I grinned at the wayward memory of the day after my group’s celebration—I’d puked on the edges of the training yard and was forced to bury it by hand.
Good times.
After a few hours of celebration with the cadets, Ilyas and I moved to leave but not before we saw Torin and Ellowyn quietly sneak out of the mess hall one right after the other.
Ilyas and I shared a questioning look and I simply shook my head. It was more than clear that there was somethingmorehappening between them, and it wasn’t my place to stop it. Quite honestly, after everything that girl had lived through, she deserved a slice of happiness.
The Academy was relatively quiet and subdued as we trudged upstairs to our room. I was looking forward to a long, luxurious bath before sliding beneath the covers and pulling my Bonded close; at least Ilyas. I had no idea if Sasori was even in the room and, if she was, if she would sleep in our bed.
I frowned slightly as I pushed open our door to see piles of random things in the sitting room, bags lying open on the couch. A few books were stacked, as well as a handful of trinkets I’d bought or made Sasori over the years. Her underwear and black bra bands peeked out from the top of one bag while her Mage blacks were carefully folded into another.
“Sasori?” I called hesitantly and heard her pad into the sitting room from our bedroom. She stood in the doorway, arms folded and posture tense, while a stray nightgown dangled from a clenched fist.
“I didn’t think you’d be back so soon,” was all she said in greeting and explanation.
“What is this?” I hissed, gesturing with an open palm to everything.
Sasori simply shrugged.
Sheshrugged.
“I’m moving out for a while,” she said flippantly before turning back into the bedroom, presumably to gather more items. I stared, mouth agape, at her back before turning my incredulous expression to Ilyas. He offered me a sad, resigned smile before finding an open space on the couch and plopping down, knitting already in his lap.
Anger flushed my cheeks, and I balled my fists as I stomped after my Vessel into the bedroom.
“Sasori!” I exclaimed as she pulled her nightclothes from the armoire in the corner. She didn’t answer me at first, opening and closing the doors and drawers instead.
“Sasori!” I barked, and her movements finally halted before she turned slowly to look at me, her head cocked to the side.
“Yes?”
“I—I don’t understand, what is happening? Why are you packing? Where are you going?”
Sasori scoffed. “Please, Lex. Like you don’t know why I’m leaving. This”—she gestured between us with a pointer finger—“is unsustainable. This Bond that we forced is parasitic, now. I no longer want it, I no longer need it. My father arranged for me to come back to Samyr as part of the Vessel exchange Lord d’Refan so desired. So, I’m leaving. I’m going home, back to where I belong.”
My mouth hung open, words evading me completely.
“W-what?” I finally stammered, my heart hammering in my chest. I felt like my soul was splitting, like I’d surely break into two.
Sasori sighed and closed her eyes, rolling her neck from side to side.
“Please don’t tell me you thought this was going to fix itself.” Her voice was tired and resigned, any fight that should have been present completely lacking.
“What about our Bond?” I pulled my sleeve up and tapped her Bond Mark. “We’reBondedSasori. You can’t just . . . walk away from that!”
She gave me a pitying smile and rolled her own sleeve up, exposing a bandaged forearm. I blinked and blanched, all color draining from my face.
“How? When? Why—why didn’t I feel it?” I whispered, voice hoarse as my arms fell back to my side, useless.
“While you were at the training yard this morning. It’s a fairly simple procedure, apparently. The Rune Master didn’t even need to cut my skin all the way off. Just a piece at the top that broke the Bonding.”
“Fay—Fay did this?” My voice cracked as tears ran down my cheeks.
“Don’t cry, Lex. You know I hate it when you cry,” she grumbled before turning back to the armoire. “And, yes, the Rune Master did this. But if it makes you feel better, she didn’t want to. At all. Lord d’Refan made her, as he well should because she ishisRune Master. She was extremely pissed about it though. Something about not knowing the effects on the Mage if she broke the Bond. He said to do it anyway.” She shrugged so nonchalantly, like she truly didn’t care what happened to me now that our Bond was broken.
I absently rubbed my sternum and searched deep inside for the place where her Bond had always pulsated slightly in my soul. It was gone—completely silent.
Sasori swept by me out of the bedroom and I reached out to grab her upper arm. My grip was firmer than I would have liked, and Sasori winced at the contact for a moment. I loosened my fingers but pulled her toward me so I could whisper in her ear.
