Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Hemal's Pass, Part 2

"Perhaps we can find a way to break it, too," Cemal mused.

"There is no breaking it," Mahzan said. "Save by the stipulations which made it—or death. Speaking of pitfalls and death, I read in more than one book that if a bond lasts for too long, then when one person dies, it's possible the others will die as well. But for all it's mentioned several times, it largely seemed to be supposition. I could never find accounts to firmly substantiate it."

Cemal grimaced. "I do not like it, even if it is only supposition. With the four of us, such things seem to become fact too often for my taste."

Mahzan looked up at the patches of blue sky scattered amongst the thick tangle of leaves and limbs. He laughed suddenly. "Did you know, back when Oaths were more common, that the weaker mages were considered the harem of the strongest? Traditionally speaking, we are the harem of Warlock Binhadi. Well, Warlock Morlock—"

"Definitely not," Binhadi said with a grimace.