The Binding

Chapter Nineteen

It was dark as Ezra drove back to Kaş. Gold lights shimmered and gleamed along the hills, reflecting in the black waters below as we drove out of Bodrum. This stunning seaside city was just as beautiful at night.

Ezra sped around each curve with confidence. His caution was lost with his mortality. My mortality was still fresh, and I kept tensing nervously with each turn. Ezra just grinned at me as he sped around another corner, punching the accelerator.

I decided to ignore the terrorizing drive by distracting myself. I turned on the interior light and sorted through Esther's mail. Most of it looked like junk. Ads, a cell phone bill, magazines, and slips of paper with handwritten numbers in designated spaces. Those must be utility bills. I recognized similar notices from the time I lived in Hungary. When I pulled out the large yellow envelope, I stopped, interested. The return address was from Texas. The letterhead above the return address showed a double helix with the title Family Tree DNA. I searched through the other envelopes and found what I was looking for. The same logo was on a small business envelope. I opened it and found a pay stub inside.

"Esther was working for a DNA research company in Texas."

"Hmmm... Then why was she living in Turkey?"

I opened the large envelope and pulled out three bundles of papers, each paper clipped separately. On top of the first bundle, there was a large post-it with a handwritten note.

I tilted the page to catch the light and read it aloud, "All three are the same as the others. Kaja shows the new marker Elke found. We were right, he is the source for region two." I looked at Ezra. "Is... does... does this mean what I think it means? Source... as in the first?"

"The first? The first what, Avati? Who is? And what is region two?"

I pulled the post-it off and stuck it to the dashboard. The first bundle of papers had Leif's name at the top. The next had mine, and the last had Ezra's. "They are DNA tests for us. Leif, too." I flipped through the pages, scanning the report on Leif. "How the hell did she get our DNA?"

I seethed between clamped teeth. She stalked
me, kidnapped me, tried to kill me, and now she stole my DNA. I felt so violated. My heart pounded as I sat rigid, staring out the windshield with my fingers clenched. Esther... there was so much revolving around one tiny person. I hated her... I wanted so much to hate her.

I felt Ezra's warm fingers wrap around my tight fist and unclenched my fingers. He stroked my wrist, trying to soothe me then shot a quick glance in my direction before returning his attention to the meandering road.

Sluggish rain fell to the ground as if it was unwillingly leaving the sky. Ezra ran toward me, his face full of rage, wearing armor made of thick leather. His hair was long and coarsely matted, dripping with rain. What skin I could see was covered with stripes of blue and black paint.

Behind him were hills of grass. The land was empty of everything but grass and rain. He continued toward a ravine, feet pounding, sending droplets of water up to splatter against his legs. From behind, I saw a longbow slung over his back and a quiver of arrows tied to his waist.

I ran after him. I wondered idly why I could feel cold rainwater dripping down my face but didn't have time to ponder it. Ezra approached a rope bridge but didn't slow down his stride. I stood at the edge, watching his feet pounded against the wood slats as the ropes swung like a pendulum. Suddenly the cables snapped. Ezra's feet flew out from underneath him, and he dropped backwards, colliding with the wooden boards. Ezra plummeted silently toward the ravine bottom. Something tugged at my navel.

"What does it say?" Ezra asked. I snapped out of the vision. It was just as well; I was morbidly curious and didn't want to see any more at the same time. I looked at the papers in my hands, confused for a moment.