Eternal Bond (Edanholme Book 2)

by Catherine Fitzpatrick

  ETERNAL BOND

  (EDANHOLME SERIES: BOOK TWO)

  Copyright© Catherine and John Edward Fitzpatrick 2015

  Registration number: 284695299

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  DEDICATION

  For Michelle again, for her continued support.

  For Ian, my husband. If not for him gluing the TV remote to his hand, none of this would have

  happened.

  For Amy, for the use of her sapphire eyes which grace the cover of this book (which in reality have

  never seen sapphire).

  Thanks to all my readers, for making my dream possible.

  ***************************

  ETERNAL BOND

  It’s not every-day you get to visit with the Queen of Faerie-land. For Alex, that’s exactly

  what she had been invited to do. Her best friend and business partner, offered her the

  chance to walk between two worlds. To help in building a home for Sidhe refugees, in the

  new realm of Edanholme.

  With the spectre of a man-eating reputation hanging over her head, the job came with

  six female hungry Sidhe warriors. Who could refuse such a feast…? Alex found she could.

  A lone human in a world of eternal beings, she had no business attaching herself to a male

  whose life force was tantamount to eternal. Her life in comparison, was a microsecond of

  angst and useless desires, in a body subject to the inevitable decline of mortality.

  Contrary to expectations, Alex fulfilled her duties, as commander in chief to a thwarted

  Queen with dignity and impartiality. She made demands on the time and muscle of a band

  of warriors, no more than that.

  Of all the enforcers of justice, the Bard touched her heart, her soul, with a shy smile and

  an endless need for music. The Lord Teague remained distantly silent. Elegant, beautiful

  and remote.

  With the influx of dispossessed Sidhe, exiled from the decadence of the Sovereign Court

  by a demented former Queen, the serenity of paradise flew out the window. The task of

  facing each day under the lash of contempt and the withering petulance of a flock of

  females jealous of a human, became unbearable. The enforcers, aware of the pithy disdain

  of their kin, bestowed the title of Angel of Edanholme on a female, every male wanted for

  his own.

  Resisting Cat’s ploy of match-making, enjoying the company of the warriors impartially,

  Alex kept Teague, the Bard at arms-length. Any pleasure she had felt in paradise, became

  over-shadowed by the knowledge she was deemed as nothing but an insect to some of

  the new-comers. Her gift to Edanholme accomplished, in a communications centre and

  school for the young, she decided it was time to bow out gracefully.

  The first hint of danger came to paradise in the shape of a hybrid vampire, throwing Alex

  and Teague together, blocking any plan for escape she had before it was born.

  Under pressure, she gave in to love, but refused to form a mating bond.

  It would be wrong in so many ways, to tie the Bard to a female who would age and die,

  while he maintained youth and vigour for eternity. An interlude of love and laughter

  was short-lived. A premonition of disaster came swift and hard, to visit doom upon the

  Angel of Edanholme. Alex became the threat, the menace that endangered the peace

  and security of paradise. She now had the longevity to mate with a Noble Sidhe male,

  but the price came with the devastation of innocence and the loss of a pure soul to the

  Dark Dimension. A prisoner in Edanholme, Alex was faced with a male she was even less

  fitted to be mated to. Awakening to the power of Sidhe and vampire surging in her veins,

  did she fight to keep his love? Or did she just walk away…?

  ETERNAL BOND

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  SNEAK PEAK BOOK 3: SOUL DESIRE

  AUTHOR CONTACT PAGE

  CHAPTER ONE

  Eyes closed, Alex soaked up the warmth of an alien sun. She had been transported from

  one reality to a semblance of heaven in seconds. Her life had acquired an extra dimension

  to wrap a curious and insatiable intellect around. A dubious gift from a friend and business

  partner, one who in a few short weeks had become the ruler of Faeries of folk tales and the

  mistress of a plague of blood thirsty vampires, who lived in myth. To be the lone human in

  the midst of what to her had been fictional creatures, promised to be an adventure in a

  pretty but basic form of wonderland. A sometimes brutal, spine tingly place, but a land

  filled with wonders all the same.

  “Lady…?” A soft husky voice brought her eyes wide open. The figure blocking out the sun

  towered over her with lean, menacing grace.

  “What ails thee Lady?” The soft rasp of silken words tingled along her spine, lifting the fine

  hairs at the base of Alex’s neck. Raising a hand to shade her eyes she squinted into pale pink

  daylight, to get a clearer picture of the face belonging to an incredibly sexy voice.

  “I’m fine…” She whispered back cautiously, living in expectation of a reveal of something

  less seductive than the voice evoked. God knows what lived and breathed in Faerie-land.

  Dropping to one knee, a Warrior Noble of a newly established Sidhe Court lay revealed.

  The sight took her breath away in a gasp of pure appreciation. He was absolutely perfect.

  Long flowing silver hair held back from a smooth brow with intricate little plaits, too cool

  to be real, fell in a soft wave over broad shoulders. Canted violet eyes dominated a smooth

  skinned face, sculptured from the finest ivory marble. Dark brows and eyelashes defined the

  pure gentian depths of a serious gaze. Following the unblemished curve of a nose more

  feminine than masculine her gaze came to rest on his lips, firm, full and oh so kissable.

  Her first thought was, he was so yummy he had to be married or mated, the more accurate

  term for couples in the faerie world.

  Clothed in soft grey leathers the hilt of a broad sword gleaming at his back, this paragon

  of female desires, whether human, Sidhe or alien from Mars, held her spellbound with his

  beauty. Long elegant fingers gripped at a long bow nearly as tall as she was. A quiver of

  arrows strapped to a wide back breathed a silent threat.

  Within the space of one heartbeat to the next, in the time she had taken to assimilate the

  poise and dignity of a man who made Brad Pitt look insipid by comparison, he lifted the fingers

  of his right hand to touch his brow before bowing deeply.

  “I did not wish to disturb thee. I was in truth disturbed at thy stillness.” The apology was softly

  sp
oken, face remotely serene, eyes distant and intriguing.

  Shaken by the magnetism radiating from the Sidhe male at her feet, Alex smiled. It took a lot

  of effort, she wanted to sit here and just look at him forever. His name, she was fairly certain

  was Teague. He had been formerly the Bard, the minstrel of an evil Queen’s court.

  “Lord Teague?” She questioned softly, afraid that he would run from a lowly, lesser human.

  Sidhe manners or court etiquette were way beyond her grasp at the moment. Her partner

  in an normal everyday optical practice, Cat Ireland, aka Iscatya Edan-Fire had dropped Alex in

  at the deep end.

  A true friend with a wicked sense of humour had disappeared with her new

  mate, leaving Alex to deal with six of the most gorgeous men you could ever hope to meet.

  That they had been relocated to a new dimension devoid of the foul menace of their previous

  mistress, made them no less dangerous to an unprotected female. Cat had glossed over the

  fact that these creatures were hungry. Hungry for company, hungry for love, down-right

  bloody hungry.

  Here she was a proverbial lamb to the slaughter. The remit she had been given was to create

  a habitable refuge for lost Sidhe. With that purpose in mind, she chose to ignore the wilful

  temptation to take a slice of what was on offer. Everyone assumed she was a man-eater.

  It was a bold front, sheer bravado, a way to survive in a world where the male of the species

  believed they could win any race, whether it was a job position or the right to be in your bed.

  Whatever… She was at a loss how to correctly address this magnificent specimen of desirable

  male.

  “Aye, I am Teague.” Eyes narrowed, he scanned the upturned face of the human female, a

  sister in spirit and love to a newly cloaked Queen, a liege lady he owed his life to.

  Huge eyes of the deepest Sapphire stared back him, highlighting the guileless face of an angel.

  Peach tinted curves of cheek and jaw were graceful, feathered with wisps of blue-black hair.

  The slice of ice in his chest that was once a heart began to beat erratically. Awareness or any

  appreciation of the female form had been locked away behind a barrier of iron will, within

  the deepest, darkest corners of the Bard’s mind for many eons.

  The deadliest snakes are beautiful in their own way, but still, they had the power to poison and

  cripple the body and soul at the same time. Having learnt that lesson thoroughly at the hands

  of a Queen with a body built for lust and heart bent on screaming servitude , he was loathe to

  be seduced by the purity of beauty embodied by a tiny human creature. Displaying only mild

  curiosity his features segued into cold indifference as the Bard regained his feet.

  Alex wasn’t even remotely upset by his withdrawal. She’d been more surprised that he had

  deigned to speak to her at all. Summoning a tentative grin, she eased to her feet, the top of

  her head barely on a level with broad shoulders. Feeling underdressed in red t-shirt and thigh

  skimming shorts she swallowed down her embarrassment like a bitter pill.

  “Alex… My name is Alex. Not lady, never will be, not in this life-time.” Her self–deprecating

  laugh came out husky with the fear of rebuttal.

  “Lord Teague, can I ask you a question?” Leaning back slightly to look into his eyes, she

  hesitated at the flicker of coldness in his gaze. An infinitesimal nod answered her.

  “Do you happen to have pen and paper with you? I mean, you are the Bard. As a songwriter

  you must have means to make notes, catch your thoughts before they disappear?” I-phone

  clenched in her hand Alex sighed, a wistful breath of longing to keep track of her own ideas.

  “This damn thing won’t pick up a signal, and I need a way to store my lists. There’s so much

  I can do to make your new home more comfortable.”

  A glimmer of interest showed in violet eyes, a slight narrowing of long-lashed lids.

  Ok, making headway here, she thought, resisting the temptation to kick him in the shins, in

  an attempt to wake up a spark of curiosity behind lacklustre detachment. It may be a long

  drawn out fight to put even a small dent in obvious disinterest.

  “I’m willing to make a trade, music in exchange for writing equipment.” Alex had a feeling

  she was treading on dangerous ground. The Fae liked nothing better than making bargains.

  It usually cost more than you were willing to give.

  “Music…?” Arched eyebrows came together in a V of concentration.

  “You have music with thee Lady Alex?” The hesitant rasp of his question made her shiver.

  The Bard as a playmate may be a distant dream, but his voice lit a fire in her heart.

  Shaking her head Alex came back to earth. Holding up the I-phone, she lifted one earpiece

  to a slightly pointed ear, scrolling through a long playlist.

  “Take it…” She showed him what to do by placing the other earpiece to her own ear.

  A frown still fixed to his face, a bemused warrior followed her lead. A long fingered hand

  brushed hers, skin alive with static electricity as he grasped the tiny piece of plastic.

  What type of music would appeal to an ethereal creature of the never-never?

  Ellie Goulding? Yes… Her music dug deep into the soul. It was thought provoking, main

  stream and mesmerising. The haunting quality of dissonance and sometimes heartrending

  lyrics were pure magic.

  “Just listen… If you don’t find my offer acceptable, we then agree to dissolve the bargain.”

  Alex had read the Dresden files, never leave open a loophole that may come back and stab

  you in the back. Score one for the single token of humanity in Eden.

  For endless seconds Alex watched the music filter through to an unbending warrior male.

  A slow smile stretched at a firm mouth, eyes softening to glistening lilac mists.

  “Aye Lady Alex, this is an acceptable trade.” His whisper made her heart lurch.

  Dropping to the grass Teague unloaded sheaths of handmade paper and a stick of charcoal

  from a satchel at his back, handing the otherworldly mess to Alex.

  Pursing her lips she grasped at a basic means to lock down her thoughts. Anything was

  better than nothing. Relinquishing the I-Phone to Teague, setting it on shuffle, she settled

  cross legged on the rough wooden step.

  The sudden smile on his face tore at her resolve to distance herself from a world of incredibly

  desirable men. Reality crept up and knocked her sideways. She had no permanent part in this

  realm. Her life compared to theirs was a nanosecond of desires and wants, a fleeting little

  moment of human craving and inevitable frailties.

  To think of succumbing to lust or love with timeless beings was out of the question if Alex

  sought to keep her questionable sanity intact. Better to keep looking for love in the world

  she belonged to, a one way ticket to old age with a partner as transient as her.

  Oblivious to extraneous sights and sounds, she listed her ideas to make the gift of a world

  known as Edanholme a more comfortable abode. That was the title of this heaven on earth,

  if it was actually on earth. A name bestowed on it by its Queen, Cat Ireland, her friend and

  adopted sister. A bond of loyalty they shared, one of love and complete trust.

  A bonfire had been built, a whole boar roasting over the coals. Deeply mellifluous voices

  impinged upon her senses. Lifting her head Alex belatedly noticed s
he had been joined by

  her friend and all the Sidhe nobles. Grievances grew out of all proportion. She had been

  abandoned in the midst of deadly warriors without a second thought.

  Cat had the unmitigated gall to ask why she was making notes, ripping the pages from her

  hands to read through a practical list of requirements to make paradise more of a heaven

  and less of a wilderness adventure.

  “I can’t get a signal on my I-Phone…” Disgust tinged a husky voiced complaint.

  “No Wi-Fi in paradise angel.” The new Queen laughed, eyes sparkling in rainbow hues.

  “Aingeal…” A raspy whisper reached Alex’s ears. Teague lay to one side of the fire, face

  turned in her direction, seemingly immersed in human music. Between narrowed eyelids

  the gleam of pale lilacs was just visible.

  Taking back a pile of precious paper, Alex hunkered down to listen to the banter of

  other-worldly beings, soaking up knowledge the same way a sponge soaks up water. Any clue

  to the nature of the beast would be armour for a thin skinned human in the days to come.

  At some point she must have dozed off, curled in a ball on the steps of the log cabin.

  “Alex go inside and sleep, take the day off tomorrow. I’ll cover for you.”

  Her business partner held out the promise of a day away from a busy optical practice.

  “You sure…?” The words were slurred but intelligible, legs a mass of boneless jelly.

  “Yep... I need your insight here.”

  Helping hands guided her to a basic bed with a down filled mattress. Nestled into softness

  Alex drifted on the misty edge of sleep, aware of subdued conversation around her.

  “I will stand guard over thy sister my Queen.”

  The hoarse voice was familiar and welcome as a wave of exhaustion melted her limbs.

  “Thank you my Lord Teague.” A soft whisper acknowledged the offer of protection.

  Iscatya Edan-Fire could offer thanks where no other being would dare. It would take a very

  brave, or seriously brain dead individual to demand a gift from a sister of the Fates in return

  for an unguarded expression of gratitude.