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Bion and I had a strange history between us. Centuries ago, we’d been best friends and so much alike that people joked we were twins. Somewhere along the line, our friendship had turned to rivalry. I couldn’t even pinpoint when the competition between us started. Maybe he dated someone I liked? Or maybe I’d hurt one of his friends? A whisper here, a snarky comment there. We weren’t bitter rivals, and we didn’t hate each other, but he wouldn’t have been the first person I’d have called if I needed help.
When the Elders had sent him to Earth, I hadn’t been pleased. He was the last man on any world I would want around my mate.
What I hadn’t expected was the way his guard had dropped around Zosime. Instead of being his obnoxious, arrogant self, he truly worried about what Zosime wanted and what she might need. He’d even shown a sensitivity for her emotions. It was incredible.
Bion liked women. No, that is an understatement. Bionlovedwomen, and women adored Bion.
But never once in our long lifetime had I seen him show genuine affection for a woman, enough to defy our leaders to fight for. Something had changed in him, and I suspected it was the same thing that had changed in me when I met Zosi all those years ago.
When Bion had first blinked onto our boat, I’d been ready to do whatever it took to keep him away from my girl. But rather than doing the task he was sent to do, Bion had removed Lily, thus relieving Zosi’s biggest stressor at that moment.
When the Elders had taken me and kept me locked in confinement with their magik, in order to use me as bait to draw Zosime into our world ahead of her schedule, Bion had been there for her. He’d even taken the time to visit me, giving me updates on how she was doing. It was unexpected, but I’d appreciated it more than I’d ever admit.
The Bion sitting beside me wasn’t the same man I’d known for countless millennia. I found myself trusting him.
Closing my eyes, I tried in vain to find the mate beacon. I dropped my head into my hands. “It’s not there. She’s not there.”
“What do you mean, you can’t feel the bond?” Bion asked. “Did you bond correctly? A bond between Ancients gives them the ability to always know where their mate is. How could you have lost her?”
Okay, there was the Bion I remembered.
“I’m well aware of how bonding among Ancients works,” I snapped. “But I’m telling you, I cannot feel her in the bond.”
“What are we going to do, man?” The pitch of his voice rose an octave as the same panic that was flooding my chest was affecting him too. “How did this happen? It’s supposed to be impossible! She shouldn’t be able to teleport from place to place on Iolatara. No one can do that. She shouldn’t be able to block us from her mind.”
“And she shouldn’t be able to mask the mate bond,” I added. My mind was spinning, struggling to accept reality.
Bion stood and began hurriedly repacking our backpacks. I watched him, unable to pull myself from my heartbroken stupor.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Packing our crap so we can go after our girl.” I raised a brow.Our girl? “She’s a warrior and won’t leave until her work on Iolatara is finished. If we find the tainted Ancients, we will find Zosime.” Bion zipped the backpacks, tossing mine at me.
I struggled to think clearly through the fog in my mind. “What about these bodies?”
“Who cares?” Bion shrugged carelessly. “Lo, we made a serious mistake in doubting her. Clearly, the Ancients affected by the Lure had found a way to mask it from other Ancients. Why else would they be in here with weapons to kill us? That means Zosime is the only chance we have to cleanse Iolatara and Earth.”
Bion was right. Zosime had known and had taken matters into her own hands. But instead of jumping up ready to protect her, we’d questioned her judgment and broke her trust. My stomach twisted. I pushed to my feet. “We need to go now.”
Lifting my pack, I strode out into the cool night air with Bion hot on my heels. I would find my Soyale, and spend the rest of my life apologizing if necessary.
* * *
We hikedthrough the morning without stopping. All Ancients had the disadvantage of their powers being slightly limited since we were on Iolatara. For some reason when we’d established this planet as our home, we’d liked the idea of living a more normal life with dampened magik. But after trekking for hours on end, I was cursing my inability to blink wherever I pleased as I could on Earth. Sure, I could have created a vehicle out of midair, but the rough and ever-changing terrain would have made it impossible to use.
It was around noon when we came across a tiny smoldering campfire.
“This must have been where the two Ancients who attacked us in the cave camped last night.” I kicked angrily at the ashes, needing to release some of the pain and fury that had built in my chest.
Bion nodded. “They weren’t careful about covering their tracks. If we’re lucky, we can follow their tracks back to the main camp… and hopefully, Zosime.”
Without saying another word, we kept moving. The next hours were spent tracking. Several times we were forced to backtrack and try a different path because footprints had been disturbed or completely disappeared due to wading through a creek or walking across stretches of smooth stone. But thankfully, the trail was otherwise clean. They had truly expected to kill us all and leave no one left to follow their trail. A shiver traveled my spine. How could an Ancient break their oath and be willing to kill another?
It was around noon when we came to a steep outcropping of stones. Glancing below, I could see a small encampment. I couldn’t spot Zosime, and the separation was bringing me to the brink of insanity, but I could sense the presence of other Ancients nearby, which meant Zosime was likely nearby… hunting her prey. This was it.
Motioning for Bion to stop, I signaled for him to stash his stuff in a hollowed-out trunk of a tree that sat behind some thick bushes. I didn’t want us to be weighed down with my gear should I find an opportunity to assist Zosime.
Bion quietly stashed his gear alongside mine, and with careful steps, he settled behind another stone. His sharp eyes scanned the camp below.
