The Flames that Bind Us - Book cover

The Flames that Bind Us

Suri Sabri

Broken Vows

LUCIUS

Lucius could perform many types of magic but when it came to love? The wizard was clueless. Still, watching Lydia and the King look at each other now, he could sense that something strange was happening between them.

There was a sudden…electricity in the air. A tension. Like the calm before a storm.

The Gods had designed their meeting years ago, so, of course, this moment wouldn’t unfold the way Lucius had carefully planned it.

Still, he felt a pang of regret welling up inside him as he looked at Lydia. He had spent years drawing a boundary between them, keeping a necessary distance.

They were not family.

They could not be family.

She was merely his quest, nothing more.

And yet, more than he cared to admit, Lucius was finding the idea of losing her harder and harder to accept. Had he trained her well enough? Was she ready?

“Lucius…” Lydia said, startled. “Is this really…?”

“Yes,” he replied. “The King. It is good to see you again, Gabriel.”

He and Gabriel shook hands. As the two most powerful wizards in all of Ignolia, it had been important for them to be in touch over the years. However, he had never told Gabriel about Lydia, keeping her identity a secret.

“So, this is her?” he asked. “A Slifer? Really? I thought they were…”

“They’re real,” Lucius said. “You’ve seen it with your own eyes.”

Lucius had never seen Lydia achieve so much as a fireball before, let alone fly or create a wall of flames. It felt like he was looking at a different person.

Had her eighteenth birthday unlocked something inside Lydia?

Or was it her proximity to Gabriel?

What exactly was about to happen between the Slifer and the King?

LYDIA

Lydia was speechless.

Had she gone deaf? Or had Lucius really just said King Gabriel?

The man she’d grown up hearing stories about, the man her fate was inexplicably intertwined with, the ruler of all of Imarnia, stood only a few feet away.

Lydia couldn’t help but think the women in her town were right—his beauty really was something to admire. From the way the common folk were looking at him, they clearly shared the same opinion.

But there was something off, something dark and hidden behind his perfectly-structured face. It made Lydia feel somehow…uneasy.

She could feel a foreign heat within her, rising. This was not the kind she had used to stop the thief. This was something else entirely.

But when the King finally spoke and she heard the most surprising words roll off his tongue, all of Lydia’s attraction vanished in an instant.

GABRIEL

“Clearly, a mistake has been made,” Gabriel declared matter-of-factly. “If this is the will of the Gods, I question their judgment.”

The King knew his loyal subjects were watching and that a statement so provocative might be considered heresy, but he’d never been so certain of anything in his life.

She was stunning, yes. Her eyes were made of literal fire, yes. There was a magnetic pull between them, once again, yes.

But no stranger would become Gabriel’s protector by the doctrine of some unseen divinity. Now that he’d seen her power, maybe he was a little afraid to admit…he was impressed.

When he was first told a girl would protect him and his Kingdom, he had assumed the Fates meant so figuratively. But this girl’s raw power was something to be reckoned with.

He wondered if his shadows were any match for something so elemental.

That made his lip curl with dislike.

“Your Highness,” Lucius said, aghast. “Surely, this is a rash response. As you very well know, the Gods’ will is set in stone. You don’t even know her name…”

“I don’t care to,” he said with a shrug. “We will reward the Slifer for her act of bravery today, but this will be the end of this encounter. For good. Is that understood?”

Faintly, Gabriel could feel Lis behind him, sighing and shaking her head in disappointment. She so looked forward to having a royal sister.

But this was one decision Gabriel had to make on his own.

“There will be no ceremony today,” he declared with booming finality.

Gabriel expected the girl to be offended, to burst into tears, to react in some weak, pathetic way. But to his utter astonishment, she did the last thing he’d ever expect.

She smiled.

LYDIA

Lydia couldn’t believe her luck. First, she was smiling. Then, grinning. Then, beaming as though she’d just been given the greatest gift in the world. Even Lux was purring in her bag with elation.

“What a relief!” she exclaimed before she could help herself.

The King looked absolutely flabbergasted by her reaction. He furrowed his brow and his eyes darkened a shade, looking even stormier.

“Excuse me?” the King said, nearly growling.

She shrugged. “Believe it or not, Your Highness, I don’t want to be yours either.”

That was the truth. His rejection meant she could live out her life as she’d always wanted, without any interference by the Gods. But, clearly, offending the King’s pride was a mistake, because now the crowd was gasping, and Lucius looked horror-stricken.

But when she looked at the King, she could see beneath his irritation a hint of morbid amusement. As the corner of his mouth twitched into a crooked smile, Lydia felt that same heat overcome her again.

She had a feeling, if he wanted to, the King could undress her with his eyes alone.

“You have a lot of gall, girl,” he said quietly.

“Please, King Gabriel,” Lucius said hesitantly. “She meant nothing by it. My adoptive granddaughter, she’s…strong-willed.”

“You mean, your apprentice,” she said, correcting Lucius. “Remember, we’re not really family, are we?”

“Lydia, please—” he tried.

“No, Lucius. You’ve had your chance. Both his majesty and I clearly feel the same. The Gods will have to do without this union.”

“It is not for you to decide!” he shouted now. “Don’t you understand?! To ensure the safety of our kingdom, you must be claimed! This is my final task as a wizard.”

That word. Task. Like that was all she had ever been to him.

Had the years he spent raising her been nothing but a misery to him? Was it all just his job? He’d never really wanted her, had he?

Luxus wrapped around Lydia in an attempt to comfort her, but she could hardly feel it.

Lucius’s words had broken her. All of a sudden, she forgot she was surrounded by commoners, by the royal guard, by the King himself.

“You’re not my grandpa,” she whispered to Lucius. “And you never were.”

Then, closing her eyes and concentrating all of her Slifer energy into a raging ball of fire within, Lydia opened a portal of fire inside her mind, and teleported, disappearing from the city streets and leaving everyone who watched speechless.

GABRIEL

Gabriel returned to his throne room, head still buzzing from the bizarre scene that had just unfolded in public. The truth was…the second she had rejected him, Gabriel had found her infinitely more attractive.

It was as if every time he closed his eyes, all he could see were those eyes…burning. He imagined what it might feel like to hold her.

Would her skin be hot to the touch? Would her lips be scalding? If their bodies intertwined, would Gabriel feel like he was melting?

He shook off these unwelcome thoughts and sat down upon his silver throne. A phoenix was carved at the back, its wings spread out.

After the day’s many twists and turns, Gabriel hoped he would finally be alone.

But his solitude didn’t last long.

“Gabriel, I’m sorry, I tried to stop her—”

He turned to see the doors burst open with Aero trailing behind Lis, who stomped into the throne room. Gabriel’s sister did not look happy.

“What was that, Gabriel?” she asked.

“It all seemed rather clear to me, Lis,” he said, pinching his nose with frustration. “I’m not sure why I have to explain it to you.”

“We both know the old wizard is right. If you defy the will of the Gods…”

“What? Something terrible is going to happen? I’ve been hearing that for centuries, Lis. And still, Imarnia thrives, does it not?”

Lis looked down, stung, then took a step toward her brother.

“We both know the cost of your powers, Gabriel. If you’re not careful, your shadow magic—”

“I know,” he said, eyes growing dark.

“But have you ever considered that what the kingdom needs protecting from…is you?”

Gabriel couldn't believe what his sister was suggesting. He opened his mouth to respond but no words escaped his lips. It felt like he had been punched in the gut.

Lis gently took his hand. “Gabriel, perhaps this girl…her fire, her light…perhaps she will illuminate your soul. And keep the shadows at bay. Perhaps that, as the Gods have decreed, is how she will save us.”

Gabriel looked away. There was truth in Lis’s words he couldn't deny. Though it pained him to admit it.

“What would you have me do?” he asked quietly.

“Go to her. Find her. Before it’s too late.”

But how? The girl could have teleported anywhere. Then, Gabriel remembered how he’d felt when he closed his eyes. Like he could still see her.

Those fiery, burning eyes his sister believed could save his soul.

He could see them now.

She was in danger.

LYDIA

Lydia didn’t know where she had taken them, but when her eyes opened, she and Lux were in the middle of a dense forest.

She’d wanted to go somewhere far from the kingdom. Somewhere remote. But now she was here in the dark alone, other than for her trusty feline companion, Lydia wondered if she’d made a mistake.

“Where did you take us?” Lux asked, a bit scared.

“I’m not sure, Lux,” she said. “We’re somewhere in the forest surrounding Imarnia, I think.”

Lydia sat underneath a large tree, bringing her legs together and resting her chin on her knees. Lux followed her and curled his body near Lydia’s.

It was time to come up with a new plan. A new life. She could never go back to her home in Vera. Lucius had made abundantly clear that completing his “task” was his priority.

So, where would she go?

Lydia tried to start a fire to keep them warm, but her Slifer powers were so depleted from teleporting she could hardly create a spark.

That’s when she heard it. Twigs snapping. Heavy footsteps.

“What was that?” Lux asked, his voice squeaking.

“I’m sure it’s nothing to be afraid of…” she said.

But then, Lydia heard a low, inhuman growl and her blood went cold. She slowly turned to look past the tree and saw…

A werewolf. Canines bared. Saliva dripping. Yellow eyes piercing Lydia’s with a savage look.

A look that said it was going to tear her and Lux limb from limb.

Lydia gulped. “Lux…on the count of three, we run, okay?”

“Okay.”

“One…two…”

But before she could say three, the werewolf lunged.

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