Page 77 of Sword & Shadow
“Can we not throw sacred magical artifacts around, please?” Auden said incredulously.
Seeing the disappointment in Thom’s hardened expression, Deckard attempted to move the conversation forward. Night Relic still in hand, he held Auden’s gaze. “Are you sure about this?” he asked.
“Quite sure,” he confirmed. “As Ilain said, she’s suspected for a while now. I was skeptical, but there were always signs.”
“Like what?”
“Your time in the Keeps,” Evylin muttered.
Rafferty nudged her arm. “My thinking exactly, Eve. After our failed trials with my previous theory, I thought: Whyisthe Colonel so much better in the Keeps? It’s not like Ethenn’s skills are that much improved during our mad dashes. He’s always been obnoxiously impressive.”
Ethenn’s thick eyebrows rose, but he didn’t reply.
“That was just one of the signs,” Ilain interjected. “Other notable instances: You discovered the Keeps and heard the Shades early along with Auden and me, which is supposed to be nearly impossible, and you heal far too rapidly. Beyond that and your uncanny improvement in the Keeps, what more evidence do you need?”
Deckard pinched the bridge of his nose. It was becoming more and more difficult to deny it. He couldn’t say exactly why the idea bothered him so much. Perhaps it was because he’d grown up his whole life hearing that Mages were evil incarnate, that they staunchly opposed the Allorian faith. And while he knew the Calders contradicted that dogma, it stuck in his brain.
What was more, he didn’t like the weight that came with being magical. It was fine for Evylin. He’d always known she was special, a step above every other woman he’d met. Magic explained why. But for him...?
Deckard was a soldier. He was a servant. That was all he aspired to be. If he became a Mage, that meant his entire identity would change. No longer an officer following the orders of his superiors, but a magical being, revered and dominant.
Yet, there was no way to contest the truth. Not with this Relic still glowing in his hand.
Deckard handed it back to Rafferty, telling him to put them all away. He turned to Auden once more. “What does this mean?” he asked.
“First,” Auden said, “it means that our mission’s chance of success has greatly increased. The Alliance will certainly want to continue working with you in the future as well. And it means you will have to train.”
“And what if I choose not to work with the Alliance?” Deckard asked.
Auden looked disappointed but didn’t challenge him. “Then they’ll allow you to go your separate way. However, I wouldn’t advise it. Once you begin to use magic, it starts to impact the rest of your life. You’d be hard-pressed to return to a normal one.”
“More importantly,” Ilain said, a twinkle in her eyes, “you’re a Mage who’s married to a Warrior.”
Deckard’s expression went slack. He glanced at Evylin, her shoulders ramrod straight. “What does that have to do—” He paused, remembering his conversation with Auden two days ago. “Bonding,” he whispered.
Ilain nodded enthusiastically.
“What’s that?” Evylin demanded. “What does that mean?”
Deckard saw the disaster coming before he could stop it. This was exactly what Hewitt had warned him against. Evylinwouldn’t see Bonding as anything but a shackle—one more link in the chain that fixed her to him. She’d see it as a means of his control over her.
But he couldn’t stop Ilain from answering.
“Warriors and Mages are meant to be together,” the woman said with reverence. “Our powers are designed to be in balance. They strengthen and enhance each other. And that’s when they’re not even Bonded.”
Ilain gripped a branch of the hawthorn, leaning forward in her passion. “When a Warrior and a Mage Bond, they take an oath of complete and total trust. They fuse their souls, becoming of one power, one mind, and one heart. It is an unbreakable vow, even more hallowed than the sacrament of marriage.”
A cold breeze rustled through the trees, sending a shiver down Deckard’s spine. Insects chirruped in the night, filling the silence. He didn’t bother assessing the men’s reactions. He only cared to see Evylin’s response.
She sat there, face blank and shoulders back. The only sign of her discontent was her fingers, locked on her rings. “Why can’t it be broken?” she asked flatly.
“It’s magically induced,” Auden explained. “To break the Bond would be literal suicide.”
“Not that anyone would want to break their Bond,” Ilain said flippantly. “As I said, it’s a binding of hearts. If the pair weren’t already in love, they would be shortly after. Which,” she grinned knowingly, “obviously doesn’t change anything between the two of you.”
Slowly, Evylin met Deckard’s stare. He hoped she could see the disapproval in his gaze. He would not ask her to make any such vows to him.
Deckard met Ilain’s gleaming stare. “Nor does it mean anything to us,” he replied with resolve. “As it doesn’t apply to our situation.”
