Chapter 19
After Anne’s visit everything became much more complicated. Loud arguments happened more often, Celeste’s parents unable to agree on what to do next, Titus an ongoing problem. He was working with dark magics, his soul scarred, and willing to use them on the Embers, his hatred burning deep.
“Celeste, can we talk?”
“You here to warn me about Titus?”
“I’m certain you already know, and I have tried. He’s not willing to listen.”
“Was he ever?”
“No, he wasn’t, but this…”
“Anne, don’t.” Their eyes met for a moment. “I remember the girl who was once my friend.”
“Sometimes I don’t.”
“How about you tell me what you need?”
“To understand soulmates.”
“Well, I think, in that case, you should sit down. This is going to be a long conversation.”
Anne sat at the other desk, eyes on the wood for a moment. “I think I might have found mine.”
“No, you don’t think. If you’re here you know.”
“Do you know anything about the mage with new magic who travelled to Glimmerbrook?”
“Mother and Father are too focused on the problem of the ritual, but I thought I’d felt something.”
“He’s the one, and Titus isn’t happy.”
“Of course he’s not happy. He’s Titus. I don’t think he’s ever happy.”
“This is much more complicated. I’m certain he wants to find a way to break the connection, so I need to know if it’s possible.”
“Nothing simple, then.”
“Unfortunately not.”
“Soulmate bonds are complicated. Is Mother right about your connection to Titus?”
For a few minutes Anne was silent. “Yes.”
“By making the choices you have there is already a soul bond between you and Titus, making it possible he can use that to affect the new one you have with your soulmate.”
“Affect it how, Celly?”
“Unravel it. Right now it’s weak, but as you spend more time with them it will become stronger.”
“I thought he’d have to break it.”
“Later on, yes, he would, although the connection you have with him… nothing about this is easy to explain, Anne. Had you lived a normal life, without entwining your soul with Titus’s, this would all be much simpler.”
“Back then we knew nothing about soulmates.”
“For a long time no one knew anything about soulmates.” Celeste sighed. “Without looking more closely at your soul there are questions I can’t answer.”
The last time Celeste tried, mostly by accident, Anne reacted badly, which was understandable. Even then it was impossible to ignore the scars.
“Can you do that here?”
“I’m much better than I was, Anne.”
Celeste closed her eyes, and Anne tried not to flinch as she felt Celeste’s power touching her soul, the way it had once before. It destroyed their friendship, Anne’s fear getting the better of her. No one could know. Titus would be angry.
“How bad is it?”
“You might not want the answer to that.”
“Unfortunately, I need it.”
“The bond you have with Titus is lifetimes strong, and he will be able to use it against both of you. Your soulmate bond is much weaker, barely visible in comparison, but, with time, it will strengthen.”
“Is there a way to make it stronger?”
“Spend as much time with him as possible. Bed him.”
“Celly…”
“With any relationship sex strengthens the bond between the two people, unless it’s your sibling. Never do that. As it’s your soulmate sex it’s that much more powerful. It still might not be enough.”
“Enough?”
“You have limited time, Anne. Strengthening the connection with your soulmate will help, but the way you’re connected to Titus… I think he might have done it on purpose.”
“This is Titus you’re talking about. There’s no doubt he did it on purpose, to keep us tied together no matter what.”
“Unravelling the bond with your soulmate would be easy for him to do, if he had the skills, which I don’t believe he does. What he does and doesn’t know is something I have no idea about.”
“Last time he had an allyship with an Ember we still knew nothing about soulmates. I might be safe.”
“Safe is an interesting word to use.”
“He can’t unravel the bond, which gives me a chance, even if there isn’t enough time.”
“Yes, it does. Anne, I know this isn’t what you came to talk about, but what will Titus do to us?”
“That is a question I can’t answer. I honestly don’t know.”
Celeste nodded. “Then we can’t stop him.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t apologise for him.” Celeste breathed in deeply. “You might be able to.”
“I doubt it will happen this life, but I’m willing to try.”
“Are you saying you haven’t already tried?”
“What I’m able to do now is more useful than talking.”
“He never listened.”
“No, because he believes what he’s doing is right, and it doesn’t matter who he has to harm to make it possible.”
“One thing you do need to be wary of is how Titus can use the soulmate bond. The strength of the connection between the two of you is like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
“That’s not exactly what I wanted to hear.”
“No, I know, but I have to be honest with you if you’re going to be able to do something to stop him.”
“Can I use the bond we have against him?”
“Again, it’s complicated. Potentially, yes, although…”
“Every decision I’ve made affects what I can do.”
“Unlike the soulmate bond, which is natural, what you have with Titus probably should never have existed. I understand how it happened, the two of you went through some horrible experiences together, leading to a promise, and now we’re here. He will always be part of you, which you can both use.”
“Only he’s the stronger of the two of us.”
“Not so much stronger, but more ruthless. You know him better than I do, but Titus doesn’t care who he hurts to get what he wants, and it seems you’re more important to him than anything else.”
“I don’t understand it. Not entirely. We’re siblings.”
They always had been, and it wasn’t as though there had been anything more between them. Fortunately. He might have said he’d fallen in love, but Anne didn’t believe those words when he said them, because if he had why did he still choose her. Whatever reason it must be due to their first life.
“Understanding it isn’t important. You can’t change what is. The connection exists, and you can’t break that either. If you did it would likely cause as much damage as a soulmate bond would.”
“How do I free myself?”
“By getting away from Titus, as impossible as that might seem. Otherwise…”
“The bond will keep strengthening.”
“Unfortunately, yes, and it won’t matter that you have a soulmate.”
“You’re basically saying there’s no hope.”
“Oh, there’s hope, but it’s not going to be easy. I wish I could say otherwise.”
“What if I killed Titus?”
“Killing him won’t have an effect.”
“Shredded his soul?”
“Anne, we both know you wouldn’t, and if you could it would break you.”
“Unless I strengthen the soulmate bond enough?”
“Maybe. I’m not certain I’d experiment with that, although I’m not in your position, so maybe it would be worth it.”
“Can I unravel the soulmate bond?”
“Technically yes, but do you really want to?”
“For him, yes. For me… I have no idea, Celly. Knowing what I do now I want to protect him more than before. I thought having a soulmate might be the answer, and finding out it’s not…”
“Nothing is certain. Let me do some more research.”