Page 37 of Twisted Bonds

Unease in her tone makes the pit of my stomach drop. I run a hand through my hair with a halfhearted attempt to smooth it back, but it just falls back into my eyes. My face unshaved, body unwashed. My face is already that of a monster. I’m not doing myself any favors.

I take a step back, shaking my head. I shouldn’t have come. She’s safe. That’s all I needed to know. Finally able to avert my eyes from hers, they stick to my shoes as I turn to leave.

Stupid. It was stupid to come.

“No.” Mira’s voice is soft, her words almost inaudible. I freeze mid-step. “Wait.”

I turn back to her, and the look in her eyes makes me pause. It’s not fear or revulsion, but concern. She puts the book down, rising from her seat to approach me with a subtle limp. “Please stay.”

She motions to the small table. A tray of fresh breads and a steaming bowl of soup wait patiently upon it, obviously just delivered, and set for two. Was she expecting me? But no, that doesn’t…

“What’s this? Cal finally puts aside his pride and leaves the dungeons? I never thought I’d see the day.”

Tairyn’s approach is slow. With each slow step through the open doorway, his mocking smile curves higher. My blood boils as I turn to face him. My teeth grit against the inane nickname he insists on calling me. His perfectly coiffed hair is not out of place, and his clothes are starched and immaculate, making me even more aware of my unkempt appearance. His green eyes glint with malicious glee as he looks me up and down.

“Couldn’t be bothered to find a bath first, I see,” he drawls, that annoying smirk dancing on his lips.

“Don’t you have anything better to do, Tairyn?” I say tersely. The urge to wipe that smug smile off his face is almost overpowering.

He only chuckles, seating himself at the table with an air of leisurely disdain. His gaze flickers between Mira and me, clearly entertained by the situation. I clench my fists and fight the urge to punch that smile off his face. “Oh, watching you make a fool of yourself is better than anything I had planned today.”

“How did you get out?” Mira asks, ignoring the tension between us.

Tairyn scoffs from his seat at the table, leaning back with an annoyed twist on his lips. “He was never locked in, Vessel. I gave him these rooms, in fact, but the twat wanted to stay in the dungeon instead.”

The bitter annoyance in his tone is reason enough. I’m glad that I got under his skin. “I’m a prisoner. Why should I stay anywhere else?”

Her brows furrow in confusion, her gaze flickering between Tairyn and me. “You chose to stay in the dungeons?”

I nod, crossing my arms over my chest. She takes a step back, her head cocked as if taking me in anew. “You didn’t have to do that, Callum. You didn’t deserve to be locked up.”

“The self-righteous martyr,” Tairyn interjects with a roll of his eyes. He picks up a piece of bread and breaks it in half, his attention on the food rather than us.

“Would you shut it?” Mira snaps, her frustration clear in the way her eyebrows pinch together. “Just go away.”

His gaze meets hers, apparently taken aback by her boldness. Their eyes lock for a moment, as if debating how far to take the challenge, and then he responds with his usual confident smirk. “As you wish. Though I hate to get a late start on our little agreement,” he says, setting the bread down with a small sigh of resignation.

He rises from the table, brushing invisible crumbs off his spotless clothing. As he strides from the room, he casts one last triumphant glance over his shoulder. “Enjoy your freedom, Cal,” he says before disappearing from our sight.

I watch Mira as she takes a deep breath, her shoulders visibly relaxing once Tairyn is out of sight. She turns back to me, but before she can speak, I have to ask. “What little agreement?”

She shifts on her feet, not meeting my gaze. “We made a bonded bargain,” she murmurs. “After I bond him, he’ll release me. He’s also agreed to teach me what he knows about using Chroma.”

I blink as the words sink in, my mind spinning with the implications. “A bonded bargain? With him?” I try to keep my voice neutral as I speak, but the sickening twist in my stomach reveals my true feelings.

She nods, her gaze remaining on the floor. “It’s my best chance at freedom. I’ll come back for you. Make him release you too once I have my powers and the others.” Her voice is low, filled with a determination that surprises me.

“But…” The words stick in my throat like shards of glass, a bitter taste lingering on my tongue. “You trust him?”

“Of course not,” she admits after a moment of silence, finally meeting my eyes again. “I’m doing what I have to.”

“By selling yourself to him?” She recoils as if I’ve just slapped her, her gaze piercing into mine - a mix of hurt and anger. I immediately regret the hateful words. I let out a frustrated sigh and run a hand through my hair, unable to meet her gaze. Guilt gnaws at me like a persistent rat.

“That’s not fair, Callum,” she whispers. “It’s not like I’m just going to sleep with him. That’s not how it works. Besides, you’re one to talk. You didn’t even tell me you were a Shard. Or that you weren’t actually a prisoner.”

“I am a prisoner. I’m not allowed to leave this place, same as you.” I open my mouth to say more. To apologize, but I can’t. An apology would require explaining myself, and I don’t even fully understand why I said nothing. Finally, I just shake my head with a murmured, “I’m sorry.”

When I finally look back up at her, her gaze is laced with pity. I clench my jaw, refusing to accept it. Deep down, I knew meeting my fated mate was a mistake. I knew she’d either be repulsed by me or pity me. That I’m not… normal.

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