The Binding

  A knot catches in my throat as I nod.

  “He’s not dead, Lily. He lives. In all the four years that he’s been missing , not once did you believe he was dead ? Tell me , Lily, do you believe that he’s dead now? Do you feel that he is?”

  I know he’s right. Even though I saw the knives bury deep in to his chest and witness ed him disappear into thin air, somehow I know that Lucas is still aliv e. I would feel it if he wasn’t . He’s my brother, after all. I release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

  “No.” I answer quietly.

  “Once he’s healed, he will be back. This time, he ’ll know that Tharin is here , and he will be prepared. He ’ll bring the Ange with him.” Before I can ask, he goes on, “The Ange is an elite squad, personal guards to your brother. There are five of them, each with their own talent for killing. Alone they are no match for Tharin, but together along with your brother, even Tharin will be push ed to his limit.”

  I steal a glance at Tharin, but he’s staring off into the distance. Tharin is the future king of his cl an? I observe his features, young but steady, kind but hard . There i s something else there, a sense of longing, sorrow and anger, mostly anger. He looks at me again as if reading my mind. The scowl returns to his face , but this time I don’t turn from him.

  Tolan calls me to attention, “He’ll be back in two days ’ time. So you see we don’t have time to waste.”

  “Two days? You make it sound as if he’ll return any mome nt, ” I reply.

  “You don’t understand. It will take us at least three days to reach the outskirts of Velesi. We need to hurry , Lily. We need all the time we have .”

  “No,” I answer.

  “No?” repeats Tolan, with disbelief in his voice.

  “I want to know who and what you really are. How were you able to make the arrow go up in flame s ? How do you know where I live? But mostly, I want to know what you know about my brother. Where is he?”

  The room is suddenly quiet, except for Cessa’s purring. I sit watching Tolan, refusing to look at Tharin , afraid that I would only see that smirk on his face again. Why does he hate me?

  “Okay, Lily,” says Tolan quietly. “Are you sure you want to know?”

  “Yes.” I reply without hesitation.

  Tolan reaches for his beanie and removes it slowly. He reaches up and ruffles his hair, but it’s n o t his hair that I’m staring at, it’s his ears. They are shaped like my own except for the gentle upward slope that ends in a soft point at the tip s .

  Without thinking, I blurt out , “You’re a Vulcan?”

  Tharin sits up, disgusted, “We’re Sidhe! For crying out loud, Lily , we’re e lves! Vulcan s ? Seriously?”

  He tears off his beanie, showing his own ears. The roughness with which he pulls off his beanie ruffles his hair even more than Tolan’s . A ll I can think of is how beautiful he is. I want to reach up and smooth his hair back into place. I shut my eyes shaking my head trying to get my thoughts together. Tharin is such a n intimidating distraction.

  Sidhe, e lves? There are e lves in San Diego ? It’s Twenty-Eleven and there are e lves sitting in my living room. I decide to return my focus to Tolan. Even though they ’re twins, I can think more clearly looking at Tolan just knowing he’s not Tharin. In return, Tolan’s stare never wavers. He waits for the information to sink in.

  After a moment, he asks , “Are you ready to hear the rest?” Keepin g quiet, I nod in response .

  “That’s right , Lily . Sidhe, and as my brother so hotly confirmed, we’re not Vulcans, Lily. We’re e lves . Tharin and I are from the Oak Clan, the first house of the Thirteen Clans of Velesi. You, as I mentioned earlier, are from the Willow Clan ― th e second house of the Thirteen Clans of Velesi . Eighteen years ago our parents made a treaty between the two strongest houses ― to bring the two houses together through their heirs ,” he lifts his hands, palms up. “A n arrange d marriage, Lily. That ma rriage would be between the oldest children of each house. That would be you and Tharin.”

  I drop my eyes, not sure how to take it. Ah, so that’s why he’s so angry with me. It’s so obvious that Tharin is annoyed about the whole thing. I’m not quite sure how I feel about it either .

  “The reason why the arrow burned,” continues Tolan, “is because I told it to. Most of the royal blood has some power connected to nature and its elements. We’re able to manipulate it. I willed the arrow to bu rn, and so it did. I’m able to will other elements, as well. Most of our line can, but my will is not as strong as Tharin’s o r yours for that matter.”

  “No,” I say shaking my head. Without looking up, I reply quietly, “I don’t have any powers. I’m just Lily, plain Lily.” I lift my eyes to him and see a smile on his face.

  “Yes, Lily. You. You may not know it yet, but you have control over the most po werful element of all. Your c lan is connected to Mother Earth more so than any of the other clans. You can burn, drown or suffocate any of your enemies with your will alone. You can hear and understand the language of the land around you, the sky above you and the ocean that surrounds you.”

  “I can’t do any of that. I have trouble just listening to my math teacher , let alone hear what the grass in the front yard has to say. You’ve got the wrong person.”

  “How do you think we knew where to find you, Lily?” he asks quietly. “We’ve known where you’ve been from the moment you took your first breath. You a re Senestra’s daughter . When the treaty was sealed between our families, you became one of us. We’ve known where you’ve been since you and your brother left Velesi with your father.”

  “My father?”

  “After the assassination of your mother, Queen Senestra, your father, John Michaels , brought you back to his world. Our king, our father, allowed it as they were like brothers, even though your father was human. When Lucas was taken by the Ange, we knew you were in danger.”

  “So Lucas didn’t leave me? He was taken?” I sit up straight , shock ed and happy at the same time . I knew that Lucas didn’t leave me ! There is so much to ask, to think through. My mother was assassinated? And my father? All my life I was told that my parents were killed after I was born. My father’s brother and his wife took us in and raised us, at least until their own deaths.

  Tolan waves his hand at me to calm me down, “Yes. But your brother has turned to their side . We were unable to reach him.” He lifts his hand to stop me from interrupting, “We kne w that you’d be safer with the s ocial w orker. After you were brought to her, we checked her out and made it possible for her to gain guardianship over you. We cast a shield over your essence and made you invisible to the Ange. That is until you turned eighteen two nights ago. After that, the shield couldn’t hide you anymore. We thought we had more time before the Ange found you, but tonight proved that we were wrong. We had hoped to have at least another day or two before they sensed your whereabouts.”

  “Since my birthday? That was two days ago .”

  Tolan quickly glances over at Tharin before looking back at me slightly embarrassed, “We were held up.”

  I stare at him dumbfounded. “Held up? Is that what happen ed with Lucas? You were held up with him, too?”

  Tolan looks down at his hands unable to look me in the eye. I turn to Tharin. He sits quietly and stares at me unapologetically. It’s clear that he isn’t going to give any explanation or an apology. Disappointed, I turn back to Tolan asking, “You said that Lucas was taken against his will. They took him on his eighteenth birthday?”

  “That’s right,” answers Tolan taking a breath before looking up at me. “The Ange somehow reached him before we did.”

  “So this means that we need to save him , right?”

  Both Tharin and Tolan remain quiet. I look from one to the other, standing up quickly.

  “Why won’t you answer me? We can save him, right?” I ask pleading ly .

  “I’m sorry, Lily,” answers Tolan quietly apologizing. “He is beyond our reach now. If you don??
?t come with us, you may not live to see tomorrow. We can only protect you if you’re with us. Not only that, but the treaty must be honor ed .”

  I stand quietly, pulling my thoughts together. Who are these people to come crashing into my life demanding I leave with them? I don’t want to move. I sense my whole life changing. I know if I leave with them, it will never be the same again .

  I don’t know if I believe their story, but I do know that I want to see my brother again. There is no question about it. I’m going with them to find Lucas. As soon as I mak e the decision, Tharin grabs me by the arm and pulls me close r to him . I didn’t ev en see him get off the armchair. His grip is hard and painful. It feels as if he’s about to dislocate my shoulder.

  He leans in even closer and says, “Listen, I don’t care whether or not you believe us. I don’t care that you think you can reach your brother somehow and change his mind about killing you. I don’t care that you’re afraid and confused. I just don’t care. What I do care about is that a treaty was made between our families . A n oath was taken that my father made and which I intend to keep. You’re not the only one who has lost in this.”

  He shoves me away from him and I barely catch myself, falling back a few steps. Tolan is on his feet with a worried look on his face . Cessa’s up as well. She’s nervous but stays near the sofa . The room is suddenly too quiet and the tension is weigh ing on me.

  I keep my eyes on Tharin as he continues , “You have five minutes to do what you need to do before we leave. If you’re not done, I’ll drag you out of here as you are.”

  I turn and run toward my room. I’m ashamed of my cowardice, but I can’t help it. I believe him and I’m terrified. After all, I really don’t know him . I’ve never known anyone to be so angry with me. It’s more than anger ― it’s hate . I lean against the close d door, surrounded by the safety of the four walls of my room.

  *

  Chapter Ten ~ Tharin ~

  I watch as Lily runs to her room. The sight of her running from me, and the fear I saw in her eyes, bothers me more than I want to admit. I have no idea why. Her arm felt so small in my hand, but I couldn’t help myself when I grabbed her. Her loyalty to her brother pisses me off . It made me want to shake her again. Once again, I feel like the true bastard that she surely must think I am, but time is of the essence and I can’t wait while she makes up her mind. Granted, Lily will eventually have to say the wedding vows willingly , but that doesn’t mean I have to wait for her to willingly go with us. If I have to tie her up and carry her all the way to Velesi, then so be it.

  “Did you have to be so rough with her, Tharin ?” I look over at Tolan and see the disapproval on his face. I didn’t miss the way he stared at her at the park, or how he looked at her while they were conversing. They looked pretty comfortable with one another. I don’t know why that irritates me so much. I look away from Tolan, running my hand through my hair , hoping to shake off some of this uneasiness.

  I feel Tolan come up behind me and lay a hand on my shoulder. As always, he calms me down with his touch . I take a deep breath, but won’t turn to face him.

  “I’ve never seen you be so cruel to one who didn’t deserve it, b rother,” says Tolan removing his hand. “She may not know our ways , but she’ll learn. Give her time to adjust . I t’s a lot that we’ve put on her this night. She actually seems to be holding up pretty well , considering.” After a moment’s pause, he quietly adds, “Besides, she’s beautiful .”

  I glance back at Tolan , my back stiffens, but I make an effort not to clench my fists. It doesn’t matter . He’s no t looking at me , but toward Lily’s bedroom. For the first time in my life , I want to hit my brother in the face. Wh at ’s come over me ? I try to regulate my breathing. I let out a sigh , following his focus to the closed door.

  “We’re in a hurry, brother , ” I answer quietly . “We can’t wait for her to make up her mind. I’m her betrothed. If she can’t decide, I’ll decide for her.”

  Tolan looks at me with a raised brow. I ignore his look . To be honest, I’m ashamed of my actions , especially because of the real reason why we were two days late coming for her. I wanted more time with Kalis, and truthfully, I didn’t want to meet or know Lily. Even though I know I should be sorry, I only become furious at her instead for forcing me to be so hostile . This is all her fault. This whole mission to bring her back, the treaty, the Ange, Lucas …it’s all her fault .

  *

  Chapter Eleven Lily

  I look around my room knowing that after tonight, I may never see it again. Marilyn. I have to leave her a note to let her know that I’m okay and not to worry. She ’ll be leaving for Australia in two days to stay with her sister who recently was diagnosed with throat cancer . Six , maybe seven month s she thought she would be gone. So I just need an excuse that will cover my absence for the next two days before she leaves.

  I rush over to my small desk and quickly write out a note explaining that I would be at Juli a’s house for the weekend. I don’t know if Tharin is really only giving me five minutes, but I’m not taking any chance s . I pull off my sweat pants and top. Grabbing my jeans, I yank them up and button them. I quickly take off my workout bra and find a regular one, slipping it on. I have my t-shirt over my head ready to pull it down when the door flies open. I jump back pulling the shirt down quickly and stare at Tharin standing at the door. I can feel my heart beating hard and just know that he can see it pounding against my shirt.

  He stands for a minute watching me not saying a word, then his face ch anges and the scowl is gone. Silently , he turns and walks back into the front room. I stand looking at the empty doorway, and then mentally slap myself back into action. I don’t bother closing the door again . I grab my boots from the closet and shove my feet into them, tying the laces as quickly as I can. They’re my old hiking boots that I haven’t worn in a few months. I’m leaning over them when a drop of water lands on top of my left boot. A tear…seriously ? Why am I crying now? I haven’t shed a tear since Lucas’ disappearance four years ago , but it seems that’s all I’ve been doing since his reappearance earlier.

  I don’t know how things got to this p oint, but I know that I’m alone, again. I straighten up wiping at my eyes. I don’t know why Tha rin hates me so much, but he did save my life from my own brother. Despite his animosity toward me, I know that one fact is true : He saved my life tonight . Regardless of his feelings for me, I know he’ll protect me from the Ange and from Lucas . I have to also consider both Marilyn’s and Julia’s safety. Julia! Without thinking twice, I take out another piece of paper and write down an address.

  As I stand I find myself looking in the mirror. I look a wreck. Standing in front of me is a girl with hair tied hastily into a ponytail and about ten pounds overweight. My t-shirt is a little tight from the extra pounds I’ve gained the last few months , but it’s not stretched to its limit. My eyes , the color of “light beer ” according to Juli a , are red from crying and tired—looking . I touch the small scratch under my eye and as unbelievable as it is, it’s already healing. The arrow must ha ve barely touched me. I can’t remember, but I thought there was blood . It also hurt more than just a scratch would have .

  I try looking for the girl who a woke this morning, go ing about her business as usual. The girl b efore she found out about a royal heritage and the target on her forehead. So much has happened to night, strange and unbelievable things. I feel disconnected, but mostly, I feel alone. I’ve been alone before, but this time it’s different. It’s not only being alone, but being lonely . The feeling is overwhelming. I hold back the tears and swallow the loneliness. I stare at myself in the mirror. I have a hard time seeing the girl who overslept this morning thinking of nothing but going for a run .

  I sigh dejectedly because I didn’t always look this way. I was in track from junior high through my junior year in high school , on the varsity volleyball team and took martial arts at Mr. Li ’s with Julia for a little more than six months . That
is until Frank found out about it and pulled her out . Without Julia training with me, what was the point in staying on?

  Looking at myself in the mirror , I finally make a decision. I’m done feeling sorry for myself and being scared. I’m going to Velesi to find Lucas and bring him home. What happens after that, we ’ll just have to wait and see. I take one last look at my room, perhaps my last look. The ribbons from track and volleyball , and the trophies from the two competitions I entered as a student of Mr. Li’s, are on the wall. I really should have cleaned my room whe n Marilyn asked me to. It’s too late now.

  I pull my backpack out from the corner and empty out the contents. I grab another pair of jeans, three pairs of socks, some underwear and three more t-shirts, stuffing them all into the pack. I shove my running shoes in hard as I zip up the pack. I grab my hoodie from off the floor, slipping it on as I make my way to the door.

  I walk out, closing the door behind me , and I move into the living room to find Tharin and Tolan waiting . They b oth have their beanies back on, ears tuck ed underneath. I look around the room for Cessa, but she’s no where to be seen .

  Tolan smiles at me reassuringly and I step up to him, almost whispering, “I’ll go with you , but on one condition.” At that, Tharin turns slight ly toward us, but I keep my eyes on Tolan.

  “Yes?” asks Tolan, moving in closer to hear me better.

  “My friend Julia, she has to come with us. I won’t leave her here alone.”

  “Doesn’t your friend have family?”

  “She does, Tolan, but she might as well be raised by wolves. I don’t want to leave her, please.” I look at him pleadingly, and he smiles gently with a puzzled look on his face .

  “All right, give me her address. I’ll find your Julia for you and bring her with us.” He turns to Tharin saying, “I’ll meet you at the vehicles, give me an hour.”