Page 87 of Forging Bonds: Part Two

“Enough!” Ed booms, his power snaps out hard and strong, and everyone drops to their knees. I realize half a second after it’s happened that I probably should too, and I hope that he didn’t pick up on the fact that I didn’t do it straight away like the others did.

Glancing up through my eyelashes, I find him looking at me with a knowing smile, and I simply return it and shrug slightly.

“You may rise again,” he orders. Once everyone is on their feet, and Kylen actually looks properly chastised, he continues, “I will now recite the spell. Please remain silent.”

No one says a word as Ed calls on his magic, his eyes begin to glow a stunning electric blue as words that I have no hope in understanding tumble from his mouth in the most beautiful way. The scroll lifts from its perch atop the plinth and starts to glow the same electric blue that Ed’s eyes are. I feelwhen the Choosing’s magic hits the scroll, it’s not a boom or a blast, it’s a gentle roll of such immense and quiet power that it leaves me in awe.

It takes a few minutes, but just as I start to get worried, that massive presence disappears again, and Ed smiles.

“Now, let’s see which team you will be on, shall we?” he asks me.

I nod, I couldn’t reply if I tried. My tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth with nerves, and the butterflies in my stomach have turned into great big, huge, angry bats.

To be honest, I can barely nod.

Thankfully, Ed seems to get that I’m nervous, and he just carries on with his thing and unrolls the scroll.

“Neith, I am pleased to tell you that your new team is Evander’s,” he gestures to the guy’s, and I grin as relief crashes over me and the guys all yell with joy and excitement. Ed sees that they’re about to come toward me and says, “Please stay where you are for a moment.” He carries on unravelling the scroll and his eyebrows rise, “Oh, well, it appears that the Choosing has also decided that Coen from the Draconian team belongs on Evander’s team.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Neith

My eyes widen and my mouth drops open in shock, as my gaze snaps over to Coen, who looks even more shocked than I do.

“Pardon?” he whispers, hope sparking in his eyes.

Ed smiles gently, “You are now on Evander’s team. It seems that the Choosing thought that you were a better fit there.”

“I,” Coen starts, and then just stops, overcome with emotion.

“You may move over to your new team, Neith, please stay there for a moment longer, I promise there is a reason, although rather ridiculous, it’s all about following tradition,” Ed explains.

I nod, my smile absolutely enormous, “That’s okay, I’m happy to respect tradition.”

Coen grins at me as he walks past, and I return it, wishing that I could hug him, but respecting Ed and the place that we’re in by staying put.

“You can’t do that!” Kylen bellows.

“Quiet!” Ed rumbles again, as only Kylen is forced to his knees. Ed frowns as the scroll glows once, and he unravels it further. “Oh my. This has never happened before. I’m not to read this next part out loud, and you are to take the scroll with you for the first time in memory. It usually stays here.”

“Oh?” I ask curiously.

Ed nods and then gestures for all of us to come up to the plinth. As soon as the guys are close enough, I’m pulled under Reed’s arm for a quick squeeze before he lets go again.

We all gather around Ed, and he shows us the scroll. I read down the list of names, and my eyebrows hit my hairline as I can’t help but gasp out loud in shock. There underneath Coen’s name is Kyrous. As in Kyrous, the only person who ever went through the Choosing and wasn’t put on a team. The leader of Trieneliea’s armies, the trainer of the bonded Warrior Teams, that fucking Kyrous.

What the fuck.

“What’s that?” Raiden says, pointing to something that I hadn’t noticed.

Just below Kyrous’s name is a smudge.

“Just a smudge, nothing of any importance,” Ed replies with a reassuring smile. He rolls the scroll up and then hands it to Evander. “Congratulations, I’m sure that . . .”

My ears start ringing as pain blooms in my back, and the guys all stare at me in horror.

Looking down at the blood rapidly spreading on my stomach, I cover it with my hands and mutter, “For fuck sake, I’ve been shot.”

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