Soul Bound

Chapter 22

I ducked behind the dune bank, just as Arkon dove on top of me to shield me with his wings. I squeezed my eyes shut; the flashbacks hit me hard, threatening to paralyze me in fear and rage. Somehow, I managed to push them away. Now wasn't the time to be terrified of the fire engulfing the clearing. Now was the time to fight.

Or at least I tried.

I leapt out of Arkon's embrace and stood over the sandy crest, ready to attack whatever came my way--but the thieves ran past me and Arkon with their tails between their legs. I couldn't blame them. While the fire had been contained in two blasts that didn't land anywhere near my makeshift tent, fire was still hot and burnt flesh to a crisp, even if you lived in the desert.

Keeping a wary eye on the dragon and its rider, daggers in hands, I slinked down the slope and stood before them.

And then I saw the lightstone shining bright on the dragon's back. It was Annalyse and Aster!

Dropping all my weapons, I ran to give her a fierce hug. Only, she shoved me to the ground with a snarl.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she screamed, towering over me. "You don't just run away in the middle of a war! You could have been shot down!" She kicked the sand in front of me; I had to spit some out. "Do you have any idea what I had to do to convince everyone not to drop everything and get you back?" She paced angrily, hands on her hips. I'd never been so scared of her; it felt like her mother was telling me off. In her travels, her hair had fallen out of her braid and sprang free, as wild as her rage; the lightstone was so bright, the locks could have been mistaken as fresh blood rippling past her shoulders.

Arkon came to our side, watching as Annalyse continued to berate me. Why he didn't take it upon himself to back me up was beyond me. We were supposed to be a team--thus stopping people from yelling at me.

"Look-" I tried to butt in, but she just kept going on and on about how selfish and childish I was. It was getting to the point where every word she said felt like a knife to my gut. Eventually, I couldn't take it any longer and burst into tears.

"I'm sorry!" I cried. I was truly sorry. I'd had days to think about her betrayal and my anger, but now that she was here, all I could think about was how much I'd missed my friend, my home. My bed. Even trees.

Annalyse stopped pacing, while still panting and glaring at me. Her lightstone lit up our camp--and illuminated the absolute menace in her eyes. "Get up!"

Wishing nothing but to repair the damage I'd done, I jumped to my feet, ready for more berating. Whatever it takes to make things right.

However, instead of more shouting, she pulled me into a furious hug, squeezing me so tight I could barely breathe. But it was okay. It felt really good to be hugged, even if it might kill me. She stepped away, holding my shoulders, tears in her eyes. "You scared a lot of people, you know. Jacob, Leo, me. . . and Grayson."

I scowled at his name. I'd been trying to forget about him and just focus on my mission. There were too many emotions for me to process.

"I'm sorry," I repeated, quietly. "I. . . How would you feel if everyone you knew was lying to you about the man whose brother murdered your entire village?"

Her gaze softened. A bit. "But he didn't do it, Eva. None of it is his fault. He's still the Grayson we know and work with."

"I just wish I knew before I. . . ." It was suddenly hard to swallow. "I kissed him." I think that was why it hurt more than anything else. I'd really liked him, more than I thought I could like anyone. My world crumbled around me when I discovered he wasn't who I thought he was. Of course I knew what happened wasn't his fault, and he'd told me himself he left his family because he didn't agree with the way they did things. But whenever I thought of him, now all I saw was his brother's face. That monster would haunt me forever in my dreams, and now he would follow me everywhere, whenever I saw or thought of Grayson. It was agony.