First Apprentice

Chapter 11 Part 2

"Even if you technically failed his exam," Endellion said, "which I doubt, the ritual took. I can see the threads binding you together."

Ritual? My mind trailed back to Joel's odd phrasing. Instead of saying I've chosen for you or even in lieu of, he said "in your stead". Formal and bordering on archaic. Stomach twisting into knots, I closed my eyes and turned my attention inwards, seeking the bonds connecting me to my family.

Even with Joel's magic screwing with my vision, I could see my bonds. Plied together like rope, the strands each pulsed in time with a foreign heartbeat.

Bluish black like a bruise: Endellion. Amethyst purple: Grandfather. Robin's egg blue: Uncle Manfred. A gray that sometimes turned navy blue: Selim.

Buried under Selim's was a gossamer navy strand. My other bonds were all thicker than my wrist, like the ropes used to haul up a ship's sails. Terry's more closely resembled the yarn used for a wedding ring shawl. The slightest tug and it would snap. Still, it did exist.

The Seven have chosen indeed.

I cursed my own blindness. Terry's exam wasn't a test of magical and martial prowess. Rather, it was a carefully masked ritual.

Seeing the bond, I didn't know if I should celebrate because I passed or cry because I was stuck with Terry for the next ten years. I settled for a grim smile. "I see."

Endellion spun. Her yellow silk skirt swirled around her, pristine as if she hadn't fought Terry while wearing her favorite gown. I wondered how she avoided the ash and blood, but that was Endellion. Even during my early aes disasters, which ended in dust clouds and raining mud, Endellion walked away spotless.

She stalked across the room and grabbed my shoulders. I hissed when her hand pressed against the numbing seal on my left arm.

"It's not too late, Alannah. You don't have to do this. I know Mitchel backed you into a corner, but there are other options. Between my magics and yours, we can easily break this fledgling bond. Don't put yourself in a position where you will be controlled."

"Is that your only objection? You are afraid they'll control me like the clan controlled you."

"I do not fear it, Alannah; I know it. They will bind you with contracts just as the Dracon would with seals. The only difference is who holds your leash. From what I saw today, you'd be better off with the Dracon. At least, their leaders don't lose control of their magic and throw a temper tantrum because they lost a simple spar."

"We all lose control," I said.

Great, the bond at work. Already I defended the ass.

"Immature and newly matured daes lose control, not ones well past their eighth century. You need someone who can teach you control. Obviously, Terry can't."

"Neither can you."

Her shoulders slumped. Endellion crouched down in front of me and cupped my face between her hands. Then she rested her forehead against mine. "I know," she said with a sigh. "My control just is. I never had to work for it. Even if he could teach you, I don't like this."

"Neither do I, but it's either this or spend the next six months countering whatever insane plan Grandfather," or you, I added silently, "cooks up."

She arched a brow. "Mitchel raised you for the Border Guard." Just as Endellion raised me for the clan. For all she claimed they were different, they were exactly the same with different end goals. "I know you think you're making your own way, but you're doing exactly what he wants. All you succeeded in was skipping a few steps."

Smirking, I touched the third seal on my bracelet and extracted a roll of parchment. I left my violin in my study, freeing a storage seal for the contract. Knowing Grandfather and Endellion both would demand proof, I kept it on my person, waiting for the right moment. 

"Selim was right. Proclamation 2306 made for fascinating reading," I said and pressed the contract into her hand. "Read it if you wish. Be aware. It is already signed and sealed with blood and magic. It is not up for discussion. I love you and Grandfather dearly. I wouldn't trade you for anything or anyone. As you say, there is always a choice.

"My choices are my own and will be made in my own time, not yours or Grandfather's. If at the end of my term, I choose to move to Marstallis and herd sheep for the rest of my life, it is my prerogative.

"Endellion," I said gently when she recoiled as if slapped, "you taught me to choose my own path. All I did was buy myself enough time to make an educated decision."

"You seek to preserve the gates."

"Strengthen. I wish them to be what they always should have been. I haven't chosen a side yet, Endellion. The contract merely allows me to evaluate my options and gain a little experience."

"And if neither the Border Guard nor our clan support your vision?"

"I don't know."