For one instant, Skye reveled in Lara’s bravery, in her ability to toss aside any potential awkwardness and act as she did. Kissing him, knowing full well he might not reciprocate, proved yet again the kind of woman he held in his arms.
Before he could take another breath, he combusted from the inside out with enough force that they both flew backward. Dazed, Skye couldn’t make sense of what happened and tried to pry his eyes open. Enraged feline screams rent the air, and he was vaguely aware that Eiren looked down at him, seemingly coming out of thin air.
The pakas were next to drop. With a scream full of fear, his bondmate fell on top of him, knocking what little air he’d retained out of him.
His mind, his soul, his entire body felt exposed to the elements. Eiren and his Tal’Ai bond floated out of the both of them to combine into a larger ribbon of dark brown. It wove back and forth as if looking for something, the tail end pointing toward Lara and Chion.
My Lord, Eiren croaked, look.
Somehow, Skye knew what he’d see. He struggled to raise his head far enough to glance across the room. Hanging over Lara and Chion was a thick, green strand of light. The two strands glowed so bright that the room sparkled, almost blinding him.
Both Tal’Ai bonds were on full display.
Seconds passed, and the pain rose in steady increments. The rawness of his splintered psyche left him with little ability to breathe. Why was nothing happening?
Raising his head again, he studied the two strands and realized they were stretched to their limit. A short distance separated them.
It struck him, then. The Lan’Ai bond needed their help to fully form.
The two pairs had to move closer to each other for the strands to touch. The pain lashed out at him again, and Skye’s gut told him that the chance of forming the bond closed with every breath they took. If they didn’t move now, the Lan’Ai bond would not happen.
God and Goddess, give him strength.
Eiren, we must close the distance. His fingers twitched, and he almost gave up. The pressure made it nigh impossible to move. He felt as if the tunnel had caved in over him, the weight of it almost unbearable. Digging his fingers into the sharp rocks, he shouted from the agony of moving.
Eiren’s wail echoed his. Together they inched across the small room. The room felt as if it expanded the longer they worked, as if they crawled through almost solidified quicksand. The rocks sliced his arms, hands, and fingers, leaving small drops of blood behind them. His lungs squeezed tight from the pressure around them, making his body scream for air.
Sweat and tears streamed down his face, but he didn’t stop. Eiren labored beside him. Every inch gained felt like they’d accomplished the inconceivable.
An agonized whimper broke his concentration. It took forever to lift his eyes from the ground, then even longer to understand. Lara and Chion were meeting them halfway. In the throes of his unending pain at having his soul float outside its safe harbor, Skye reached out his right hand, closing the last few inches between them.
Eiren’s shoulder rolled into his at the same time as the last of his energy left him, leaving him on his right side. Skye’s head crashed to the ground, the small bite of pain nothing compared to the agony already engulfing him.
He almost despaired until a cold hand landed on top of his. Out of the corner of his eyes, he watched as the two bands of power braided together, twisting round and round, until a single rope emerged.
The pain shuddering through him paused as if to take a breath. Skye had time to take a single gulp of air before the strand broke into four identical ropes. They danced for several beats to a rhythm he couldn’t hear before one aimed at him and struck with precision.
The room resounded with all four of their shouts and growls of pain. His chest seized and his limbs flapped with a mind of their own. His forehead burned as if a hot iron branded all the way through his skin to his brain.
Time held no meaning. Skye had no idea how long the magic held him in its grasp. A few seconds, hours, or days could have passed before unconsciousness pulled him under in the wake of the Lan’Ai bond.
His eyes fluttered open when his body finally cooled. Feeling disconnected, he checked that he was still in one piece. He next followed the bond back to his core. Where once the Tal’Ai bond was held, an altogether different bond had coalesced. It overflowed the small space partitioned for it, and Skye’s heart stuttered at the amount of power radiating from his soul.
Putting that knowledge to the side and turning his attention to a more immediate problem, he tested each numbed limb with methodical intent. Lara’s hand slipped to the ground when he moved his arm. The only one not moving yet was the woman; the two pakas had both woken from their enforced slumber. Perhaps already weakened from her trials while under the Malirrans’ control, the formation of the Lan’Ai bond had rolled Lara under.
Not liking the weakness still pervading his body, Skye rolled to his stomach before lifting up onto his hands and knees. Swaying from side to side like a newborn koti, Skye locked his elbows before he fell back down.
Afraid his bondmate had injured herself, he rocked his head toward her. Focusing inward, his magic sprang up and out as if he’d given it wings. His second sight showed Eiren shaking her head back and forth, her tail twitching with frenetic energy. Her hair rolled up and down her body, over and over. Proving her superior intelligence, the paka had yet to attempt to stand.
Are you well, Eiren? His question had her looking at him with a nod.
A long, drawn-out moan announced Lara’s return to consciousness. Unfortunately, none of them could check on her since their weak muscle coordination persisted.
Chion called out, Solara?
Nothing. Did she go back to sleep?
Chion’s next call was sharper, louder. My Lady?
“I-I’m here. I’m awake.” Her response was muffled since her face was still pressed into the ground. “Yeah, I can’t turn over.” Her irritation made them all laugh with relief.
Chion sat back on his haunches with a certain lack of grace, and Lara finally rolled over with an unladylike grunt. “Eiren,” the woman whispered with awe, “did I just hear you laugh? I’m not imagining things, am I?”
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No, My Lady, I heard Eiren as well.
You can hear me? Eiren breathed out with no small amount of hope, her voice trembling with emotion.
Yes, little one.
“Oh my God, Eiren. We can, and you sound exactly how I’ve always imagined.”
The paka ducked her head. I do? Her shyness and excitement at being heard by their battlemates touched Skye. It was a momentous occasion for her, for them all.
“You sound like a beautiful angel. How I’ve always imagined angels sound like anyway. Beautiful and kind. I just wish I could hug you right now.”
An angel? Though I do not know what an angel is, the word sounds beautiful. I thank you for the compliment. Eiren’s excitement gained momentum. The God and Goddess have gifted me with my deepest desire. My prayer has been answered at long last. How I’ve wished to speak to both you and Chion. Skye could feel her quivering beside him with unrestrained emotion. My strength is returning but not fast enough for me. I wish to leap and roar to announce my newfound gift to the world.
My Lady, Chion said, I am also feeling my strength return. Except for a lingering weakness, I have regained command of my body. To prove his point, the white paka climbed back onto his four paws and walked in a slow circle around them.
Chion’s deep purr filled the room, and Skye felt the sound sink into him, warming him from the inside out. The Lan’Ai bond had changed more than the others hearing Eiren for the first time. Eiren was now not the only one who could affect his mood.
Skye tensed, sitting back on his heels. It felt odd to have a masculine presence in his head. Testing the new bond, he sent out a tentative feeler toward Chion and slammed into Lara’s head instead. Though feminine, it was altogether different than Eiren’s gentleness. It felt exotic yet steadfast at the same time, much in the way he viewed her behavior. She reminded him of the wind or perhaps a building storm.
Lara was a mass of contradictions: sharp and soft, calm with a hint of roiling emotions, worldly yet naïve. He doubted any other person on Aradun would have the same set of characteristics. Chion’s calm intelligence was background noise compared to the woman’s vibrant personality. He gently returned to his own head, though he still felt the push and pull of the others.
When Lara finally sat up, Skye had had enough of feeling weak. He stumbled to his feet with a grunt, found his balance, and joined Chion in walking the circumference of the room. Every step he took loosened his muscles and his energy poured back in.
“All of your marks have filled in. The tattoos are now a replica of the Lan’Ai in the tomb.” Lara’s soft comment drew Skye out of his thoughts, bringing what happened into perspective with a snap. His magic informed him that the woman lifted a hand to her own forehead.
In answer to her silent question, Chion assured, You bear the same mark.
Skye whispered, “We are Lan’Ai.” His voice carried in the room, giving it more potency than normal.
How did it happen? Eiren asked, walking over to Lara’s side with careful steps.
Skye shifted his weight from one foot to the other, while Lara hid her face in her hands. Lara’s embarrassment flowed through their bond.
When neither offered an explanation, Chion demanded, What did Eiren and I miss? You were both flying backward when we entered the room. Even outside this room, we felt the force threaten to tear us apart.
Lara again showed she was braver than he. Despite the discomfort she obviously felt, she mumbled unintelligibly. Even knowing what caused the bond, Skye couldn’t parse her words.
The two pakas looked at them both with long, considering gazes. Both their tails curled and uncurled, landing on the ground with a soft whack.
Eiren laughed. Now my curiosity has grown by leaps and bounds. You are embarrassed by what happened. Tell us again what we missed?
Indeed, Chion added.
Lara repeated what she said, but this time every word was succinct and clear. “I kissed him.”
Eiren’s head swung around to stare at Skye with disbelief. He had never thought himself a true coward before, but this one time he wanted to run and hide. Skye felt his face heat, a sure sign he blushed.
Him, a warrior, blushing. Clenching his jaw, he nodded, refusing to shift his gaze away from his bondmate’s.
Helping Lara with the explanation, Skye said in a low voice, “She kissed me. I think she meant it as an overture of her gratitude for saving her life.”
The woman scoffed but didn’t contradict him, though a sense of regret flowed from her to him through their newly acquired link. Regret? What did she have to regret?
Lara said, “That is when I felt it start.”
“No,” he said, edging closer to her—an unconscious move to unify them, “I don’t think your kiss began the process.” He gathered his courage, straightening his spine and lifting his chin. “Only after I returned your kiss were we split apart by the blast.”
“It could have just taken several seconds before the magic built up enough to start,” she countered.
He squatted down by the woman, reaching out to touch both Lara and Eiren. “Lara, for both our sakes, do not deny what really happened.” After a moment, she nodded, affection threading through their bond.
A kiss, Chion said with skepticism. He joined their group in the middle of the room, lying down and dropping his muzzle into Lara’s lap. Why would a kiss trigger the Lan’Ai bond?
Lara paused in the middle of scratching behind the paka’s ear. She argued, “Why not a kiss? This is what you are worried about? Give me a break. The Tal’Ai bond forms by touching one arm to the same foreleg. Good grief, Chion.”
Chion eyes dropped to slits, and Lara pushed down on his head with both hands. She giggled, “Don’t even think about retaliating. I haven’t gotten you back for sliming me earlier.”
Eiren and Skye both shook their heads at the two’s antics. His bondmate scooted over until she was draped over his legs, mirroring the other pair. Eiren interrupted their friendly banter, bringing the conversation back to their new bond.
I don’t want to discount the kiss as the impetus for the bond occurring. However, I believe Skye left unsaid the true catalyst.
Chion tilted his head in thought, his eyes taking on a calculating gleam. So, little one, it is as we discussed. The paka sounded way too pleased with the possibility.
“Um, I’m lost,” Lara said, looking around at each of them. “By the look on Skye’s face, we both are. Can someone explain why you both look like you ate the canary?” Skye couldn’t see her expression, but anxiety had replaced her amusement in their link. Was she even aware they were now connected?
Eiren took up the reins once more. Lara, in the past Chion and I discussed the possibility that the Lan’Ai bond wouldn’t form until both you and Skye acknowledged your growing feelings for each other. You both worked so hard to ignore every instance where your relationship could move closer. It’s been excruciating to watch.
Chion added, Why do you think I kept dropping hints about the Lan’Ai bond and your feelings for Skye?
Eiren’s head bobbed up and down. I did the same with Skye. Although it was akin to pitting myself against a tunnel wall.
For a second, he thought this conversation should take place in private, without the pakas hanging on every word they said. He mentally shrugged. For now, their relationship entailed the Lan’Ai bond. If their fate included more than a deep affection and friendship, then time would tell.
Lara held out her hand. At first, Skye wasn’t sure what she wanted, but his brain kicked in, and he reached out and squeezed her fingers. A long time passed without anyone saying anything. Lara withdrew her hand with a sigh and slumped forward.
“Okay, as much as I want to acquaint myself with the bond and chat with Eiren…” she said, gesturing to the paka in his lap, “Who, by the way, I could listen to for days. I know we are running out of time.”
My Lady is correct. Chion stood up and stretched his back. I have no idea how long we slept after the power dissipated from the room, but we all woke about the same time.
“Well,” Lara said, holding out her shirt, “I don’t know either, but my shirt and hair are dry. They were soaked through when it happened. I had just finished rinsing them in the stream.”
Skye crossed his arms and frowned in thought. “There is no way to tell.” Remembering the intensity of the pain during the event, he asked, “Why would the Lan’Ai bond affect us to such an extent? The Tal’Ai bond’s formation was painful, but nothing like that.”
Eiren hummed in thought. It makes sense, does it not?
“What do you mean,” he asked.
The power you gained by becoming Lan’Ai, which increases your power threshold, would require more effort on our part. Pain is merely a means to measure the changes that have occurred within your body.
He searched inward, then frowned. “I don’t feel any different.” He went to the stream and knelt down, dunking his hands into the water. He washed his hands and splashed his face to take the worst of the dirt off. There wasn’t enough time to bathe.
“I don’t either,” Lara said. “Shouldn’t we feel different magic-wise?”
Following his initiative, Eiren joined him, wading into the water. Finding the deepest part, she dropped and rolled back and forth. Water sprayed everywhere.