“Kaos and Solace have found a way to . . . affect the humans from their prison.”
Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.
“What?” It was a frightened whisper that had her tapping her foot again.
“I’m just as surprised as you, daughter. Though, it appears that Meru simply cannot hold the power that flows through their immortal veins.” A second crack of thunder punctuated my words, and I gestured above us.
She gulped, her throat constricting with the movement. “What is it you require of me?”
“Runes,” I said immediately. “I want you to fortify this place and their prison. Scramble their messages. Intercept how they’re communicating with their descendants. Something,anythingto slow them down. Elyria, my Children, are not ready yet.”
“That will take time,” she said.
“Yes, I imagine it will,” I replied with little remorse. She was on the hook for this last favor, and I was hoping she hadn’t yet found the loophole . . .
“I will start once my ends are wrapped up in Elyria. Give me three days.” Then she turned on her heel and strode from the room.
Well, fuck. She found the loophole.I smiled despite the circumstances. She was always the best at puzzling through situations and finding the limits to my demands.
The air pulsated once more as the magical storm above me undulated in the sky.
Thunder cracked again as I absently stroked the Strings of Fate.
“Well, Children, it’s time to dance,” I said absently as I started to weave my machinations into the fabric of Elyria’s reality.
Part Two
PRESENT DAY
Chapter 9
Ellowyn
“Do you acknowledge the sovereignty of Lord d’Refan and swear to serve the Northern Alliance?” I asked the couple standing in front of my small table in the temple. The Mage was older, probably closer to my father’s age than my own, and was relatively fit, with dark-brown hair and eyes to match. His chosen Vessel was definitely closer to my age, with deep-brown skin and bright amber eyes. The Vessel twined and untwined her hands as I spoke, her Mage gently stroking her neck and cheek every so often. The touch visibly relaxed the Vessel and warmed my heart.
They’ll have no issue with the intimacy of the Bond. The thought made me smile.
They were here for a Bonding Ceremony—one that would tie them together forevermore. But the Bond was more than just a binding union—when a Mage and Vessel Bonded, it allowed the Mage to use the Vessel as a storehouse and conduit for their magic, effectively negating the need for crystals by supplying a flow of Essence on tap. Bonds between Mages and Vessels were becoming increasingly rare, and I was always excited to assist in an elusive Bonding Ceremony. There were always side effects to the Bonds—both physical and emotional—and my responsibility as a BondSpecialist in the temple was to prepare and assist couples in any way required.
Sometimes that even meant I had to help facilitate the more . . . intimate portions of the Bonding, if the couple struggled.
Hopefully that won’t be the case today.
The couple nodded their heads with barely audible murmurs of agreement.
I smiled toothily before tucking an errant strand of my long blonde hair behind my ear and continuing with the required intake questions.
“Great! Then we can continue with the Bonding process. My name is Ellowyn and I’ll be your Specialist. You can ask me whatever lingering questions you have before and after the ceremony, and I’ll be around to help guide you through the process. An acolyte will perform the ceremony, but all other care will be left to me.” I rose from my desk, papers clutched in my hands, and gestured for the men to follow me.
“If you’ll just follow me, I’ll take you to a private room where we’ll finish our paperwork and complete the ceremony.”
My soft slippers padded soundlessly across the polished stone floor as we wound our way through the temple. There were various sections and rooms within the temple—some were private, others public—but all served some sort of purpose for worshiping the gods Fate, Kaos, and Solace. We weaved through the main worship room littered with statues of all three deities and a spattering of offerings at the base of each. Anyone was welcome, and encouraged, to worship at the gods’ altars, but the more private ceremonies were conducted away from prying eyes.
We reached a small door set into the back wall of the cavernous worship room, and I clicked a random pattern of stone buttons, which permitted access to the rooms beyond.
“Please follow me. The door will close automatically behind us, and I would hate for you to be separated from your guide.” I shot them another winning smile and was awarded a slight tilt of lips in response. Most couples were nervous to be Bonded, and I always tried my best to put them at ease.
Once the door closed behind the couple, I led them through a hallway that was dimly lit and randomly interspersed with plain wooden doors.
