As Skye watched her, he contemplated the possible ramifications to Lara’s question. Was there truly no difference, or did it merely mean they must learn of their magic through trial and error? It took too long the first time. The Malirrans would march into Kureto soon. They needed control of their powers before that happened. Skye’s stomach sank, all too aware that his control of the Tal’Ai magic was unstable at best. Practice took time. Something they did not have.

Chion passed Eiren as she stepped out of the stream. Before he did the same maneuver as the other paka, he asked, Have you attempted to use your magic beyond the bounds of the Tal’Ai power?

Eiren’s vigorous shaking sent waterdrops all over the room. With one last shake, she sat down and started licking her front paws. Chion brings forward a valid point. I can understand that testing your power might be problematic due to the type of magic you have, Lara, but Skye can. My Lord, while we wait for Chion to finish, take this time to focus on your magic.

Skye closed his eyes and dropped the invisible mirrors, allowing the information to flow through him. The overwhelming amount of data took a while to catalogue. Grateful the tunnels were empty except for them, he followed the tunnels farther and farther out. At last, when he reached the line where his magic couldn’t cross, Skye circled the entirety of his sight, flowing through the tunnels in his mind’s eyes. When solid ground would have stopped him, he jumped to the next tunnel opening.

Running a straight line from the outer boundary where his magic could see back to his body, Skye judged the distance to have quadrupled or more. He opened his eyes, realizing the short stint using his newfound Lan’Ai magic left him weary, as if he’d spent three full days reading in the archives. With a sigh, he loosened his hold on his magic, letting it drift back to where it lay in wait.

And there had been nothing but empty tunnels. A useless and draining ability if he couldn’t gain control of it.

Without the benefit of his magic, he picked up Lara’s breathing coming closer before her hand touched his bicep. She stated, “Your power has increased, hasn’t it?”

Skye nodded and grimaced.

“By how much?” A slither of worry trickled through their new link.

He reached up and scratched his beard. Curious, he asked, “How are you so certain it has increased my field of vision?”

Eiren answered, her gold eyes coming closer, Because, My Lord, you’ve stood in the same place for a long time. Long enough that my coat is not wet but merely damp.

“None of us wanted to interrupt you. You looked like you were in a trance.”

He considered that for a moment before addressing the woman’s emotion that beat through the bond. Certainly, the others felt it as well. “Why does this worry you?”

The hand on his arm disappeared, but Lara stayed beside him. “The amount your power has increased is a good barometer—uh, indicator—for what my magic will be like. We all know how bad mine is. As much as the shield helps, it is not an end-all, fix-all bandage, as we learned from my latest mishap.”

Skye snorted. Calling what she’d survived a mishap was like calling a sword a two-inch knife. But he understood what she meant. She was right; it was a serious concern.

“I can see at least three to four times farther than the original boundary.”

When he said nothing else, Eiren asked the question he dreaded. And what of your head?

Chion murmured, It is worse. Skye nodded, and the paka continued, The more information you funnel and analyze, the more your brain comes under pressure.

“In less time too.” Skye rubbed both his temples with his thumbs. “I’ve used my Tal’Ai magic all day without difficulty. When I stretched my sight to determine how far I can see, my head pounds. Not so much from pain as from weariness. As soon as I opened my eyes, I dropped my magic.”

Good, Eiren said, her gaze fierce.

Skye added, “If I had held onto my magic any longer, I believe the pain would not have been far behind.”

“What does this mean for me,” Lara asked, her tone full of worry. “I know it makes me sound conceited by worrying more about me than Skye’s predicament. For that, I’m sorry. Really. At this point, if my magic follows Skye’s, I’m going to have to live on an island with only the four of us.” She groaned aloud, “This is a disaster.”

Chion, ever pragmatic, said, We will not know until we can test your magic. Until then, do not worry about potential problems that might never arise. We have too much to concern ourselves with without adding more. Let us leave this place.

“Do you need help with your packs?” Skye had no idea how he was going to help, but he’d try.

We do not, Eiren answered. Lara helped us with ours while we waited for you. Lara has already eaten. Chion and I will wait to fill our bellies once we halt for the night. Her eyes shifted to the side where he thought the woman still stood. Could you give Skye a little food?

“Of course,” Lara said. He heard the rustle of canvas before a sweet scent drifted to him, tickling his nose. “Hold out your hand.” A piece of Yarroh root dropped into his hand.

Taking a bite, he spoke with his mouth full, “Lara, can you guide me to my pack? I’ll need your eyes for the rest of the day. I would rather give my head a rest.”

The woman didn’t answer, but he heard her dragging something across the ground. “Just so you know, I repacked your bag while waiting on you to come up for air.” When it hit his foot, he leaned over, found the straps, and threw it over his shoulder.

“Ready for our next adventure?” Lara quipped.

Eiren and Chion both chuckled, but Skye nodded and extended his arm toward her. Walking between the woman and Eiren should have irritated him, but instead Skye felt only camaraderie toward his companions.

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After a long period of silence—perhaps to take her mind off the pain, Lara spoke up, “Can you feel me like I do you and Eiren?”

“If you mean whether I can feel you through the Lan’Ai bond, yes. I wondered whether you recognized the additional bonds.” When the woman’s fingernails dug into his forearm, Skye prompted her, “What is it?”

She cleared her throat. “I know no one can actually hear my thoughts, yet I can’t help but feel as if my head is suddenly full.”

Eiren’s genuine laugh made his lips twitch. Do not worry, Lara. I imagine we’re all feeling the same effects from the newly formed bond.

Skye agreed with a grunt.

“So,” Lara drawled out on a long sigh, “Tal’Ai call each other My Lady or My Lord. As Lan’Ai, what are we supposed to call each other?” After a small amount of time passed while they all thought about the issue, Lara added, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m extremely uncomfortable calling Skye… that.”

Skye felt the woman shudder, yet he didn’t take exception to her honesty. He felt the same. Calling Lara “My Lady” seemed too intimate. With Eiren, the title showed his respect and deep affection for the paka. The same didn’t hold true for Lara. Instead, the title was reminiscent of what his father called his mother outside the privacy of their home.

Chion’s voice trailed back to them. As the first Lan’Ai in centuries, the protocol for our bond is lost to time.

Eiren purred in agreement. Whatever we choose is for us alone. Others will follow our lead.

“Follow our lead?” Skye snorted. “Only if others believe the Lan’Ai bond exists.”

Lara sighed again. “Ever the pessimist. As much as I want to argue otherwise, Skye is right. We know the Lan’Ai bond exists, but there are those who will deny it, even after it hits them across the face. Jahni, for example.”

You both forget that the people, as a whole, respect you, Chion chided. You forget your reception has been different since the trial. The Kurite warriors changed their perception of Skye in only a few days. Why would others not do the same?

Besides, Eiren added, our Lan’Ai bond brings the Kurite people hope. And hope is something we’ve long needed even before the Malirrans invaded Pyran.

“Okay. Fine. Skye and I will stay optimistic.” Skye felt Lara waving her hand in the air as if she was wiping their conversation away. “Let’s get back to my question. If we don’t use the same title, what do I call Skye? What do I call you, Eiren?”

Lara, you may use my given name. For now, I rather like the idea that only Skye calls me “My Lady.” Later, my feelings may change, but we should do what feels natural.

Skye added, “I agree. Do we need to change anything? Why can we not continue to call each other by our names?”

Lara’s relief flowed through their bond. “Thank God. I don’t know if I could use a stuffy title when talking to Eiren. I use one for Chion sometimes because it makes him happy and it suits him.” They all heard Chion muffled hiss, which Lara ignored with equanimity. “Like Eiren, maybe I’ll feel different later, but I don’t think so.”

I am satisfied with this decision, Eiren responded.

I would only recommend that if a situation arises where we must use a title, we settle on Ai, Chion advised. Tal’Ais have used the term for generations.

Skye chewed on the white paka’s words for a while. “The question I have regarding our bond is whether we can focus the bond to speak to only a single person.”

Lara clicked her tongue. “You mean if you wanted to only speak to Eiren and not have Chion and me hear it?”

“Yes, but not just Eiren. I might wish to speak with either Chion or you without the others hearing us.”

“Huh,” Lara said. “Nothing is stopping us from testing it now. We’re in the middle of nowhere. Why don’t you give it a shot?”

Chion’s eyes blinked back at him, proving he’d turned around to wait for them. Wanting to start with who he thought might be the most difficult, he pointed to the paka. “I’ll start with Chion. Tell me whether anything bleeds through.”

Of course, My Lord.

“You’ll be the first to know if you broadcast anything,” Lara assured him, her tone letting him know she teased him.

Broadcast? Skye shook his head, no longer surprised at her vocabulary. Unlike with Eiren, Skye had to latch onto the strand attaching him to Chion and follow it to the paka. Chion?

I hear you. Hearing Chion’s voice resonate within him, a sense of calm filled him, making his smooth stride stutter.

Lara nudged his arm. “I know you’re talking, but it is like a conversation happening in another room behind a closed door. I can’t hear the words, only that you are speaking to each other. How about you, Eiren?”

It is the same for me. I feel as if I should understand each word, but I don’t. Skye, try again.

This time, after Skye followed the bond back to Chion, he consciously released the other two from the automatic hold he had on them. Eiren’s and Lara’s bonds stayed attached, but he had pushed them aside. Chion? How do you feel about our bond?

Chion tilted his head, and through the bond Skye knew the paka twitched his whiskers. As I told Solara not so long ago, our bond was inevitable.

Skye shook his head once, staring into Chion’s resolute eyes.

You are asking about my connection to you. For a long moment, the paka considered him. Any emotion the paka had toward him, Chion contained.

In the heartbeat that it took for the paka to answer, Skye realized that Chion was an enigma to him, perhaps even to Lara. The paka protected his companions with a fierceness that left no doubt of his regard. And yet, Chion had never shared his own circumstances, family, or dreams. It wasn’t Skye’s place to intrude. Despite not knowing except the bare minimum, Chion’s steadfastness and loyalty had been proven time and time again.

It is true that my mistrust of you took time to overcome. However, I saw through your Pyranni lineage to the person you truly are. As with My Lady, I was reminded that one’s appearance should never determine an individual’s acceptance. My own circumstances should have warned me of first impressions. Chion gave him a brief bow. You are a strong warrior. You have shown your nature as one who protects the innocent and fights for what is right, no matter the cost to you. And for you, the cost has been high, far higher than any one person should ever experience. I consider you a friend, a companion, and my Ai. The God and Goddess have blessed me with my three companions, misfits that we are. I can only hope to show everyone how honored I feel as part of the Lan’Ai bond.

Their bond would never have the ease of Eiren’s and his bond. Battlemates through circumstance, not friendship—no less strong for the way in which their bond formed, Skye knew their friendship would deepen if given the time.

For now, he returned the paka’s bow. I’ve no idea why the four of us were chosen, but we will both protect the others.

Chion’s purr rolled through the tunnel.

Lara interrupted their silent conversation. “Well, if I hadn’t watched you, I never would have known you were talking to each other. So, a success?”

Eiren hedged playfully, A success? We can’t be so sure.

“Hm,” Lara said, quick to catch on, “I think this was a bad idea. What if they gang up on us, Eiren?”

The two females shared a laugh full of mischief, though he heard the soft gasp of pain that Lara tried to hide at the end. He almost offered to carry her, but something stopped him. He decided to take his cue from her and brought his attention back to their conversation. Skye’s stomach sank; he shuddered to see what they’d do together. He murmured, “No ditties, please.”

His bondmate’s eyes showed her merriment at his plea, proof that she already schemed. Lara, we must talk, alone. I think our next step is to learn how to do the same, Eiren whispered, though everyone could hear her.

Chion huffed before turning back around to walk deeper into the tunnel. Practice on the way. We have a distance to travel yet.

Lara slapped Skye’s arm with her free one. “Well,” she demanded, “don’t leave us hanging. How did you do it?”

Skye stared straight ahead, not quite hiding his smirk. “You have both given me ample reason why I shouldn’t tell you.”

The two finally wheedled it out of him an hour later, giving him a chance to tease them. Skye thought later that night that the ease in which the bond settled around him should have made him leery. Especially since the change in Skye and Lara’s relationship remained unsettled.

Instead, he’d never been happier.