Read Online Torn: Bound Trilogy Book Two by Kate Sparkes - Free Book Online
Authors: Kate Sparkes
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they crashed gently over the pebbles.
The future wouldn’t stay away forever. Much as I tried to remain in that moment, thoughts of losing him crept into my mind. True, things had been hard. He was miserable, we almost never had time together, our lessons were a constant source of frustration that ended in us fighting more often than they did in me accomplishing anything. But I loved him. That hadn’t changed.
My breath hitched, and he reached for my hand. I threaded my fingers through his and wiped away a few tears that escaped in spite of my commands that they stay hidden.
I looked at the unfinished glass in my hand. We were safe here, or we had been until today, but neither of us were getting anywhere. We weren’t making any progress, weren’t moving toward our destinies. We were both stuck, afraid of making things worse, afraid of hurting each other.
I released Aren’s hand and walked toward the water. I pulled my arm back and threw the glass in an overhand toss that sent it spiraling though the air and back into the ocean.
When I turned back, Aren stood with his arms held open. I hurried back and held him tight, pressing my face against his shoulder. “What if we don’t get washed back up on the same beach when this is all over? I can’t lose you.”
“I’ll come back, I swear. Not even death could keep me from returning to you.” He released my hair from the ribbon and trailed his fingers through it. “Maybe you’ll be the one who discovers you want something else once I’m gone.”
I shook my head. “Never.”
“Don’t worry about me. Focus on learning what you can while I’m gone. I hope you’ll be able to stay out of this, but you need to be prepared for anything. You got rid of Severn once. Maybe you’ll do it again.”
“I surprised him that time.”
He chuckled softly. “You surprised everyone that time.”
I kept one arm around his waist as we turned to walk back toward the cliffs, the school, and the inevitable future. As we reached the base of the hill, a handsome red fox face peered down at us from the long grasses at the top. Albion.
“I think our time’s up,” Aren said, and tried to give the purple sea glass back to me. I closed his fingers over it, instead.
“Take it with you,” I said.
“I don’t need anything to help me remember you.” He spoke softly, either to keep Albion from hearing, or to hide the emotion in his voice. His expression was as unreadable as I’d ever seen it.
“Then take it as a gift. It’s all I have to give.”
He nodded, and slipped the glass into his pocket. “Thank you.”
When I looked at the top of the cliff again, the fox had disappeared. We were alone, at least for the moment. Aren pulled me close, and I stretched up on my toes to wrap my arms around his neck.
“I’m going to miss you,” I whispered.
I kissed him hard, fiercely, trying to force every word we hadn’t spoken, every opportunity we’d been denied, and everything we’d miss after he left into a single gesture and moment.
His magic surrounded me, cold and dark, as familiar to me as my own. I always noticed it in these moments, when our bodies and hearts entwined. He said mine was like sunshine, bright and warm and filled with promise. I found his no less beautiful for its chill, and wished I could keep it with me after he left.
Albion waited for us at the edge of the forest in human form. While Aren had to be careful about transformations because he lacked the ability to form clothing after he changed back, his grandfather had no such difficulties. Aren had told me that it took Albion decades to master that difficult magic and form the dark brown robes he always wore, but it obviously still troubled him that he couldn’t figure it out. He had such high expectations of himself, and so much of his identity was wrapped up in his abilities.
No wonder he’d been miserable when he wasn’t allowed to use most of them.
As we walked, Aren explained his plan to
The future wouldn’t stay away forever. Much as I tried to remain in that moment, thoughts of losing him crept into my mind. True, things had been hard. He was miserable, we almost never had time together, our lessons were a constant source of frustration that ended in us fighting more often than they did in me accomplishing anything. But I loved him. That hadn’t changed.
My breath hitched, and he reached for my hand. I threaded my fingers through his and wiped away a few tears that escaped in spite of my commands that they stay hidden.
I looked at the unfinished glass in my hand. We were safe here, or we had been until today, but neither of us were getting anywhere. We weren’t making any progress, weren’t moving toward our destinies. We were both stuck, afraid of making things worse, afraid of hurting each other.
I released Aren’s hand and walked toward the water. I pulled my arm back and threw the glass in an overhand toss that sent it spiraling though the air and back into the ocean.
When I turned back, Aren stood with his arms held open. I hurried back and held him tight, pressing my face against his shoulder. “What if we don’t get washed back up on the same beach when this is all over? I can’t lose you.”
“I’ll come back, I swear. Not even death could keep me from returning to you.” He released my hair from the ribbon and trailed his fingers through it. “Maybe you’ll be the one who discovers you want something else once I’m gone.”
I shook my head. “Never.”
“Don’t worry about me. Focus on learning what you can while I’m gone. I hope you’ll be able to stay out of this, but you need to be prepared for anything. You got rid of Severn once. Maybe you’ll do it again.”
“I surprised him that time.”
He chuckled softly. “You surprised everyone that time.”
I kept one arm around his waist as we turned to walk back toward the cliffs, the school, and the inevitable future. As we reached the base of the hill, a handsome red fox face peered down at us from the long grasses at the top. Albion.
“I think our time’s up,” Aren said, and tried to give the purple sea glass back to me. I closed his fingers over it, instead.
“Take it with you,” I said.
“I don’t need anything to help me remember you.” He spoke softly, either to keep Albion from hearing, or to hide the emotion in his voice. His expression was as unreadable as I’d ever seen it.
“Then take it as a gift. It’s all I have to give.”
He nodded, and slipped the glass into his pocket. “Thank you.”
When I looked at the top of the cliff again, the fox had disappeared. We were alone, at least for the moment. Aren pulled me close, and I stretched up on my toes to wrap my arms around his neck.
“I’m going to miss you,” I whispered.
I kissed him hard, fiercely, trying to force every word we hadn’t spoken, every opportunity we’d been denied, and everything we’d miss after he left into a single gesture and moment.
His magic surrounded me, cold and dark, as familiar to me as my own. I always noticed it in these moments, when our bodies and hearts entwined. He said mine was like sunshine, bright and warm and filled with promise. I found his no less beautiful for its chill, and wished I could keep it with me after he left.
Albion waited for us at the edge of the forest in human form. While Aren had to be careful about transformations because he lacked the ability to form clothing after he changed back, his grandfather had no such difficulties. Aren had told me that it took Albion decades to master that difficult magic and form the dark brown robes he always wore, but it obviously still troubled him that he couldn’t figure it out. He had such high expectations of himself, and so much of his identity was wrapped up in his abilities.
No wonder he’d been miserable when he wasn’t allowed to use most of them.
As we walked, Aren explained his plan to
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