The Binding (The Binding, #1)

by Rebecca Rathe

People fear what they don't understand. Passed down to us through our maternal bloodlines, our gifts from the Great Mother have been envied and feared throughout history.

"I'm going to bind her powers and take away her memories, so she'll never remember what happened here. It would kill her to know, just like these powers will kill her if they aren’t controlled."

Magic has a price. There is a balance in all things.

I feel as though there's something inside me trying to escape. Like my body is nothing but a fragile cage and there's a bomb about to detonate inside it.

The raven leads me now, rushing through the tunnels as the smell grows stronger. And so does the strange pull on my heart, like a tether leading me to where I need to be.

There's a stone altar, surrounded by men in hooded robes. They're chanting, their voices growing in strength and speed, as a woman, bound by ropes at her hands and feet, bows off the table.

“Potentes Terram Hereditabunt.” The powerful shall inherit the earth.

The bright in question has huge wings and soul-light that could burn your eyes if you look too closely.

A bright can't actually touch another person, and couldn't harm him with any mortal object. He can, however, wrench a soul from a body and leave them a withered husk.

“You don't know what you've done!" He yells. "You don't understand what she'll release upon this world!"

"Her heart is giving out." "Her soul is ruptured," the bright says. "Her mind is splintering," says the shade.

"Bind her," the voice in my head whispers. The raven squawks. "Bind her," the other two repeat quietly, as if they, too, heard the urgent whispers.

"You'd let her die?" He hisses. "For what—your misplaced morals?" "There's something that I don't think the two of you can see. A thread connecting each of us to her. I don't know why, but we are meant to be here, to save her,"

On three, all hell breaks loose.

I might have saved her life doing it, I'll never forgive myself for what I've done.

It's interesting seeing myself through her eyes, seeing a humanity in my expression that hasn't been present for a very long time.

Will it be worth it to her? To be bound to a monster? A monster, a ghost, and an asshole.

"You can't hurt each other without hurting her, too. The bonds are still feeble,"

This world doesn't need more monsters.

The fucked-up monster in me wants to see her panic, hear her heartbeat race in fear, and see tears stream down her face. Will she rage the way I did when I figured out I couldn't get in?

"Rowan Hawthorne," the old grouch grumbles. "Oh look, Mage Daddy has manners after all,"

I wanted to fight him, fuck him, dominate him. Instead, he held me down, and made me submit in a way that made my blood rush through my veins.

“Wards,” he says gruffly. “To keep the monsters away.” Except you just locked one in with you.

"I gave you a piece of my soul to bind and repair yours."

"In repairing your soul the way I did, I bound us together eternally. We are part of each other, bound for life. You don't need to tell me anything, because I can feel your gratitude.”

I knew that if I let your life slip away, that I would follow you into the abyss."

I feel the power inside me, something both familiar and never explored, like a very old friend that you don't remember right away.

The power felt as natural as breathing. It didn't just feel natural; it felt good. Right. I knew then that this was my purpose on Earth—to protect it, to help it grow and thrive.

"Dude, you might be prettier than she is, and that's saying something. And after what I saw this morning… maybe you're not the only beast in this story, yeah?"

"An enemy we've fought before, long thought vanquished, rises once more. Using mortal means to force immortality, seeking power they do not understand and cannot control. Their greed will bring ruin to a dying race, and the rest of the hidden world will fall without them, for they are the gatekeepers to our safe existence on this plane."

"When a shade feeds on you, their venom makes you feel euphoric. You can fall into a lust-filled trance. People get addicted to it and do terrible things to get a taste."

"Draven wants to kill me," I point out. "Draven wants to fuck you and make you bleed," he reasons, but I'm not sure how that's any better.

I'm afraid to open my mouth around him, afraid I might accidentally fall and get his cock stuffed in my throat.

He truly is a gorgeous man. He's big and burly, with weathered, tanned skin and dark hair that is peppered with grey around the edges. His beard is also speckled with grey, but it only makes him look more distinguished.

Maybe if I call him Daddy enough times, he'll spank me. That would be a fun new touch to experience.

And it's my first experience with romance, unless you count the stare down I had with Draven before he nearly choked me to death. Is it wrong that I sort of do count it?

He's looking at me like I'm divinity and he's here to seek salvation. I am his benediction.

He’s like an excited stray dog, always in a good mood and happy to see everyone. It’s awful.

I can share well with others, as long as he's not going to fang block me.

"What about you, shady?" Seth asks. I roll my eyes at the idiotic nickname, especially after Seth starts asking if the real Slim Shady could please stand up when I go quiet.

"You knew he was going to take me?" "Knew? Of course I knew. I prayed for it."

I want someone who is kind and caring, someone who is brave and strong, someone who loves me enough to not care about the scary stuff inside me. The piece of parchment is too big for my small cauldron, so I tear it into three pieces and fold them up, dropping them into the herb and flower soup.

She'll hate us for holding her back, but Seth is right. That woman is already dead. You can see it in her dim eyes.

I wonder if he would consider this an exorcism of sorts. I am, after all, burning the evil out of him.