Page 92 of To Trap a Soul

“I have another way to give you what you seek.”

Lindi swallowed.How much of our conversation did he hear?His tone didn’t hold any note of jealousy or concern for Evart, but she didn’t like him thinking her promise was at risk.

Her gaze slipped to Evart sitting on the stone fence separating the training areas from the vegetable garden. As if he could feel her eyes on his lithe and tall form, he lifted his nose from his notebook. His expression didn’t change, but he held her gaze with strength.

Quiet and stoic, the temple’s architect and craftsman by nature was able to see beauty in many places – even in someone human.

Lindi shied away from him.

Maybe I wish Weldir would grow a little jealous.

The idea of someone being jealous over her left Lindi with the want to moan in satisfaction. Instead, she was only given the desolation of nothingness, interspersed with a few sparing words, most of which had nothing to do with fondness.

Although she wasn’t a vindictive person, she’d considered fanning the flames of Evart’s interest. He was handsome, a great conversationalist, and she thought she would’ve been interested had she no other ties. But that wasn’t fair on Evart, nor did she truly wish to upset Weldir.

I doubt he would care anyway, so long as I keep my body to myself.

How bad would a kiss be? A simple grasp of hands? The brush of affectionate fingertips on her cheek?

Her nipples pinched under her robes at the idea; not with Evart, but anyone.I’ve never been kissed.How long had she been alive? Fifty-four years? Not once in that time had she had a taste of any kind of passion and Lindi...longedfor it.

The only affection she garnered was from her children, which was why she adored them so quickly. She often yearned for one of her father’s too hard and too long hugs, or her mother’s gentlecheek pat where her thumb would run up and down the side of her nose.

Here, no one touched her beyond anything brief and platonic. No one offered her sweet words or sentiments.

Her heart and body were so touch and attention starved she feared if another person were to simply hold her hand, she’d dissolve into a puddle. How pathetically saddening.

“I was hoping you would be able to learn this ability,”Weldir continued, so uncaring or oblivious to anything that truly pertained to Lindi, her thoughts, or her needs.“But it appears it’s out of our reach with the Anzúli. I have scoured my memories for a solution, and I believe I have discovered one.”

At least he was willing to help in this regard, so that was something.

“I will always converse with you, Furir,” Lindi stated with warmth, offering the woman a small smile. “I enjoy your company as well.”

Her yellow eyes lit up in return, so different to the glare she’d worn when they’d argued.

“You’ve been there many years, Lindiwe,”Weldir’s rough voice muttered in her mind. Her smile began to fall at what he was insinuating, and what she knew was coming next.“It is time you returned.”

Time she withdrew from a society once more... to be his breeding mare. Lindi shuddered at the mere thought. She knew that wasn’t what he meant, but Lindi had grown fond of these people. She didn’t want to leave, didn’t want to go back to her lonely and isolated life.

The resentment she’d given up on threatened to rear its ugly head once more, this time wielding fangs and claws.

“There will be a treacherous journey for you to take,”he stated plainly.“But I think this is the best course of action.”

Those fangs bit deep, while the claws rent down to the bones of her spirit.

July 15th, 1717

Rubbing her hands down the side seams of her trouser-clad legs, Lindi shifted her weight from side to side on her booted feet. Her tunic – loose and allowing a breeze to flutter its way in and keep her cool – felt foreign wrapped around her torso.

She’d been wearing robes for so long, she’d almost forgotten what it felt like to wear these. In fact, she’d struggled to find where she’d tucked them in her room all those years ago.

Lindi had left Sing Dynasty’s only Anzúli temple a week ago, to her heart’s dismay, and had travelled south. She’d come across one of their other temples in her travels, as they had six main temples on this massive and seemingly unending continent that spanned hundreds of countries.

Each temple was situated close enough to a portal that led to the Elven world to be able to assist humans nearby in surviving the oncoming monsters.

Lindi stood in front of one of those portals with nervousness slipping down her spine. She nibbled on her bottom lip with trepidation that a nightmarish creature would slip from it.

No matter how long she stood in front of it, the centre of it swirling like water and transparent enough for her to see through, nothing came from it. The outer edges of it were yellow and sparking like lightning, giving minor creaks and zaps that reached her ears.

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