, bored, lounging in his chair that was “not a throne.”
The Samyrian delegate offered a tight-lipped smile and a stiff bow before turning on his heel and leaving the receiving room, the door thumping loudly upon his exit.
I blew out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding before turning to Lord d’Refan with a quirked brow.
“Care to explain?”
Lord d’Refan chuckled humorlessly before actually answering my question, for once.
“I’m the last living true-blooded heir to Samyr’s throne.
My family was disposed of decades ago and I grew into power, here.
Instead of Samyr’s current rulers being able to hunt me to extinction, they are forced to play nice and by my rules, especially because my army is much bigger and stronger than theirs.
” His smile was all vicious teeth. “This . . . exchange of Vessels is one way that we both get what we want without having to interact with each other. It’s best for everyone this way. ”
“And Sasori?” I asked, a hard edge in my question. I unBonded her two days ago from Lex—against my will and better judgement—and still didn’t understand why she had to be part of the exchange. Who knew what would happen to Lex because of it.
Lord d’Refan waved a hand as he pushed out of his not-a-throne. “A necessary unBonding.” He reached the door before turning around again, that unnerving gaze never focusing fully on me.
“Because now I have an agent inside Samyr.”
I fled the receiving room, hands twisting together as I thought about the secrets Lord d’Refan revealed so easily.
Was it a trap? Misinformation that was meant to lead me away from the truth?
As much as I morally and personally despised the man, I couldn’t deny his intellect. If I didn’t hate him, I would be impressed, maybe even friends with him.
I shuddered at the thought.
Unbiddenly, my steps took me through the tunnel between the manor and Academy until I wound up in front of Rohak’s office.
I went to push inside but backed away quickly and ran up the stairs to the rooms that housed the Life Bonded couples. As much as I wanted to take refuge in Rohak, I didn’t want to taint my one place of comfort. Not after I’d seen his Bonded, even if I couldn’t identify her from her companions.
Instead, I knocked briskly on Ben and Asha’s door before pushing inside when Asha’s soft voice shouted, “Come in!”
“Fay!” she exclaimed as soon as I closed the door behind me. She and Ben were lounging on their couch, a low fire lit despite the growing heat outside, both with a book in hand. Their Bond marks pulsed contentedly as if showcasing their combined emotions.
Asha’s smile dimmed considerably and turned to a frown—Ben’s Bond Mark losing its luster—as she took in my obviously strained expression.
I gave her a wan smile before kicking my boots off with a groan and sinking into the singular armchair that sat diagonally to their couch.
Lord d’Refan insisted I wear a dress to meet the delegates from Samyr, and now I was longing for the soft pants and tunic of the Mage blacks.
I should’ve stopped in my rooms first.
“What’s wrong?” Ben asked, snapping his book closed and setting it on the table to his left.
I sighed and rolled my neck, eyes closed. “What makes you think something’s wrong?” I challenged, but there was no heat or edge to my voice.
“Because you’re doing that thing where you rub your temples and scratch at your scars,” he countered, and I quickly snatched my wayward fingers from the lines on my forearms. I’d kicked the habit recently—ever since Rohak and I reconciled—but it seemed that it was back in full force.
“I hate you and the fact that you know so much about me,” I groaned, and Asha laughed lightly.
“No you don’t. You might have a few months ago, but you don’t now.”
I cracked one eyelid to look at her curled into Ben’s side, his arm strung casually over her shoulders.
They were good together—she balanced his seriousness, and it was so clear in both of their eyes the love they held for one another.
As blindsided as I was when I first walked in on them having screaming sex, I couldn’t begrudge them their relationship.
Once I’d admitted my own feelings for Rohak, it was easy to fall into a friendship with Asha and Ben, especially because I checked on the status of their Bond often.
“You’re right, I don’t,” I admitted before sitting up completely. “Any changes or additions to the Bond?”
They both shook their heads. “Not since you last checked. Everything is deeper and more amplified, maybe? But no new developments,” Ben said, and I sagged.
“Dammit, I was hoping you’d say something to distract me.”
“What do you need distraction from?” Asha said as she leaned across the couch to squeeze my hand. I tried to smile back at her, but it fell flat.
“I met Rohak’s Bonded today,” I admitted, and Ben’s eyebrows shot up for a moment.
“Well, not met her, met her. But saw her. I couldn’t tell her apart from all of the other Vessels from Samyr, but she was definitely with them.
Do you know that they only exchange female Vessels?
How cruel is that? Like they’re a commodity.
And they’re all stunningly beautiful—shiny long hair, painted lips and faces, dainty feet, and feminine curves.
The one’s breasts were this big”—I cupped my hands away from my own, much smaller chest—“and they carried themselves with such grace. How could I ever compete with that? He’s going to take one look at her and forget about me.
Fuck, he’ll probably be lost in her pussy for days and not come up for air.
He’ll forget that she’s a Forced Bond and they’ll have beautiful Destruction babies—”
Asha put her finger against my lips, and I let my hands drop from my chest. When she was confident I wasn’t going to speak again, she untangled herself from Ben before wrapping me in a hug that smelled faintly of my garden back in Isrun. A pang of homesickness hit me, and I held her tight.
“Thanks,” I mumbled into her copper-red hair. She vibrated against me in small laughter before pulling back and looking at me.
“Are you going to be okay?” she asked, holding my shoulders. I placed my dark, tattooed hands over her own freckled ones and shrugged.
“No, but what choice do I have?” Asha offered me a sad smile before cuddling back into Ben’s side. He kissed the top of her head, and I was hit with longing; not for Ben, but for the easy and open relationship they had.
Asha and Ben dropped the subject after that little declaration and let me stay with them for a few hours, indulging me in an attempt to distract me from the truth. But there was no escaping it.
She was here, Rohak’s Bonding was imminent, and all that I would be left with were unresolved feelings and the “what-ifs.”