Chapter 12 #2
“Maybe I should,” he said coldly. “Get rid of this stupid fucking bond tying me to the weakest person here.” The words cut, but I refused to let him see it.
With my free hand, I grabbed his wrist. Power surged through me, raw and desperate.
I twisted, flipped us, and suddenly I was on top.
My thighs straddled his waist as I freed a dagger and drove it into the mat beside his head.
The blade sank deep with a sharp crack. I leaned down, inches from his face.
“You kill me,” I said evenly, “and we both die, Aiden.” I held his gaze.
“You think I like being bonded to you? I’d rather be with anyone else.
But we’re stuck together, whether we like it or not.
” His hand slid to my hip, fingers biting in, and then he flipped us again.
His thigh slid between mine. His forearm pressed across my throat, cutting off my air.
“I know exactly what we are,” he growled. “And I will never love you. I will never let this bond control me. Or my feelings. Do you understand?” Pain flared, sharp, deep, but I forced the words out, anyway.
“Good,” I rasped. “Because I feel the same.” His mouth curved into a smirk as he leaned closer, his breath brushing my skin.
“Good.” Then he was gone. I sucked in air, lungs burning as I lay there staring at the ceiling. The bond throbbed, furious and alive, but I shoved it down. Right then, I knew it. The gods had made a mistake. Aiden and I weren’t compatible. And we would never be anything more than enemies.
After sparring Ryan and I headed off to Magical History together. The bond still hummed beneath my skin; Aiden had been brutal, knocking me down and pressing steel to my skin. “Well, that was another intense session between you and Aiden,” Ryan commented with a grin as we walked down the hall.
“When isn’t it?” I muttered.
“True,” he replied softly, before lowering his voice. “So… any word about the Eastern Encampment?”
“Not yet. That’s sort of on hold right now.
I’ve got bigger problems, like figuring out how to sever this bond thing with Aiden,” I replied, just as we stepped into the classroom.
The familiar room always reminded me of Sofia, and the thought caused something sharp to twist in my chest. I pushed it down and slid into my seat while Ryan dropped into the one beside me.
“Why do you even want to break it?” he asked, brow raised.
“The Gods made a mistake, Ryan, Aiden and I are oil and water, fire and ice; we don’t work,” I shot back.
“Fair enough,” he said with a grin when Professor Quinnell entered.
“Good morning, class,” Quinnell began, his voice calm but carrying authority.
“Now that you’ve acquired your classes and skills, we shall dive deeper into the history of each level.
” His silver eyes swept over the room. “First, the first tier: body augmentation. How many of you obtained this?” About ten hands went up.
“Good, good. Second tier?” Six more hands, Ryan’s among them.
“And third?” Four.
“And fourth?” He hesitated on the question, as if bracing himself.
The silence was thick. I looked around the classroom; no one moved.
My heart pounded as I slowly raised my hand.
The only one. Quinnell’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly.
“Cadet Yarrows. And what god or goddess bestowed their gift to you?”
“Hemera. The Sun Goddess,” I answered, my voice smaller than I meant. A ripple of whispers ran through the space like wildfire. Some cadets stared at me as though I had sprouted horns. Others looked… scared. I sank lower in my seat, wishing I could disappear.
“I see,” Quinnell said, his expression carefully neutral.
“So, it seems we do have a god-chosen among us. Congratulations on surviving.” His gaze flicked over the rest of the cadets.
“To all of you.” He turned back to the board.
“Now, let us discuss the origins of body augmentation.” I barely heard him.
My chest felt tight. Great. Now not only was I bound to Aiden, but the whole class thought I was some freak touched by fire.
Afterwards, I gathered my things. “I’ll catch up with you later, Ryan,” I murmured. He nodded and left while I lingered at the front of the room. “Professor? Can I ask you something?”
He looked up from his parchments, adjusting his spectacles. “Yes, cadet Yarrows?”
I hesitated, chewing my lip. “For the god-chosen… have you ever known of them being able to communicate with the god or goddess who chose them?”
His eyes widened, though he hid it quickly. “Communicate? As in… direct contact?”
“Yeah.”
He frowned, rubbing his chin. “I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of such a thing. Not in all my years of study. Though… if anyone would know more, it would be Professor Firebeard. After all, he was chosen by the god of war. But why do you ask? Have you…?” His gaze sharpened.
“No,” I lied quickly. “Just curious.”
“Hmm.” He leaned back, still studying me like he didn’t quite believe me.
I swallowed. “One more thing. Is it possible for a god-chosen to resemble their god or goddess? I mean… in appearance?”
Now his interest was truly piqued. He straightened, his brows lifting.
“That is… curious. In all the texts I’ve read, there is no definitive proof, but many myths suggest a kinship.
That some are selected not only for strength but for blood.
Or resemblance. Perhaps even reflection.
The gods… often work in ways we cannot predict. ” A chill crept up my spine.
“Thank you,” I murmured, turning to go.
“Cadet Yarrows.” His voice stopped me at the door. I turned. His expression was unreadable. “The Sun Goddess is ancient. Powerful. You would do well to learn her history. I recommend The Way of the Light. You may find… more answers than you expect.”
I nodded. “Thanks, Professor.” But as I left, my mind was reeling. Answers, maybe. But I was starting to wonder if the questions would destroy me first.
That night, when the dorms were finally quiet, and the moon hung low in the sky, I slipped out of my room.
A magelight flickered to life in my palm, casting a soft blue glow over the stone walls as I padded down the torch-lit halls.
Professor Quinnell’s voice echoed in my head.
“I recommend The Way of the Light. You may find… more answers than you expect.” So that’s what I was after.
Answers. Anything that might explain what it truly meant to carry the light, or how, gods willing, I could break this bond to Aiden before it consumed us both.
Because if I were being honest, there was nothing worth saving between the two of us.
The library extended over three levels, a cathedral of stone and shadow.
Torches guttered low in their sconces, light dancing across endless rows of shelves.
The air smelled faintly of parchment and dust. I headed straight for the Gods and Goddesses section, weaving between bookshelves stacked high with tomes bound in cracked leather and heavy clasps.
My fingers skimmed over spines as I searched for the one Quinnell had named.
The Way of the Light. Thick enough to hold history, prophecy, anything.
Maybe it would tell me what Hemera wanted from me.
And perhaps it would reveal to me how to undo her will.
A sound broke the silence. Footsteps. The magelight sputtered out at my whispered command, plunging me into shadow.
My breath caught in my throat as I crouched low between the shelves, heart thundering against my ribs.
And then—Wham!
Someone slammed into me from behind, and we both screamed.
“Luna!”
“Ryn!” We stood there, both of us gasping, clutching our chests.
“Gods, you scared the shit out of me,” I commented, exhaling.
“You scared me!” she countered, placing a hand over her chest.
“What are you even doing here?” I asked, brushing hair from my face.
“Grabbing extra books. I’m struggling in history, and I figured I’d get ahead.” Her shoulders relaxed a bit, and I did the same.
“I can help you study,” I offered. “My dad basically drilled every piece of Arcanna history into my brain since I could read.”
She gave me a grateful smile. “Thanks. That’d actually be really helpful.” I turned back to the shelves, fingers brushing the worn spines, scanning for anything on celestial bonds or Hemera’s lineage.
“What about you?” Luna asked, raising a brow. “What are you doing here?”
I sighed. “If you haven’t heard, Aiden and I are apparently mated. Sun and Moon powers, so now I’m stuck with him. and I’m looking for anything, anything that says this bond can be broken.”
“Why would you want to break it? Aiden’s hot,” she replied, her olive-green eyes glinting mischievously.
I shot her a look. “He may be hot, but he’s also an arrogant, insufferable asshole. You didn’t grow up with him…I did.”
Luna blinked. “Wait… you grew up with Aiden?”
“Yeah, and trust me, it wasn’t pleasant. You know how people say if a boy picks on you, it means he likes you?” I scoffed. “Yeah, no. Not the case here. Aiden picked on me because he actually hated me. He called me weak. Frail. Even gave me the nickname Ruin.”
“Why Ruin?” she asked, genuinely curious.
“Because this one time I knocked over this statue in the garden and he got more in trouble than me, hence the nickname was born. But I also get this sense, and maybe it’s the bond but that he legitimately hates me to the core.
And I’m not even really sure why, I can’t think of doing anything to him that would make him hate me this much, if anything I was the one being picked on,” I paused, pulling a thick, leather-bound book from the shelf titled Divine Bonds.
I even happened to find The Way of the Light.
“Anyway,” I added, “we should leave before we get caught. I really don’t want to add punishment to my to-do list.”