Chapter 1
“ Orbis terran kal. ”
“The earth runs deep” Theo’s proud smile was directed solely at him, and Harry beamed in response. It felt good to understand something, to finally feel like he was touching solid ground instead of endlessly falling. Perhaps it was because he had just bonded with Theo, and Theo's element was earth.
Harry purred with his eyes closed and a goofy smile on his face, basking in the warm feeling that enveloped him. He leaned into Theo and rested his head on his chest, absentmindedly drawing undefined shapes.
Theo’s chest rose and fell steadily beneath Harry's touch, the sound of his heartbeat—solid, constant, and grounding—filled Harry's ears. It was a sound he could lose himself in, that reminded him he was here, safe, and held.
Theo’s wings shifted slightly, arching over them in a protective curve. They brushed lightly against Harry’s shoulders, and he shivered under the soft touch. One of Theo’s hands found its way to Harry’s back, tracing slow circles along his spine, while the other rested on Harry's waist, anchoring him in place.
The warmth surrounding Harry felt endless, seeping into every crevice of his being and filling the cracks he hadn’t realized were still there. For a moment, it felt like nothing could touch them. No past, no fear, no looming shadows.
The two lay in silence, wrapped in each other's arms as the world outside their small cocoon seemed to fade away. Harry’s fingers stilled on Theo’s chest, and he sighed softly, his body relaxing fully for what felt like the first time in forever.
But the warmth still wasn’t leaving. Was it an after-effect of bonding? The old scar on his forehead had also started to prickle uncomfortably, and Harry lifted his head, pressing a soft kiss against Theo’s cheek intending to ask his bonded about it.
“The—” Harry didn’t get to finish because his scar suddenly seared with blinding pain, sharp and unrelenting, forcing a whimper out of him.
“Harry, what’s happening?” Theo's voice was tight and panicked, but Harry couldn’t answer. Instead, he brought a trembling hand against his forehead and rubbed the scar trying to make the pain recede. But he only succeeded in staining his hand.
He was bleeding.
Theo was holding him tightly and asking questions Harry didn’t have answers to. Theo’s arms tightened around him, wings cocooning them both, blocking out the rest of the world. Harry could feel Theo’s warm breath against his neck, and hear the panicked edge in his voice, but he couldn’t focus. His heart was racing too loud, and the screaming—oh, the screaming—was too close.
Screaming at him. Through him.
He tried to say so, to say anything, but before he could light burst around him. In a few seconds, his body was surrounded by light. Bright, blinding, and consuming.
Theo’s arms slipped away.
When the light faded, Harry hit the ground hard.
The impact forced the air from his lungs, and for a moment, he couldn’t do anything but lay there, wings twitching weakly above him. Every part of him ached like someone had taken the time to scrub every part of him until he was left raw. His head throbbed and the warmth from before had vanished, leaving him cold and trembling.
Moving was painful but he could hear voices nearby—muffled, sharp, and frantic. Voices closer than he would like in his state. Panic clawed up his throat, but Harry forced himself to move. His arms shook violently as he tried to push himself upright.
He didn’t get far.
Something fell from above, hitting his head with a dull thunk. Harry let out a weak groan and collapsed back onto the ground, blood dripping into his eyes. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision, but it was no use. With a trembling hand, Harry wiped his eyes, smearing blood across his face. He pressed his palm to his scar, but it was still bleeding, still aching, still burning.
His vision was blurry but he heard a few more things drop to the ground near him and the voices still talk. The air around him felt heavy, charged with something ancient and foreboding. Harry turned his head slightly and froze.
In front of him, something very fine glinted in the daylight. He stretched his hand and wrapped his fingers around it. The delicate silver circle was cool and sharp to the touch. Harry pulled it closer, blinking at its intricate designs and the faint hum of power that emanated from it.
Was that a diadem?
Harry frowned but kept looking, there were several objects surrounding him. Each one was different than the previous one. Nearby the beautiful diadem, there was an oily-looking ring that Harry’s instincts refused to touch. A locket lay beside it, closed tightly and humming with the same familiar magic as the other objects. And finally, not far from his outstretched hand, and what probably had hit his head, was a big golden cup, ornate and heavy, its gleaming surface marred by something dark and viscous.
Harry’s breath came quicker as dread settled heavily in his chest.
Where exactly was he?
The question pounded in his mind, but there were no answers. Harry didn’t know. He just wanted to be back in Theo’s arms.
Perhaps he had been too greedy to hope he would be allowed to enjoy his newfound happiness. After all, he had never been able to do it before, this wouldn’t be different.
But no matter what he wanted, things remained the same. He wasn’t safe.
Notsafenotsafenotsafe.
Theo had said sometimes it was better to hide.
So Harry would.
For Theo. For the warmth of his arms, the safety of his wings, the soft whispers of reassurance. For the few glimpses of what they could have. He would come back to them somehow.
But as Harry tried to push himself up, he felt hands clamp down on his arms, yanking him upward with a force that made his head spin. His head felt fuzzy and everything started to become blurry, he only heard a few words before he blacked out.
“Another one? There can’t be two.”
“Are you sure it was the other one that screamed?”
“Carrier maybe?”
“Let’s get him to a healer first. We’ll talk afterward.”