Page 63 of Soul Forge

Elda made the four quick slashes to form the oath rune on her forearm. Moisture clouded her vision, the pain making her eyes water, but she blinked it away, determined to see Sypher’s face. He froze halfway to taking the knife from her, his eyes on the shape she’d carved into her skin.

In her mind, she saw Yarrow, burned and silent on the ground. His oath rune had almost killed him and had brutally robbed him of his future. He would never be wealthy, never ride on horseback, never fight in Eden’s army again. His wounds were too grave.

She shook off the memories and the fear they brought, focussing back on Sypher’s face before her nerves could fail her.

“I, Elda Gild, swear an oath before the Spirits that I willneveruse the Compulsion. I will never learn it, and I will never take your free will, Sypher. I seal my oath with my life.” Magic crackled in the air between them, cauterising the wound andscarring the rune into her skin. Her promise sank into her bones, branding itself into her soul.

Sypher stared down at the rune, turning her hand over and touching the scar like he thought it might disappear. His lips were parted, the fire in his eyes flickering wildly. She waited, still trembling from the shock of seeing her home destroyed.

The anger she felt towards Irileth and her ilk was a living thing crashing around inside her. Her deities, the creators she’dworshipped, had failed Sypher in the worst way long before she was born, and he’d lived with that failure every day since. She refused to be the one to break him.

“You sealed it with your life?” he asked softly. When he looked up at her, the hard exterior was gone. It left behind the true face of a man who had seen and endured too much.

She blinked away more tears, taking his gloved hands. “I did. As long as I’m your wielder, you don’t have to be afraid of being forced into anything.”

Her breath stilled when he touched her cheek, cupping it gently like he couldn’t quite believe she was real. When she didn’t turn to dust beneath his glove, he sucked in a sharp breath. Moisture glimmered in his eyes. She didn’t know if it was from shock, fear, or gratitude.

“Do you have any idea of the risk you’ve just taken?” he whispered.

She knew the risk all too well. Yarrow’s screams were permanently burned into her memories, the smell of his charred flesh haunting her nightmares until she woke up panting for breath. And more so, she knew she could never use the Compulsion if his demon broke free.

“I do.” He seemed oblivious to the others gathered in the garden, his attention fixated on her. When he took her hand and laid her palm against the bare skin of his neck, right over his pulse, she gasped, knowing just how hard it must be for him.

"Thank you," he whispered fervently. “I’ll be back soon.” Once again, he disappeared into the night sky.

When Sypher finally returned, Elda was practising using a dagger with Julian and Reiner, moving slowly from one stance to another under the light of a full moon. She struggled to get them right, but she was improving. The vampire was a good teacher, and with Reiner to watch her posture, they kept her on track until the Soul Forge approached them.

“Here.” He held out a bunch of the most beautiful wildflowers, obviously freshly picked from the fields outside Saeryn. Elda blinked. “You said if you proved me wrong, you expected an apology and flowers. So, I brought you flowers.”

She smiled. “And the apology?”

“I’m working on that.”

“You also said we’d be friends.”

“Baby steps,” he answered, arching an eyebrow. She chuckled and accepted the bouquet, savouring the scent of wild bluebells and tulips. Sypher shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he let his wings disappear in a bluster of feathers and shadow, his face turned away from Julian’s broad grin and Reiner’s bemused frown.

“I had no idea your personality consisted purely of being an ass,” the vampire snickered. “You’re so awkward!”

“This is new territory for me,” Sypher retorted defensively. “You try hating everyone for eight centuries and then see how easy being nice is.”

“You don’t hateme.” He winked.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Certain.” Julian flashed a grin at his friend, patting him on the shoulder before heading inside. Reiner hovered, visibly unhappy with Sypher’s sudden show of friendliness. Elda turned to the ex-captain and shot her a pleading smile.

“Do you mind if I talk to Sypher alone for a while?” she asked. “I know you don’t like him, and you think he’ll hurt me, but I’m asking you to trust me just once. Can you?” The valkyrie’s brow knitted, her mouth flattening into a thin, unhappy line. “Please?”

Just when the denial seemed about to trip from her tongue, Reiner nodded. She pointed one finger at the Soul Forge. “If you harm her, I will gut you.” And then she stalked off in the direction of the stables.

“She threatens me a lot,” Sypher remarked.

“That’s because she’s overprotective. She’s looked out for me my whole life.”

“Your life hasn’t been very long.”

“Compared to yours, no,” she snorted. “But it’s a long time to me.” He grunted an affirmative but said nothing more. “Are you okay, Sypher? You vanished. I ended up left with Lillian.”

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