Page 2 of Chains of Love

His response is a stream of curses in what I assume is his native tongue. The magic holds him firmly in place, but his rage fills the clearing like a physical presence.

"The binding responds to emotions," I explain, keeping my voice steady despite the fear fluttering in my chest. "The more agitated you are, the tighter it holds. If you want to move again, you'll need to calm down."

His jaw clenches. "You expect me to be calm when you've 'summoned me' to the middle of fucking nowhere?"

"I expect you to be practical. Unless you'd prefer to stay frozen like that all night?"

Seconds tick by. The muscles in his neck gradually relax, and his breathing evens out. The magical bonds loosen their grip, allowing him to lower his sword.

"There. Better, isn't it?" I brush dirt from my robes, trying to project more confidence than I feel. "I'm Lirien, by the way."

"Demon-spawn," he growls, but at least he's not trying to kill me anymore. "What manner of hell-creature are you?"

A laugh bubbles up before I can stop it. "Hell-creature? Please. I'm as human as any other." I gesture to my face, then immediately regret drawing attention to the cut he gave me. "Well, mostly. I'm what's called a Purna – we can tap into Protheka's natural magic flows. Nothing demonic about it."

He sheaths his sword with deliberate slowness, never taking his eyes off me. The motion reminds me of a cat putting away its claws – a temporary concession, not a surrender.

"Did that make sense?" I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, wincing as my fingers brush against the cut. "And you are?"

He crosses his arms, radiating suspicion. After a long pause: "Darak."

"Just Darak?"

"That's all you need to know, demon."

Darak spins on his heel and stalks away through the trees, his long strides eating up the ground. My heart leaps into my throat.

"Wait!" I gather my robes and scramble after him, ducking under low-hanging branches. "Where are you going?"

He doesn't even look back. "Away from you. Home."

"You don't even know where you are!" Leaves and twigs crunch under my feet as I try to keep pace. "This is leagues from any settlement. And even if you did know the way?—"

"I'll figure it out." His voice drips with disdain.

A root catches my toe and I stumble. The bond between us tugs at my chest, a constant reminder. "The binding spell won't let you get far. We're tethered now, whether you like it or not."

He whirls around so fast I nearly crash into him. His crimson eyes flash with fury in the darkness. "What did you say?"

I take a step back, hands raised. "The ritual created a magical bond. If you try to leave, it'll just pull you back. But listen?—"

"You dare to chain me like some common beast?" His voice rises to a roar that sends birds scattering from nearby trees.

"I know where to go to break it!" The words tumble out in a rush. "If we get to a coven, their elder will have the power that I don't."

He looms over me, teeth bared. "And I should trust you because?"

"Because I want this fixed as much as you do. This wasn't supposed to happen."

The silence stretches between us, broken only by the whisper of wind through leaves and my own rapid breathing. Finally, his shoulders drop a fraction.

"How far?"

"I'm not sure," I murmur. "But I do know the way, and I can get you there. Please."

He stalks forward, pointing a finger at me—probably because he knows he can't use his blade. "You better not be lying."

I shake my head frantically.

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