Read The Bonding (The Song and the Rhythm) for Free Online Page B

from closing. “Wait, Sean. Please. There are a few things we need to tell you, and I think you’ll feel better if you give us a chance.” Drath’s sea-green eyes peeked around the half-closed door. “Please.”
    Sean found himself wanting to let them in and hear what they had to say. But he stopped himself. I can’t let them do this to me . I need to keep my head in this world. The time for daydreams is over. I’m not a twelve-year-old kid anymore.
    But no, that wasn’t entirely true. He could still daydream; he just couldn’t let it get out of hand. Besides, he wasn’t sure he could trust these unknown men claiming to be from another world. Therefore, he needed to shut the door and get on with his life in the real world.
    There, he’d solved his problem. So why did he still hold the door open? None of them had made a move to stop him. Drath only held up his hands in what was more of a pleading gesture than an effort to keep the door open.
    He asked himself again why he hadn’t told them to leave him alone and shut the door. Was it because he had no real excuse for running away yesterday? He didn’t know what had scared him…only that he’d been scared. Or was it because Drath seemed so sincere, so trustworthy? Sean did believe the tall man spoke the truth, but he wasn’t quite ready to admit that his fear was all of his own making. Surely there was something wrong with these five men. Or perhaps the reason the door remained open was that the noise in his head urged him to accept Drath and his companions. That seemed to be Drath’s most convincing argument, though Sean had no idea why.
    “We know you’re hesitant to believe us, Sean.” The wizard’s voice was calm, soothing, and very convincing. “But we assure you we mean you no harm. We only want to help you live a little bit of your dreams.”
    Merdel leaned forward, his eyes searching Sean’s. In that instant, it seemed the blackness of the mage’s eyes suddenly expanded, and the silver flecks began dancing. It was very odd and made Sean’s head spin. He shook his head to clear it but found his eyes groping back toward Merdel’s.
    The bearded wizard’s smile was friendly. “Surely you know this. Thorne, Rush, and Dart behind me also want to help you. I know they seem strange, but in time you’ll see they are not so fearsome.” Merdel winked. “Not even Thorne.”
    Sean giggled, wondering as he did why he sounded like a kid. His eyes remained locked on Merdel’s.
    “Give us just a few more minutes of your time. I’m sure you will agree.” Again Merdel’s eyes seemed to expand, and the silver specks became stars glittering in the sudden void of Sean’s mind.
    The youth staggered back, his hands clutching the sides of his head. It felt like it would explode if he let go.
    Drath took a step into the room to keep Sean from falling. “Are you all right?” His concern sounded genuine.
    Sean nodded and winced at the pain it caused. “I’m okay. I woke up with a headache this morning.” His voice was strained. “I had a bad dream last night.”
    “Really?” Merdel stepped into the short hallway and gently grasped one of Sean’s arms. He and Drath helped him into a chair, and when the others had been seated, Merdel turned his black eyes back on Sean, though the silver flecks no longer danced. “I have an interest in dreams. Tell me yours.”
     

 
     
    4
     
     
    “Cousin, shut up!” Dart sounded unusually bitter about something, and Sean guessed it must have been the four silvers he’d had to surrender when Sean didn’t collapse at the end of their day-long trek.
    “No!”
    “Yes!” Both elves glared hotly at each other.
    “No!!”
    “Yes!!”
    “No!!!”
    “Both of you shut your fire-burned traps before I nail them together!” Thorne glowered at the bickering elves.
    Dart turned to his cousin, his face suddenly calm. “Cruel, isn’t he?”
    “Aye. Amazingly so.” Rush, too, seemed to have forgotten his