Page 17 of Cry of the Damned
“Thank you,” Ila said with a self-righteous expression.
In unison, they both turned to me. I stared at a branch overhead and took a huge bite of my pastry, hoping to avoid my turn in this conversation. Why had I started it?
“So… fated mates,” Bethel said. “How is that working out? I bet it makes things easy.”
I gave her an incredulous look. “Easy? Anything but.”
“That’s because you’re fighting it,” the witch said. “Stop fighting it and it will be like…” she cast about for something to compare it with. “Like gliding over a moonbeam.”
That was the analogy she was going with? Was gliding over moonbeams something witches were born doing or something?
“Kall would never betray you,” Ila said.
Bethel nodded. “And I bet he’s not afraid to kiss you, either.”
“I’m not ready to get married,” I blurted out. “I’m only nineteen.”
“Married? It’s not like that.” Ila shook her head.
“Isn’t it, though? You’re tied to the same person for the rest of your life.”
“Is that so bad?” My sister looked confused.
My mouth opened and closed as I struggled with how to respond. Finally, I just let the words flow as they came.
“I grew up thinking I would never marry. In fact, from the moment I started noticing boys, I had to tell myself they wouldn’t be part of my life, and not just that, I would be celibate. After I left the Academy, for a brief instant, I thought the world would be wide open for me. I thought I would go away and explore, and have a completely different life than I’d imagined. Then suddenly, it’s… a cage again?”
Ila’s jaw fell open. “Is that how you feel about…” She didn’t finish, just looked at me with confusion and hurt.
“No, no! That’s not how I look at living with the pack. I know I belong with you. I feel at home, but I don’t understand this mate bond I’m supposed tosprout. I don’t know exactly what it will mean. How it will feel. Will I regret losing myseparateself?” I didn’t know what other word to use.
Ila and Bethel both grew pensive, really considering what I was saying. They were quiet for a long time, eating their pastries, a slight wind stirring their hair.
“I think I understand,” Ila finally said. “I can’t pretend to know what it means to be fated to someone, to have that sort of bond, but you should know that in all our stories and legends, whenever fated mates are referenced, it’s always in a wholesome light. When I was younger, I used to fantasize about one day locking eyes with a handsome shifter and immediately knowing we belonged together. Like a…” she searched for the word, “like a fairytale.” She paused. “I think you just need time, and I hope Kall isn’t pressuring you.”
“He isn’t,” I added quickly. “Not at all. I can’t pretend I don’t like him because I do. But after all of this is over, maybe I’d like to feel free. Maybe I’d like to visit other parts of the world. I would like to understand the extent of the lies the Academy made me believe. I think I would like to know firsthand how things really are.”
“Sometimes,” Bethel said, “don’t tell my mother about it, but I also feel the same way. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t like to be gone forever, but it would be nice to go elsewhere for a bit before settling into all the responsibilities.”
“How about you, Ila?” I asked.
She sighed. “I never wanted to leave home, but now that our pack is reduced to the five of us…”
“Six!” Bethel corrected.
Ila laughed. “Fine, the six of us. Anyway, without Mother, I don’t care where I am as long as I am with all of you.”
I exchanged a smile with my sister. I was so glad she felt this way. It would be much easier to make the decision to explore the world… or not, if she was with me.
We finished our pastries, enjoying the quiet breeze. I was about to suggest we leave when I noticed one of the girls from the coffee shop, Zoe, slinking around a large tree, hiding behind its thick trunk and looking like she was up to no good. She was clearly supposed to be in school since it was mid-morning on a weekday, and she carried her backpack, but instead, she was here.
I was about to dismiss her—everyone had a right to be bad sometimes—when I noticed a shape moving by an alley near the end of the park, close to where Zoe stood.
Surprise flooded me when the shape came out from behind a stack of boxes and beckoned her over.
Judging from the figure’s tailored blue uniform, Zoe was meeting with an Academy apprentice!
CHAPTER 6
