Bound (2 page)

Then it was gone.

It wasn’t the first time Kira had seen the
change and it drove her crazy not being able to figure out what it
meant. Whenever she asked Lydia about it, she just shrugged it off
and acted like it was nothing, but it bothered Kira. Not because
she didn’t trust Lydia, but because she was the only person Kira
couldn’t read.

For Kira, eyes were everything. Not just the
variation of color, but what she saw in them—or didn’t see.

Long, dark lashes widening with excitement.
The subtle spark of happiness. A flirtatious wink that meant far
more than a hint of attraction. Even the steady gaze of curiosity
held no mystery for her. It was a game she played to take her mind
off the constant barrage of feelings that twisted in her gut or
sent tingling threads of uneasiness scurrying through her veins
whenever something seemed out of place. The kind of feelings she’d
had off and on all day.

“Hel-
lo
?” Lydia said, waving her hand
in front of Kira’s face.

“Oh, sorry. Just weighing my options. The
whole ‘love you’ thing isn’t working for me. I think I’d rather
stay home and drive bamboo shoots under my fingernails.”

Lydia placed a hand over her heart.
“Ouch!”

Kira laughed. “That doesn’t mean I don’t love
you. I’d do almost anything for you, you know that.”

“Just not Black Creek.”

Kira shook her head. “Sorry. Big chicken
here, remember?”

“Fine. I guess I’ll have to go alone, then.”
Lydia slid into the car, closed the door and cranked the window
down. “Don’t worry, I’ll be okay. Big Foot and I will get along
just fine.”

“Ahh, I hate when you do that. You know I
can’t take guilt.”

Lydia propped her arm on the window frame and
leaned her head out. “Just think how guilty you’ll feel if
something horrible happens and you’re not there to save me.” She
jutted out her bottom lip like a two-year-old set on getting her
way. “Pretty please?”

But before Kira could answer, Lydia’s focus
shifted to something behind Kira and her smile faded. “I gotta go.
I’ll pick you up tomorrow. Noon-ish. Okay?” The engine started and
before Kira could say anything else, Lydia had backed out of her
parking place, her bald tires squealing on the blacktop.

Kira looked around to see what could have set
her off, but nothing had changed. The uneasy feeling was back,
though. And so was the tingling sensation. She pulled the sides of
her jacket together and wrapped her arms around her torso.

Maybe it was time she went home.

Octavion watched through the trees as Lydia
slammed her car door and marched up the three rickety steps that
led to the single-wide trailer she’d rented from a local farmer.
She flung open the door and tossed her backpack across the room
where it probably landed on the couch like usual. Without bothering
to step inside, she spun around to meet his eyes. Even at a
distance, she found him easily. He shouldn’t have bothered hiding
behind the old shed.

She saw you, ya know. You’re getting
careless.
Lydia’s thoughts struck his brain with a vengeance.
If he didn’t calm her down soon, he’d be listening to her rant all
night long.

Less than a second passed and he stood on the
top step, looking down at her. “I only came to see if she was all
right. You said she fell.”

“I said
we
fell. And I’m fine, thanks
for asking.” She turned and walked into the trailer, leaving the
door open.

Octavion stepped inside and gave the door a
gentle shove to close it. “Why are you angry with me? I am
concerned for
both
of you, but you said nothing about
you
being hurt.”

Lydia plopped down on the couch and leaned
back against the cushion. “It’s not that. I’m tired of lying to
her. She’s the only friend I have here and she deserves to know the
truth—all of it—even about you.”

This wasn’t the first time they’d had this
conversation and he was pretty sure it wouldn’t be the last. As
long as Kira was part of his sister’s life, he’d have to listen to
Lydia’s tender heart try to convince his stubborn head to reveal
their secrets. Fortunately, using his head was the only way he’d
allow himself to think these days. If he thought with his heart, it
would surely betray him—again.

“You know that is not an option.”

Lydia sat up and scooted to the edge of the
cushion. “Why not? She’s not like the others. She has gifts. She’d
accept who we are. I know she would.”

Octavion understood her feelings. Watching
Kira from a distance hadn’t just been because he was keeping a
close eye on his sister. He’d become more than a little protective
of Kira as well. “Why must you always ask? You know I cannot allow
this. It is forbidden.”

“Yeah? Like, who’s gonna know?”

“
I
would know.”

He watched as she pulled her long braid over
her shoulder, unfastened the band and ran her fingers through the
waves of blonde hair. She looked so much like her mother, it was
eerie. And when had she become so beautiful? His mind wandered to
when they were forced from their home and he’d brought her here,
promising their father he’d protect her. She was so young and naïve
about this world, but now she fit in better than he did.

“Ouch.”

Octavion’s focus shifted to the present where
Lydia rubbed the back of her head. “Blessed Zi’ah! You said you
weren’t hurt.”

“Octavion, if father heard you talk like
that, he’d have you beheaded.”

“Ha! I am the only male heir. I rather doubt
my punishment would be so severe.” He pulled her hand away from her
head and explored the area with the gentle touch of his fingers.
“You have a lump. What exactly were you two doing?”

Lydia pushed him aside and stood. As she
passed through the kitchen doorway and opened the freezer, she
mumbled something he couldn’t understand.

“What?”

She stepped back into the room with a small
towel pressed against the knot on her head. “I said, ‘she was
trying to climb that stupid rope again.’” She returned to her place
on the couch. Using her backpack for a pillow, she stretched out
with her feet propped up on the arm. “I was spotting her when she
let go. We both went down pretty hard.”

“And you are certain she is not injured . . .
as you are?” He added the last part for good measure. That’s all he
needed—Lydia sensing he might have feelings for Kira.

“Ya know, if you let me tell her everything,
you could find out for yourself. Maybe she’d even let you examine
her to make sure she doesn’t have any . . .
lumps
.”

Octavion pulled the towel out of Lydia’s
hand, dumping ice on the couch and down her shirt. She jumped to
her feet and pulled her shirt away from her body to let the cubes
slip through to the floor. “Picking on the injured. Some protector
you are.”

He laughed genuinely. There was a time when
their teasing felt natural and a big part of their daily lives. Not
so much anymore. He’d had to grow up fast with the responsibility
that had been put on his shoulders—letting his guard down for even
a second could cost them both their lives. “I’m your guardian, not
your nursemaid.” He threw the towel at her face, but she caught it
before it hit.

Her eyes flickered from emerald green to icy
blue and back. “Testing my reflexes again?” A hint of their
heritage seeped through her sweet voice, a familiar tone, not
unlike his own.

“Do you need testing?”

“In your dreams.” Lydia tossed the towel back
at him. “I might be up for a little sparring match, though. We
haven’t done that for a while.”

“I think you are right. Is tomorrow soon
enough? I would hate to take advantage of the . . .
injured
.”

Lydia’s eyes widened. “Oh, crap! I almost
forgot to tell you. Kira and I will be on the mountain tomorrow, so
you’ll have to keep Toran on the north side by the canyon.”

“Why would Kira want to go up on Black Creek?
Even you do not like it there.” Octavion crossed his arms over his
chest, a little suspicious of her motives.

“
She
doesn’t. I have a photo
assignment and Kira agreed to go with me. Well, sort of. We’ll be
on the south side where the sun brings out the wild flowers, so you
better keep your distance.”

“And how am I to protect you if I am so far
away?”

“Oh, please. It’s not like we’re in any
danger. We’ve been in Oregon for more than two years now with no
hint of Shandira on our tail. I think a few hours enjoying nature
isn’t going to kill us. You need to lighten up. I can take care of
myself, ya know? And Kira, too, just in case you were
wondering.”

He shifted his weight to one foot. “That knot
on your head is evidence to the contrary. She could have hurt
you.”

Lydia laughed. “What? Now you’re saying I
have to be afraid of Kira? Be serious, Octavion. She’s my friend.
And this
knot
was an accident.”

“We both know how friends can betray us.”

Lydia propped her fists on her hips. “Now
you’re just being stupid. Kira would never hurt me. She’s more like
a sister than a friend. I’d trust her with my life.”

“Sister? And that fact gives you comfort?
Perhaps it should give you more cause to question her loyalty.” The
minute the words left his mouth, he knew he’d said the wrong thing.
Their older sister, Shandira, was the reason they were on the run
in the first place.

Lydia’s whole body sagged as she dropped her
hands to her side. “That’s mean. You’re just jealous because I have
someone besides you to talk to. Sometimes I think you
want
Kira to mess up, so I have to rely on you again for my every
need.”

“That is not true. I merely want you to be
cautious. Learn from our past, Lydia. Do not repeat it. That is
what Father taught us.”

“He also taught us to never back down, to
stand tall and fight our enemies. A lot of good that did us. I feel
like a scared little rabbit hiding in its hole.”

Octavion stepped closer and touched her cheek
with the back of his hand. He could tell she was fighting back
tears by the way she blinked. So brave, this one. He lowered his
voice so his sincerity would be clear. “Do you think I enjoy
holding back like this? I lay awake dreaming of the vengeance that
is mine—of the debt I have to settle. But now is not the time.
There is a season for everything in our lives and now is the season
to wait—to be patient. The time to fight back will come soon
enough. You have my word on that.”

Lydia leaned into him and relaxed against his
chest. He had a feeling it was to hide the tears that streamed down
her cheeks. “I miss Xantara. I miss our home.”

Octavion pulled her into an embrace and tried
not to think about what she’d said. He missed home, too. “I
know.”

Maybe giving his sister a little space
tomorrow wasn’t such a bad idea. Besides, how much trouble could
she possibly get into?

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into
this.” A cool breeze blew a lock of hair over Kira’s eyes. She
tucked it behind her ear then watched as Lydia set her tripod
beside the rustic footbridge that spanned the creek they’d followed
for over an hour. The contrast of the wild daisies against the
weather-beaten planks had obviously caught Lydia’s eye.

“I can’t believe you came,” Lydia said.

“Well, it’s not like you gave me much of a
choice.” Kira leaned her back against a nearby tree before pulling
the two sides of her jacket together to ward off the evening chill.
“You do realize there’s no outlet for my laptop up here?”

Lydia shook her head. “There are other things
in this world besides the Internet, you know.”

“You only say that because you’re computer
illiterate. What you have against modern technology, I’ll never
know. Honestly, I’m surprised you don’t use one of those antique
cameras, where a person has to hold perfectly still while you slide
that big doohickey in and out.”

Lydia laughed as she stepped away from the
camera to take her shot. Holding the tiny remote in the palm of her
hand, she gave it a squeeze. She leaned forward to take a peek at
the image on the LCD screen. “The light isn’t right.”

Lydia’s frustration didn’t surprise Kira.
They’d spent most of the day taking photos of wild flowers and
Lydia’s eye for detail had made the day drag on and on. Kira pushed
away from the tree to get a closer look. As Lydia stepped back from
the camera and motioned Kira to take a peek, goose bumps rose on
Kira’s arms.

“Maybe we should go,” Kira said. “I feel
weird
.”

“I think you’re right. It’ll be dark soon
anyway.” Lydia released the camera from the tripod and handed it to
Kira to place in the backpack, but as Kira opened the bag, she
heard a strange noise in the distance.

“
Lydia?
” Kira whispered, shoving the
camera in the bag and pulling the zipper shut.

“It’s okay, probably just a squirrel or
something.” Lydia’s actions said something entirely different.
After taking another quick glance through the trees, she tossed her
bag over her shoulder, handed Kira the tripod, and motioned for her
to walk toward the car.

More than once Kira caught Lydia looking
behind her, but it wasn’t until they were almost to the road that
she heard heavy footsteps. She spun around just as a man stepped
out from behind a tree.

From his shoes to the hood pulled over his
head he wore solid black, a stark contrast to his pale blue eyes
and albino skin. He flashed a sinister grin.

The tripod slipped from Kira’s hands and fell
to the ground with a loud
clank
.

“
Run!
” Lydia yelled as she pushed Kira
toward the road, the white roof of the car barely visible through
the underbrush.