CHAPTER 3 — THE HEARTBOUND

CHAPTER 3

The road to Veyrith was colder than Lyra remembered.

She had never traveled beyond the mountains surrounding Veyra Village. To her, the world had always been a collection of familiar things: her father's small house, the chapel bell, the market square, the forest beyond the fields.

Now everything looked different.

The trees seemed taller.

The mountains seemed darker.

Even the moon appeared strangely close.

Lyra rode in the middle of four horses, surrounded by the four men who had shattered everything she thought she knew about herself.

Caelan rode ahead.

Riven stayed behind.

Lucien traveled on her left.

Darian was nowhere to be seen.

At least, not visibly.

Lyra knew better now.

He was somewhere nearby.

Watching.

Waiting.

She pulled her cloak tighter around herself.

“Where are we going?”

Caelan didn't turn around.

“Veyrith.”

“You said that already.”

“Then you already know.”

Lyra frowned.

“I don't like you.”

“I know.”

“I don't trust you.”

“I know.”

“And you're still taking me there.”

“Yes.”

She sighed.

“You're extremely annoying.”

For the first time, Caelan's lips twitched.

It was barely a smile.

But Lyra noticed.

Before she could say anything, Lucien laughed.

“There she is.”

Lyra glanced at him.

“Who?”

“The woman we were looking for.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

“You will.”

Lucien's violet eyes briefly traveled toward the silver mark beneath her collar.

“The Heart Queen always begins by denying who she is.”

Lyra's expression hardened.

“I am Lyra.”

“Yes.”

“Not a queen.”

“Not yet.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Everyone keeps saying things like that.”

Lucien smiled.

“Because everyone knows something you don't.”

Lyra hated that answer.

She was tired of secrets.

Tired of half-truths.

Tired of men looking at her as though they had known her for centuries.

Most of all, she was tired of feeling like her own life belonged to someone else.

Suddenly, her horse stopped.

Lyra nearly fell forward.

Caelan turned.

“What happened?”

The horse refused to move.

Its ears were pointed toward the forest.

Riven immediately dismounted.

“Something's there.”

Lucien's smile disappeared.

Darian appeared beside Lyra without warning.

She startled.

“You could make a sound when you walk.”

“I wasn't walking.”

“That isn't comforting.”

His eyes remained fixed on the trees.

“Stay close.”

Lyra crossed her arms.

“You don't get to order me around.”

“Then consider it a request.”

“Still no.”

Darian looked at her.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then the forest moved.

A shadow rushed across the road.

Riven drew his sword.

Caelan did the same.

Lucien raised his hand.

Dark creatures emerged from between the trees.

Lyra recognized them.

They were the creatures that had attacked her home.

But there were more this time.

Dozens.

Maybe hundreds.

Riven stepped forward.

“Stay behind us.”

Lyra's heart raced.

The creatures charged.

The four men moved together.

Caelan's sword flashed with blue fire.

Riven fought like a storm.

Lucien summoned golden flames.

Darian disappeared and reappeared between the creatures, leaving nothing but darkness behind.

Lyra watched.

These men were terrifying.

But something else frightened her more.

She could feel them.

Every emotion.

Every heartbeat.

Caelan's anger.

Riven's determination.

Lucien's excitement.

Darian's fear.

Fear?

Lyra stared at him.

Darian was afraid.

Not of the creatures.

Of something else.

Then Lyra felt pain in her chest.

Her silver mark burned.

She looked down.

The mark was glowing.

Again.

The creatures stopped.

Every single one turned toward her.

Caelan shouted:

“Lyra!”

They lunged.

Lyra raised her hands instinctively.

Silver light erupted.

The creatures screamed.

But this time, something different happened.

The light didn't destroy them.

It forced them to kneel.

Every creature lowered its head.

Silence fell.

Riven slowly lowered his sword.

Lucien stared.

Caelan looked stunned.

Darian closed his eyes.

Lyra stared at the creatures.

“Why are they kneeling?”

Darian answered quietly.

“Because they recognize you.”

“As what?”

“Their queen.”

Lyra shook her head.

“No.”

Her voice trembled.

“I don't want this.”

Darian looked at her.

“I know.”

“How do I stop it?”

“You don't.”

Lyra's eyes filled with frustration.

“I don't want to be your queen!”

Caelan stepped closer.

“You don't understand what that means.”

“Then explain it!”

He hesitated.

Finally, Caelan removed the black crystal hanging around his neck.

It was cracked.

The same crystal that had reacted to Lyra in her father's house.

“This is a heartstone.”

Lyra looked at it.

“What does it do?”

“It contains the magical essence of a ruler.”

Riven lifted his own.

His was red.

Lucien's was gold.

Darian's was black.

Caelan's was blue.

Four stones.

Four rulers.

Four hearts.

Caelan continued.

“For generations, every ruler in the four kingdoms has carried one.”

Lyra looked at the stones.

“Why?”

“Because the heartstone connects a ruler to the magic of the kingdom.”

“And what does that have to do with me?”

Caelan looked directly into her eyes.

“Everything.”

He held the heartstone toward her.

The moment it came close, Lyra's mark burned.

The stone began glowing.

Then something impossible happened.

A thin silver line emerged from Lyra's heart and connected to Caelan's heartstone.

Caelan's eyes widened.

Riven stepped forward.

“Do it again.”

Caelan moved the stone away.

The connection disappeared.

He moved it closer.

The silver thread returned.

Lucien approached.

His golden heartstone began glowing.

Then Riven's.

Then Darian's.

Four lights appeared.

Four threads connected to Lyra.

Her breath caught.

“What is happening?”

Darian stared at the glowing threads.

“The Heartbinding.”

Lyra looked at him.

“What does that mean?”

His expression darkened.

“It means your heart has recognized all four of us.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Lyra shook her head.

“That can't be true.”

Caelan stepped toward her.

“Normally, Heartbinding occurs between two people.”

“Then why are there four?”

Nobody answered.

Lucien finally spoke.

“Because you're not normal.”

Lyra glared at him.

“That isn't funny.”

“I wasn't joking.”

A sudden pain shot through her chest.

She collapsed.

Caelan caught her.

For a moment, Lyra could feel everything.

Caelan's heartbeat.

Riven's anger.

Lucien's longing.

Darian's grief.

Their emotions rushed into her like waves.

She gasped.

And then she heard their thoughts.

Not words.

Fragments.

Protect her.

Don't lose her again.

I remember her.

I loved her.

Lyra opened her eyes.

She looked at each man.

“What happened to us before?”

Silence.

Caelan looked away.

Riven clenched his jaw.

Lucien closed his eyes.

Darian stepped forward.

“You died.”

Lyra stared at him.

“All of us?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

Darian looked directly into her eyes.

“Because of you.”

Lyra's heart broke.

“You said I didn't kill you.”

“You didn't.”

“Then why did we die?”

Darian's voice became barely more than a whisper.

“Because we chose you.”

The four heartstones pulsed.

Once.

Twice.

Four times.

Lyra suddenly understood the terrifying truth.

These men weren't simply connected to her.

Their lives were tied to hers.

If the Heartbinding was real, then hurting her could hurt them.

And if one of them died...

She didn't know what would happen to the others.

Caelan slowly released her.

“We have to reach the castle.”

“Why?”

“Because if the Heartbinding has awakened…”

He looked toward the distant mountains.

“…then someone else will know.”

Thunder rolled across the sky.

Far beyond the mountains, four enormous towers suddenly illuminated the darkness.

One blue.

One red.

One gold.

One black.

The four kingdoms had felt the awakening.

And somewhere beneath the ancient castle of Veyrith, an old prophecy began writing itself again.

Four hearts will find her.

Four crowns will fall.

And when the fifth heart awakens...

the kingdom will kneel.