Daughter of Stars and Nightmares (The Eternal Bond Saga book 1)

Cat and mouse 3

Her thoughts returned to Alex and she let out a sob. The thought of never seeing him again was hard. Beatrix knew she would be reincarnated, and that she would come back. But she also knew when her soul was pulled back from the veil and into a new body she would no longer be herself. All traces of this life and who she was would cease. Even if she remembered everything, Beatrix Celeste Selene Andromeda Víðarr would be dead, and that thought made her mourn.

It also made her pray to the gods that in her next life she would never remember this life. Deep down she knew Alex would never get over her death. That it would eat away at him, and he would most likely scorn her reincarnation. That thought tore through her and hurt. If she had all her memories and Alex rejected her it would be the end of her. She would not be strong enough to go on.

The door banging open drew her out of her thoughts.

"I don't see the point to this," Thorsen's voice hushed but Beatrix could hear the strain in his voice.

"We agreed this...charade," Ásgeirr lowered his voice to a whisper. Beatrix had to strain her ears and wasn't sure if she heard him right. "Is the only way to get what we want and there's no turning back now."

Beatrix turned her head and caught Thorsen give his brother a sharp nod as animosity coloured face.

"Where is that lackey of yours, brother?" Thorsen sneered, the abhorrence in his voice clear. "I do not trust him."

Ásgeirr laughed standing over her. "He may be my right-hand man and very loyal to me. But you are right not to trust him in fact I am surprised you trust me big brother."

Thorsen's expression thawed a little as he chortled. "I do not trust you further than our end goal. I am not naïve enough to think you are joining forces with me for any other reason."

Ásgeirr slapped his brother on the back with a grin. "When you say things like that you make it sound like there is no brotherly love between us."

Thorsen gave his younger brother a tight smile. "Oh, but I love you dear brother just as I love our baby brother. That does not change that fact I will kill him or that I will kill you if you ever betray me. As I know you would do the same to me."

Ásgeirr roared with laughter, slapping his leg. "Fair point," he looked around the room. "Now, where is that wizard? I am surprised you trust him as much as you do, brother."

"Lord Dumah is my master and I will serve him until my dying day. The man is evil incarnate. Hell, he is possibly more evil than the Demon King himself and I respect that."

"I know how evil the man is. Using his own daughter the way he intends to."

Thorsen arched his eyebrow. "You are no angel yourself, Ásgeirr. You have willingly agreed to Lord Dumah's plans with Rosalie."

He shrugged unapologetically. "What can I say, I love a challenge and that girl is such a delicious challenge." His eyes light up. "So cold to me and yet I can see the fire that burns just below her gorgeous surface. I will make her fall in love with me and when she does, she will be my precious little puppet for me to toy with however I see fit. And I will be damned if that wizard tells me what to do after I have his daughter under my control."

"You always were so possessive over your toys. Frankly, the girl is nothing more than a broodmare to me. And I do not care what you do with her just as long as you get her to complete the ritual and plant your seed in her."

"Aha yes that is going to be interesting. I wonder how I will trick her into performing that ritual." Ásgeirr rubbed his hands together with glee and his eyes sparkled. "The possibilities are boundless and yet because she is a powerful witch if I am not careful she will catch on. And then there is the law to contend with, gods how I cannot wait to break that law." He looked at Thorsen, a huge grin stretched across his face. "You and Lord Dumah have a claim to the first one, however no one said I could not have more. I think a little army of abominations would suit me nicely."

Thorsen shook his head; Beatrix could see the admiration in his eyes. "You sound positively giddy."

Ásgeirr looked so alive in that moment. "Can you imagine it? I have always wanted a pet abomination like the one the Black Dragon keeps. However, unlike his I will make sure mine are not tainted. Yes, you can have the first one. After all why should I care about one insignificant life when I can produce a dozen or more?"

Thorsen tilted his head and regarded his brother for a moment. It looked as if he was weighing something up. "And what of the mare? What do you think the girl will do after you toss her first born to 'the wolves'?"

Ásgeirr gave him a confident smile. "You underestimate me dear brother. I will have that sweet rose so far under my control I could toss a hundred of the little abominations to you and the wizard, and she would not make a peep in protest."

Images of an auburn-haired little angel running through the corridors of the Citadel with that idiot light faerie and then the beautiful young woman the child had grown into flashed before Beatrix's eyes. Hearing her uncles' talk about the poor girl as if she was nothing more than a toy they could debase and break caused acid to bubble in her stomach.

"You animals," she shouted in disgusted fury. "You plan on violating that poor girl and breaking the one absolute law."

The two brothers stopped talking and looked down at Beatrix like they had forgotten she was even there. She could feel no love from them as they each regarded her with cold, hard eyes.

"We plan on doing much more than that," Thorsen drawled with a malevolence grin.

Ásgeirr scrunched his eyebrows together. "Dear niece, there will be no violating the girl," his voice held a hint of revulsion that surprised Beatrix. "She will submit to me freely. I am not a monster."

Thorsen let out a genuine laugh that coloured his whole face. "Brother that is rich coming from you. You are the very definition of a monster."

A frown marred Ásgeirr's fine features. "No, Thorsen, I am a puppet master and a fine weapon," he said with disdain. "It is you who is the monster. After all you were the one to convince me using our niece was the only option to achieve our plans."

There was so much that Beatrix did not know about what they planned on doing. Up to now, she had bitten back her desire to know. Telling herself that what her mother had told her and the fact that Alex would be safe was enough. Now she knew she was fooling herself and it was not enough. "What do you plan on doing with me? I deserve to know."

Ásgeirr crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow at her. Then he shook his head and laughed. "There will be no funeral pyre for you, sweet child."

"Ásgeirr, hold your tongue," Thorsen barked.

He waved a dismissive hand at Thorsen. "Come now Thorsen, it is not like Beatrix will escape and thwart our plans. The wizard has seen to that. The man is a better tactician than me and he thinks twenty moves in advance. Besides no one is looking for her here, the boy saw to that."

Thorsen shrugged. "Say what you like," he agreed.

"Your body will be put to good use," the delight in Ásgeirr's voice cut her deep. "Take comfort in the fact no part of you will go to waste."

Angry bile rushed up in her throat. "By the gods, killing me is not enough! You mean to desecrate my body. How could you both agree to this? We are family for gods' sakes!"

Ásgeirr only gave her a shrug. Then he pulled out his pocket watch and glanced at it. He turned to Thorsen, "Come, it's almost time," Ásgeirr said tucking his watch back into place.

Thorsen crouched down and untied Beatrix from the chair. "You know," he said to Ásgeirr ignoring her, "I never understood why these rituals have to be performed at midnight."

Ásgeirr grabbed her feet, and she struggled against her uncles' as they carried her out of the room.

Outraged by their response she was determined to get an answer from them. "Why are you doing this?" she screamed. "Answer me, we are family, damn it."

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JJ