The Binding (Chronicles of Azaria #1) (13 page)

Cielo whinnied and reared. I grappled for Ryan, almost thrown off the saddle. My legs lost purchase and I yelped, but Ryan’s hand latched around my arms, holding me against him.

“Whoa!” Ryan hauled on the reins, forcing Cielo to sidestep on his rear hooves. Once we were clear, Cielo dropped back to all fours. The poor horse trembled, shaking his forelock. “Easy, easy,” Ryan murmured, stroking his mane. Cielo whickered, and slowly calmed down.

I loosened my grip around Ryan, my brow drenched in sweat. Even without the Binding, I was getting my fix of excitement for the night. But where had that come from? Wiping my forehead, I checked the side of the road.

And then wished I hadn
’t.

A broad figure emerged from the trees, his body lit up by another brazier. He was cloaked in a black robe, the hood open and revealing his livid expression.

“Kill them!” he roared. “We don’t want any witnesses!”

He flung his brazier at us, but Ryan was quicker. He dug his heels into Cielo
’s flanks and we shot into a canter. I held on for dear life, burrowing my face into Ryan’s cloak hood. Memories of our escape in the Galgiza flittered through my mind, and I fought to hold them back. I couldn’t tempt the curse. It had a bad habit of rearing its ugly head when it was least wanted.

The pounding of Cielo
’s hooves became constant, matching the tempo of my heart. I had no idea how far we’d gone when suddenly we stopped. The horse skidded over the stones, and I was thrown into Ryan. My ribs cried out, and I spluttered, gasping for air. I barely had time to recover, as the next thing I knew Ryan had dismounted and was forcing the reins into my hands.

“Find some cover,” he said. “I
’ll get those men off our back.”

“What?!” He was insane—he
’d be no match against so many enemies! That, and I couldn’t let us be separated. “Ryan, you can’t…”

“I
’ll catch up and find you, I promise.” Ryan was already loading his crossbow. “I’ll be fine, I’ll keep my distance. Just lie low and keep out of their sight.”

“Ryan, wait
! You don’t understand…”

“Look, we can
’t outrun them. I have to do this. Don’t worry, I’ll come back for you. Now go!”

He slapped Cielo
’s rump. Before I could protest further, Cielo bolted off once more. I tugged at the reins, but he wouldn’t slow. He was following his master’s orders. My hands began to shake. If I went beyond half a mile, it would be over. Never mind Ryan knowing he was Bound to me; if he suffered Parting, those men would tear him to pieces. He was risking himself for me, not knowing he’d done the worst thing possible by splitting us up.

I had to do something!

“Cielo,” I cried, “please, stop!”

I yanked the reins again, and this time Cielo slowed. He reduced himself to a trot, then a walk, before coming to rest at the edge of the road. I looked back, catching my breath. The shrine had grown smaller again, but I guessed we remained less than half a mile away. At the very least I wasn
’t half a mile away from Ryan, as I still felt well.

Yet what could I do? If I went back, I
’d be mincemeat at the hands of those men. If I circled around here, they’d be sure to find me, too. Wandering further ahead was not an option, either, so…

“There she is!”

My head snapped to the fore. Three men armed with clubs approached, and they didn’t look like they wanted a friendly chat. I cursed.

To think I
’d been hoping for a quiet night.

Grasping the reins, I wheeled Cielo around and clicked my tongue. Cielo responded, and raced back the way we
’d come. The men shouted, so I pressed myself against Cielo’s neck and tried to watch where we were going. On my right lay the smouldering ruins. We’d come close to the shrine again; I needed to change course.

I made to steer Cielo into the trees, when something struck my back. I screamed, and looked to my shoulder. An arrow tip had found its mark, tasting blood. Gritting my teeth, I turned back to the trail, though Cielo did a good job navigating himself. Branches whipped past, so I crouched as low as I could, adrenaline blocking out the pain. I could only hope the arrow wasn
’t poisoned.

Cielo broke through the last of the trees and stumbled to a standstill, wheezing. I pushed myself upright, my wounded arm shaking, and glanced around. He
’d brought me to the back of the shrine, which remained untouched from the flames. A granite archway led into darkness. An emblem of a wyvern and a spear had been carved above. That must’ve been the Gladier’s family crest.

The wind changed direction and smoke coiled around me. I coughed, pressing my scarf to my face. I needed to find cover.

It took a long time for me to dismount, given the state of my shoulder and ankle. As I disentangled myself from the stirrups, my heart thundered. The men could be on me any second.

Eventually both my feet were back on the ground. My arm throbbed wildly; I couldn
’t move it. I braced it against my chest, trying to furrow in the saddle bag for my new walking stick. The only path of escape lay beyond the archway. I’d have to go inside the shrine.

“Cielo, hide somewhere,” I gasped, clutching at the arrow shaft sticking out of my shoulder. I was in two minds as to whether to pull it out. I couldn
’t tell how deep it had gone, and I’d not be doing myself any favours if I ended up bleeding to death on the ground.

Resorting to holding onto the
arrow shaft to ease the pressure, I staggered away. Cielo followed. He wasn’t willing to leave me alone.

“I
’ll be fine,” I said, wincing as the arrow tip snagged again. “I’m going inside the shrine. They won’t think to look for me here, and the fires are on the other side.” I hoped the ruins were mostly stone. That would stop the flames spreading towards me. “Find Ryan and help him. Come back when it’s over. I’ll be waiting, I promise.”

Cielo whickered, nuzzling my chest. My shoulder sang with pain, but I didn
’t care. I would buy him an extra bag of oats once we’d escaped this mess. He was an intelligent creature. I was sure he’d keep his nose out of trouble. I stroked his snout one last time, before I slapped his flank. He snorted and trotted off into the trees to find his master.

I watched him go. For the first time in a while, I was on my own. I could only pray my little taste of adventure so far would be enough to keep me safe.

Raising my hood over my head, I sucked in a breath and limped into the darkness.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

‘
And when he chanced upon her their stares lingered, their every breath shared in divine harmony...’

—
Tale of the Binding

It didn’t take long to realise I’d not thought this through very well. The hallway was pitch black, and I hadn’t had the sense to take the candle from Cielo’s pack. The smoke, too, seeped through the masonry, stinging my eyes and burning my nostrils. To top it all off, the passage was actually not a passage but a descending staircase. A one thousand year old staircase that had skipped out on any recent maintenance.

I groaned. This must have been where the Binding had focused its attention; on eliminating my common sense. Now I was caught in an impossible situation. I could head further inside, but one mistimed step would turn me into a pile of broken bones. On the other hand
, if I stayed here, I’d choke, and there was a higher chance the men would find me.

Goddess, I should
’ve stayed in bed in Ruthwall.

I pressed myself against the wall, the rough stone gnashing at my cloak. If I took my time and felt my way along, I was sure I
’d reach the bottom safely. Nonetheless, every step jarred my wounded shoulder, and I hissed, leaning heavily on my stick. I gripped the arrow shaft, trying to keep it from twisting, but it was all I could do to stop my trembling. It hurt so much! And if I had to keep hold of the arrow, I wouldn’t be able to walk.

I had no choice. I had to take it out.

Taking a deep breath, I yanked the arrow free, and shrieked as the barbed tip took a chunk of flesh with it. Liquid warmth spilled onto my elbow, and I clamped a hand over the bleeding tear. My shaking intensified, and my breaths came in ragged gasps. Damn, that had been a mistake. As if my ankle hadn’t been enough; at this rate, I wouldn’t make the next step, never mind the bottom. What was the point, anyway? Already it was getting harder to breathe, and that would only worsen given the lack of ventilation in the ruins. My thoughts clouded, and my knees began to buckle.

I slumped against the wall and closed my eyes. Pain fuelled my panic. I needed to take stock of the situation and figure out a plan. I clutched my shoulder tighter, wishing I
’d never touched the stupid arrow. I was an embarrassment to healers everywhere. It was a basic rule with penetrating wounds not to pull out the offending object, for precisely the reason I’d just experienced.

S
top acting so recklessly, Eliza.

I concentrated on my breathing, and gradually the ache faded. I would
’ve checked the iasometer, but I was hurting too much to adjust it, and I couldn’t make out the readings in the dark, anyway. My fuddled mind cleared, though that wasn’t as much of a triumph as it should have been. My actions had put me in a very vulnerable position. Though the fires had yet to reach this side, I’d not counted on the smoke. Further, Ryan had no idea of my location, and once he found Cielo again I didn’t doubt he’d ride around to look for me. And if he strayed past that half-mile boundary…

I shook my head. Too late to worry about that. Luck might have been on my side since I
’d left the Galgiza, but my good fortune quota had reached its end. Tough if Ryan learned we were Bound; I’d just have to pray neither of us would suffer any drastic Parting symptoms.

With somewhat more resolve than before, I glanced down the stairs. Strangely, I could see further through the shadows. It wasn
’t a case of my eyes adjusting to the dark; between my blinks every object gave off a golden halo, allowing me to picture my position for an instant.

How odd.

I set off down the stairs again, bracing my injured arm against my chest. It was hard to walk, even with my stick and the wall to support me, and the pace was slow and painful. Sweat poured into my scarf, leaving my neck clammy, and by the time I reached the end, I was close to throwing up. With one hand grasping the stonework, I doubled over, but though I could taste bile in my throat, I couldn’t spit it out.

Swallowing—and scowling as the bitterness trickled back to my stomach—I looked up again. This part of the passage levelled out, forming a straight line into darkness. In the distance stood a shaft of light, though I had no idea where it was coming from. Either way, it provided something to aim for, so I hobbled towards it.

As I walked along, guided by my golden after-image vision, I passed two sets of doorways. One pair was reinforced with scaffolding. I paused beside the planks and poles. These must have been the ring passages Ryan talked about. If so, that meant the pillar of light ahead was the shrine’s sanctum. Possibly not the best place to hide, as a blind dormouse could follow this corridor. Nonetheless, I couldn’t stop staring at the light. There was something about it I couldn’t put my finger on, and my curiosity compelled me to investigate.

Yup, I
’d definitely lost my common sense.

I limped onwards, wincing as my jacket snagged my bleeding shoulder. As I neared the sanctum, a cloud of dust shot to the back of my throat, making me splutter. Honestly, I
’d have been better off throwing myself onto the fire.

Close to tearing my hair out—or dropping unconscious to the floor, whichever came first—I rested against a pillar and studied the sanctum. I couldn
’t tell how big it was, but my coughs resonated, so it must have been a fair size. A round altar sat beneath the tower of light, and as I blinked, the golden spirals revealed piles of rubble around it.

I rubbed my eyes. This
glow was weird. It was like the after-dazzle you got if you stared at the sun directly, but not quite. I couldn’t
see
things, yet I could picture their outlines. However, other than the light pillar, I’d not been exposed to anything bright enough that could have stunned my eyes like that.

What was happening to me?

A thunderous crash boomed above, and stones pattered onto my jacket. I covered my head with my hands, then howled as my shoulder ignited. Whimpering, I hugged my burning limb to my chest. The grit continued to shower down, so I retreated into the corridor. The fire must have eaten through the tree roots, loosening the upper stonework, which would bring the whole thing crashing down.

I had to get out of here.

However, despite reaching this somewhat urgent conclusion, my legs had other ideas. As I tried to head back towards the ring passages, they refused to budge. Yet if I made for the sanctum again, they worked fine. I frowned. Only able to go in one direction? This reeked of the Binding’s interference. But what was it trying to achieve? Ryan wasn’t down here, and the only path to him lay behind me. It made no sense for it to block my escape.

I
growled. If the curse’s purpose was to bring two people together, it wasn’t doing a good job when it went out of its way to kill one of them.

Gripping my stick again, I peered into the sanctum. The shaking had quieted, but I remained tense. No way I
’d step back inside and get crushed. However, no matter how I strained, I couldn’t backtrack to the ring passages. An angry lump settled in my throat. This was too cruel! The Binding was really…

I cut the thought short, as something more horrifying struck me. What if I was wrong? What if this wasn
’t the Binding at all, but a Parting symptom? It would make sense. The magic was forcing me to stick to one place, not goading me into finding my Bound partner. If that was the case, then that meant Ryan would…he could be…

My knees hit the floor, and I buried my face in my hands. The tears came flooding out, and a hoarse cry bubbled in my throat. After I
’d worked so hard to conceal everything, and now it was all for nothing! You idiot, Eliza. Coming to the shrine had been a huge mistake. Not only had I blown open my secret and started the Unbound clock ticking, I’d triggered Parting. And if Ryan felt it, too, he might pay for it with his life.

I had no idea how long I sat there, my breaths coming in sharp gasps and heaves, but I was still in full breakdown when a rustle caught my ears. My head snapped up, my eyes blurry with tears. Hastily wiping them away, I squinted through the darkness to the staircase.

My halo-vision outlined two figures, and they were carrying something between them. One brought forth a torch, illuminating their portly bellies and deadly cargo.

“Who cares if she ran in here,” he said, his voice echoing. “She
’ll be smoked good anyway!”

“Put these bottles in the ring passages,” ordered the other, in a somewhat more nasal tone. “Once you
’re set up, let me know, and we’ll light the whole lot.”

“What about the girl?”

“Doesn’t matter. If you see her, make sure she can’t breathe a word of what she’s seen.”

“Yes, sir!”

My throat tightened. I’d done it now. With my exit blocked, and my only hide-away soon to become a smoking ruin, I was as good as dead.

Clumsy footsteps neared, and I grimaced. With his torch the man would see me instantly, and I was in no position to dodge more arrows. I searched for cover, but the only thing large enough to conceal me was the archway pillar. Meaning I
’d have to go back inside the sanctum.

I swallowed. I
’d have to take my chances.

It was a struggle to heave myself upright, especially with the footsteps getting louder and louder, but somehow I found the strength to crawl back into the main chamber. I slipped around the pillar, and held my breath. The steps hesitated, then faded away again. He must
’ve gone down the ring passage.

I let out a sigh of relief. Still, I was hardly out of trouble. Once the flametar got going, I
’d have less than five minutes before it would suck out all the air. With my ankle and shoulder the way they were, it’d take me ten minutes to walk through the corridor, let alone traverse the stairs.

Once more hot tears spilled down my cheeks. I was going to die. Adam and Father would continue to search for me, and they
’d never find out what happened. And Ryan; if he survived, would he blame himself for my foolishness? I doubted it. He’d feel some sorrow, perhaps, before moving on. He’d forget about me, continue his travels and not be worried about being Bound, since the spell would end with my death. It was only fair. I’d cursed him to this fate. He shouldn’t have to suffer for my mistake.

So why did the thought of being apart from him hurt so much?

A crash bellowed from the corridor, and I gulped. They must have ignited the bottles. My eyes locked onto the light pillar, and I sighed. Maybe I could buy myself a little time if I kept away from the passage. It would take a while for smoke to fill this chamber. Even if I’d only be delaying the inevitable.

I staggered to my feet once more, and began a slow limp towards the light. It must
’ve been five or six metres away, but it felt like five or six miles. My injured arm was a dead weight, my ankle sore and unsteady, and I had to stumble along at an awkward angle. Every whisper of a touch against the cut renewed the pain, and I was scared of making it bleed again.

At long last I arrived at the altar. It had been mounted onto a plinth, which I promptly collapsed against. The light kissed my sweaty face and spread across my arms, soothing the ache at my shoulder. I closed my eyes, glad for a moment of peace before…well, I didn
’t want to think about it.

Something prickled beneath my hand, and I glanced down. A ridge was mounted in the centre of the stone, very much like a sundial. Rather than show hours, it had a tangle of criss-crossing lines. Each line formed its own point—twenty-seven in total—though I had no idea what they represented. Still, the design was well detailed, and I traced a finger along the engravings.

The rock shuddered, and the light pillar flickered. I jerked my hand back, diving for cover under the plinth. My shoulder roared, and I dug my nails into my palm so hard I drew blood. However, when the ceiling failed to fall on top of me, I frowned. Blanking out the pain with some controlled breaths, I stumbled out and snuck a peek at the roof.

My mouth went dry. Another source of brightness had joined the light pillar, but it wasn
’t the ravaging inferno breaking through.

It was a rune, etched in white fire. It resembled a letter from common Azarian, yet I was certain I
’d never seen it before. Two intersecting lines, one of which curled round the other, crested by a single dot. At the same time, an overwhelming sense of familiarity washed over me, and I gasped.

“
Pain
,” I murmured. That was what the rune meant.

But how did I know that?

I didn’t have time to think on it, as the white fire started to flicker. A bolt separated from the rune, streaking over to the west side. A new series of lines came into being, flashing once, before settling into form.

“
Solemn
…
tears
?”

Why could I read these things?

The fire altered course once more. This time it streaked north, and took on a third shape; a circle crossed with four lines.