Page 127 of The War and Deceit Series omnibus

I tune out the twins as they bicker back and forth, focusing only on the link, and soon enough, I hear the murmuring of a voice I recognise. Opening my eyes, I see that I’m in what looks like a study area with lots of wooden desks filling the sunlit space. There’s a door at the back of the room that is ajar, showing a small office full of books and piled high, loose papers.

“It must be, there is no other explanation!”

My attention is pulled back to the two people who are staring down at a large book, their backs to me as they talk. Vaeril stands on the left and looks up at an older elf, gesturing at whatever is written on the page.

“I think you could be right, but I would need to meet with her to be sure,” the older elf speaks, his voice gentle and calming.

“She’s on her way, I can feel her,” Vaeril responds, and the other elf looks at him with an appraising expression.

“Vaeril?” I call, suddenly unsure. I hadn’t meant to listen to their conversation, I should have just waited with the twins like he’d told me to.

They both turn to look at me. Vaeril has that half smile on his face before he glances at the elf by his side.

“See?”

I examine the elf as much as he’s examining me, and I realise he’s the only elf I’ve ever seen who displays any sign of old age. If Vaeril is over three hundred and looks like he’s in his twenties, how old is this one? His hair is silver like many of the other elves I’ve seen here, but his face is lined and wrinkled. He’s wearing a loose set of robes in a similar colour to mine. He looks surprised, turning from me to Vaeril and back again. His astonishment turns into a delighted smile and he hurries forward to meet me.

My first instinct is to jump back, since fast movements still trigger memories of being beaten back at the castle, but I take a deep breath and stay still, glancing over at Vaeril for reassurance.

Nodding his head, he smiles softly and gestures to the older elf who is practically bouncing on his feet in front of me. “Clarissa, meet Ardeth, he was my master back when I was a foolish youngling. He is the master librarian here.”

“Clarissa, I’m delighted to meet you,” he tells me, his expression genuine.

I like him,I decide, smiling up at him as I feel some of my frustration fade at his excitement. “Is he this thrilled to meet all your friends or am I just special?” I ask no one in particular.

“Yeah, Master Ardeth, I don’t remember you being this pleased when we first came to visit you,” Naril chimes in, mocking hurt as they appear behind me. Ardeth instantly scowls and glares at Vaeril.

“Why did you bring those two? They always mess with my cataloguing system.” Glaring at the twins, he points a finger at them accusingly. “It took me four days to sort everything after the last time you were here!”

Naril starts laughing and even Eldrin cracks a smile.

“Just stay away from my books!” he demands, glaring at them for a moment more before turning to me, smiling once again. “Yes, Clarissa, you are special. I don’t think you quite understand how much.”

Confusion clouds my mind, and that uncertain feeling fills me again. Whatever is about to happen is going to change everything, and I’m just not sure if it will be good or bad. I take a small step back, sucking in a big breath, needing some space. Once I feel ready, I look over at Vaeril who’s watching me with that unreadable expression again.

“What is he talking about?” My voice is quiet, unsure.

“Clarissa, you know that feeling you have, like you are being pulled towards me? The…‘link’ I think you call it?” Vaeril inquires, stepping towards me, feeling my mood through that very link.

Nodding, I glance to the side at the gasp one of the twins makes. I want to ask why they look so shocked and why the tension in the room has suddenly doubled. Vaeril is in front of me now, staring down at me, his expression intense. Nausea rolls through me. I want to know more about myself, but now I’m not sure I’m ready.

“I feel it too. Do you remember when we were in the cave and I died?”

Ardeth looks sorrowful at this retelling, and the twins’ faces are dark as they shift their weight from foot to foot as if they could stop what happened. With a pang in my chest, I nod, vividly remembering how it felt.

“Yes, but you didn’t die, I felt your heartbeat.” My voice breaks, we both know how close I was to losing him forever, that I was almost too late to save him.

“I did die,” he states firmly, and I avoid his eyes, “but you grabbed our ‘link’ and yanked me back. I would have died if you hadn’t done that.”

I can feel all their eyes on me, their feelings and expectations. It’s too much.

“Okay?” Flustered, I shrug, confused by where this conversation is going.

“Clarissa.Alina,” he calls, and I meet his gaze. I couldn’t not even if I wanted to, but like a fish caught on a hook, I can’t help but be pulled to him. “The only way you could have done that was if we were bonded.” He pauses after that revelation, as if expecting it to have some great meaning, but I have no idea what he’s trying to get at. He just said we share this bond, is being ‘bonded’ something different?

Everyone stays quiet as they wait for my reaction. “What does that mean?” My frustration is evident as I practically growl out the question.

Ardeth clears his throat, pulling my gaze to him. He smiles at me sympathetically, sensing my confusion and rising anger. “In our culture, two souls can be bonded, linked together. It means you are fated, no matter where the other person is, you will always find them.”

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