Free The Binding (Chronicles of Azaria #1) by Sam Dogra

while I shared his happiness. Very quickly, though, the reality hit that I’d been left with a raw deal. Since Fiona left, Adam was all I had to keep me company. Now he too was going to leave, only able to spend four months a year with me before his training would take him away again. And this summer I’d missed him more than ever.
    Mostly because everything started to kick off at home. While it was no way near as bad as I ’d made out to Ryan, I still had my fair share of heated exchanges and hear-down-the-entire-street stand-offs with my parents. As I was turning eighteen soon, Mother said it was time for me to settle down. It wasn’t something I wanted to think about. I’d put my future plans on hold, since my dream to study healing at the University in Begara had already been crushed with Fiona’s forced departure. Mother wouldn’t risk her second daughter being Bound to someone from afar and leaving her and Father alone. And as I couldn’t help Father without qualifications, marriage or a consensual Binding seemed the only options.
    Naturally, that hadn ’t gone down very well, but what had hurt most was the isolation. I had no-one to turn to for advice, to listen to my feelings or what I wanted. Even though Father was more than happy to have me as an apprentice healer, he couldn’t deny I needed proper training, which had slipped beyond my grasp. So I’d really looked forward to Adam’s return, to pour out my months of loneliness and see if he could help me come up with another way.
    Too bad I ’d screwed that up now.
    I clenched my jaw. I wondered how long it would take for him to put two and two together and figure out I ’d Bound myself to a stranger. He knew about my forest trips, and would’ve known my time was due. No doubt it would send him into a flying rage, and he’d come charging after me white-knight style. After all, he hated Bindings as much as I did.
    A flutter caught my ear, and I glanced to the garrison tower. The red and blue flag of the North Territory hung from the east wall, while the golden stag and shield of the royal crest dangled from the south side. Armour glinted from behind the narrow parapets; the archers would be scouring the hills for signs of attack. Not that they ’d had much excitement in the last forty years other than the odd stray bandit, but then I wasn’t complaining.
    Keeping my hood against my face, I hobbled to the front gate. Just a peek inside to the training ground where Adam spent most of his days, and then I ’d leave.
    A single Guardsman was out for the noon watch, dressed in the Bane regiment ’s colours of green and gold. He stood in full leather-plate armour before the massive portcullis that needed six winches to open, as Adam loved to remind me. An axe lay tilted against his shoulder, catching the sunlight and casting a shimmering puddle before his feet.
    I couldn ’t help but stare at the axe. That was Adam’s preferred weapon. Oh, he could use a whole range of stuff—swords, pikes, spears—but he loved axes because it required so much strength to wield them. He’d never admit it, but I think it went back to when we were children. Before his growth spurt he’d been on the short side, and the older boys used to tease him. He took it to heart, as every day after he pushed himself with physical exercise. It had even involved a stint where he would carry me to the river, until I got so fed up I pushed him into the Fende and told him to cut it out…
    I bit my lip, the memory stinging. Maybe it hadn ’t been such a good idea to come here. It was only making me miserable. I should go back and wait for Ryan. If I looked around too much, I might not have the strength to leave, curse of the Binding or not.
    “Oi, you there!”
    I froze. The Guardsman on duty was staring at me. Of course! Dressed like this, I looked nothing if not suspicious.
    “This area is off-limits to citizens,” the Guardsman went on. “I request you return to the town