Chapter Six
The Invisible Bonds She Fails to See
By the time they found a cave to surface in, Will had lost count of how many times he sucked the air from her lungs. It was difficult, in her opinion, to embrace someone well while trying to not inhale water through her nose. Phobos managed well enough, gripping her close like his life depended on it. Theoretically, it did, as she was his only source of air in the expansive underwater cave system. But every time their lips sealed together, it was far beyond basic need, and was a fully blossomed want.
He had been so reserved over the last several interactions; It confused her whether to follow her attraction. That worry vanished as they swam, him willingly staying close to her as she returned the fevered need to keep their bodies close.
When the water above them reflected with a flat disc of pink light, showing the separation of water from air, Phobos hesitated. Confused, Will placed a hand on his shoulder, not sure what concerned him to find above the water, but not wanting to push if something was, in fact, wrong.
She was far from practiced at reading his expression, as he only recently dropped his guard. And, hopefully, now trusted she didn't have some grand secret plan of trying to toy with him. So she relied on the tight grip on her hip to tell her to wait.
They floated there, Phobos staring up at the light reflected by the Heart between them, his hands on her waist and hers on his shoulders.
One thing Will learned, when leading people into battle, was to wait.
There was a battle in his head that she wasn't privy to and could only support with the gentle rub of his shoulders.
It had to be an illusion.
The sense of peace that surrounded them, considering who they were to each other.
In the back of her mind was the uncomfortable reminder that she was in a position of power over him now. Before, they were equals on the battlefield, going toe-to-toe in displays of magical prowess and combat tactics. Now, he was, rightfully, muzzled, at the mercy of the very sister he betrayed.
Staring at his face, eyes raised, jaw tight, Will truly hoped Elyon was right; that there was hope for this man.
Eventually, Phobos looked at her, his serious expression breaking her inner musings. Will smiled, playfully tilting her head to the side, running a hand up along his neck. Knowing he needed air, she leaned forward, lips brushing his for permission.
It was different.
Slow but firm.
Every action burning its way into her memory.
Will gripped the hair at his neck as he pushed her to the surface, happy at the idea of having solid land under her soon.
She breached the surface first, gasping for uninterrupted air, back gently hitting a rocky ledge, still holding Phobos tight. Once he broke the surface, his grip left her, grabbing at the wet rocks around her, trapping her body without touching her. And his face pulled away, barely an inch from skin, breath hot on her wet lips. Will stared down, head bent towards his, hair falling around her dilated eyes, not understanding the sudden barrier between them.
He found leverage on the rocks, his body rising more from the water, pushing away from her warmth. Will felt the change where she touched him, his body tensing, and his eyes could no longer hold hers. He dropped down more. Hot breath at the skin exposed at the top of her zipper.
Phobos sucked in a breath as he forced himself to look at her. Blue eyes still filled with something other than ice.
Something so much hotter. Yet, his body seemed to tell a different story.
"You are... tempting," he admitted in a breathless whisper that made Will shiver. He was staring at her neck, mouth open, as he pulled away more.
Again, his words and eyes told a different story than his last set of actions.
"But I'll not be some toy for you to play with, Guardian," he ended with icy bitterness.
The comment shocked her, clearing the fog in her brain, and she pushed away, feeling suddenly confused and ashamed.
"You're not... that's not," she said as she searched for the right words. Did he really think that? She would never just tease him like that. Just, right now, his companionship was… nice. There was something about his quiet strength, that didn't force him to fill the conversation with pointless chatter, that drew her. His self-confidence that didn't let him grow offended at her sometimes less thoughtful comments. The fact he always treated her as an equal. He never doubted her strength, he always had to plan for the best in her, otherwise he would lose quick.
And just simply not being enmeshed into her life. He was around because she wanted him around. She had foolishly hoped that he was feeling a little of the same, too.
Maybe, if today went differently, and she didn't put him in this position, over time, he would have had a different view.
Did she mess this up?
What… exactly was there to mess up?
What did she want from him?
Because she could get companionship without performing a reverse Little Mermaid on him.
"I will not warm your bed at night, only to be shunned in the day. I will not be your secret conquest," Phobos added, looking away again. He was never one to beat around the bush, but the bluntness was still jarring, as it left no room for anymore denial.
Not that she would admit it.
Will pressed as far back as she could into the wall behind her, temper flaring at the implication that she was just here to hit-it-and-quit-it. "So the first person other than your freaking sister to associate with you, and you assume it's because I want to just use you?" she asked as she tried to regain her composure, cheeks red and voice loud in embarrassment and anger, echoing in the small cave.
Although, under the blanket of water, hidden away, that was definitely more than just being nice between them.
"You have already made your intentions clear," he answered, hand reaching out and grabbing the zipper of her suit. Will felt her heart leap to her throat. She grabbed his shoulders but didn't push him away. Again, his actions and words didn't match. Something was off and she didn't know what as he went on. "Yet, I will not press you. I have made myself clear in return, so there is no need to further speak of this matter."
Will bristled.
Clear?
He thought he was being clear?
Yeah, because shoving his tongue down her throat was so platonic.
"Hold on there, buddy. Did it ever occur to you that maybe I want to talk? Talk and get some damn answers that only you can give? Maybe find a reason I couldn't live a normal life on Earth? Why I was chosen?"
That all came tumbling out, as she was growing overwhelmingly confused. But it was true. Phobos held answers she had always sought. Some answers she never knew she needed until today.
He actually looked amused, lips quirking into a half smile. "A normal life, you say?" he said with a scoff. "You are thriving as you are now. Your victories across the universe are being told even here in Meridian; of the lives you saved and foes defeated. Yet, you say you would give that all up? For some meaningless life on a planet where you are nothing?"
That wasn't what she said. She didn't want to give anything up.
The Heart was a part of her now and she it.
"No," he continued, "You are drawn to magic, to power, to me, because you crave a challenge."
She narrowed her eyes. "You know nothing about me, Phobos. Nothing of the choices I've had to make or what I crave."
"Why do you protest it?" he wondered out loud as he closed the distance between them. She hated the skip of her heart as her pride made her stand her ground. Phobos' eyes bore into hers. "As I have said, you are tempting. I am sure we would both greatly enjoy our time," he said as he pulled down her zipper.
Slow. Eyes challenging her to deny that she wanted anything different. His hand dropped below the water, exposing more flesh. At the end, he hooked his thumbs into her suit, pushing the fabric open, careful not to graze her flesh as they came up out of the water. He positioned her suit like it was earlier, open, only to trace his hands back down, grabbing the parts at her stomach, and pulling it together. The action squeezed her breast together, where his hand slipped up to just below them, holding the fabric tight.
"Your body already craves my touch," he purred, looking at the swell of her chest, Heart trapped between them. He had to hear her thundering heart, hear the betraying sounds she was making of excitement. "And you have yet to experience anything I am capable of."
Will was squirming in his hold. She felt so raw and exposed. Like he was going to devour her right then and there. And she honestly couldn't figure out why that was a bad idea.
"Still, I will not lower myself to warm the bed of one who can't even be seen with me in front of her comrades," he ended, now fully pulling away, leaving her feeling empty. "Go warm yourself with the Earth Regent. He has made his claim over you clear."
Will's throat went dry as she failed to think of a response.
In her heart, she knew she was attracted to him, but was that all that was there?
She really was enjoying her time with him. It was easy. From their banter to just sitting in silence, it was all very comfortable. And it was a challenge there, to get close to someone so guarded and mysterious.
There was another reason as well. Her breakup with Matt was still fresh. If she was being honest with herself, seeing him all the time, joking and laughing with everyone, was too much for her.
Was she really only drifting towards Phobos for a… rebound?
Hah! That would have to be the worse rebound plan in history.
The sight of him floating in her arms in the vast ocean, wildlife swirling around them, overcame her.
No.
There was something more here.
And she wanted to give that something a chance.
Will hurried forward, closing the distance between them.
He needed to understand.
She was being genuine.
Whatever he gave her would be safe with her.
He would be safe with her.
"Phobos," she said, gently grabbing his neck. "I just… like your company," she added, his eyes widening, her mouth moving to his.
The Heart flared in warning just as a yellow light covered Phobos.
His face became impassive, pushing her away as he coldly said, "It seemed Elyon demands my presence."
And he was gone.
It was as he feared; it was a matter of time before Elyon noticed he was missing. His guards rarely cared when Phobos wandered far from their sight, as they detested their duty to 'protect' him. Not that they tried to stop any threats. They always seem to 'slip by' when they were distracted. In fact, no matter who Elyon put on guard, problems just seem to, conveniently, bypass them all.
It was a game, he knew. Was Prince Phobos really immortal? Surely a dagger in a different spot, the right spot, would do? Fire, poison, starvation? Slicing him open, letting all the blood drain away?
Some very adamant attempts at decapitation and dismemberment.
Spells and enchanted items.
But there was only one thing that could kill him, as his dear sister had learned.
Phobos was unprepared for the transition from water to land, ripped from an embrace he couldn't properly return. He arrived in a crouch on the floor of his dressing tent, water soaking the rug below him, body flinching from the change in temperature.
What right did he have to feel robbed?
His words to her were bitter and meant to cut her, as she was so noble the thought of hurting another would weigh on her.
It was true, right?
She just wanted a plaything.
The prince moved to stand, lifting his head enough to see the outline of two people at the opening of the tent, a hot breeze hitting his face. Caleb quickly barked an order to stay down in front of the queen as he closed the tent, light still penetrating the fabric enough to see.
Considering the situation he was just pulled from, it was best he not stand right away as his blood cooled. The feel of the Keeper against him still engraved on his skin.
"Where have you been?" the young queen demanded, arms folded, pale blue eyes strained around the edges.
"I was swimming," he said evenly, voice innocent. "What else am I to do on a beach retreat?"
"I couldn't sense you!" Elyon argued, voice giving away her internal panic. "I had to blindly pull you here a dozen times!" She was becoming more upset as she talked, cheeks flushed, breathing heavy.
Phobos merrily laughed. "Thought your little experiment backfired, little sister? And I had escaped? No, not yet," he said, emphasizing the last word.
"It's not an experiment," she defended her foolhardy plan. "I'm being nice!"
Phobos scoffed, rolling his eyes, remembering the event that led to her being 'nice'. It was a very painful memory for both of them. And it showed him how truly weak she was. A ruler should answer to themselves or their equals, never bowing to the will of the scared masses. A vote, she claimed. The will of the people. He had bent them to his will, so it was justice that they exerted their will onto him. "You should ask the Keeper for help, so you can finish what you started. Or do you think she wouldn't approve of the methods of our people?"
Caleb quickly moved forward at the mention of the Keeper, and Phobos found he regretted bringing attention to her. With her, he was feeling some control over his pathetic, chained existence.
"People have seen you speaking with Will in the courtyard, what have you told her?" Caleb demanded, hands forming fist at his side.
Elyon's blasted magic compelled him to answer to her inner council as he responded, voice still casual. "What could I possibly tell the Keeper? You know my bonds better than any other."
Elyon wiped at the corners of her eyes, her magic flaring as she said, "Give him a straight answer."
It was not painful, physically. Elyon couldn't stomach prolonged torture. So she did not apply it with her magic. It simply guided his body into compliance. Freezing him when he resisted. "I told her she annoys me," he answered, truthful, and the magic pressure in him released.
Caleb relaxed but still glared down at him as he asked, "Why is she talking to you so much?
Phobos fought this time, body tensing, teeth clenching, as that wasn't something he fully understood.
"Caleb," Elyon said softly, but stopped. She looked away from Phobos' resistance before lifting her hand, soft magic pouring from her, and asking her own version of the question, "Why was Will spending breakfast with you this week?"
Again, her magic compelled him. It was gentle, but undeniable. She was queen, her word unquestioned.
"She seeks a distraction from all of you. I do not pry into her inner musings. I simply listen."
He knew that there was more now, but that was what drove her to him at the beginning. The entire castle loved gossip. And the two biggest topics were the Keeper and the Earth Regent dissolving their courtship at her demand, and another romantic drama that involved his sister, the Earth Guardian, and the rebel leader. While both topics had repulsed him, mainly the second one, he was now interested why the Keeper ended things, as that might give more insight why she chose him, of all people, to seek out.
Caleb looked appalled. The former rebel leader still carried a deep hatred for the prince. After the amount of bloodshed between the two, they could only coexist as long as one of them kneeled. Phobos never thought it would be him on the ground before the boy, with him on his way to sit on the throne one day.
"Why would you," Caleb stopped, frowning deeply at whatever thought he had, shaking his head free of the thought. "Do you enjoy being her distraction?" he asked, tone calculating.
The flaw in the bonds they used on him was it mattered what words they used. Phobos used impulse commands that compelled the subject to answer with what they knew to be what he sought. More invasive, more painful, better results.
Elyon used a truth spell.
But the truth depended on the question.
If the boy had asked that question, with two fewer words, his answer would have been different as he truthfully answered, "No."
Being the object of her attention in just one week had left him in a constant state of confusion and distress. He didn't enjoy it. He was just someone else to toy with until she grew bored.
What else could she want?
Because she wasn't the first one who attempted to bed him in his new subservient position.
Yet, watching her today, laughing and running, red hair shimmering, brown eyes bright, it stabbed at him. Because just as he stole looks at her, she stole looks at him. Only she smiled when caught, and he, foolishly, thought that smile looked real.
How could any of that be real?
The Earth Regent had noticed them, as he was preening all day for her affection, only to fail. He stopped her from approaching the prince and sent her away. Even followed Phobos after, when he slipped away to the rocks, only to leave once his personal guards fumbled their way over. They had slipped on the wet rocks and didn't notice the Keeper pull him into the ocean.
Phobos narrowed his eyes at the brown haired man, sardonically pointing out, "I can enjoy only a few things in life. After all, your commands are very detailed." Phobos looked at Elyon. "Should I recite them all? I wonder what was forbidden because he learned them with you."
Elyon looked horrified, body tensing as she turned red, and she summoned some anger among her distress as she blocked a riled up Caleb from advancing.
"Why are you like this?" she asked, voice breaking. "You do this to yourself. You make sure you can only exist like this," she said, sweeping her arms wide at his bent form. "Is it worth it?" she went on, voice lower, but stronger. "Making me mad? Is it really worth more than one day having your freedom? Or learning to just… be kind?"
Phobos glared, not liking the pity in her voice. "You are worth nothing to me," he spat. "My freedom will come by my own hands, even if they are drenched in your blood."
Elyon stood taller, and she still held a hand out to stop Caleb. Her eyes hardened as she tried to mask her pain.
Phobos didn't understand why his words affected her so much. They were siblings in blood only. There was never affection between them, only lies and bloodshed. And he would reclaim the crown the moment he could, because she was weak.
She couldn't even complete his execution.
She could have won already, but has chosen this pathetic game.
"Stay away from Will," Elyon ordered, her magic humming at the new command. "Stay away from all the Guardians unless I order it."
In the back of his mind, he laughed.
That command was meaningless.
He didn't seek her out.
She always came to him.
And, as he found out, the other restrictions had flaws as well.
He could kiss her while needing air. Able to keep her close while he needed her for his survival. Warm skin to skin against the cold of the deep. But, once surfaced, her willing lips became forbidden, skin untouchable. He could only grab her clothes, use them to pull soft flesh that yearned for him.
Also, from how she still reached for him, after everything he said, after pushing her away, he knew she would seek him out again.
He hated how much he was counting on her stubborn nature.
Only, he didn't expect it so soon.
Elyon and Caleb had left him with orders to not leave beyond the surrounding rocks, or to go deeper than the shallow water. He took a moment longer to compose himself, face still twisted, knowing people would watch his exit, wanting to know the latest court drama.
He returned to his lounge chair. It was midday and most people had left the beach to eat. While he knew the communal food was safe, his aversion to seeing anyone won, as always.
He leaned back, letting the sun warm him after being trapped in the water for so long.
Not that his blood wasn't pumping by the end.
Phobos blinked, realizing he wasn't imagining the bashful brown eyes staring down at him.
"Here!" she said, handing him a long stick filled with grilled meat and vegetables. She was now wearing a simple green dress that barely reached her upper thighs, and the thin straps dug into her bare shoulders.
Confused, he took the food.
She looked around and easily dragged a chair over to sit, facing to stare out at the ocean with him.
"And for the record," Will said, looking at him from the corner of her eyes, sun-kissed cheeks deep red as she blushed. "I don't mind being seen with you."
Not able to process what was happening, Phobos turned back to the sea, unable to block out the woman sitting next to him. They ate in silence.
Either she didn't care or didn't notice the questioning gazes of those around them as time passed. Eventually, the Air Guardian meekly inched over, asking for the leader to join in some games on the wood boardwalk.
She agreed, flashing him a smile as she waved goodbye, the Air Guardian giving an awkward bow before running away at full speed.
