“Seth Harris.” Tim-something, Kal’s mentor, stood before me, arms crossed and tail twitching. “Have you abandoned Prince Kalvoxrencol?”
“N-no. Why would you think that?”
He sank down next to me, and I shifted as far away as the bench would allow. Tim-something remarked, “You are here without him.”
“So we can never be apart?” Never being alone again would not work for me. I needed time by myself to recharge.
“Certainly not, but you’re newly mated.”
“Not by choice.”
“True enough,” he said, deeply dipping his head. “How are you finding your bonding?”
“Overwhelming,” I answered before I had the chance to censor myself. I peeked at him, tensing in preparation for his response.
Tim-something merely said, “Understandable. This is all new. You should take an oravirven. They can help.”
I frowned at the odd word before remembering it was the mentor thing. “NAID offered that to me as well.” Tim-something didn’t speak as we both sat in silence, with nothing but muttering conversations and the occasional shouts to break it up. After a moment, I asked, “What if I choose to leave?”
“You know you can’t at the moment, correct?”
“I meant after. Kal said I could reject this bond, and he would take me back to Earth.”
His mouth fell open, tail whipping. “He allows you to call himKal?”
“He told me to call him whatever I want. You didn’t answer my question.”
“Well,” he said, lifting his palms, “that is your choice. When we arrive at Tamkolvanloknol and if you choose not to continue this relationship, Prince Kalvoxrencol will take you home. It is his responsibility.”
This time, I caught the long name, though I could not have repeated it if my life depended on it. Apparently, drakcol didn’t name anything by halves. “So he’ll actually take me back?”
“It would be a mark against his honor if he didn’t, and one of his siblings would be honor-bound to complete the journey. Kalvoxrencol will not abandon you, I promise. He is very honorable.”
I didn’t challenge his assessment, though I did not have the same faith in Kal. “What happens to him?”
“Concerned?”
“Curious.”
“Your choice shouldn’t be affected by what will happen to Prince Kalvoxrencol. You must decide what is best for you and you alone.”
“You didn’t answer the question.” I didn’t know why this was so important to me, but it was.
“He will continue on in his life, but it won’t be the same,” he replied, his voice careful.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re his soulmate. Kalvoxrencol feels that connection with you, even if you don’t. That will never go away. No matter how much time passes or the distance that separates you from him.Drakcol mate for life. This was the risk he accepted when he appealed to the Crystal. He will never be with anyone else.”
“If I abandon him, Kal won’t recover?”
“Yes and no. He will miss you and long for you, but he will most likely move on one day, as all things do. Some drakcol don’t recover, though, and some do. There is no way to know how Prince Kalvoxrencol will react until it happens. This,” he said with a wave of his hand that came close to my face, making me flinch, “is why you need an oravirven. They will help you and talk you through this process, Seth. You have to make the best decision for yourself, regardless of Kalvoxrencol and what will happen to him.”
I’d been a people pleaser my whole life and abandoning someone wasn’t an easy thought for me, but nor was staying with someone because of guilt.
Chapter 11
So I'm lost.
