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

What lies beyond

Julia ran out of the room to find Alex. She reached the main drawing room and stopped dead in her tracks; sucking in a ragged breath at what she saw. The two dark faeries were locked in a magnificent yet lethal dance.

Each wielded a blood-sword in one hand. Thorsen had a blood whip in his other hand. It wasn't anything like the sleek elegant whip Véronique used. Thorsen 's whip was huge with cat o' nine tails. Each of the nine whips was thick with huge barbed nodules running down to the hooked tips. Alex had his long blood sword one hand; it was a thing of grace and beauty. The blade was the perfect combination of curves and clean lines that danced together down to the lethal tip. Julia couldn't imagine the light fae sword smiths creating anything half as gorgeous. In his other he held a short cinquedea in the other.

They attacked each other with such ferocity and speed. It took Julia's breath away just watching their fatal ballet of parrying, passata-sottoing, riposting, feinting, flunging, and blocking each other, while searching for an opening a second later. It was an unearthly display of power.

"You know it was your fault that Beatrix had to die," Thorsen taunted as he thrust his sword at Alex.

"So you keep saying, Thorsen ," Alex replied and slapped his sword away with his.

Thorsen laughed. "If my bleeding-heart-human-loving niece hadn't convinced the self professed enemy-of-the-humans to have a change of mind none of this would've happened. And after I went through all that trouble of killing your beloved grandfather and making it look like humans did it. All my hard work went down the drain."

Alex let out a roar and in that second he let his guard drop. Thorsen went in for the kill shot.

"Alex, watch out!" Julia screamed stretching out both hands and willed Thorsen to stop with every fibre of her being.

Thorsen froze, his blade a hair's breadth away from Alex's neck. Alex quickly slapped Thorsen 's blade away and raised his sword, ready to chop Thorsen 's worthless head off his shoulders.

Julia shouted, "Alex, stop. You can't kill him. He holds the answers to why I was created and what part I have to play in all of this."

Alex didn't take his eyes off of Thorsen . "What are you talking about, Julia? He wants to use you as a weapon to overthrow the senate, end of story. With him gone it will end the threat to your life."

"Alex, please," Julia said, as she walked toward the two men, her hands still stretched out keeping Thorsen at bay. "I can't explain it; but my soul, my bones, my entire being is telling me that you can't kill him. He knows more than he is letting on. If you kill him we lose the best lead we have at getting to the bottom of it all. Besides, the senate needs to prosecute him and make an example out of him, so no one will try the same thing ever again."

Alex turned and faced her, searching her eyes. Then without a word he reached inside his jacket and pulled out the anti dark fae dagger. His and sizzled as he drove the dagger all the way to the hilt into Thorsen 's heart. She released him from her magic and Thorsen fell to the floor like a stone slab.

With his last few breaths he said, "Clever girl. I always knew you were more of a Víðarr than a Dumah." Then he closed his eyes and it looked as if he was peacefully sleeping.

Alex wrapped Julia in his arms and kissed her, like a man that had been wandering the desert for weeks and she was his oasis, it made everything drift away. All the pain, doubt, and fear in that moment, none of it mattered.

"Lucky for him I trust you," he said.

"There's more to this than anyone is letting on and we have to get to the bottom of it," Julia said wishing it could all be over.

"Yes, and we will. But for now we should get you back to Havenswood," He replied giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Come on, I'll grab Thorsen 's body, and let's get Ella and Kuro."

When they walked into the upper drawing room Ella was pacing back and forth. When she saw Julia, Ella flung herself into Julia's arms. "Oh I'm so glad you two are alright."

Kuro walked over to Alex. "Wow you are officially a bad ass. I can't believe you killed him."

Alex gave him a grin and a fist bump. "Actually it's my girlfriend that's the bad ass. If it wasn't for her I'd be the one skewered. And unfortunately he's not dead he's only sleeping. Now, where to dump him?"

Kuro pointed at the huge coffin. "Why don't you chuck him in there with his lackey? They can be cosy together."

Alex walked over to the coffin and looked down at Damien. Shaking his head he gave Damien's shoulder a pat. "Why'd you do it old friend?"

Julia wheeled another coffin next to the one Damien was in. "This one was in the hallway. I think it would be best to put Thorsen here."

Alex tossed Thorsen 's lifeless body into the coffin and slammed the lid shut. Then took one last look at Damien and closed the lid. "Let's get out of here. When we get back to Havenswood I'll contact the senate and they can deal with them."

"Are you sure it's safe to leave them here? What if someone finds them? I know Mormo is out of the picture. Thanks to Julia, he's dead but what about Thorsen 's dark fae-slaves?" Kuro asked.

Julia replied, "We didn't encounter any slaves on our way back here and the whole place looks deserted. Believe me before you guys came it was swarming with slaves."

"Julia's right. Thorsen said 'Their plan was to kill me and Kuro, take Alex out with an anti-dark far sword and take Julia, Alex and Damien back with them'. He sent all his slaves through the portal Mormo made after they captured me. The only threat was Mormo and he's dead," Ella said.

Alex hooked his arm around Julia's waist and walked toward the door. "Thorsen underestimated us and no one is going to come for them. So the only thing you have to worry about, Kuro, is putting on some clothes."

Kuro chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "And deprive the world of this magnificent body."

"I think I can live without it. Nice skirt by the way," Alex said.

Julia and Ella laughed and Alex shook his head.

"Hey I'll have you know I rock the sarong look." Kuro laced his hand in Ella's and they followed Julia and Alex out.

When they got outside Alex scooped Julia up in his arms and twirled her around before kissing her. "You had me so worried. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you."

Julia giggled, she loved being in his arms. "I still can't believe you caught me." She gave him another kiss.

"I will always catch you. You are my beloved, and I will always protect you," Alex said then kissed her back and set her down.

"Come on you two love birds," Kuro said. "There will be plenty of time for that when we get back home."

Julia was about to turn and follow them when a movement in the on the other side of the house caught her eyes. She stopped and looked into the woods, searching them.

Alex came up behind her and asked, "What is it?"

Three ravens flew out of the trees and Julia relaxed. "It was nothing. I thought I saw something but it must have been those birds."

He gave her neck a kiss. "Let's go home."

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love ya.

JJ