Page 45 of Spirit Trials (The Spirit Kingdoms #1)

Alarm spears through me, and I hear a menacing growl from the floor that I assume came from Shade or maybe Solace. Rysden stiffens next to me. “What are you talking about?” My head is still spinning from everything she just told me, but I try to focus on what she’s talking about now.

His mother takes another sip of tea, and I clench my hands in my lap, so I don’t reach across and snatch it from her. She’s going to just sit there and drink tea after an announcement like that?

She's pondering her words.

Thankfully, I don’t startle at the sound of Solace’s voice in my head.

Maybe I’m starting to get used to it. I fold my hands together in my lap and then quickly unfold them and run them over my thighs.

A warm, large hand encloses around mine, stilling it.

I sneak a glance at Rysden, but he’s watching his mom, the perfect picture of patience.

Patience has never been a virtue of mine.

Right when I think I’m going to lose control and demand she say something, she finally puts her mug down and eyes the two of us.

“You two need to consummate your relationship. Tonight.” I nearly choke on my spit.

Of all the things I thought she would say. That was not it.

“Mother,” Rysden begins. His low voice rolls through me, and I force my cheeks not to heat any more than they already are. I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.

“Don’t Mother me. The bond between you two.

..you must understand. There hasn’t been a soul match in over a hundred years.

You won’t be safe until your souls are linked.

Once you are both linked; you can never be unlinked or untethered.

The two of you together with your wolves will be incredibly powerful.

” Her eyes sharpen. “The king,” she pauses.

Her eyes bounce between the two of us. “He will see you as a threat.” Her voice is sharp and so in contrast with the woman sitting here drinking tea like she has not a care in the world.

I take a moment to study her, really study her.

Her long dark hair is the same shade as Rysden’s, but her eyes are different.

They’re a bright blue; I noticed that the last time.

But tonight, they’re dull, and she has dark smudges under her eyes.

She looks like she’s aged since I saw her last. There’s a weariness to her; I can see it in the set of her shoulders, in the tightness of her skin over her face.

“You saw something.” Rysden’s words are low and even, even though I can feel the tension practically radiating off him.

“I,” she pauses and takes a breath. “Yes.” I go still.

“ What?” Rysden demands.

She swallows, and I wonder if she’s going to tell us.

“I don’t normally tell my visions.” I think her words are directed at me, but I’m not sure.

She stares past us, as if looking into the future.

“Meddling with visions is dangerous. There can be no end to the madness. As soon as you change one tiny detail to prevent something in your future, you set off an entire chain of events. Everything changes.” She shakes her head.

“Some have gone mad trying to follow visions.” Her eyes go distant.

“You saw something and came here to warn us,” Rysden says in a low, controlled voice. “What was it?”

“You two won’t be truly safe until you bond yourselves.

” Her voice fades, and her eyes go distant again.

When she speaks, her voice is lower and husky; a shiver runs through me.

“A lone girl walks alone on a path in the woods. The moon guides her way, and the stars watch from the heavens. She’s alone but not unprotected.

” I watch as her eyes go more and more distant and become almost a milky white.

I try not to react, but a shudder slides through me.

I feel Rysden’s hand tighten on mine, even as goosebumps break out on my arms. “She is sought after by all, but no single soul seeks her out. She is alone but one guides her. Her guiding lead, her north star. She will save her, though no one knows.” Rysden’s mother’s voice ends on a whisper, and she suddenly slumps forward.

I jump up, but Rysden’s already there. He catches her before she hits the table and lifts her into his arms. I hurry around to help.

“Is she okay?” I ask as anxiety rushes through me.

“She does this after a vision.”

“Where do you want to take her? She can have my bed,” I offer.

“I’ll take her back to her room at the castle. If she wakes up and doesn’t know where she is, she could get hurt. She’s not usually lucid for a while after her visions.”

“Okay. What can I do to help?”

His eyes find mine and soften. “Get some rest.”

I want to offer to go with him, but he’s already striding towards the front door.

When he opens the door, two palace guards step forward.

He exchanges a few words with them, and one of them closes the door behind them.

I didn’t see any alarm in the guards’ eyes; they must be used to this.

I stare at the closed door and blow out a breath.

I can’t say that I’m not a little uneasy after all that, and I’m not really sure what to do with myself.

I’m too keyed up to go upstairs and sleep.

Instead, I pace. When I tire of that, I sit on the first step.

Eventually, I lean my head against the wall.

The door opens, and my eyes spring open.

But it’s not Rysden that walks in. It’s Lox and Hector.

Lox notices me first. “Farrah. Are you okay?”

I nod. “I’m just waiting for Rysden to get back. Where were you two?”

“We had business to take care of,” Lox says rather vaguely.

Hector walks over to me and stops just shy of the first step. “Need anything?”

I smile in spite of myself. “No, I’m good. Thank you.”

He nods. “Night.”

“Good night, Hector.” I watch as he ascends the stairs and then turn back to Lox.

“Do you want help to your room? You look,” he pauses, and I fill in for him.

“Tired, anxious, confused?”

He cocks his head to the side. “All the above.”

“Rysden’s mom came here and told us...Well, she said a lot of things, most of which I don’t really understand.”

“The queen came here?” he asks, surprised.

“Yeah.” I eye him strangely. “That’s the second time she’s done it.”

“Hmm.”

“Hmm what?” I push.

“She just never usually leaves the castle.”

I take in that news, but it doesn’t really surprise me. “I really like her; she’s really great.”

“She is,” he agrees. “And then she leaves reality behind and launches into a vision and seems like a crazy person.” I cringe at his words but can’t help but agree. “It’s okay. It’s both parts of our queen. You can’t be a seer without that part that’s just a little bit crazy.”

I look up at him. “Is the king good to her?” I’m not sure if the question surprises him or me more. I’ve been wondering for a while now but haven’t been brave enough to ask.

“No.” There’s no pause in his response, no second to think about it. Pain fills my heart.

“Why?” It’s all I can ask. One word.

“A seer can see what nobody else can. They can see all the possibilities, all the amazing things that could be. They can also see the horrible things that could be. They can see imminent death, the outcomes of battles, the effect of medicines, and so much more.”

His words paint a picture in my mind. “And the king would want to know those things.”

He nods slowly. “Yes.”

“But what she told Rysden and I was really confusing; none of it really made sense.”

Lox nods. “Yeah. That’s the problem. Seer’s visions are never crystal clear. Or maybe they are, but the interpretations to the rest of us certainly aren’t. But that doesn’t matter to the king. He will push her into vision after vision and make her tell him everything she sees.”

I suck in a breath. “He can force her into a vision?”

“He’s figured out a way and he does it over and over and over again, trying to figure out the future. Which soldiers to send, which battles to fight, what foods to eat, which coffers to fill, what plants will yield the greatest increase, if his son will betray him and take over the throne.”

My head snaps up at that one. “What?”

Lox nods somberly. “You try to piece together the visions of a seer and paint a picture of the future...” he shakes his head. “You either give it up or go mad trying.”

“Let me guess which one the king is doing,” I say dryly.

“Going mad,” Lox fills in for me. “And making his wife do the same. A seer isn’t supposed to have visions back-to-back like that. He’s playing a dangerous game.”

I suck in a breath. “Could she die from what he’s doing?”

“I don’t know, but her brain could turn to mush.”

I put a hand over my mouth. “Really?” I whisper. I'm not sure if he’s saying it figuratively or literally, but I fear the result either way. “What do we do?”

He gives me a small smile. “ We do nothing. Rysden will look after his mom.”

I don’t know what to say after that, so I don’t.

Eventually, Lox heads up to bed, only after I tell him like six times that I don’t mind being alone down here.

I run the queen’s words over in my mind at least a dozen times, until it hurts to think about anymore.

I think I doze off on the stairs because the next thing I know, Rysden is in front of me with a hand on my knee.

“Hey,” he says softly. “What are you doing down here?”

“Waiting for you,” I tell him just as softly.

“You didn’t need to wait up.”

“I know.” I yawn, and he stands up and reaches out a hand for me and easily pulls me to my feet. “Is your mom okay?” I ask as we ascend the stairs.

“She will be after a good night’s sleep.”

I wait until we get to the top of the stairs to ask my next question. “What do you think about everything she said?”

He takes a breath, the only sign I can see that tonight got to him. “My mom’s visions can be a lot. I’ve gotten used to them over the years. The thing about them is that you can’t take them too seriously. You saw tonight. Most of it doesn’t make sense.”

I take a moment to think about his words. “Do you think she was right about the king?” I ask softly. “Do you think he’ll see us a threat?”

His mouth ticks up on one side. “My father’s always seen me as a threat.”

“Well, yeah, I get that because you’re you; but I’m a nobody.”

“A nobody that shot the glass out of his hand with a throwing star,” he feels the need to point out.

I cross my arms across my chest. “He deserved it.”

“I didn’t say he didn’t. In answer to your question, yes.

He will see us as a threat. We’re the first soul bond in a long time.

Our people will see it as a big deal. Our kingdom is based on power.

The more powerful you are, the more authority, leadership, and respect you garner.

With a bond like ours, we become the most powerful couple in the kingdom. ”

“How do you figure?” I can’t help but ask. “I don’t feel any more powerful than I did before.”

He nods, unsurprised. “That’s because you don’t know how to pull from Solace’s strengths yet.

You will; I’ll train you. You’ll be able to pull from her strength and abilities, while at the same time have her at your side.

But what makes us unique is that we’re a group of four.

Our wolves are soul-bonded, and you and I are as well.

We are each connected to our wolves, and they are connected to each other.

We form a perfect magic square, connected to each other.

It’s the most powerful connection in our world, and it rarely happens. ”