Page 108 of The Prince's Sacrifice

“She’s a healer. It’s all right.”

All of Pel’s thought processes ground to a halt. Bavil knew an unregistered healer and happened to be meeting with her in the same cave where Pel had decided to retreat with Tor? It seemed utterly improbable… but they’d had some pretty poor luck recently, and Pel decided that he would simply be grateful.

Goddess, if this was you, thank you.

Denil Mantled his sword so that there was more light in the cave, and once Bavil saw, he did the same, meaning Tor was soon awash in bright white light.

It made him look terribly pale, just like he had through this whole journey, a ghastly version of his normal self.

Pel still had to clench his hands to prevent himself from reaching out for Tor as Tama cupped his face. Her eyes fluttered closed, and then she looked intent with concentration, like she was seeing something that Pel couldn’t.

He stood there, shifting from foot to foot, antsy and uncertain, only then her eyes opened. She gestured Pel closer, and with deep relief, he sank to the ground beside Tor, scooping up his hand and twining their fingers together. That was a little better, at least.

“How long have you been bonded?” Tama asked him.

Pel startled. “We’re not bonded.”

Now she looked confused. “You certainly are. If you weren’t bonded, he wouldn’t be alive right now.”

A full-body shudder ran through Pel. He had to swallow through his suddenly parched throat.

“What do you mean?” he gasped out.

“The Prince’s magic was drained to so dangerous a level that I’m genuinely surprised he’s still alive. What I feel sustaining him is the bond you share.”

She glanced down at their joined hands… something that Pel had been doing every chance he got since the man had been unconscious, twining them together like they were Blending, only Tor wasn’t awake to summon his magic, and it hadn’t occurred to Pel to summon his own.

But maybe his instincts had been enough.

He hadn’t realized healers could feel bonds. Could she actually feel his magic, though, or did she sense other magic and assume it was Pel’s?

“Tor suffered from magical exhaustion three or so weeks ago. Our healer helped speed his healing then. Are you sure it’s not his magic you feel?”

She shook her head. “Definitely not. That would have been transitory. It often feels… foreign, for lack of a better way to describe it. This connection feels natural and permanent.”

Which was both delightful and alarming… but he still didn’t understand.

“But we didn’t bond,” he told her earnestly. “I swear we didn’t. We agreed that we were going to wait until we got his brother’s approval.”

And look howthathad gone. Now was obviously not the time, but he rather thought he’d been proved right about waiting, at least when it came to High King Varex’s reaction.

“You mean you didn’t say the words,” Tama corrected.

“Definitely not,” Pel agreed.

“But did you feel the feelings?” she asked.

Pel frowned.

Tama sighed. “Bonding is most often completed as part of a bonding ceremony, where the words are part of the process.But it isn’t as though you can be accidentally bonded simply by speaking those words.”

That made sense. Hundreds of teens would wind up inadvertently bonded if that were the case. Pel might never have played that game, but he’d seen the children and teens of Baless clasping hands and declaring their bond often enough.

Tama continued. “Actual bonding is about intent. You combine your magic, and you have to both deeply desire a bond. We’re encouraged to think about it and declare it formally, but it isn’t strictly necessary. This is much deeper than a casual thought of ‘wouldn’t it be lovely if,’ but magic and intent matter far more than words.”

Pel had had no idea. He’d given up on the idea of a bond soon after he’d turned sixteen and learned how few people wanted him as he was. The idea that he and Tor had gottenaccidentallybonded was ludicrous… and yet.

Hadthey both wanted to be bonded? That had certainly been their intention. Pel was quite sure that if only he’d agreed, Tor would have bonded with him before they headed back to Alossa. As for Pel? If he were being perfectly honest with himself, he’d wanted to be bonded to Tor for a lot longer than he wanted to admit, even before they Tendrilled but certainly with frequency afterwards. He just hadn’t acknowledged it.