Exile (25 page)

“The song says to protect the land of Nier from the other spirits,” Selena continued. “They have to be related.”

“I don’t know. Llubla wouldn’t tell me,” he answered.

Selena frowned, trying to think of any solution she could muster. “You could try making another offering….”

“Do you think that would help?” Corin asked.

“I have no idea,” Selena confessed. “I have no idea how to continue, I barely know what’s going on to begin with… I’m the least helpful person for the job.”

Corin stood up. “It’s okay…. I guess it’s worth a shot, it’s better than nothing, at least.” He answered, pausing. “You don’t think we’ll be able to solve this, do you?”

“I’m trying to get used to the idea I’ll never see any of them again,” she answered, standing up and walking over to the door.

The duo exited the main meeting hall, through the dining room, and finally out of the main corridor in pure silence. There just wasn’t anything to say, in Corin’s opinion, and it seemed like Selena knew the same. The situation was getting grimmer as time went on, and without Cyril there to help them, Corin couldn’t help but get the feeling that Aless really was gone from his life.

When they exited the main temple, Corin was grateful Selena didn’t follow him down the ramp. She seemed to respect his connection to the temple so that didn’t surprise him.

When Corin finally reached the door he noticed something different about it. He slid his hand across a plaque that had been placed there. “Selena!” he yelled, squinting. “There’s something here!”

Selena followed, reaching out to touch the new addition to the temple door. “What does it say?”

“Rest in peace, Faye of Llubla,” Corin read. “This wasn’t here this morning….”

“Faye was the girl from your dream, wasn’t she?” Selena asked.

“And Llubla’s old guardian,” he commented, thinking back to what the spirit had told him. “He said she was almost dead. I suppose this is what he meant.”

“The restraints are all broken and Faye is ‘dead’,” she commented. “There has to be a connection. What do you think it means?”

“She
was
the restraints,” he muttered, too quiet for Selena to even hear, reaching for the handle of the temple, trying to shimmy it open. “It’s shut.”

Selena reached forward, trying to pull the door open. “Something’s blocking the door,” she commented. “Do you have any idea how to open it? I can get the scribes to—”

“No….” He replied. If Faye was the restraints, that meant…. Did he have to become the new ones? How did he even do that? And…. Was that the sacrifice Llubla had referred to? “Selena… if it’s all right with you, I’d like to lie down for a bit,” Corin said, looking straight at the ground. He’d have to become the new restraints… but he didn’t want to. He was only nineteen winters old! He had so much time left… so much training he wanted to do, so many things he wanted to see… and Aless….

Corin frowned, tears now threatening to spill at any time. He wanted to see the older man, wanted to hold him, be held by him. He’d never get the chance, though, Corin thought. No matter what he did, Aless would never be with him again. If he didn’t become the restraints the man would be feral, and if he did, he wouldn’t get that chance.

As if sensing Corin’s emotions, Selena placed her hand on Corin’s shoulder. “I’ll let you know if we find anything,” she replied. “I’ll get the scribes to… do whatever they do.”

C
ORIN
slid into Aless’s bed, cuddling in to the warmth of the older man’s blankets. Somehow it still smelled like him, he noticed, tears now freely streaming down his cheeks. He still remembered the way the older man’s hands had felt, still remembered how he’d always talk to him, make him feel special.

He’d never feel that again, Corin knew, burying his face in the pillow. No matter what he did, he was doomed to never feel Aless ever again. He’d have to remedy the situation with the restraints eventually, and when he did, he’d be effectively gone. It was a shocking thought for the man. No matter what he did, he could never be with Aless the way he hoped.

“Corin,”
Aless’s voice called out.

Corin sat up immediately, looking around the room. “A-Aless?” He called out, trying to search for the source of the voice.

“Mind link,”
Aless’s voice explained.
“I’m not here.”

Corin’s heart fluttered. “Where are you?” Aless sounded normal, sounded like the same Aless he knew and loved.

“You know where I am,”
he urged.
“Come find me, Corin. I want to see you.”

Corin suddenly hopped out of bed. He bolted out of the room, rushing through the halls. So Aless was all right and trapped! He needed to see him, needed to feel him. Besides, if Aless was all right, maybe there was another solution. Did it mean his restraints hadn’t broken? Selena hadn’t liked Aless from the start—maybe she’d made up his restraints snapping so he couldn’t be with him!

He shoved past some students, bursting through the front door. He was so close; he couldn’t stop now, not even for breath, not for students. He ran toward the Water Temple, instantly tugging at the door, pulling it open and rushing inside, staring around the inside of the temple.

Aless wasn’t anywhere, Corin thought with a frown, but he knew Aless had to be here! Selena had said he was trapped in—Corin suddenly saw water spilling out of the bottom of the podium and he rushed over, sliding the podium out of the way, staring at the grating.

Water was pooling out of the top of the grate, and it was fairly dark down the hole, but Corin could still see the faint outline of a man. He smiled, tears streaming down his face in delight. “Aless!”

The figure swam to the top, absorbing a small layer of water, uncovering his face. Aless reached his hand up, tangling it with the grating, a smile covering his face. “Corin,” he greeted.

“Aless….” Corin commented, bursting into tears. Seeing his lover again was overpowering…. How could Selena have done that to him? He moved his hand to connect with Aless’s, sobbing, “Selena said you had gone feral.”

“She did now?” Aless asked. “I’m too powerful for Serac to make me feral. I’m a guardian, after all. Selena never did like me.”

Corin smiled, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. “I can’t believe it’s you….”

“Open the well, Corin,” Aless said, “so we can be together again.”

Corin didn’t hesitate, running over to the other side and unlatching the gate, yanking it to the side and grabbing Aless’s hands, tugging him out of the water. He swung his arms around Aless, leaning up and kissing the other man. He couldn’t believe it—Aless was here, Aless wasn’t feral, it really was Aless….

Suddenly Corin felt a blast of water push him back violently, and he slammed against the staff that lay at the altar, a loud cracking noise coming from his back. He stared up at Aless, shocked at the man’s actions, and then he saw his eyes.

Aless’s eyes were bright blue, no pupil visible at all. The markings were bright on his skin, even having smaller lines connecting them now. Aless turned to him, fangs peeking out from his lip.

“You humans are so easy to fool,” Serac commented, laughing. “Thanks for opening the latch, kid, but I have some things I’d like to do!”

“Wait!” Corin called out, but it was too late. Serac had already run out of the temple and, judging by the screams Corin heard, was wreaking havoc.

Chapter 28

“
M
ASTER
Zephyr!” a student called out, trying to shake the woman awake.

Selena looked up from her bed, rubbing her eyes. She had followed Corin’s example, despite it being the middle of the day, and allowed herself some rare moments of rest. She turned to the student. “What is it?” She asked.

The student shook. “M-Master Serac is on the loose, he—”

“What?” Selena exclaimed, instantly hopping out of bed, taking a moment to adjust her clothing. “I trapped him in the Water Temple, that’s impossible.”

“I… a few of us saw your student rushing in to the Water Temple earlier,” the student explained.

“He wouldn’t… I want every clan member down here immediately. I’ll go up and deal with the problem. Do not send anyone to follow me, do you understand?”

“Y-yes!” the student replied.

Selena tugged on her cape and ran out the door.

C
ORIN
layagainst the temple, tears rushing freely down his face. He… the voice was Aless’s, but it wasn’t. Serac had fooled him, Serac had tricked him into letting him loose. He felt disgusted—Aless was always such a nice man… he would’ve never hurt him, but now? The Aless he knew was twisted by a spirit and wasn’t in control of himself.

And the more Corin thought about it, the more he realized Aless would never be himself again, never smile the way he used to, never laugh the way he used to…. He’d never hold Corin the same way again.

More tears flooded to his eyes and he remembered some of the times they’d had. A scream of terror came from outside the temple. Aless had been exiled for this, so many years ago. He had been forced away, and he had confessed to being so grateful to be back in the monastery, so happy to see his old friends again, to resume his old duties.

Corin forced himself to stand up, ignoring the pain that rushed through his body. Serac’s blast of water had been more painful than he had expected, especially since Selena had always emphasized how weak the spirit was, even outside a vessel. The spirits were strong beyond his imagination. If even the weakest, trapped inside a vessel, was able to cause this destruction….

Corin began walking toward the temple door, seeing the entire training ground flooded with water. Mud was covering everything, destroying the grounds that had been around for as long as Corin could remember. Several students were decapitated on the ground, water having cut clear lines through their throats.

Corin stepped out, ignoring the disgusting feeling between his toes and the rain drenching him. He scanned the area, trying to search for Aless, but to no avail. The man had destroyed this area already. Corin turned and began to run away in desperation. He stepped over a corpse, cringing before he finally saw Aless in the distance.

He hid behind a nearby tree—one of the few that had yet to be cut down. He peeked his head out from around the corner. Aless wasn’t himself, Corin reminded himself, though from this angle he could only see Aless’s back. He looked just as he would’ve had he not been committing the heinous acts he was.

No one was coming to their aid and people were dying at such large numbers. A thin jet of water hit a girl straight in the neck—and she couldn’t have been more than twelve winters old. Corin shuddered, scrunching his eyes as tightly shut as he could. Where was Selena? She… she normally came to their aid—she was the only one who could deal with it.

Corin frowned. No, no she wasn’t. It was the only way to permanently solve the problem… or at least, if Faye’s previous sacrifice was to be believed, solve it for a long time. He bit his lip. He’d have to sacrifice himself to keep Serac under control.

He thought back to the other guardians. Cyril wouldn’t be able to lead the clan; Kateline would never lounge lazily in her library; Selena and Piers would never be together again, not in the way they were accustomed to, at least. Well, when Corin thought about it, not at all. Piers would be stuck under his temple and Selena would be stuck above it, feeling every moment of their separation.

Selena had protected him throughout the years, and although he had never felt anything besides platonic feelings for her, he did care for the guardian. She had so much patience when it came to helping him, and she always rushed to his aid, even if she was strict. She was like a mother to him, despite their similar ages. She’d be miserable without Piers, wouldn’t she? He had seen the way she looked at him, the way she looked now when she heard his name. It’d hurt her a lot to have him stuck down there….

And then there was Aless. Aless who hated what he’d done… Aless who held him, Aless who was so gentle, so kind… Aless who was now running around decapitating children….

Corin closed his eyes, tears leaking out the corners. He had to do it—he had to re-form the restraints. If not for him then for the others—the ones who had worked so hard to find a solution, who loved life enough to work day and night with their efforts. It was his destiny, he noted, smiling slightly. He had to.

“You can’t win, Serac!” Selena yelled, and Corin peeked his head out from behind the tree, seeing his mentor covered in a layer of blood and mud, staring down Aless with a passion in her eyes.

Serac smirked. “I’d been looking forward to a rematch,” he declared, shooting a jet of water toward the girl. “Your paralysis trick won’t work on me twice!”

Selena dodged out of the way, ducking down and pressing her hands against the ground, sending an infection through the soil. Aless shot another burst of water at her, and she rolled out of the way, sending a gust of wind to try to knock the spirit off balance.

Corin suddenly felt something pull him, and he rushed out of his cover, running toward Selena and Aless.