Dragonbound, p.1
DragonBound, page 1
DRAGONBOUND
BOOK TWO OF THE SOULMIST SERIES
HELEN GARRAWAY
DRAGONBOUND ©2023 Helen Garraway
The moral right of this author has been asserted.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without express written permission of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organisations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used it. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Published by Jerven Publishing
Cover designed by MiblArt
eBook ISBN: 978-1-915854-03-2
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-915854-04-9
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-915854-05-6
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Sign up to my mailing list to join my magical world and for further information about forthcoming books and latest news at: www.helengarraway.com
First Edition
For my Daughter, Jennifer
Love You xx
ALSO BY HELEN GARRAWAY
Sentinal Series
Sentinals Awaken
Sentinals Rising
Sentinals Justice
Sentinals Recovery
Sentinals Across Time
Sentinals Banished
Sentinals Destiny (Fall 2023)
SoulMist series
SoulBreather
DragonBound
CONTENTS
1. Solanji, Citadel, Puronia
2. Demavrian
3. Kerris, Eidolon
4. Solanji, Citadel
5. Demavrian
6. Demavrian
7. Solanji
8. Kerris, Eidolon
9. Demavrian, Citadel
10. Solanji
11. Demavrian
12. Demavrian
13. Shandra, Eidolon
14. Solanji, Citadel
15. Demavrian
16. Demavrian
17. Solanji
18. Kerris, Eidolon
19. Demavrian, Citadel
20. Kerris, Eidolon
21. Solanji, Citadel
22. Demavrian
23. Demavrian
24. Demavrian
25. Muntra, Eidolon
26. Demavrian, Citadel
27. Solanji
28. Xylvin, Eidolon
29. Solanji, Citadel
30. Solanji
31. Muntra, Eidolon
32. Demavrian, Citadel
33. Demavrian
34. Demavrian
35. Muntra, Eidolon
36. Demavrian
Epilogue
Book Three of the SoulMist series
Glossary
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Sentinal Series
Sentinals Awaken
1
SOLANJI, CITADEL, PURONIA
A soft snore woke Solanji, and she slowly flexed her fingers against the luxuriously comfortable bed, inhaling the gentle scent of violets from the bedsheets. Warm skin slid under her touch, and the arms wrapped around her tightened.
A hard body was glued to her back, long legs entwined with hers, and wherever his bare skin touched her, a spark of fire ignited, tightening her core as she realised she had fallen asleep in Mav’s bed, with him. He was wrapped around her as if he was never letting go, and Solanji smiled as she luxuriated in his heat, his breath hot on the back of her neck.
After rescuing him from the cells under the citadel, Felather had helped her steer Mav back to his rooms. He had been a sorry sight, bruised and bleeding, but Felather had dosed him up, and numbed out of his mind, with Felather and Solanji under an arm each, they had half carried, half dragged him through the corridors. Servants averted their eyes, though Solanji had no doubt they thought he was inebriated, another slur to add to his already blackened name. As an archdeus, he was one step away from a god, but he wasn’t treated as one.
The golden dragon tattoo on her forearm watched her. Its golden snout lifted off her skin momentarily, cocked its head, and hissed a few brilliant sparks before merging back onto Solanji’s arm. A reminder that her life had changed beyond all recognition. As a SoulBreather, one who could return souls to the soulless, she had gained the SoulBreather’s dragon. Not that she knew how to summon or control it. The burning need to learn how to be a proper SoulBreather flashed through her. Her brother’s life depended on it. Banished to Eidolon, her nine-year old brother was cast out and soulless. Punished for a crime she was sure he hadn’t committed.
Rubbing away sudden tears, she glared at the tattoo glowing on her forearm. It was a brilliant gold against her brown skin. Would the dragon become more active as she learnt what it meant to be a SoulBreather? It hadn’t been very helpful so far. How was she supposed to learn? There was no one to teach her. Athenia, the last SoulBreather, had been an Archangel, supposedly immortal, and yet she had still died. Solanji was…nobody.
Sliding exploratory fingers up Mav’s bare arm, she gently kissed his pale skin. Mottled yellow bruises were fading from where the guards had viciously attacked him. She wondered how his ribs were faring. Felather had said they were cracked when he’d healed them.
Carefully turning in his arms, she inspected his face. Winged black eyebrows curved over his currently closed amber eyes. Purple bruising still surrounded one of them, darkening across the ridge of his cheek. A firm face even so, with a stubborn chin, covered with a close-cut beard. Threads of silver streaked his shoulder-length black hair, greying prematurely under all the stresses he had been through. Lines creased the skin around his eyes, and she smoothed them with a gentle finger as she kissed him on his lips, still swollen from his recent beating. The citadel guards had used him as a punching bag before incarcerating him in a cell. Again.
Gritting her teeth, she snuggled into his embrace as she reviewed the previous day’s events. Inhaling the comforting aroma of his slightly damp skin, she tried to figure out where they had gone so tragically wrong. She had led Mav through the tunnel under the divide and brought him out in the city of Puronia, fifty years after he had left it, and then taken him to her home. They had collapsed in exhaustion and been awoken by the guards of the Heavenly Host kicking in her door. She scowled. They had better repair the damage.
Nothing ever goes the way you expect, she thought, ruminating on how their plans had gone so awry before they had even started. Had someone been watching her rooms? But why? How did they know they would be returning to Puronia that day? Yes, she had sent the note to Kyrill stating that she was trying to persuade Mav to cross the divide but that he was resistant. They should have been watching the crossing not her home. She hadn’t said when they would cross, and that was before she had realised she couldn’t betray Mav. Was it her fault? Kyrill had made out that she was his spy, feeding him information. She supposed she had, but only to a limited degree. After all, her brother’s life hung in the balance.
Tensing, she remembered there was some question as to whether Mav would survive the night. He had to be present for the session of Apologia, where he had to prove he had a soul, amongst other accusations.
Heavy curtains covered the window, though enough light bled around the edges to let her see the room. Peering at the timepiece on the mantle, she couldn’t see what time it was. Was it still the same day? Had he slept through the deadline or was it still looming?
Her chest tightened and her stomach churned with fear. She slid her arms around him and hugged him tight, suddenly afraid she was going to lose him. As she kissed his bare chest, Mav stirred, hugging her back and inhaling deeply. She studied his face as his eyelashes fluttered. If his shadowsoul wasn’t truly a soul, then after one full day, he would expire and he would descend into the waiting embrace of Kaenera, the Keeper of the Oblivion Gate. The God of the soulless didn’t offer redemption or let you go again.
His eyes opened and she was snared by his amber gaze. “Good morning,” she whispered against his lips as she kissed him.
He smiled and kissed her back, deepening the kiss as she tried to pull away. He held her tight for a moment before releasing her. “It is when you get woken by a beautiful woman in your bed,” he said, his voice husky with the last vestiges of sleep.
Solanji grinned back at him. They were in Mav’s bedchamber, surrounded by his long-forgotten belongings. She knew he had never expected to see them again, had given up on returning to Puronia, but they seemed untouched as far as she could tell. No doubt his scribe, Felather, had something to do with that.
As soon as she thought of Mav’s scribe, Felather opened the door and peered in. The slender man looked weary. His normally youthful face was showing signs of his true age, with lines and wrinkles. Felather smiled as he saw they were awake, his shadowed face lightening, and he entered, two mugs of bannoe in hand.
“How long?” Mav asked.
“How long what?” Felather said as he placed a mug on the table next to him.
“How long have I been out?”
“A few turns, just enough time to get you back here. I suggest you bathe and soak your muscles; I know you’re hurting.” Felather overrode his attempted protest. “Take the time, Mav. Who knows when you’ll get another chance? You’re safe in here, but as soon as you step out your door, you’ll be
Mav scowled and Solanji smiled. Mav had complained about how independent and more determined his oathsworn had become in his absence. Not surprising, since they would’ve had to learn to be self-sufficient if they wanted to survive. And they had survived. All four of his oathsworn. The only ones who had believed in his innocence.
“Where’s Adriz?” he asked as he shuffled upright. Solanji sat up and leaned against his side as she accepted the mug of bannoe from Felather. Adriz was his cherubim. His bodyguard. Solanji was surprised Adriz had let Mav out of her sight, but then Adriz peered through the doorway, her large bulk blocking out the light, and Solanji realised Adriz had been guarding his sleep. She was sure it would be months, if not years, before Adriz relaxed now that she had got him back.
Mav waved her in. No one could enter his private chambers unless he allowed them. Guarding him here was a waste of time.
“I’m safe here,” was all he said. “We need to make plans. There are too many undercurrents to navigate this easily. What has been the reaction in the citadel to my incarceration?”
“Uncertainty, suspicion as to why you’ve returned now,” Felather replied.
“And in the city?”
“Shock, surprise, horror,” Felather admitted. “Though more in the vein of ‘how could he?’, than ‘isn’t it terrible how he’s been treated?’.”
“Not surprising, I suppose. A whole new generation has grown up in my absence. No one remembers me except for whatever the citadel has been saying.”
A tap at the outer chamber door had Adriz stiffening and marching out of the room. After a low murmur of voices, Adriz returned with Sero fluttering beside her.
The baby-faced cherub had dispensed with his bow and arrow and instead wore a frown. He dropped onto the end of the bed, folded his golden wings, and smoothed his tunic over his chubby legs. “You don’t have time to be lazing about.”
Mav smiled. “And hello to you, Sero. What’s this? Twice in one day. People will begin to think you like me.”
Sero snorted and leaned against Mav’s leg. “Have you decided what you will say?” He shifted, his hand hovering above the blankets. His gaze swivelled to Felather. “Haven’t you healed him yet?”
Felather shrugged. “The knee joint is smashed beyond repair. All I can do is ease the swelling and help with pain management.”
Solanji’s lips tightened as Mav waved the words away. He had to be hurting after the beating, and it must have aggravated his previous injury. “There are more important things to worry about. In fact, there are so many I’m not even sure where to start.”
“Before you do,” Felather said, and pinned Sero with a piercing scowl. “What are your intentions here? Why did you come down to the cells to find Mav? You were not a supporter of his previously.”
“I don’t think you can afford to be picky,” Sero snapped. “There seems to be a lack of people knocking on your door offering to help.”
“Sero already stated his concerns about the citadel, Felather,” Mav said.
“Do you usually hold meetings in your bed chamber?” Solanji asked, sipping her bannoe and relieved she at least still wore her shirt, if nothing else.
Mav chuckled. “No, but these are unusual times. I’m surprised Ryvalin hasn’t turned up. We’d have a full house then.”
Solanji eyed him over the rim of her mug. Ryvalin was the rider of the dragon, Xylvin. Both were oathsworn to Archdeus Demavrian, as was she. “What about Xylvin? She won’t like being left out.”
Clapping his hands, Sero drew their attention back to him. “Enough. How many times do I need to say you don’t have time for this?”
“You mean you haven’t decided on a plan already?” Mav asked as he raised his arm so Solanji could snuggle into his side. He hugged her tighter and sighed out his breath. She knew what she’d rather be doing, but Sero was right. Mav needed to focus. He dropped a kiss on her head and then asked, “How long have we got before we have to prove I’m still alive?”
Felather glanced at the timepiece. “About three turns. Apologia recommences at nine. By then you will have been here for a day. In fact, I’d say you’re already past any deadline, so you can relax.”
“If he relaxes any further, he’ll slither off the bed,” Sero said.
“So I use the first count of lacking a soul to find out who is trying to undermine me,” Mav said, ignoring Sero. “They will have to state who is making the accusation. When we return, I can request an audience with Serenia and Amaridin, see what they have to say for themselves, and then Solanji can help me search my memories to see if we can discover any clues that I’ve buried for some reason.” Mav scowled at Sero. “What do you think has happened to the citadel? I can’t feel anything. I’m not sure if that’s because I’ve been absent for so long or something else.”
“The citadel is silent; it’s not just you,” Sero replied.
“What should you feel?” Solanji asked.
“There should be a sense of welcome, or rejection, and a constant heartbeat. But there was nothing when I entered. Even now, I hear nothing. There is no connection.”
“I’ve never felt anything,” Felather said thoughtfully.
“And Amaridin’s never mentioned it?” Mav asked.
“Not that I am aware of. Do you think Serenia would know?”
Mav stared into the distance for a moment and then flicked his gaze back to Sero. “It’s not something that was ever discussed. It just was. I never thought to question it. The citadel’s been here since before I was born. But I’m not fully fit, so it could be me.”
“I think it all changed when you left,” Sero said. “Whatever happened with Athenia and you affected the citadel as well.”
“So if the heart of the citadel has been absent for fifty years, there has been nothing to prevent the corruption of the assembly,” Mav said.
“That would explain why the real murderer has never been expelled,” Felather added.
“Could it have been deliberate?” Solanji asked, tensing as everyone stared at her. She continued, “Disabling the citadel, I mean. Who would understand how the citadel works?”
“What an interesting question,” Sero murmured, switching his attention to Mav. “Were you and the citadel the target and not Athenia? Was she an unfortunate casualty?”
Solanji stroked Mav’s arm as it tightened around her and then hugged him as he paled, staring at the cherub. He visibly forced himself to speak. “What?”
The idea that it was supposed to have been Mav lying on those steps chilled Solanji to the bone, and she shivered.
“What made you go into the halls in the middle of the night?” Felather asked.
Mav ran a shaking hand through his hair. “I don’t remember. I had been in a meeting with my father and Athenia. I left first, and she stayed behind because my father wanted to discuss some other things. By the time I returned from visiting Xylvin it was late. I took the shortest route back to my rooms.”
“Talking about time, you need to have a bath and prepare. We’ll continue this discussion later. I’ll have something ready to eat when you’re finished.” Felather shooed a protesting Sero out of the bedchamber, along with Adriz.
“Can’t you do something about the bruising? He looks like a battered rainbow.” Sero’s complaining voice was cut off as the door thudded shut.
Mav caressed Solanji’s back as he gazed up at the ceiling, trying to build up the energy to move. Her warm embrace was comforting. He didn’t deserve her, not after how she had been treated by the guards of the Heavenly Host and the angels at the citadel.
