Page 31 of Traveler (Soulbound #1)

Aly

The first thing I feel is the cold. It seeps through the

concrete floor, biting into my bones, and the damp, iron-tanged air tells me I’m underground. My wrists burn—thick metal cuffs lined with spongy, moss-like material clamp my arms behind my back, leaching the heat from my fire magic. Elemental dampeners. Shit.

I blink, my vision swimming. The last thing I remember is sprinting through the academy woods, the bond in my chest screaming. Carion’s pain . It had been a white-hot knife, carving through my ribs, his agony so visceral I’d doubled over in the hallway. Vivianne shouted after me, but I didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop. The bond dragged me like a chain, past the gates, into a black van idling under the pines. Then—nothing.

A low groan rasps to my left.

Carion .

He’s slumped against the wall, shirtless, his torso a mess of bruises and burns. His wrists are cuffed too, but with ordinary steel—no dampeners. Blood trickles from his split lip, his dark hair matted to his forehead. His eyes crack open, glassy with pain.

“Aly…?” His voice is shredded. “No. No . Why didn’t you—”

“Shut up,” I hiss, fighting the cuffs. The dampeners squelch, absorbing the sparks I manage to summon. “Your dad set a trap. I felt you—your pain, your fear —and I… I couldn’t just…”

He flinches. “You shouldn’t have come.”

“Yeah, well, I’m a slow learner.”

The room is a concrete box, lit by a single flickering bulb. No windows. A steel door sealed with a keypad. Carion’s breathing is shallow, labored, but his gaze never leaves me.

“You need to run,” he whispers. “When he comes back, you-”

The door clangs open.

Vernon Hastings steps inside, his polished loafers clicking against the floor. He’s shorter than I expected, wiry, with Carion’s sharp jawline but none of his rage. His smile is a scalpel.

“Ah. The Traveler awakens.”

I bare my teeth. “Let him go.”

Vernon tilts his head, amused. “Or what? You’ll kill me with the magic you can’t access?” He nods to my cuffs. “Aren’t those clever? My design. The moss is from the Gloaming Swamps— absorbs elemental energy. But don’t worry. You won’t need your fire where you’re going.”

He crouches in front of Carion, gripping his chin. “You failed. Again. But at least you brought her to me.”

Carion spits blood in his face.

Vernon backhands him, the crack echoing off the walls. “Ungrateful. After everything I’ve given you. A name. Power. Purpose .”

“You gave me nothing ,” Carion snarls. “You murdered my mother. I’ll kill you before you touch Aly, one way or another.”

Vernon stands, wiping his cheek with a silk handkerchief. “You’ve always been sentimental. Weak.” He turns to me. “But you … you’re fascinating. A Traveler. The council doesn’t even know you exist. Yet here you are, bonded to my worthless son.”

I freeze. He knows? Carion’s eyes slam shut.

Vernon laughs. “Did you think I wouldn’t figure it out? The way he avoids you. The way he bleeds for you?” He kicks Carion’s ribs. “Pathetic.”

Carion wheezes, but his voice is steady. “Please.” the heart break in his voice crushes a part of my soul.

“Well because you said please….” Vernon Taunts. “Here’s the deal Alyssa. You and I are going to head to the capital. You will help me overthrow the council. Understand?”

“I’m not doing a damn thing for you. You'll have to kill me.” I sneer.

He smirks. “Oh! This is my favorite part. If you don’t. I’ll torture him. Kill him. And every single one of your mates and friends until you figure out how to comply. Oh! And I’ll make you watch.” the smile on his face is nothing but pure evil.

I thrash, but the cuffs hold. Carion strains against his chains, raw fury in his eyes. “Touch her and I’ll kill you.”

“You’ve tried.” Vernon uncaps the syringe. “If she’s good I’ll let her bond the person of my choosing.”

The bond screams. Carion’s terror mirrors mine, a feedback loop of dread.

He meets my gaze, and for the first time, there’s no wall between us. No armor. Just raw, desperate trust.

Your magic . His voice runs through my mind.

I need him closer.

I lunge forward; teeth bared. “You want my magic? Come take it, you coward!”

Vernon grabs my hair, yanking my head back. “Gladly.”

The syringe glints.

Carion roars.

“Pain.” I murmur... Vernon drops screaming. Before climbing back to his feet. Carion leaps to his feet tackling Vernon, the syringe skidding across the floor. They crash into the wall, fists and flames colliding.

“Aly, the cuffs!” Carion shouts, pinning Vernon with a knee to the throat. “Burn through them!”

“I can’t—the dampeners—”

“ Try! ”

I focus, clawing at the bond between us. His pain floods me, his fear, his strength . The dampeners sizzle, the moss blackening as I channel everything—fire, wind, earth, water—into the cuffs.

They snap.

Vernon throws Carion off, air magic slamming him into the ceiling. He crumples, motionless.

“ No! ” I scream, scrambling for the syringe.

Vernon aims a whirlwind at me, but I’m faster. “Pain.” I scream. Throwing everything I can at him.

He collapses, twitching, as my magic seeps into his body. seizing his muscles.

I crawl to Carion, rolling him onto his back. His face is bloodied, his breathing shallow, but his hand finds mine. “Told you… to run…”

“And miss all the fun?” I press my forehead to his, the bond humming between us.

My body slams against a wall. Can’t this fucker just die already. When I get back to my feet, I see him slam a knife into Carion. My world goes red purple sparks dance across my vision. How dare he. How dare he touch what’s mine. My magic flows from my body straight to his father. I’m going to fucking kill him.

I hear my mates and Viv screaming at me. But I can't hear what they are saying. The magic wraps around Vernon’s throat. The purple sparks start lashing out. Fuck, I’m going to hurt one of them. I try to pull in my magic, but I can't. The rage is all consuming. “Darling, you are seeking to much magic, you're going to kill us all. You have to try and breathe.”

“I’m, Trying.” I grit through clenched teeth. The rage is all consuming and I can’t think straight.

Vivianne appears and before I can stop her, she places a finger to my forehead, and whispers something in a language I don't recognize. Before I can ask what, she’s doing. it all goes black.