Successor Page 11

I give her a grateful smile. “Thanks.” Once she’s gone, I sit next to Leila. “They don’t know what he’s planning. All we think we know for sure is he knows I’m here, and I’m not an elemental yet.”

  “So what are you supposed to do in the meantime? Sit around and wait for the Link to decide it wants into your head? Hell, that guy could send a dozen assassins after you by then.”

  “I can’t speed things up, Lei.” I take one of her hands in mine. “Look, I talked to Ren earlier, and he thinks it might be a good idea if I try doing some training before the redirection—you know, sort of a mental prep to help it stick.”

  Her brows lift a fraction. “Do you think it’ll help?”

  “I don’t think it’ll hurt. Plus, he agreed to teach me some self-defense stuff to be on the safe side.”

  She shakes her head. “So that’s why you weren’t in the tree when that guy tried to get in.” She narrows her eyes, plucking her hand away. “You were off flirting with Mr. Half-Naked.”

  My eyes go wide. “I was not flirting.”

  “I was terrified when I couldn’t find you, you know that?”

  Exasperation makes my sigh come out in a huff. “Look, I’m sorry. I couldn’t sleep and I didn’t want to wake you.”

  “So you decided to go cozy up to your new crush and leave me sick in bed?”

  “There was a guard right outside the tree.” The words come out louder than I mean them to, making me cringe. Keeping my voice down, I add, “And he is not my crush. I don’t even like the guy.”

  “Oh no?” She regards me with a challenge in her eyes. “So you were out wandering the village, and you two happened to cross paths?”

  “Yes.” I sound a little too defensive for my own liking. “I was sitting out by the fire and he saw me. He got twitchy about me being outside.”

  “So he insisted on staying with you?”

  I open my mouth to reply but stop, realizing I’m about to dig myself into a hole. Leave it to Leila to sniff out gossip at a time like this.

  “No.” The reluctance in my tone is obvious enough to make me grimace.

  “Because…”

  I glower at her. “Because I invited him to stay.”

  “Ha! I knew it,” she declares with a smug smirk.

  “That doesn’t prove anything.”

  “Oh really? Then what did the two of you talk about?” Her eyes take on a teasing gleam. “Or did you skip the small talk and go straight to making out?”

  I sigh, trying not to let her goad me. “We talked about Taustin.”

  Lei sobers from her teasing as I tell her about Taustin’s raids, how he’d turned against the clan. The tragedy of what happened to Ren’s family makes my heart hurt for him all over again. I tell Lei everything Ren told me about that day, including my mother’s intervention. “My protection is personal to him.”

  “I can see why. I’m sure he feels indebted to your mom.”

  “Can you imagine it, Lei? Losing your entire family, all at once like that?”

  “And right in front of him, too.”

  The sadness of it makes me shake my head. “You know, I’ve always wished I had known my mom, even for a little while. But to think of how much harder losing her would’ve been if I had…”

  Leila shakes her head, too. “No wonder he is the way he is. What happened had to have messed him up.”

  “I think he used his training as a distraction. Having something to focus on must’ve helped.”

  She gives me a devious grin. “Something tells me he has a new distraction now.”

  “Don’t go there.”

  “What, he didn’t try to kiss you?”

  “No.” Too defensive. Again. Damn.

  She grins, giving me a knowing look. “He didn’t, but you wanted to. Tramp.”

  I open my mouth to retort but close it again. She knows me well enough to know when I’m lying. I opt for a version of the truth instead. “There was potential for it. Happy?”

  She shifts to her elbows, twisting on one and resting the other on her side, wiggling her feet behind me. “So neither of you went for it?”

  “No. There was just…tension.” Playing with the chain on my wrist, I remember the feel of Ren’s fingertips grazing my palm and the inside of my arm.

  “Hey.” Leila nudges my back with her knee. “You didn’t get all weird on him or anything, did you?”

  “Weird? No, why?”

  “You look like you might be having second thoughts about it.”

  I scoff. “Nothing happened to establish first thoughts. That’s the way it should stay.”

  Her brows pull together. “Why?”

  “Why? You realize we’re in a different dimension, right?”

  “So? He’s human, isn’t he? It’s not like he’s an alien or anything.”

  Leila has always been on my case about my personal life. She insists I never get out, and even when I do, she finds something wrong with any guy who looks my way. The fact she’s showing Ren any favor at all is a little disconcerting.

  A headache starts pulsing behind my eyes. “This situation is crazy enough already. I don’t need anything else complicating it.”

  She chuckles. “It doesn’t have to complicate things, Ev. Sometimes it’s just chemical. You can’t really help it or stop it. Fighting it can be more work than just letting it happen.”

  I shift back on the bed, pulling her feet on my lap. “Even if it is that simple—and I’m not saying it is—that doesn’t mean I should.”

  “Oh come on, why not? It’s not like you have a guy waiting back home.”

  “No, but that place is still home, Lei. And we’ll be going back as soon as possible. You can’t stay here much longer; you’ll just get worse.”

  “Trust me, I’m ready to get out of here. But we’re stuck until the redirection thing happens, and the medicine Kirahl makes has been helping.” She shrugs the shoulder she isn’t leaning on and smiles. “With a crazy situation, having a little fun is almost appropriate. Maybe even necessary.”

  “Necessary?”

  “You know, as a stress reliever. What would it hurt?”

  I bring my hands to my face, rubbing the exhaustion from my eyes. “Let’s not encourage a bad idea.”

  ****

  The melody is beautiful in its simplicity, its bittersweet edge pulling it from one verse to the next. It’s one of those songs that could continue on forever if it wanted to, the harmonies and discords competing and relieving each other. As a whole, it creates a sense of longing for something unnamed that will always remain just out of reach.

  Not fully woken yet, and already I love the tune. It’s the kind of music I find inspiration in. The kind I turn to if my own melodies start to challenge me. Something unique about this piece intrigues me, but I can’t put my finger on it.

  I stretch from my fingers to my toes, pulled from sleep by humming coming from the next room. I rub my eyes and yawn, listening for another minute before pushing myself out of bed. Leila is sound asleep in the adjacent bed, sans snoring.

  Kirahl, the source of the music, stands behind the largest table in the main room. As usual, she’s busy separating leaves and berries into dishes.

  “That’s beautiful.” A warm breeze flows into the hollow through the entrance, fluttering my hair around my shoulders. “Did you come up with it?”

  “It is a traditional Laraek song. The people perform it in some way on the morning of a union ceremony.” She looks up from her work and smiles. “It is a way of sending well wishes to the pair.”

  A pile of leaves sits on the table in front of me. I pick up one, twirling it by its stem. “That’s interesting. I wouldn’t have guessed that’s what it’s for. It’s not the sort of melody I’d associate with the occasion.”

  She gives me a curious look. “Why do you think not?”

  I shrug, setting the leaf back where I found it. “It seems kind of poignant, I guess. I would think you’d have a song that’s a little happier for
a celebration.”

  “Life rarely unfolds as planned. The melody acknowledges the tribulations and fortunes a pair will inevitably encounter.”

  Her words bring to mind some of the songs I’ve written, and I cross my arms without thinking. The contact makes me suck air through my teeth, and I curse under my breath.

  Kirahl reaches for a dish on a shelf behind her and rounds the table, taking one of my arms in her hand. “What happened to the wraps?” She smears ointment over my cuts and scrapes. The dull ache soon subsides, and I twist my arm to give her better access.

  “I wanted to let my arms breathe for a bit.” She gives me a look and I’m quick to add, “I was going to put them back on, but the intruder showed up.” A sudden onslaught of memories from last night’s ruckus hits me. “Any word on the scouting party?”

  “Not yet.” She applies the salve to my other arm, her gaze on my wounds.

  “Do you think they’re okay?”

  Another set of leaves to cover the injuries. “The scouts are all very capable.” Kirahl wraps twine over the leaves, tying it off at my elbows.

  “Capable or not, I’m still going to worry. It’s my fault they’re out there in the first place. If Taustin wasn’t after me, you’d have peace here.”

  “The Laraek have not known true peace for some time now. Before Taustin became our enemy, he destroyed much favor we had with the neighboring clans.”

  “How so?” I smooth a hand over the leaves as she returns to the table.

  “He believed the known clans should follow the guidance of a single leader rather than govern themselves, as each has always done. Many believed his view was that of the Laraek as a whole. Our relationships with the other clans have improved since his departure, but there is still friction between us.”

  “Do you think he would’ve tried to force their cooperation if he hadn’t been removed from his post?”

  “Undoubtedly.” She picks berries off one of the branches. “The elders did not support his ambitions, and neither did your mother. Without her help, he would not have been able to attain his goal to the same effect as he sought.”

  “Why not? Because some of the other clans have elementals of their own?”

  She nods. “One does not engage an elemental in combat unless there is a contender of equal power.”

  Leaning forward on the table, I brace myself on my arms and pick up a small branch. “Was she powerful?”

  Kirahl takes in a deep breath. “When a bonder becomes an elemental, she must train to hone her ability. It may take her several months of constant practice before she possesses enough skill. Sianne was different, though. She gained control of her ability at a very early point in her development and was primed for her function in a matter of days. Her connection to her element was faultless.”

  My eyes go wide. “Days?” My shoulders slump, my gaze falling to the branch in my fingers. “That’s a little intimidating.”

  “Word of her power spread throughout the lands to the other clans and beyond. Challenges for Laraek territory were withdrawn, as were other threats.” She glances at me with the hint of a smile. “Sianne allowed the Laraek to gain a sense of security we had not known for quite some time.”

  I sit back, dejected. “That’s a lot to live up to.”

  “We do not expect you to produce the same results, given this is all new to you. Sianne had prepared since childhood. I expect your training will take longer than most.”

  If I was planning to stay. I push the thought aside. One issue at a time.

  “Ren and I were talking about that last night. Since my mother couldn’t help me prepare, he suggested I ask the elders for guidance.” I shrug. “I think anything will help at this point.”

  Kirahl nods. “A wise decision.”

  “He’s agreed to teach me how to fight. Considering what happened last night, I don’t think it’s a bad idea.”

  “The elders would approve, I am certain.” She sets the divested branch in the appropriate pile and reaches for another full one. “You seem more at ease about him than before.”

  I blink in surprise. I don’t want to go into detail about last night’s conversation with him. Thanks to Leila, I already have thoughts floating around in my head that shouldn’t be there. The last thing I need is more advice.

  “I think I just understand him a little better now.” Plucking a few berries from a branch, I drop them in a dish. “He told me about what happened to his family.”

  Kirahl’s eyes widen a little. “He spoke of his past?” She drops a few dried leaves into a mortar of stone before picking up its pestle mate. She grinds the leaves to powder, adding more as she goes. “Ren suffered great tragedy at an early age, more than what most adults could bear. After that happened, he seemed to find comfort in Sianne.”

  “Because she saved him?”

  “I imagine so.” She plucks a few berries from the dish and squeezes their juices into the mortar, grinding the contents together. “After her disappearance, he withdrew into himself. When he started training for his post, he seemed to regain his focus, but he was never the same.” Sadness fills her eyes. “As a child he was quite high-spirited and carefree. That boy is a distant memory of the man he has become.”

  The berry I pluck from the dish rolls between my fingers. “Do you think he’ll ever find that part of himself again?”

  She looks up, still mixing the contents in the mortar. “Perhaps one day.” The hint of a sad smile touches her lips. “If he finds a reason to look for it.”

  Movement at the entrance catches my eye as a man steps inside, one I’ve seen a few times around the village. He strides across the room toward Kirahl with such purpose, he must be her mate, Kais.

  Kirahl barely has time to set down the mortar and pestle before he pulls her into a tight embrace, whispering into her ear. They hold each other for several long moments, and I wonder if I should excuse myself.

  Before I can move away from the table, Kais presses a tender kiss to Kirahl’s temple and holds her out at arm’s length.

  “Have there been any further disturbances since last night?”

  “None.” She shakes her head and he releases her.

  My pulse jumps, remembering Kais had been with the scouting party. “Did you catch the guy? Was anyone hurt?”

  “We tracked him to the territory bounds, but he evaded us. We found no other outlanders in our pass, which suggests he was an informant acting alone.”

  “So no one was hurt?” I ask, anxious.

  “Aside from the intruder, no. No one was injured.”

  A relieved breath forces its way out. If anyone would’ve gotten hurt because of me, I’d be furious with myself. Regardless of Taustin wreaking havoc before I came here, his current actions are because of me, and for that the blame is mine. He won’t stop coming for me until I transition into an elemental, which could happen at any time. I need to be ready.

  “I need to talk to the elders. Is it okay for me to be out in the village?”

  “Yes.” Kais places his hand at Kirahl’s back. “The clan is on high alert. You will be safe.”

  “Thank you.”

  Settling my bag against my hip, I’m out of the healing lodge and heading for the council garden. I press my hand against the ball through the canvas. “If we’re going to do this, let’s not half-ass it.”

  The ball vibrates. The Link agrees.

  Chapter Eleven

  It’s impossible to relax with the gazes following me as I head toward the council garden. I wasn’t ten feet from the healing lodge when the whistle sounded, alerting the entire village that I was out in the open.

  Everyone in the center is in motion as the clan prepares for tonight’s union ceremony. Children sit near the fire pit decorating sticks by tying the stems of wild flowers to them. There’s a wooden gazebo under construction near the courtyard as people work on large garlands of flowers and vines. Batches of fruits, vegetables, and breads line the center’s perimeter as
people bustle about.

  Upon entering the council garden, I find the elders sitting in the same places they were yesterday, when I learned who I really am. They look up and wait as I weave my way through the foliage down the path toward them.

  “Good day,” Maemon greets me with a polite smile. “How are you?”

  I wring my hands together. “I’ve heard the scouts weren’t able to catch the intruder.”

  The elders look solemn and Maemon says, “No. They did not.”

  “And you think he was an informant acting alone?”

  “That is our conclusion, yes.” Her gaze drops to my hands for moment, and her brow furrows. “Do you think otherwise?”

  “No, it’s just—” I hesitate, bouncing my hands as I organize my thoughts. “What would he be looking for? Taustin already knows I’m here. If he wants me dead, wouldn’t he just send one or two of his guys to get the job done?”

  The other two elders share a look as Maemon replies, “His motive is unclear at this time. Your death would remove you as an obstacle, but another bloodline would take on the trait. The effort would be for nothing.”

  My hands fidget over each other as I focus on the table, trying to make sense of things. “Well if he’s not trying to kill me, then he must want something from me—something he wants me to do, or something I have…” The words die on my lips, and my hand falls to the ball at my hip. “He wants the Link.”

  Maemon holds up her hand. “We do not know what he wants.”

  “But you wouldn’t rule it out as a possibility, right?”

  Her gaze roves my face, the wrinkles at corners of her eyes deepening. Whatever is going through her head, I get the feeling she didn’t expect me to come up with this.

  Does she think I’m an idiot or something?

  Her hand lowers, and her lips thin into a grim line. “It is a potential motive, yes.”

  Puzzlement makes me lift my shoulders and shake my head. “Why? What could he do with it? I mean, it can’t be destroyed. It’ll return to the Origin if the ball gets damaged.”

  She clasps her hands together in her lap. “Considering the rareness of your condition, there could be a number of reasons he would pursue an unbonded Link. No man has ever assimilated with one before, so it is possible he may be seeking a way to establish himself as a suitable host.”