Rage gripped me that they intervened. “I f**king hate this.”
“I love you,” Willow said as she lunged into my lap.
“Get off me,” I yelled, shoving her off.
Willow let out a little whine and snuggled into Zia.
Zia sighed, petting her head. “Fate has dealt you a difficult hand but we will love you nonetheless.”
“I’m just so … so … angry.”
Tears fell from her eyes, her bottom lip quivered. “I know you are, Sweetie. I believe it might be time for you to accept this and move to the Underworld. The strain on you is becoming too much. Look at how angry you are becoming. This is what will happen if you continue to stay away from Magnus. Now that you have sealed your bond with him, it will only get worse. Your soul is craving him. You cannot deny it any longer.”
The biggest part of me was saying, yes, that is exactly what I need to do. Go be with Magnus where I belong. However, a very small part, told me to stay. It only made the rage within me burn deeper.
Haven finally came to, and Finn took her away while she sobbed hysterically. I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists, ready to hit something, when I was unexpectedly lifted into strong arms.
With Kyden’s touch came a rush of emotions. The strongest one was sadness, then longing and yearning for who I once was and with it came tears.
“Hush now,” Kyden whispered. “I’ve got you.”
I could barely breathe, let alone speak. Everything was just wrong. All that remained was sadness, but the oddity of it was that I couldn’t quite grasp why I was so sad. I just was and profoundly so.
Kyden headed out toward the garden. At the bench by the pond, he sat and cradled me in his arms. We stayed there like that what felt like hours while I cried, and he held me tight.
“I shouldn’t have left you,” Kyden finally said when my sobs became controlled. “I am sorry for that.”
I gripped his neck tightly as I met his gaze, not wanting to hear apologies, because I was sure if anyone owed one, it was me. I couldn’t find it in me to say it, though.
“Doing that with him…it won’t be long now, Kyden. It strengthened his hold. I feel it. Our connection is weak. The only thing I feel around you is sadness. I can’t remember anything else. It’s like I know that I want to be here with you and everyone, but I just can’t remember why. There is no emotion behind anything anymore. I act and do things, but it’s almost like instinct, not because I really want to.”
Kyden’s sigh was full of heartache. “This will all be over soon.”
“Over?” I repeated. “How?”
“I have issued a challenge to Magnus,” he said.
I jumped off him, fearing for his life. The moment his contact left mine, however, anger fumed through me. “You did what?” Rage consumed me. Hate for Kyden, even at the suggestion to kill Magnus, engulfed my entire being.
Kyden grabbed my hand in his and pulled me back onto his lap, the storm quickly smoothed away to fear for Kyden. “It is the only way to end this. I cannot continue on this way. Seeing you go through this. Seeing you in this much pain…It is intolerable, and I told you, I will do what I can to keep you.”
“No, Kyden!” My voice shook with fear as I pleaded for him to stop this. Magnus was a Warlock, Kyden had no protection against magic. “He will kill you.”
Kyden sighed deeply, his eyes showed deep despair and emptiness as he sat with slumped shoulders. “I am already dead if I do not have you, Álainn.”
“No,” I screamed at him, at the world. I spun on my heels and ran to find Talon.
At the castle, I threw the door opened and rushed into the Council’s Hall. Talon had his arms wrapped around Zia in a tight embrace. He released her at my approached, and I slammed into him, began to thump on his chest. “You have to stop this. You cannot let this happen. You can’t let him do it. Stop him.”
Talon grabbed my wrists, forcing me still. “I can’t. This is his choice. It has already been arranged.”
“No,” I shouted. Kyden held a sword, a sword that could rain terror along a body. “He will hurt Magnus, he could kill him.”
Zia and Talon exchanged looks of disbelief, which left me confused. Why was this surprising them? They needed to protect Magnus for me. Protect him against anyone that was wishing him harm.
“I am sorry, Nexi,” Zia said grimly. “It has already been done. The challenge has been issued for an hour from now.”
Footsteps came behind me, I spun around, Kyden was slowly approaching. My teeth clenched as I ran at him, wanting to hurt him for even thinking of this.
When I collided with him, he grabbed me in his arms. The second we connected, the rage changed to terrifying panic for Kyden. “Do not do this. He has magic. You can’t fight against him. He will kill you, Kyden,” I cried, feeling drained.
Zia and Talon both stared at me with blatant confusion. Obviously, the battle going on inside me was now exposed.
Kyden’s expression was fierce and unwavering. “I will do fine.”
“No, you won’t,” I screamed holding his arms tightly, not wanting to break the connection that was here. “This cannot happen.”
Suddenly, Finn entered the hall with Haven in his arms. “I can’t ease her,” Finn said worriedly.
Haven was sobbing uncontrollably, the only state she seemed to be in lately. All it did was annoy me. She was weak, pitiable. I wanted her to just go away.
Zia approached her quickly, rested her hand on Haven’s shoulder. Seconds later, Haven fell fast asleep just as Finn adjusted her head to rest on his chest.
“I will wake her when this is over,” Zia said, looking back to me. “It is only going to get worse.”
Finn nodded and carried her away. Before he left the hall, he glanced back at Kyden, and the look they exchanged sank my heart. They were going to lose each other. Two Guardians that had been as close as brothers were now saying goodbye.
As much as I couldn’t understand the reason why it hurt me deeply, I only knew it did. It cut into my stomach, and forced me to sink to my knees while my hands trailed down Kyden’s legs.
“No,” I whispered in agony.
Chapter Sixteen
An hour later, Kyden held my hand tightly in his own, as Zia and Talon followed in behind. Misa led us past Magnus’ home toward a large stone building that adjoined a forest. The closer we got the more I realized that it was an auditorium or something very similar.
When we stepped through the glass doors, I gasped. “Jesus.” The entire place was full of demons, witches and warlocks—looked more like a Dallas Cowboy game than a challenge—even had the grass turf and all.
Suddenly, I froze.
Kyden glanced at me, arching a brow. “You alright?”
“I…” Something stirred within me, pulled deep. I searched the room quickly. There was something I needed to find, something here that wanted me. Just then, Magnus stepped into the center of the room and my heart leapt with joy.
Mine, it said.
With that, the last of my connection with Kyden simply vanished. He was just a guy I was once with who now held no meaning to me whatsoever. One that I wanted in my past.
“Magnus,” I whispered.
Kyden’s hold on my hand tightened. “Fight it,” he said urgently.
My gaze snapped toward him. “Why are you holding me?”
Why did Kyden prevent me from going to Magnus? It made me hate him because he wanted to keep me away from Magnus. He was nothing to me, a lover at one time, but I felt nothing for him. Why was he doing this?
His entire body slumped, the green in his eyes nearly black with despair. “You belong to me.”
“No. I do not,” I shouted. “Let go.” I pulled frantically at our joined hands. “Let go of me.”
He frowned. “No. I cannot.”
I pulled again, but his hold was so tight. “Let go, right now.”
“No,” he roared.
With all my might, I pushed out, sent him falling back. The second we disconnected, I spun on my heels and ran toward Magnus. Zia let out a loud cry and Kyden yelled my name loudly, but I needed to get to Magnus. Needed to connect with my soul mate, needed it beyond reason.
A second later, I slammed into Magnus with such force it sent us both flying backwards. Without a second to lose, I took his lips passionately. He reached up and grasped my face, met me with pure intensity. Nothing else mattered except that I was here with him now. Finally, the anger that had been burning inside me released. Magnus soothed me. It was him¯all him¯who made me feel good again.
He was right. He would make everything better with his delicious lips against mine, teasing my tongue to make me wild, I couldn’t wait to have more of him. I reached for his pants. He stopped me, chuckling. “I would love to indulge that thought, but now is not the time.”
“Why not?” I demanded, meeting his gaze.
He nodded out toward the crowd.
I followed his gaze, now aware of just how many watchful eyes were getting a free show. “Er…forgot about all of them.” I squirmed off him, jumped to his feet, and helped me to mine.