And the fantasy of this city vanished.
When it did, I became aware of a gnawing ache in my gut, which made me want to stop and puke. Was I travel sick? I didn’t know how we’d travelled, but that seemed likely. Yet as we hurried onward through the capital, I came to realize this sensation was my connection to Myel, and it clearly didn’t like being this far from him. Even though we’djustrenewed our bond, being such a great distance from my bonded made me feel ill. It wasn’t an overpowering sensation, just awkward and uncomfortable, but I had a feeling it would only get worse.
And running didn’t help. I was forced to stop, yanking on Safir to halt him.
“Wait. I… need a moment,” I huffed, hand on stomach. I put my other hand on a nearby wall and leaned forward. I tried a few dry heaves, but it didn’t help. This wasn’t a physical sickness, not yet. I was soul-sick, not stomach-sick. Still, I hoped maybe one good puke would make me feel better.
“What’s wrong?” Safir asked, clearly upset. “We need to move. It won’t take long for those at the academy to track where we went. And they may not know it was you, but if they did get a good look… well, we can’t be near the sigil point when they arrive!”
“Give me a fucking minute for fucks sake!” I yelled at him. “I feel like I’ve been kicked in the stomach and it’s your fault!”
“My fault? How? I had no clue you’d react to Shadecasting like that?”
“Shade-what?”
“Ley line travel,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. “It’s called Shadecasting or shading. Didn’t they cover that in your magic class?”
“Must be next week’s lesson. And that’snotwhat’s bothering me.” I wanted to heave again but knew it wouldn’t do any good. Instead, I drew in several long, deep breaths.
“This is becauseyoutook me so far from Myel.”
“Preposterous,” Safir snorted. “Your bond can’t be that strong, you’ve only known him a few days.”
Something became clear in that instant. Safir may have been a shifter and known — theoretically — about mating bonds, but he’d clearly never experienced one. He had no clue what I was feeling.
I forced myself to stand, turned Safir to face me — he’d been scanning the road ahead — and slapped him. I made sure to pull the strike. I’d surprised myself last time when I’d seen him crumple to the floor. I hadn’t meant to do that,even if he’d been a jerk. Yet, with my elven nature no longer bound, I really didn’t know my own strength.
He staggered to the wall and leaned on it.
“What in the name of the spirits…?”
“Don’t youeverpresume to know what I’m feeling. I have zero tolerance for men who think they know what’s going on with other people, especially women.I knowwhat I feel.You don’t!” I gave him time to recover, so I could do the same.
“You told Myel he’d be fine, thatwe’dbe fine away from each other, but you had no clue how we’d feel, no clue what you were talking about.”
Safir glared at me. “We don’t have time for this! Suck it up.”
I slapped him again, a little harder. “Yousuck it up.”
He growled and for a second a man-shaped-tiger-being took his place, shimmering in the night.
“Don’t test me,” he snarled.
“Don’t testmeeither,” I warned him. “I don’t like you and you’re not doing anything to change that.
He steadied himself with several deep breaths. “If you don’t like the bond, break it. You can do that now. You’re an elf. And if you can’t, we’ll find someone who can. Myel is unimportant andheknows it.You’rethe only one who doesn’t. Better to break the bond now and be rid of him.”
Wait… what?
Break the bond?
I could do that?
Yet, the shock of that realization was secondary to another much more significant revelation. Safir had no intention of returning to the academy as he’d told Myel. He meant to keep me here and force me — or someone — to break the bond which he saw as a burden.
The realization hit me so hard I staggered back, gasping for air, which wouldn’t come.
My dislike for Safir turned into a raging hatred.
