Page 7 of Fallacies

2

Lucina

“Tell me again,” Gemma presses, on the edge of laughter as we dump what’s left of our lunch in the trash. “And don’t skip any details.”

I snort, pulling my sunglasses down over my eyes as we step out into the bright sun. “I told you all the details, G.”

“I can’t believe you talked to the Dame like that.” She shakes her head in disbelief, blonde hair bouncing out around her. “And Callan’s coven?” Gemma gawks. “Are you sure you didn’t hit your head when the Ashvine took you out?”

I force a smile, hoping she can’t sense my discomfort at the mere mention of the poison. Of the night everything changed. “No, I didn’t. I’m just…trying to do the right thing.”

“Ah.” Gemma nods, as if something I’ve said has enlightened her. “A new lease on life. Trying to right your wrongs and be forgiven of your prior sins.” Gemma laughs, nudging me when I don’t do the same. “I’m kidding, Cin. You have no wrongs to right.”

That she knows of.

I lick my lips, my mouth suddenly dry. “Do you work today?” I ask, changing the subject.

She shakes her head, tilting her face up to the afternoon sun. “Nope.” There’s a beat of silence before Gemma whips her attention to me, blue eyes piercing. “Do you have training tonight?”

“Um,” I glance over my shoulder to where Callan walks with Pax and Hunter. He keeps his distance, but I know he’s aware of me.

As if sensing my attention, grey eyes flick to mine.

I offer a soft, genuine smile before looking back at Gemma. “I can get out of it.”

I shouldn’t avoid training. If anything, I need it now more than ever. But everything feels so fleeting all of a sudden.

Maybe Gemma wasn’t that far off. Maybe I do have a new lease on life. But it isn’t refreshing; it’s suffocating. It isn’t lungfuls of fresh air. It’s a slow squeeze around my ribcage, and squirming against it makes no difference.

My truth is a time bomb, and I have no idea what number it’s counting down from. I won’t know until it ruptures.

“Great.” Gemma’s grin widens. “You and I are going to the Soul Binding.”

My brows furrow. “How is it that I’ve been in Pirn for months and you’re still mentioning things I’ve never heard of?”

Gemma barks a laugh. “We’re a very intricate species, Lucina. Mortals are so…”

“Normal?”

“Vanilla,” she supplies instead, laughing when I roll my eyes. “Fine. What do mortals do when they want to spend the rest of their lives with someone?” Gemma asks.

“They…marry them?”

“Similar concept then,” she shrugs. “A Soul Binding is what we do when we want to spend forever with another person. We use magic to sync our lifespans. When one dies, so does the other.”

“Chiaros, G,” I curse. “That’s not a similar concept to marriage.”

“Really?” She looks at me like I’m the one who said something crazy.

“Yeah, really. There’s divorce in mortal marriages.”

Gemma snorts. “Yeah, there’s no divorcing a Soul Binding.”

“No shit.”

We take the path to the right of the Banyan, towards the Ajax cabins, and I do my best to ignore the stares as we pass by. Gods only know what Pirn thinks of me now…the girl who was nearly burnt alive, then poisoned. The girl the Captain keeps having to save.

I can’t tell if they feel bad for me or if they fear me. As if my close calls with death are contagious and coming close would make them a target by association. Or maybe to them I’m just a liability. Disturbing the peace. It sure feels like I brought the trouble.