The Binding

Chapter Fifteen

   If she had been watching Ezra's every move for years, she wouldn't be living in a hotel. And how could she watch him without warning him with a binding?

   Ezra shook his head. "No... you go. Kaja can't be left alone." Leif marched toward the door, and Ezra called over his shoulder, "Make sure she wasn't scheduled to check out of her room today."

   Ezra walked over to the bed and stared down at me crumpled, small and vulnerable under the blankets. The energy around him intensified as he drew closer to me. Delicious warmth wrapped around me as he sat down on the bed. I shivered and sighed happily.

Ezra curled up on the other side of the bed and watched me silently as I drifted back to sleep.

   My muscles were still stiff when I woke in the morning. It felt as if I hadn't moved in days. I slowly bent my arms and legs to relieve the stiffness. My joints obeyed but protested wildly. I half groaned, half sighed as I attempted to move my ankles. I rolled slowly and painfully onto my side and pulled my knees up into a fetal position.

   I yelped and hiccupped simultaneously when I spotted a small Asian man sitting in a chair next to the bed watching me. I leapt back in surprise, but all it was able to manage was a pathetic flop half onto my back.

   The man just watched me with interest.

   "You saw a vision of her past, yes? Said something you couldn't have known about her that surprised her and pulled attention?" He had a thick, unfamiliar accent. "You waited and used it to attack her only at the end. There is nothing like certain death to ensure victory."

   I nodded faintly, and I sat up.

   "What an extraordinarily useful talent you have," he said almost with longing. "I shall enjoy watching what comes next." I couldn't tell by his face or body language, but something told me he was very amused.

   I was more curious than alarmed. "Useful? I'm not sure I agree with you."

   He ignored my grumbling comment. Either he didn't hear it, or he didn't care. My guess was the latter.

   "You had to watch her, learn, use surprise to gain an advantage, and only when facing certain death, attack." He tapped his fingers lightly in some kind of soft rhythm. "Everyone believes that older Avati cannot be beaten, so they do not fight. Not fighting is good. Never fight when you can find another option... any other option. But when you have no choice, you must think faster, smarter."

I nodded to him slowly. Who was this guy?

As I looked down, I noticed I was dressed in pajama bottoms and a small t-shirt. I didn't remember dressing myself, and I was momentarily concerned that this strange, intense man had done it. I gripped the blanket, braced to fling myself from the bed if I needed to. Not fighting sounded good. Fleeing sounded even better.  

   "Who are you?"

   The man nodded as he studied me. He was small. The back of the chair hovered several inches above him. Grey hair graced his temples and spotted the crown of his head. His skin was lined although it looked more from rough work and weather rather than age. He kept his hands hanging loose over the arms of the chair, in a careless indifference. Whoever he was, he wasn't concerned I posed any kind of a threat. He was correct.

   "My name is Wu." His face didn't change as he spoke, but he still managed to give the impression he was smiling. "I brought you your next life." He gestured with his eyes behind me. I turned and spotted a large envelope resting on a small table near the bed. I couldn't shake the chilled feeling I was silently being tested, and I had no notion if I had passed or not.