Free Beloved by C.K. Bryant

was right. Even though she loved her new-found freedom, she missed having Lydia’s thoughts constantly in her head. And the truth was that she hadn’t tried seeking out Lydia for a couple days and when she’d sensed Lydia trying to find a connection, she’d purposely held back, not reaching for her spirit like she should have.
    “What if my kindred spirit is angry with me and keeps me locked up in here forever?” She pressed a hand to her heart. “I would rather die than spend eternity locked up. What I experienced while inside Kira was something I never want to go through again.”
    Altaria .
    Her name settled into her mind like a feather drifting on a breeze. She stumbled back away from Octavion and leaned her backside against the table, her hands gripping it for support.
    Octavion took a step toward her. “What is it?”
    “Lydia. She is trying . . .” Her whole body felt as though a warm breeze had somehow found its way under the surface of her skin and every pore breathed in the air around them. She closed her eyes and tightened her grip, causing the table to creek and groan beneath her palms.
    Reach. I am here .
    Octavion’s strong hands gently grasped her biceps. “Do not fight it. Dig deep and bring her home. We will work the rest out. I promise.”
    His voice was only a whisper as she focused on her spirit and let it extend to every particle of her being, filling it to capacity and making no room for Lydia. She opened her eyes and felt a tear run down her cheek. “I am afraid.”
    “Let her in, Al. Embrace her spirit and let her in.” He moved his hands to hold her face, the intensity in his eyes pierced clean through her. “Please.”
    Altaria grabbed his wrists and her whole body began to shake. Whether she liked it or not, their spirits were merging and there was nothing she could do about it. She took one last look into her brother’s eyes before whispering, “Goodbye.” Then wondered if that would be the last time he’d see her face.
     

     
    Altaria’s eyes shifted from their icy blue to emerald green and back again as she looked into her brother’s eyes. A sorrowful grin crossed her face. “You may regret letting her come back. She is not happy with you.”
    Octavion swore and took a step back. She’d blame him for this. As much as he wanted to see Lydia—to know she was all right—he wasn’t nearly prepared enough to take all the anger she’d probably stored up over the past few days. He took in a deep breath and let it out slow while he watched his little sister’s face come into view, Altaria’s grin quickly fading to Lydia’s scowl.
    Lydia pushed away from the table and moved forward so her toes met Octavion’s. She looked up into his eyes and drilled a stiff finger into his chest. “How could you let her out of your sight? She trusted you to protect her, we both did.” Her eyes filled with tears before her voice lowered almost to a whisper. “You better find her.”
    “I will.”
    “Promise . . . me.”
    But before he could answer, her chin began to quiver and she threw herself into his arms, clinging to him like she hung on the edge of a cliff and feared falling. He crushed her to his chest, lifting her feet from the ground.
    “I promise,” he whispered into her hair, feeling his own emotions well in his eyes.
    She mumbled something, then lifted her head and looked up, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I feel her.”
    Octavion lowered her to the floor and held her shoulders at arm’s length. “Where is she?”
    “I don’t know. It’s different than before. I sense her emotions sometimes, like she’s checking on me or letting her guard down a little to see if I’ve connected with Altaria. It’s hard to explain, but I know she’s alive. I know it, Octavion. In here.” She placed her hand over her heart.
    Octavion dropped his hands and paced the floor. “Is she afraid?”
    “What?”
    He stopped and returned to his place in front of her. “I need to know