Chapter Five: The Bond
"A bond between souls is ancient—older than the planet." — Dianna Hardy, The Witching Pen
In love with Phobos. In love with Phobos... In love with Phobos...
She heard those words constantly and the last 'Phobos' came out like a wild roar that made her wake up drenched in sweat. Will took a deep breath as she tried to normalize the beating of her heart. Then, when she realized she wasn't alone in the room, all her progress was diminished:
"Oh, my God! Matt! I almost had a heart attack, what are you- "
"I'm sorry, Will."- the man apologized, standing up from the dresser he had been resting against until now. "You looked so...peaceful."- he smiled. "I just wanted to watch you, couldn't bring myself to wake you."
Peaceful, the woman thought, peeved. It sure felt like I was having a nightmare. An expanding nightmare.
She stood up from the bed and stretched but then she remembered she was naked and suddenly felt the urge to pull the sheets over her body again. She turned around to see Matt laughing:
"What, don't tell me you are blushing like when we first started to see each other naked. It was just six months, Will."- he winked at her. "I didn't expect that they'd restore your shyness this much. Especially not after last night when you rocked my brains out...You looked pretty shameless to me when you licked-"
"OK, last night was a first after a lot of time and there was a lot of wine involved."
Matt chuckled at that and kissed her forehead. Will smiled as he tenderly pulled her body towards his own and locked his arms just above her ass.
"I love you, Will. I just love you."- he said earnestly. "I'm so happy that you're back and everything's alright. I missed this. I missed us."
Yes, that was right. To him, everything was already alright, and that was understandable. She was back. She was back to stay and that meant the world to him. To her, things hadn't even begun to fall into place completely. There were still so many, many things she had to address. Things she had to take care of and find solutions to...
"What time is it?"
"About 10 AM, don't worry."- Matt laughed. "We have about two hours to take a nice shower and have some coffee before heading off to meet with the others. If you're hungry, I can make you some breakfast too but if I know you then I know you're not hungry right now. Cornelia respected your request to leave the big talk for over lunch."
"Yeah, I hope she and everyone from her family respected my request."- Will murmured in response.
But she knew they had. At least in the basic meaning of the word 'respect'. Phobos was alive. He was currently locked back in the pool house in the big backyard of Nerissa's ancestral home. What a turn of fucking events.
"So, about that shower...I already had one but I don't mind taking another one with you."
Oh, Matt was horny again. She could feel him against her leg. Will estimated him with a glance before grinning:
"I think I would rather have some time to freshen up while you make me that breakfast."
"A request, she said, sell him away, they said. Oh, oh, I will buy him for my daughter, she said. Idiots! Idiots everywhere! Now what? Neither can we bring him to justice on Meridian, nor can we go back to Coronia, where we're banned. The Council of Kandrakar - past cure. And, to top it all, Ms. Vandom requested that we tolerate the tyrannical mass murderer's presence here. I can't, son! I can't tolerate that creature-"
"Caleb, are you venting to Killian again?!"
Caleb stopped setting the big garden table with plates and cutlery and nearly blushed. His toddler son, who was hanging on his back giggled:
"Idiots everwheal. Sell 'im away!"
Cornelia's jaw hung in indignation:
"Oh, my God! See? He always picks up the most ridiculous bad word phrases from you!"- she took the boy in her arms and glared at his father. "You should really be more cautious."
"Oh, come on!"- Caleb groaned. "He started talking a few months ago! I don't do it on purpose, I'm getting used to his growth one step at a time!"
"That doesn't matter! Keep it down and stop thinking about Phobos, fuck it!"
"Fuck it!"- Killian repeated proudly and Caleb folded his arms on his chest pointedly.
Cornelia bit the inside of her cheek:
"That doesn't count!"
"Sure it does!"
"Just finish setting the table!"
Half an hour later, the table was not only set but full of food and people as well. Everyone had brought some sort of dish for the lunch. And the big yards of Nerissa's house were a perfect location. All of the present guardians, their boyfriends, excluding Martin, plus Nerissa, Julian, Cassidy, and Peter were here and there were still vacant places around the antique garden table.
"So, guys."- Nigel began with a big smile. "Long time no see. How have you two been?"
"We're great, actually. Peru was nice but we missed home. We missed our friends and family."- Cassidy smiled.
It was true, brother and sister hadn't seen each other in over a month because of her job. But now that they were back in Heatherfield, she wasn't planning on taking any other such opportunities. After all, she and Peter had a one-year-old to look after - Nathaniel, who was currently playing with Killian on the grass near the adults' table.
"I had an amazing opportunity to help in very serious surgeries that manage to save very ill people. Of course, we were a team of professionals and we worked great together, and it was worth it, every second of it... But I'd rather work here to be close to everyone and everything and, especially, my mom."
"Don't listen to her, most of these surgeries were successful because of her."- Peter interjected with a big white smile. "Cass is a fantastic doctor and an even more fantastic person, and everyone is trying to get her to work on more and more of these out-of-state jobs. But we can only travel as much, for a month every now and then. I have my thing here with the basketball team. She has to be with her mom a lot. You get it."
"Somehow we find the balance."- Cassidy added and kissed her boyfriend on the lips.
"That's too sweet. I'm so happy for you."- Nigel saluted and Taranee had to agree:
"Yeah, bro, you didn't even tell us you've gotten engaged in Peru!"
The young couple exchanged glances and smiled:
"We kind of wanted it to be a surprise, Taranee, it's my fault."- Cassidy shook her head. "But then again, it was me who couldn't stop herself from posting it on Instagram..."
Everyone laughed and Nerissa held her glass of wine up from the other end of the table:
"Cheers to that, sweet friend. And to many more followers to come after today. After I tag you, of course."
"Yeah, Rissy, of course, but just a quick question before that. The kids are playing in the grass..."- Cassidy bit her lip. "Do you have it regularly treated against garden pests such as ticks and- "
"Why, naturally, Cass, do not worry."- Nerissa laughed softly. "My grandson plays here all the time, after all. You know I'm a mindful woman, I don't take risks with his wellbeing."
And with that, she stood up to go and take a selfie with Cassidy. Will just smiled from her place. Next to her Matt was talking, eating, and drinking lively as if he had rediscovered life. Will was happy for him. She couldn't say she enjoyed the extra audience her reveal would get today but she was glad to be around them at the same time. To see them again. Everyone looked happy, cheerful, enjoying the day. It was a rather warm and sunny day even for April.
It didn't happen that often, really, with all the duties they had as guardians. All of them enjoying a peaceful day together. But even with that, they had had a lot of great moments over the years. All of them. She couldn't complain about it.
"Irma, is Martin traveling for work too?"- Cassidy turned to her successor who was unusually quiet. "I haven't seen him around for quite some time now."
Taranee and Nigel exchanged worried glances. The opaque decline in Irma's relationship with Martin Tubbs was no longer a secret to them. But naturally, Cassidy couldn't have known. Hopefully, her words wouldn't irk the present water guardian too much...
"No, he's here. Talking to new plumbers, trying to fix the stupid banging in the pipes over and over again to no freaking results."- the Latina replied casually. "I doubt that he'll join us though. He's kind of...hmm, let's say morose over the last months. Really nerve-wracking to be around."
"Oh."- Cassidy exclaimed unsure of what to say to that. "OK..."
"Maybe another time."- Peter smiled.
"I doubt it."- Irma murmured but forced a smile in response nevertheless.
The rest of the lunch went on smoothly and light-heartedly. Two hours later, Cassidy and Peter got ready to leave despite Nerissa trying to persuade them to come inside for coffee. Cassidy's very elderly mother, Emily, had a cardiologist appointment and her daughter wanted to be there with her. They thanked the hosts warmly before taking their son and leaving the huge lot.
Taranee and Hay Lin helped Cornelia put the leftovers in the fridge and the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, while the others moved to the living room as sudden storm clouds had appeared in the sky.
Will felt herself becoming more nervous with every passing minute as she watched Caleb rock his son to sleep in the red antique armchair. The fact that Cassidy and Peter wouldn't hear her reveal today was somewhat a relief, but she still had to talk in front of the others and that sucked. It sucked knowing that Phobos had been here the entire time too, locked back in the only part of the lot that was yet to be renovated - the small pool house - as if to belittle him and show him his place.
"Nerissa, what is this noise I keep hearing?"- Hay Lin asked when she finally sat down next to her boyfriend.
"You have nagging pipes too?"- Irma added sarcastically.
"No, it's like...someone thudding against the wooden floor."- Hay Lin listened again. Yes, it was definitely that. As if there was someone upstairs.
Nerissa just calmly stirred her dark coffee before replying:
"My captives must be awake."- she shrugged casually. "Wixy and her brother. The Altermeeres."- she specified when Eric gave her the plate-eyes look.
"This house can be a prison."- Julian interjected mysteriously.
"You have no idea."- Nerissa laughed and waved her hand. "Don't look at me like that, Hay Lin, they refused to come here and I had to be drastic. I mean, you do realize that now the real Will and William are back."
"Well, yeah...but-"
"So, what are we going to do with them?"- Taranee interjected carefully. "We can't just absorb them back into Heart..."
"We think of sending them to Kandrakar itself."- Cornelia said. "I mean we suggest."- she added carefully exchanging glances with Nerissa who nodded approvingly. She had told her that now that Will is back, the leadership of the group was at crossroads. They had to be cautious. Of course, Nerissa would say that, she liked the power where it was, in her daughter-in-law's hands as this way she could have more control herself. But Cornelia didn't care about that, all she cared about was seeing Will back to normal. If that happened sooner, she would give her back the Heart and all the properties of leader back herself. She had revealed that to Nerissa who had just made a face and said:
"Oh, really? That's a virtuous thing to do, my darling, but didn't you say something in your Will is not the same anymore? That something concerns you? If Phobos actually influenced her like Caleb suspects, in any way, giving the Heart back would be a great failure and a dire mistake."
"The Fortress is still empty but Halinor is working on it, she has to gather a new council as the only elder left. Even if she wasn't an active elder anymore."- Nerissa shrugged. It was obvious the misfortunate fate of the previous Council made her feel avenged. "These two might do as an addition."
"Yeah, a 12-year-old Altermeere sounds like elder material to me too."- Irma mocked but she paid no attention.
Eventually, Caleb went to bring the Altermeeres down to the living room. The plan was to discuss the future one last time, try to talk some sense into them, and then it would be time for Will to start her story. She nervously played with her blouse's bell sleeves as she thought of that. Her story was...outlandish to say the least.
But when Caleb returned back alone and with a grim expression, it was evident that things weren't going to go according to plan:
"They're gone. They've escaped."- he hissed.
"They've what?!"
"But how is that possible, I just heard them a few minutes ago?"- Hay Lin tensed.
Nerissa stood up from her seat, the speed blowing her black skirts back:
"That's impossible!"- she exclaimed. "I had them caged with my Seal! Only my Seal can set them free, I-"
"Well, obviously they found a loophole."- Matt shook his head grimly, remembering how frustrated Wixy was when Will had returned first.
Will's presence so near weakened her Altermeere astral body, because she wasn't a living Altermeere. But how had Wixy been able to bail this time...did she have access to more magic again, like when he had given her a boost in return for her leading him to Will, a few days back?
"Maybe she absorbed more magic."- the man voiced his suspicions. "Like the other day, I gave her a boost because she was too weak. I only did it because she would lead me to Will, but-"
"But what magic is strong enough to break Nerissa's Seal spell?"- Cornelia interrupted him. "And when did that ungrateful Wixy absorb it, when we took her she wasn't strong enough to fight us at all-"
"Or maybe she absorbed Nerissa's spell from within?"- Taranee suggested. "Altermeeres are energy beings who always manage to surprise us with what they're capable of. Remember when Mila almost permanently replaced Nerissa under our noses?"
Nerissa tightened her lips at the memory and fixed some loose straight locks around her face. Most of her long hair was neatly put up in a voluminous messy bun.
"Yes, but that was only because the Oracle had put his magic in her."- Will reminded them. "I hate to put it like that but whose magic in Heatherfield, if not that of someone present here, can do such things?"
"First someone in the city goes to Beta-Meridian and kidnaps Avani now someone is a wiz enough to break Nerissa's spell."- Irma folded her arms. "Wow, this city really is flourishing-"
But Caleb had an answer to Will's words from before that. He tightened his fists and grumbled militantly:
"Phobos."
"Phobos?"- Will blinked. It was then that it hit her. Caleb blamed Phobos for the Altermeeres' escape.
"Phobos is locked up and with blocked powers, how would he manage to pull it off?!"
But Caleb didn't listen to anyone's words and reasoning. He headed for the door, grabbing a sword from the tall dresser in the hall on his way.
"Caleb, wait-"
When the tall man opened the entrance door, he was momentarily pushed back, hitting his back in the very dresser he had just closed. A raging cyclone wind deafened their ears. The whole house was in the eye of a storm.
In the pool house, trapped in his very own thoughts, Phobos just walked and walked in a circle for hours. It wasn't the first time he was being held as a prisoner, not at all, actually. It was just that in the last year and a half he had changed many locations. Both as living spaces and prisons. If he had to be perfectly honest, he had been in much worse places than his current shutter. Yes, the old pool house was covered in dust but other than that, it was perfectly comfortable. Compared to the prison cells in the Infinite City? God-given... He had learned to live without luxury long ago; he just pretended to be a snob for the most part. It gave him...a sense of royalty that he had always been denied.
But it wasn't the forced stay here that kept Phobos restless. He was used to being held in shackles. His thoughts about the future and the past were tearing him apart. The life and love he had lost with Leonida. The future he was unable to choose. Two daughters he couldn't be there for, one of them being a baby, living with the Coronian royals, and the other a psychopath. His connection to the guardian...
He had never thought that one day he would have such a connection with her of all people. But after six months living as he had never imagined he would live, the prince was willing to consider much more possibilities beyond his imagination.
What was happening now, when Wilhelmina's biggest fear had come true and she was forced to tell her closest ones everything? Could she be telling them right now, as he thought about it? Would they have more to display than sharp reactions? Probably...
Phobos looked out of the window. Everything was quiet. The big house looked normal, a manor with a huge yard. He could imagine the sorceress growing up in a place like this. He couldn't really see or hear much from his building though. Just the empty pool. And the quiet wind. The sky was also darker than in the morning. A storm was approaching. The prince moved away from the window and rested his back against the wall. Then suddenly the door opened.
Phobos looked at it in perplexity. Who had opened the door? There was no one... He took a few steps towards it and then, in a flash, the storm lost the disguise and invaded the pool house.
Hay Lin struggled to repel the furious winds that had engulfed the house so unnaturally, but even in her guardian form, she was met with great difficulties. Something was wrong with the storm and the way it seemed to have targeted the house. Something enchanted. Or cursed. Whatever it was, it was magic, and it was too strong for Cornelia's liking.
"This is insane!"- she exclaimed as she watched Hay Lin and Nerissa try to take sway over the strange storm that didn't let anyone out of the house but didn't even shake it from the outside either.
It was as if it was put there as a veil. As a barrier that strove to keep them inside.
"We can't even teletransport."- Taranee noted with concern. "What is happening to Heatherfield... Could there be a new generation of stronger magical wielders we don't know about?"
It had crossed Will's mind too. She listened to her friends' discussion as she watched. There wasn't much all of them could do other than that. They watched the young Air guardian trying to take control over some of her element, and Nerissa, whose Seal contained the Heart of Nimbus, the Heart of a world of lightnings, trying to break the storm apart. To no avail. It was as if they were shooting towards an impeccable wall that swallowed their magic and didn't budge.
"I thought we've trained and dealt with the magic kids in Heatherfield for good."- Irma commented. "I mean, come on, most of them had minor powers anyway. Nothing close to this..."- she nodded towards the storm barrier that kept them trapped.
"Yes, but it's been years, Irma, and Heatherfield is Heatherfield. Who knows what might've changed without us knowing."- Taranee insisted. "We have to look deeper into the case, without Kandrakar monitoring the activity and events in the realms, incidents like this will keep occurring because we have no clarity and no opportunity to take timely action on any pressing issue..."
"Taranee's right."- Will heard herself saying. "I mean, we've been caught by surprise many times, even with Kandrakar. Now that the old Council is broken, the picture will only get direr..."
"Fuck Kandrakar! They've always wanted to make us suffer through being their guardians."- Irma snorted again. "Now they're not even doing their job because they just decided to disappear. Ugh. Wish this fucking storm would disappear too-"
Not even a minute after she had said that, it did. The storm barrier was gone just as suddenly as it had appeared when Caleb had opened the door; even the sun was slowly showing again, behind the clouds that were retreating.
"How did you do that!?"
Everyone turned towards her in astonishment, but Irma was no less baffled than all of them:
"I...I have no idea!"- she exclaimed, looking down at her hands. "How did I do this..."
"It was a wishing spell."- Nerissa realized. "Someone used wishing magic to hinder us from going out."
"But why and who would-"
Eric didn't even have to finish because Caleb was on his way again, resuming his actions from before they had discovered the barrier around the house.
"Son!"- Julian called after him, holding Killian in his arms. "Be careful."
"Will, what are you doing?"
Matt cried after her but she had already followed the other man, headed for the pool house.
"After them! We don't know what Phobos might do."- Cornelia ordered and everyone, save for Nigel who was now the one tasked with looking after Killian, rushed out in the open.
Caleb was beside himself. He ran towards the pool house ahead of everyone, cursing himself the entire time. How could he allow them to keep that tyrant here? That monster...Why hadn't he just killed him, here in Heatherfield, where it was more than possible! The man who had painted his life in blood, war, and misery, for over 15 years. When he witnessed the door to the building, they had locked him in open, he felt the anger in him speaking new volumes:
"PHOBOS! SHOW YOURSELF, YOU COWARD-"
"Caleb-"- Cornelia tried to say something but Caleb saw the other man standing up, his magic-blocking cuff - undone. That was when he lost it:
"I knew it! I knew you'd try to sleaze out of here! I knew you couldn't be trusted! You monster! What more do you want, huh? How many more times would you like to test my patience and good will!?"- the rebel attacked him.
"I'm not at all interested in you, in general, estranged son of the rebellion."- Phobos managed to sneer as he tried to resume his normal breathing. After the odd storm, he was left with a strange feeling in the chest.
But Caleb left him no time to come to his senses. He punched him and kicked him twice, once in the stomach, twice in the sides of the torso, and once in the face. And that was enough for Phobos to slump back to the ground with blood running from his nose, this time almost completely unconscious.
"CALEB WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"- Will heard herself scream at the appalling scene. "He didn't do THIS! LEAVE HIM ALONE! HE DIDN'T TRY TO RUN AWAY, IF HE DID WHY IS HE STILL HERE?!"
But the tall man didn't listen to her. Instead, he picked the fallen prince up, swung him like a rag doll, and threw him in the empty pool. Nobody intervened. Nobody said anything. Julian murmured something but she didn't hear. They just stood there and watched...That triggered Will more than she had ever imagined:
"Do something! Why are you just standing here?! Stop him! Or he'll kill him over nothing! He'll kill Phobos-"
"Will, over nothing? Really? Come on, this is Phobos we're talking about!"- Matt snapped out of it. "Dead or alive, he will be in the Tower of Mists on Kandrakar. What do you want us to do, he managed to take his blocking cuff off, he had magic! He's dangerous to this city and to us-"
Will stared at him in shock. Caleb was getting his sword ready. It looked as if he was planning on taking a jump in the pool and pushing the blade deep inside Phobos's chest... She couldn't allow that. She lifted her hand and zapped the brunette a few feet away. A tad harsher than she had intended to, but she couldn't control her emotions right now.
Caleb grunted as he hit the wall of the pool house and slumped to the ground in his turn. That finally provoked reactions from the rest:
"Are you senile!?"- Cornelia yelled at her. "You'd rather have Caleb killed over Phobos? You practically catapulted him there!"
"He was going to stab him!"- Will argued but one hand turned her around forcefully before Cornelia could reply.
Nerissa slapped her so hard she found herself on the grass:
"Nerissa!"
"You little bitch!"- she hissed as Hay Lin and Irma pulled her back while Taranee and Matt helped Will back on her feet.
"OK, let's take a chill pill! Everyone!"- Irma outyelled them and glared at Nerissa: "And not be drastic or overly dramatic, please. Caleb's fine."- she noted and nodded towards the man who Cornelia had carefully helped stand up. "Let's lock the shitty prince back and talk this through."
But Nerissa didn't want to hear about it. Neither did Will, who pulled free from her friends' arms and rushed towards Phobos's side, much to their outrage and confusion.
"No, we shall not keep that offal here any longer. Nor her!"- Nerissa yelled, pointing at Will. "We spent the last six months looking for you, and this is how you repay us? By attacking my son like an enemy while warming up with the actual enemy?"- her green eyes shone dangerously as Julian kept her from rebelling with his arms around her chest. "It seems you've grown a tad too fond of that monster than you care to admit, after all, you witless-"
"SHUT UP for a moment, will you?!"- Will cut her off and glared daggers at her. At all of them, actually. None of her friends knew what they were doing, as it seemed. "Your son was about to kill him; I didn't see you trying to stop him in a calmer way. None of you did! I just reacted but you were about to break your promise! You all promised me a chance to explain everything before taking a decision, you- "
"Who broke their promise first, Wilhelmina, we or your prince Phobos?!"- Cornelia interrupted her icily and glared at her and the man she barely managed to support on his feet.
Caleb was indeed fine, she had used a healing spell on his head just in case, but he was able to walk on his own. He was about to say something but Julian put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head warningly.
"Phobos didn't do any of this, maybe if we gave him a chance to explain too before attacking him like so-"- the redhead began but Cornelia interrupted her again:
"Please, even if magic users in the city are getting out of control and we're not aware, what are the odds that someone will come here and try to break Phobos free? You're delusional!"
"Not to mention there are protecting spells around my entire property."- Nerissa added with a death glare aimed at Will. "What do you have to say about that, fool?"
"Well, I don't know, try more crucial spells or something."- the redhead retorted brazenly. "Because Phobos didn't cause any of this, he promised me he wouldn't cause trouble."
"And you believed him, why? Why are you suddenly so protective of Phobos?"- Matt was getting annoyed. He didn't know. Of course, most of them didn't. Will opened her mouth and closed it again as she debated on what she'd answer. But Cornelia's face twisted into a dark grimace as she spat:
"Because she's fallen for him, that's why. Those six months they spent together changed their relations forever. That's the real reason she's so protective of the evil pig. She's corrupted and brain-washed!"
After that utterance, there was a grave silence. A grave silence and utter shock written on everyone's faces. Will just looked at her feet, her lips a thin line. She proceeded to give Cornelia a dirty look. She could be an unpardonable bitch when she wanted to, and thanks to that her story would start in the worst possible case scenario.
"I did say that to Cornelia. My relations with Phobos did change forever in those months in Beta-Meridian. But not because I...because I'm in love with him."- her throat was dry. She took a sip of her water.
Thirty minutes post the fight near the empty pool, everyone's attention was on her again. They were back in the main house. Phobos was next to her, absent-mindedly looking through a window.
"But because Avani saw something. And made sure it grows stronger and unbreakable. That's why she abducted me. Phobos and I are... sidereal astral soulmates. It's an actual thing. Very rare but...it's a thing."- Will sighed. She felt very stupid talking about this but at the same time, she was glad it would be off her chest.
"Soulmates."- Irma interrupted, and even Taranee, who was sitting beside her didn't poke her to shut up. She was too smitten to react... "You and Phobos. You're kidding, right? How is that a real-"
"Irma, I wish I was kidding but I spent the last months trying to learn to live with this. It's not a joke and it's not reversible! Avani was getting stronger with her powers. Her dark powers. Nobody paid attention to her but she wanted to take revenge on us, remember. Once, last summer she wanted to train with me. Back then, we were still keeping her in Elyon's palace against her will because we needed her help. Whatever. It appears that during that training session she saw something. Something she saw in her father as well. Some people have that power, it's called intuitive empathy."- Will went on and Irma closed her mouth. She was being serious... "Unlike Hay Lin who can pick up the emotions of others, Avani, as an intuitive empath, can sense the unspoken in terms of what's going on. She could sense the bond that could be formed between me and Phobos. And she successfully forged it. I must say I helped her unwittingly, by reassigning the Heart to Cornelia. You see, the Heart protected me from this...this fucking thing. For years, no matter how close I've been to Phobos, I didn't feel anything. Because you are born with a tendency to form this sidereal astral bond with someone out there marked to share it with you, and as rare as it, you can never be sure if you're marked like me. Like us... You all know I've never been aware of this before, nor do I know the reason, but I am marked. It's more of a weakness than precedence in any way. And the Heart used to protect me from my weaknesses."- she murmured.
"It's not that rare. Deimos, the first male ruler of Meridian who turned out to be rotten and evil, as according to the peasants."- Phobos narrated in his turn. He played distracted but he had heard every single word of the redhaired guardian... "Deimos and Malyna, the first known head-guardian from Earth, were sideral astral mates. Or soulmates if you want to be banal. When the Ancient Mage realized it, she tricked her into lowering the protections of the Heart of Kandrakar, and hence Malyna was easily persuaded to go on with their plan to take down Deimos by conceiving his child and then killing him. Yes, that is an alternate side of the legend but it would explain why Malyna died shortly after."- he sneered at Julian and Caleb's bedazzled expression at hearing this about their homeland. About the legend, they knew so very well. "Sidereal soulmates die together. Almost all the time, it depends on the stage that their bond has reached."
"By now, we've most probably spent more time together than Deimos and Malyna."- Will added grimly and sighed. "This was Avani's sick plan. That's why she chose me for her realm, her castle, and her new life. She thought that her father and I are destined to be together, be happy together and therefore be happy with her. Like...like a family. She purposely made it impossible for me to leave and time did the rest. Without the Heart that I sent to you girls the minute it told me that I will not be back soon, because it did, the predestined marks on me and Phobos started working together. They started forming the bond and we couldn't do anything about it."
"Like a disease, it spreads through the body and the soul, the magical aura...It's an ineradicable, incurable curse that makes one physically and emotionally weak if not around the other soulmate."- Phobos continued with disgust written all over his face. Will watched him speak and sighed. He was right. He was right but she was beginning to lose herself to all this...
"...Wilhelmina and I are at the point where we can still be away from each other. That was proven when you kept her here for days while I was on Beta-Meridian. The sooner we get permanently separated the better."
"Then that's exactly what we'll do."- Matt declared and stood up. "What are we waiting for?"
He was angry, upset, jealous. It was only natural. He had just heard that the girl he was madly in love with was another man's soulmate. And that man was Phobos. Of course, he was going to do everything in his power to mend this madness.
"Wait a second, If I've understood all this correctly."- Taranee interfered. "-separating Will and Phobos won't completely stop the developing of their sidereal bond..."
"No. But it might slow the process."
"And there's no known way of actually cutting this bond?"- Hay Lin asked only to receive a grim nod from Will.
"Then what do fuck do we do?"- Irma exclaimed. "I mean, we can't settle for them being fricking soulmates. What's next, a wedding- "
"Irma, it's not the time for jokes."
"Killing Phobos won't stop it either, will it..."- Cornelia added in a tiny voice making Caleb look down in defeat.
"No, not really."- Phobos smiled grimly. "But if you do want to risk it, be my guest. I've never had a worst sentence anyway- "
"Shut up."- Nerissa hissed and stood up as well, drawing all attention to herself. "There is a loophole. There's always a loophole. We just have to find it and then, once that happens, your worst sentence will truly be given."
The Prince smirked derisively but didn't say anything.
"Wow. Just...wow."- Nigel muttered but it was heard crystal-clear in the quitted room.
"So, what are we supposed to do now?"
"Take him away."- Matt said firmly. "Phobos must be taken away from Heatherfield at once."
Will closed her eyes in defeat. It was finally done - she had told the friends the truth and they had accepted it somewhat better than she had expected but still. Nothing was OK. Nothing promised to be OK. Saying all this out loud made it so...real. Now everyone was going to try their best to help her with this terminal sentence, as Phobos had said. And yet her stomach protested. For some reason, imagining him being away made her feel more uneasy than it was supposed to.
a/n: thanks for all your comments and messages, keep them coming! I always love your feedback. You can find me on other platforms including AO3&Instagram for bonus content, my pen name is the same everywhere :))