Page 25 of Lifebound

“Horseback, mostly,” the man simply said.

About a dozen questions popped into my head at once—but first things first.

“Why isn’t your nephew here with you? Did he tell you about what happened in that meadow when we were kids?”Thatstill remained the most important thing of all. That still remained the one thing that I needed to confirm to my own self.

Because this man being here with those ears and eyes, talking about courts and illusions, could mean anything at all, but there was one person who’d been there with me, who’d seen me, who knew the truth.

And that’s the only person I wanted to see.

“He didn’t, I’m afraid. He didn’t tell a soul. We only just found out a few days ago through a seer,” the man said.

“Aseer?” I’d read books, don’t get me wrong. I loved fantasy as much as the next girl, buta seer?

“Yes, a seer,” the man said with a nod.

“Why? Why didn’t your nephew tell you? What is his name?Whois he?” My voice was rising with every word, but I didn’t think he minded.

“My nephew is Lyall Balantis Goldenbough, the prince of the Seelie Court, and I’m sure he had his reasons why he kept it to himself, Nilah Dune. But nevertheless, we now know what happened. The question is…” His voice trailed off and he came a little closer to the table. “Doyou?”

My first thought wasthat’s a strange ass name.

My second thought wasprince? Why does that make perfect sense?That boy had actually looked like a damn prince—but then again, how in the world would I know what princes looked like?!

And third… “He saved me.” That’s what had happened. That boy had really, really saved my life.

The man offered me a smile, a different one this time, and said, “Oh, he did much more than that.”

No, he didn’t.

Except the way he was looking at me… “What’s that?” I had to ask.

“He connected your life to his. On a deeper level, a level we ourselves sometimes don’t fully understand,” he said.

I shook my head, my thoughts trying but failing to paint an accurate picture with his words. “What does that even mean?”Connected your life to his—what the hell was that?

“It means you are Lifebound, Nilah Dune.”

For the love of God, will you stop saying all of my name like that?

My eyes closed for a moment.

“Okay, you need to stop talking with those strange, senseless words, Mister, and start making some sense—can you do that? AndNilahis fine. Nobody calls anybody by their first and last name here.” My hands were fisted tightly, shaking. “Just…just Nilah.”

Why does that even matter?

I had no clue.

“Of course, Just Nilah,” the man said, unbothered by my raised voice and my demand. “And where I come from, you do not call me Mister.SimplySirewill suffice.”

Sire.

The words were at the tip of my tongue—are you fucking with me, Mister?

“Forgive me if my words don’t make sense to you, but I assure you, they do to me,” he continued. “Tell me, what don’t you understand?”

A second ticked by. “I don’t know—everything? Especially that word—Lifebound.”

“That is what we call the people who share a life-bond, a deep magical connection of souls like the one my nephew, the Crown Prince, shares with you,” he said, and again he spoke as if that was supposed to make perfect sense to me. “Our seer can’t be certain whether he did it on purpose or if it was an accident. Magic is a very tricky thing, quite manipulative in itself. It’s the reason why we don’t allow our young ones to practice it until they’ve studied the basics thoroughly. So, it’s quite possible that it was indeed accidental, your bond.”

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