The Binding (Chronicles of Azaria #1) (21 page)

My hands clenched to fists.

“So,” Adam continued, “who did you get Bound to?”

I kept quiet, not wanting to admit the truth, but I knew Adam wouldn
’t speak until he got an answer. I glanced up to the stained glass Goddess, seeking some courage.

This was going to hurt.

“There was…well, I heard something that night in the Galgiza forest,” I said. “I thought it was a hunter. So I headed out to find someplace else to hide.” My voice grew steadier. “But the thing making all the noise was an injured bear, and it chased me. I ran, but I tripped and sprained my ankle, and it would’ve killed me if not for a man named Ryan.” I twirled the red dart in my fingers. “He shot it and saved me. But before I could say anything, he asked me if I was alright. And that was the end of it.”

Adam murmured
his understanding. I turned back to him. His eyes were closed.

“A life debt,” he said at last, resting his hands on the pew. “I see.”

I looked away. My fear dissipated, and in its place was strangling guilt. Adam wasn’t going to say as much, but I knew he would be raging inside. I should never have set foot outside the clearing. I’d let him down. No—I’d betrayed him.

Adam took a slow breath, then faced me again.

“You said his name’s Ryan?”

I nodded.

“Tell me about him.”

I hesitated. What did he want me to say?

“He’s…he’s a good friend,” I began, uncertain where this was leading. “He’s looked out for me, and he’s been very kind. He told me he was a travelling bounty-hunter, though I think he’s actually a noble’s son.”

“You
think
he’s a noble’s son? Hasn’t he told you himself?”

“Not in great detail,” I said. “I mean, he has a custom built crossbow like the one you always wanted, and a thoroughbred horse, so he must be from a rich background. He
’s also been on the run, and we’ve had a few close escapes, but he’s never spoken about who’s after him or why.”

“
You didn’t think it was relevant to question that?” Adam was opening and closing his fist; a sure sign he was agitated.

“Oh, I
’ve asked,” I said. “I just never get a straight answer.”

“Huh. So he lies about who he is and why he
’s travelling alone, then he drags you into a mess of his own making, and to top it off he shoves you into the firing line of his enemy. Yeah, I’d say he’s a
really
good friend.”

“Adam, knock it off!” I placed my hand on his arm, the tension in his muscles transmitting to my fingertips. Why was he working himself up like this? “It
’s more complicated than that. Ryan didn’t want to frighten me. In fact, we lost the man chasing us quite recently, and he promised he’d explain everything once we reached Dhjerba.”

“Why
’d he leave it so late?” Adam asked. “Didn’t he care he was putting you in danger? If he’s Bound to you, he shouldn’t have kept any secrets.”

“Well…” I stared at my feet. “I
’m not exactly innocent, either.”

“What do you mean?”

I swallowed.

“I…um…I haven
’t…well, I haven’t actually told him he’s Bound to me.”

Adam
’s eyes bulged.

“
What
?”

“I was going to,” I added hastily, “but things kept…getting in the way, and…”

“Hasn’t he shown any signs?” Adam blurted. “You’ve been together long enough. How can he not know?”

“That
’s what confuses me,” I said, frowning. “Sometimes he acts like you’d expect for someone under the spell, but other times he keeps our relationship strictly friendly. He doesn’t seem compelled by false feelings.” I lowered my voice to a whisper. “Unlike me.”

Adam didn
’t answer. He dropped a hand into his pocket and stared at the altar. I tensed, waiting for his reaction.

Finally he took my hands.

“What do you mean when you say you don’t think he’s compelled?” he asked.

I sighed, running my thumb over his fingers. Rough and calloused, quite unlike Ryan
’s.

“Whenever I
’m near him,” I said, “I get these…urges. The spell pushes all my thoughts aside, until the only thing in my mind is my need to be with him. These attacks strike at random, or whenever the situation suits it. But it never happens the other way around. If Ryan’s ever shown affection towards me, there’s always been a reason for it.”

“Have you kissed him?”

My face flushed. Then I actually processed the words.

“What…What kind of a question is
that
?!” Had so much time away from the garrison turned him into a gossipy washerwoman?

“I want to know,” Adam answered. “So?”

“Well, if it’s that important to you, no, I haven’t!” I snapped. “Not on the lips, anyway.”

“Yet it
’s been almost two weeks,” Adam said, more to himself than to me. “Interesting.”

“What in the Goddess
’s name are you getting at?!”

Adam glanced at me. His grin was back. I
’d forgotten how easily he could wind me up.

“You know, Eliza,” he said, “maybe you
’re missing something here.”

“You
’re going to be missing a few teeth if you don’t explain yourself,” I growled.

“Hey,
relax!” Adam held up his hands. “Think for a second. If what you’ve told me is true, don’t you find it odd that after all this time, Ryan doesn’t seem as, well,
into you
as you supposedly are for him? Even Fiona…”

“Of course it
’s strange!” I cut in, refusing to let him bring up the topic of my sister. “So what am I supposed to make of it? Having never been in a Binding before, I’ve no idea how long it’s supposed to take the magic to work on the other person.” I crossed my arms. “Maybe it’s different for different people.”

“Perhaps,” Adam replied, “but I
’d say two weeks is plenty of time for the spell to work.” He gripped my hands tighter, raising a suspicious eyebrow. “You’re absolutely sure he saved you when you were in your Binding time?”

My affirmation was on my lips, but something held me from saying it aloud. Now I
’d had a chance to talk things through, all those niggles at the back of my mind started to join together. Adam was right. Two weeks alone with a Bound partner was more than generous for the curse to work. Yet I was certain Ryan remained in control of his emotions. Heck, if he’d been under the curse’s thrall at the lake, Adam would have had a lot more to worry about than a mere kiss, that was for sure.

So what did that mean? I hadn
’t been dreaming all these drives that had plagued me since leaving the Galgiza forest.

Had I?

“What are you two doing in there?”

I jumped, and would
’ve fallen off the pew had Adam not caught my arm. We turned to the gate. The bars clanked open, and a red-faced acolyte stormed in. He pointed an accusing finger.

“The prayer hall is closed until the noon service,” he said, trying to remain calm, but I could see the vein bulging on his temple. “Please remove yourselves.”

“Sorry, sorry!” Adam waved his hands in apology. He draped his arm around my shoulders and headed for the gate. The acolyte muttered—I caught a line about ‘really, before Her Holiness
herself!’—
before we were forcefully ejected onto the front steps.

The sharp wind numbed my ears, but I didn
’t have to raise my hood as Adam’s broad frame shielded me. I picked at a fold in his jacket and rubbed it between my fingers.

“You didn
’t answer my question,” Adam said, sliding his hands into his pockets.

I sighed.

“I told you already,” I replied, looking for the peaked roof of the clock tower. “I definitely got Bound that night.”

“But what if…”

I caught his wrist and looked him in the eye.

“Adam, I know it
’s hard to accept, especially when nothing’s happened over the last two years, but I made a mistake, okay? And since that moment Ryan saved me, I can tell something has taken control of my feelings.” I shook my head. “Do you really believe I’d leave everything behind for no reason?”

Adam glanced at the ground.

“You still can’t prove it,” he muttered. “If there’s even the slightest chance you’re wrong…”

“There isn
’t any,” I said. “Whether you believe it or not, you can’t drag me home. Not without Ryan, anyway.”

Adam scowled.

“I’m not going back without you,” he said. “I didn’t ride all this way to let you slip through my fingers. If that means
he
has to come along as well, then so be it.”

“Adam, he won
’t.”

Adam stepped closer.

“He’s not going to have a choice, Eliza. I won’t let him cart you around Azaria indefinitely.” Without warning he curled his arm around my waist, breathing softly against my ear. “I won’t let him take you away from me.”

He stared so intently, I almost forgot to breathe. Gone was the playful teasing; replaced with a deep sincerity I
’d seen only once before. That was after Fiona left, and I’d been an emotional wreck. Back then he’d been my anchor in a sea of despair, promising he’d never let me suffer and would always offer a shoulder to cry on.

Except, I thought bitterly, he hadn
’t, thanks to his Guardsmen training. He hadn’t been there when my parents began making choices for my future, he hadn’t been there to ease my long days of silence and isolation, and he hadn’t been there that night beneath the blue moon to stop my worst nightmare coming true.

I squirmed out of his embrace, wanting some space. Adam
’s hold lingered, but he didn’t deny me. We stood in silence, our gazes averted. I took a particular interest to the mud on my boots. Goddess, where had these thoughts come from? It wasn’t Adam’s fault I’d not seen eye to eye with my parents, or that I’d stepped out of a well-protected clearing to play tag with a bear. Blaming him for my idiocy was completely uncalled for.

My eyes narrowed. Only one thing could
’ve put such spite in my head. It looked like the Binding wasn’t limited to my feelings for Ryan; it would also trick me about my loyalties to my friends. That was pretty malicious, even given the magic’s tactics to date. I rolled my eyes. Yet another reason to keep a closer eye on my actions. Because I didn’t want to…

A shiver ran through my left leg, and my muscles seized with cramp. Gasping, I clamped a hand around my calf, and my limb went floppy. Before I dropped to the floor and smashed my head against the steps, Adam snatched my cloak and hoisted me against him. With his support I tried to stand again, but I couldn
’t hold my balance. His eyes widened.

“Eliza, you
’re shaking. Are you okay?”

I stared into space for a moment, then closed my eyes. The sickness was back.

“Not really,” I murmured. I must still be woozy from reading the runes. Well, if it had taken me three days to recover last time, three-quarters of an hour wouldn’t have done much in comparison.

Adam helped me to a nearby bench, and we sat down. My brow was sweaty.

“What’s going on?” He felt my forehead with the back of his hand. “You don’t look so good.” A panicked expression crossed his features. “Wait, you’re not experiencing Parting, are you?”

“No, no,” I said, holding my head, which had started to throb. “Ryan
’s not that far.” I pointed to the clock tower. “Not more than half a mile, anyway.”

The tension in Adam
’s face lessened.

“So what
’s up?”

I rubbed my eyes, trying to think of an answer. Part of me wanted to blurt out everything about the runes, yet as I bounced around the idea, I found myself less and less keen. Adam was already sceptical about my Binding, and my hallucinations were less believable than that. Plus, he didn
’t seem to have noticed anything in the east wing when he found me. Whatever this was, it seemed to be affecting only me.

I could let him worry about it another time.

“I’m just a bit dizzy,” I said. “It was a bit claustrophobic in the chamber.”

Adam nodded, and tightened his arm around my shoulders.

“Sure,” he said, though the glint in his eyes told me he knew I was hiding something. “Wait here, I’ll fetch you a drink.”

He strode off towards the crowded stalls. I watched him disappear, then let my head roll back to watch the sky.

Things were about to get complicated.

* * * * *

Ryan was waiting at the bar at
The Water and Willow
. He was nursing a mug of ale, his brow creased with worry. I swallowed; he must’ve been sitting around for a while. The tavern was pretty empty, so I made Adam linger a few steps behind. I didn’t want to give the wrong impression.