"What? I don't understand."
"You are the sole reason why he is still alive. He's been feeding off your energy all these months."
Erick bit his tongue. He did not utter the last words, but the truth was that Zander had been a parasite. He had been hanging onto Mira and sucking up her magikal energies all these months just to stay alive.
"Did I…did I save him from flatlining?"
Erick reached out with his hands to touch Zander's shoulder. A quick auratic scan showed a severely depleted Zander, but he still had that magik spark. It was definitely coming from the crown he wore.
"Looks like he still has a spark of energy left within him. So yes, my darling. You did save him from flatlining."
Erick tried again to locate an energy point that was still holding onto a spark within Zander's body. There had to be one that was not so severely damaged that it could still receive energy.
One after another, Erick sifted through them. Some were badly cracked and could not hold any charge while others were completely smashed with no way to even be reconstructed.
Tears sprang from Erick's eyes. His vibrant powerful cousin was worse than disabled. He was a man on the brink of death. The only energy point left that was still whole and functioning was the one that had been protected by the crown.
"Mira. Can you try something for me?"
Mira looked over at him, eyes full of question.
"Focus on his crown and try to send him more energy."
"I—I'm not exactly sure how to do it, but I'll try my best."
She scrunched up her face and stared at his crown. Reaching into her mind's eye, she saw the underlying energy waves, slowly and quietly undulating.
Mira began to feed it more energy. She went slowly at first, but increased the power gradually until the amplitude grew.
The more power she fed into the wave, the larger the wave grew. Finally, she threw everything she had into the energy wave that was Zander.
Beside her, Zander began to react. He blinked a few times, shuddered, and then closed his eyes.
"Oh no! What have I done!" Mira burst into fresh tears.
"No no. Don't cry!" Erick smoothed her head. "I just measured his auratic strength. You gave him a tiny blast of energy so he was able to rest for a bit. He's sleeping normally now. You're doing good, darling, but we have to keep this up."
Mira nodded. "I can do this. I must do this."
Erick shook his head. "I'm reading your auratic energy level, and at the moment, you have almost nothing left in reserves. You've given him most of what you have with just that one attempt."
"Please, Erick. Show me how to add more energy to myself so I can transfer it to him!"
"Since you're human, you may not be able to do much more than what you've been able to do on your own thus far. We can certainly try various things to improve the energy absorption, but it would take time."
Erick glanced at Zander. "However, Zander can't wait that long."
"I have to try. I don't have a choice."
"You don't have to do it alone. I can help."
"How?"
"There is only one way that I can lend my mage energy to you."
"Do it." Mira insisted firmly.
"You don't even know what is required."
"I don't care what it is. To save Zander, I will do ANYTHING!" She cried out in distress.
Erick nodded.
So it had finally come to this.
"We have to soul-bond AND mind-bond so I can connect with you via mind-meld and send my energy through you to him."
"Why can't you directly send to him?"
Erick shook his head. "Normally it wouldn't be a problem, but right now, all of his body's energy points are completely broken. The only energy point he has left is what's coming through the crown directly into his brain."
"What?" Mira's eyes reflected her confusion. "How can an energy point exist within something inanimate?"
Erick inhaled with something akin awe. "It's not within the crown. It is connected to his crown. That must have taken some serious magik on his part to do that."
"What do—what do I have to do?"
Erick held his breath. This was something that he had been dreaming of for so long, but for it to happen in such a way…he truly wished it was different circumstances.
Beggars couldn't be choosers.
But who was he kidding? If he had to do it all over again, without the slightest bit of hesitation, he would jump at the chance to have this bond with her. It was infinitely better than nothing at all.
He reached out and gathered her hands into his. They were small and soft but they held everything he had ever wanted in this life.
"All you have to do is say 'Yes'."
Mira gave him a suspicious look. "That's it? I don't have to prepare anything or do anything special to get soul-bonded?"
Erick shook his head. "Will you accept soul bonding with me?"
Mira dropped her head into her hands. She had seen Jana and Theo soul-bond. They seemed to be doing okay and were not experiencing any negative effects.
Healing Zander took precedence over anything and everything.
"Yes. Please soul-bond with me Erick."
Erick never took his eyes off Mira. With a quick snap of his fingers, a platinum band materialized, twirling above his fingertips.
Erick wrapped his magik onto the object with an Intertwine Command.
"Huenhochilai"
The band glowed with blue magikal properties, its energy snaking around the curve of the band. Mira could see the intricate pattern on the surface being etched in real time.
Once the imprint was done, the band dimmed back to its usual color, but the residual energies remained, giving it an imbued sense of life.
Erick placed the band around her left wrist and with a deft click, locked the latch.
She stared at the band around her wrist. The latch and the seam had completely disappeared. Erick did the same for his wrist and raised his arm. There was an identical band on his right wrist.
"I don't feel any different…" Mira stared with fascination at the band on his wrist.
"Patience darling. We're not done yet. There is one more step."
Erick muttered the Reunite Command.
"Lingyibanhueilai"
He moved his soul-band close to hers and the metals clicked together as if there was a magnetic attraction. Within seconds, the metal of both had fused into a figure 8.
Mira's jaw dropped. There was an energy flow, spinning in a double vortex between his soul-band and hers.
"What is it doing?" She asked, excitedly.
Mira had heard many people tell her that Erick was a very strong wizard. In fact, he was one of the strongest wizards in the Ashryan Empire.
This was the first time she could actually feel just how powerful he was.
"The soul-bands are picking up each of our magikal signatures and fusing them into a single signature."
"What does that actually do?"
Erick grinned. "Our combined signatures are now forever etched within both soul-bands. From now on, anywhere you are, there I am."
"You mean, literally? Or just figuratively speaking?"
Erick laughed at her confused face. With their wrists still entwined together by the fused soul-bands, he made a motioned into the air.
It was a silent Uncouple Command, and the soul-bands clicked, once again separated by the space in between them.
At that instant, Mira felt as if a small part of herself had left. Taking its place, however, was a warm, distinct male aura filling up the tiny void that a piece of her soul had left behind.
She was whole once again.
Mira gasped, looking up at him. "I can feel your presence!"
"I can also feel yours," he smiled with such tenderness that Mira almost cried.
And now she understood why Erick kept insisting that a soul bond was something that was very unique. There was no way to not know one was soul-bonded.
It was an experience that was so unique and amazing that she could not help but feel a closeness to Erick that she had never felt before.
"Now. Are you ready for the mind-bond?"
"And what exactly does the mind-bond do?"
"It will allow me to speak directly to Zander's mind, through you. Right now, I can't talk to him because he has completely shut down."
"How is it that I am not soul-bonded or mind-bonded with him but I can give you access to be able to mind-speak with him?"
"The crowns have bypassed everything. You are connected directly into his spirit. This is something that only fully connected partners have access to. He did not soul bond and mind bond with you because he didn't need to. He has spirit bonded with you."
Mira nodded. She didn't quite understand what Erick said, but it didn't matter. If it was anything like the soul-bond, she was confident that it would help her tremendously in healing Zander.
"What do I do?" Mira licked her lips. She was ready for anything.
"Just say yes." Erick reached out and touched her cheek.
"That's a lot of yeses in one day." Mira laughed nervously.
"These are important events. I want you to agree to each, willingly."
Mira's eyes flashed with intensity. "I agree!"
Erick took a deep breath. "Just relax and drop your inhibitions. I'm going to touch the periphery of your consciousness with my mind."
For a moment, Mira hesitated…
He placed a hand to his heart. "I promise I will never knowingly hurt you. I promise to always treat you with respect. Do you trust me?"
"What?"
"Do you trust me?"
Mira nodded.
"Now. Close your eyes. You should be able to feel my presence."
Mira closed her eyes.
"Can you feel me now?"
She felt a presence probing into her consciousness. It was Erick. He was touching her mind with his telepathic abilities.
For a moment, Mira panicked. Opening up her mind to him was a scary thing. He would be able to know her deepest thoughts. She didn't know if she could do something that invasive.
But then she remembered Zander's catatonic face and his physical and mental distress. He was hurting so badly, what was she doing, worrying about these minor things? Her temporary nervousness was nothing compared to all he had been through.
Without further hesitation, Mira opened up and encompassed everything that was Erick.
Instantly, she could feel his emotions.
Erick had a bright sparkly mind that was at once simple and complex. This was a man who spoke his mind and took things on the chin without subterfuge or deception.
He was a man of honor and integrity. And now Mira was completely reassured. She would never have to worry about his intentions with her because she could feel his true intentions.
Can you hear me now?
Is that you?
Yes.
Wait a second. How do I know I'm not just making up this conversation in my head?
Well. You could say something in my head and I can repeat it at you. Then you would know for sure it's me talking to you and not just your overactive imagination.
Okay. Then I'm going to say a word that you have never heard of before, and all you have to do is say it out loud, okay?
Inside her mind, Erick chuckled.
Fine. Tell me your word.
Teletubbies
"Teletubbies." Erick said out loud.