Eternal Bond (Edanholme Book 2)

by Catherine Fitzpatrick

  Breaking free from the Queen, Alex ran to her mate.

  “Take me far away Teague. I can’t face this.”

  “Lady…” A piping little voice held everyone still. A girl, no more than four years old, inched

  away from a mass of scruffy children to reach out to Alex.

  “Please lady, can I touch your wings?”

  Alex stopped short of her mate, swinging round to lock eyes with a filthy specimen of vampire

  and Sidhe heritage. “What did you say?” Alex gasped aloud.

  The soft tawny eyes that looked back at her held fear with a hint of awe.

  “You’re an angel, right? If I am going to die, I want to touch your wings, to feel heaven

  before I go to hell.” It was a pragmatic statement of belief from an infant who should be

  playing with toys, not envisioning her death.

  “That’s not going to happen…” Alex dropped to her knees holding her arms wide to embrace

  an innocent child. Teague was at her back, one hand ready to smite a vampire.

  No, let her come to me. You could have heard a pin drop, the silence was uncanny.

  “What’s your name kid?” Wrapping her arms round a skinny body, Alex rocked her with

  tender care. “Leila…”

  A choked whisper reached out to a mass of beings holding their breath. Little fingers

  reached up to empty air in a stroking motion.

  “Leila, what are you doing?” In her peripheral vision Alex noted the motion of searching

  fingers.

  “Touching your wing… It’s really pretty. Sort of black and silver, glowing white around

  the edges.” A tiny voice echoed across the lake.

  “Really…?” The Angel of Edanholme was at a loss, as were the rest of her friends.

  “Mmmm… Can you fly?” The question came out breathlessly.

  “I faint if I stand on a chair.” Alex chuckled at the thought of flying.

  Burrowing further in to the arms of an Angel, the little girl sighed.

  “When you do, I want to go with you…”

  Alex’s blood felt like lightening running through her veins. Injustice and prejudice had no

  place in paradise. The trembling child in her arms wasn’t the guilty party, nor were the

  other neglected kids whose lives were under threat. Striding forward to stand between Cat

  and the cadre she swept her gaze over the crowd of curious Sidhe. Her fear was pushed

  aside, to be replaced with a blazing desire to knock some sense into a species teetering on

  the edge of extinction. Facing the matrons, whose love and friendship she had won through

  hard grind and fierce determination, Alex nestled Leila closer to her heart.

  “Edanholme gave all of you a safe home, a place to live freely without fear of abuse. Are

  these children any less deserving? The mandate of Edanholme states quite clearly, bigotry

  and tyranny are classed as crimes, subject to immediate exile.” Shuffling of feet and the

  murmur of low voices were the only evidence of her words sinking into thick skulls.

  “If we abandon the unfortunate young because their heritage is less than pure, then we are

  all guilty, and don’t have right to live in paradise. If you condemn innocents because they

  have fangs, then you condemn me and your Queen in the same breath.”

  Her aura glowed with a blinding white light. When emotions ran high, Sidhe aura became

  visible to the Fae. A scathing voice cut through the silence.

  “This is my Cadre. They are my soldiers. Go back to your knitting meat…”

  The world exploded around Alex, magic fried the ether. A huge white tiger prowled

  between Alex and the malicious youth who had served her up for dinner. The remaining

  enforcers had shifted at the same time to surround Cat in a wall of snarling beasts.

  Drusal towered over them all, a titanic white coated wolf, snout retracted to reveal fangs

  nearly two feet long. Iscatya had flamed to the full glory of a Fate.

  Grinning fiendishly, Alex felt the tremor of fear running through the Fae.

  A living Deity was in their midst. They all swore by the Fates, but none expected to ever see

  one until the time came to pass over to the next plane of existence.

  The barely veiled contempt for a Queen in human guise, was shattered at the vision of

  avenging might and the lethal force of the enforcers of justice. Cat was an unwilling Queen.

  Ruling a nation with kid gloves and a stunning smile was preferable in her eyes to a tyrannical

  throne. Nobody wanted Istirina’s idea of sovereignty visited upon them again.

  Alex had argued for months that the nobles needed a figurehead not a reluctant Monarch.

  Well that day had just dawned…

  No one, Sidhe, Vampire or Commissioner Dallas, would ever doubt the power of the

  universe at Iscatya’s disposal.

  The hybrids as a whole backed towards the lake, leaving the youth to stand alone, facing a

  ferociously burning figure. Alex stood squarely between her friend and the young fool who

  had the misfortune to pick on the wrong victim to quench his thirst.

  “His name’s Dashael…” A little voice whispered in her ear.

  “Thanks kid.” She murmured back.

  Let me speak to him first…

  Alex sent the thought to an incandescent candle of writhing blue flames.

  The conflagration ceased abruptly, indicating Cat had heard her.

  “Dashael, you are out-gunned, out-manned and seriously treading on thin ice.” Her voice

  held entreaty, willing the youth to back down.

  The face that turned her way was as cute as she remembered in the darkness of a cold

  cellar. He was as truly beautiful as any of the Sidhe beneath a coating of grime.

  “What makes you think I care…?” He stood undaunted, convinced of his invincibility.

  “You should care. I’m offering you a chance to survive, something no one here is charitable

  enough to do. You chose me, not one of them, so I think that gives me the right to know

  why?” She wasn’t going to let him go without a fight. Somewhere in his psyche there must

  be a streak of decency.

  “Ameia….” Growls and snarls interrupted him.

  Alex didn’t believe for a second her adopted sibling had led her deliberately into a trap.

  “Shut up… Let him finish.” She shouted above the mayhem, grabbing hold of the ruff of fur

  on the tiger’s neck. He would tear the youth apart if she let him.

  “Ameia cajoled the other cadres into joining her, bringing them food and giving her own

  blood to still the feeding frenzy. I wanted none of it. We belong to no one.”

  Stunning features were consumed by unhealthy greed.

  “I watched you follow her. Marked you as prey, the smell of your blood made my mouth

  water.” He smiled evilly licking his lips.

  Alex shuddered, the idiot was unrepentant. Turning to Cat, a shivering child locked tightly

  to her breast, she gave up on him.

  “That’s it, I’ve had enough. Do what you want, but don’t kill him. I can’t live with a death

  on my conscience.” Tugging on white fur she stepped around the Queen to stand at her

  left shoulder. For some reason she felt this was her rightful place.

  The enforcers shimmered to align with the Queen clad in full armour, Drusal at her right,

  the rest ranged at their backs.

  Cat held her palms out, the brands wreathed her forearms with blue fire. Crystal swords

  materialised, clasped firmly to point at a vampire condemned by his own words.

  “Aingeal offered you the chance of redemption,
I can do no less.” Swinging the swords to

  her face she graced each blade with a kiss.

  “I offer the choice of freedom or doom… Think carefully Dashael.”

  The youth squared his shoulders a scowl of defiance on his face.

  “I look to none to help me, especially not a Sidhe mutant.” His answer was unequivocal.

  The choice was made.

  “Fine…” Breith the sword of doom cracked loud enough to shake the ground. Blue flames

  encased the youth for a second before he disappeared.

  “You sent him to Phillipe…?” Alex voiced the question in everyone’s mind.

  “Yep… Let’s see how much the little cretin likes the Dark Court.” Cat’s grin was pure evil.

  Laughter shook Alex’s shoulders, tears of relief streamed down her cheeks. Dashael had

  a fighting chance among the vampires. If he thought for one moment he had struck lucky,

  Phillipe was the one to prove him wrong. All eyes were turned on her.

  She began to twitch under the weight of awe-struck stares.

  “What?” She growled at Cat, reaching back to take Teague’s hand. Something was off

  kilter and she hadn’t a clue what it was.

  “Don’t laugh at me kid. I’m not the one with wings.” The grin on her friends face rivalled

  the Cheshire cat’s.

  “Seriously…?” Alex whispered, a hoarse croak stuck in her throat, threatening to seal off

  her air supply. A long fingered hand ran over her back with a soothing caress of air element.

  “You are exquisite Aingeal.” Teague purred huskily in her ear.

  “I don’t feel any different…” She daren’t look back, afraid to see the glory Leila had

  described so eloquently.

  “Come with me Alex, there’s one last thing to do before we allocate homes for the young.”

  Swords still brandished in her hands, Cat walked until she was dead centre of a milling

  crowd of relieved Sidhe. Without pausing to think, Alex handed the child in her arms to

  Teague, her face creased in a frown of incomprehension.

  The Bard cradled Leila, whispering soft words of comfort.

  “Go…” He encouraged his mate. “Thy Queen waits…”

  Self-consciously Alex moved to stand face to face with her friend. She couldn’t feel the wings,

  but the whisper of a gentle breeze over feathers made a soft shushing sound.

  Holding both swords high above her head, points meeting, Cat whispered in her head.

  Take hold of the hilts…

  Alex had a healthy fear of the swords, she wasn’t stupid. Tentatively she closed her fingers

  around crystal glowing the same vibrant shade of her eyes. Music filled her head in a joyous

  symphony of welcome. The rainbow mantle of the Fates covered them both in a cloak of

  multi jewelled beauty before sinking beneath their skin.

  Welcome sister….

  Two voices resounded in her mind. Alex raised her eyes to ones of pulsing rainbow hues, an

  unfamiliar presence blinked to life beside them, hands raised to cover theirs.

  The wait has been long angel, thy path arduous and tempering. The mantle of justice and

  protection is a singular gift, offered to none but the worthy.

  Alastrina, the Guardian of mankind, bestowed her blessing on the newest member of an

  elite sisterhood.

  Why me…? It wasn’t an original question, but it served a purpose.

  Yours and Iscatya’s births were pre-ordained. Destiny is fickle, the foretelling ambiguous.

  Thy souls were tested. Not all survive to be pure of heart.

  With a radiant smile on ruby lips, Alastrina blinked out of existence as swiftly as she came.

  Exhaling slowly, Cat sheathed the swords in silence.

  “Shit…” Alex swore heatedly. “What do I do with the wings?”

  “Use your will, it works for me.” Cat was crying with laughter.

  Shrugging her shoulders Alex told them to go away. “Did it work?”

  She asked timidly eyes scrunched shut. Locked suddenly in a warm hug by a warrior Queen,

  they laughed and cried together amidst a world of stunned silence.

  Teague had made a wish to witness the revelation of a Fate. His wish had been granted in

  the glowing figure of his bonded mate. Singing a lullaby to the child in his arms, tears of pride,

  joy and love streamed down his face as he rocked her to sleep.

  He didn’t need to use glamour to ease her into slumber. The young one was exhausted and

  too emaciated to cope with the thrill of meeting an Angel.

  He had counted his blessing the first time his mate had loved him. He added a further blessing

  to his list. What was it Aingeal called it….? A wish list…

  A smile as radiant as Alex’s aura wreathed his face, danger still threatened the Sidhe living

  amongst their human allies. It seemed less of a threat with two Fates to lead the way forward.

  Payment had been settled in full for the use of an idyllic realm.

  Both Aingeal and Iscatya had paid the price of immortality, in securing freedom for all.

  The Bard chuckled nastily. His angel didn’t need anyone else to bite Commissioner Dallas,

  she could now manage that little chore all by herself.

  The unconditional love of a devoted sister washed away the last taint of malevolence

  lingering in Alex’s mind. Go to Teague, introduce father to daughter….

  With a final squeeze of royal ribs, she broke free to run to the Bard.

  “Hush Aingeal the child sleeps.” Holding the slumbering bundle close to his chest, skinny

  arms lay twined tightly round his neck in a death grip.

  Her heart did a little flip in her breast, the tender smile on his lips as he stroked lank strands

  of greasy hair from a dirty face made her bones melt.

  “Did you know…?” Flailing an arm in Cat’s direction, her tone acerbic she whispered huskily

  at him.

  “History repeats itself endlessly, the signs where there. I am an enforcer of justice,

  I recognised the steps leading to the birth of a Fate.” His tone was conciliatory, lilac eyes

  glowed with pride.

  Hands on hips Alex pursed her lips in annoyance.

  “You couldn’t have warned me?” She demanded, building up to a royal hissy fit.

  “And spoil the surprise…?” Teague shook his head. A wide grin defied her to be angry.

  They were in their own little bubble. The other enforcers were rounding up the young,

  herding them back to the settlement. Holding out her arms, Alex tested the water.

  “Give Leila to me, I’ll take her to join the other children.” She borrowed a little of her mate’s

  former cloak of indifference.

  One elegant hand lifted to cup her face, lilac eyes misted with concern.

  “Let the little one rest awhile Aingeal.” The soft rasp of his voice made her want to cry.

  “She’s filthy and hungry Teague, let her go.” Alex insisted, goading a response from the Bard.

  Stepping back, Teague and the smelly burden in his arms were shrouded in a steamy mist.

  Dropping to sit cross-legged on the grass, a soft smile curved Alex’s lips.

  Teague was hooked.

  A balmy breeze swirled in a vortex to disperse the last of the mist to reveal a perfect Sidhe

  male, cradling a golden haired child, complete with softly glowing pale pink skin.

  “Cool…” Alex laughed at his ingenuity.

  “You are going to teach me how to do that. It will save me from being molested in the

  shower.” It explained how he was always perfectly groomed, despite an overwhelming

  distaste for standing water. Teag
ue shook his head at the direction of her thoughts.

  “For a sister of the Fates, thy inclinations are less than seemly.” Holding out a hand to

  help her up, he pulled Alex into a three way hug, transporting them back to the room

  she had been held captive in for a short time.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Tucking the sleeping child under the duvet, Teague laid a gentle kiss on golden curls

  before gathering his mate into a welcoming cage of steel hard arms.

  “Can we not care for the little one?” His question was hesitant, violet eyes troubled.

  “It’s a big responsibility Teague. Neither one of us has experience with child rearing.”

  Alex threw every obstacle she could think of in the path of parenthood.

  “Having young around will put a serious damper on your ardour. The tiger will have to

  be leashed. I have work to do. You can be called away at a moment’s notice. It wouldn’t

  be fair to deny Leila the chance to be happy with one of the matrons.”

  A frown marred the perfection of his face. Enlightenment dawned in misty lilac eyes.

  Tugging at her hair, the Bard kissed Alex with bruising intensity. He knew exactly what

  she was doing. His Aingeal had a sinful way of getting what she wanted.

  Brushing her lips with a lingering scent of spices, looking deep into a crystal blue gaze

  he grinned wickedly.

  “Aingeal remember thou art now Sidhe and Fate. Do you wish to be mother to the little

  one?” He purred into her ear, nuzzling the tender skin of her neck with delicious little

  bites.

  “Yes…” Alex moaned softly, going limp in his arms as desire welled hot and heavy in the

  pit of her stomach.

  “There is no obstacle too difficult to be overcome. My desire for thee can be controlled,

  but not leashed. Young in our life will not deter me from loving my mate.”

  A soft laugh brushed her skin with a balmy breeze.

  “As a good father, I will make it my business to present my daughter for her lessons and

  strive to entertain her mother when she is lonely.”

  Alex clapped a hand over her mouth to stop the laugh bubbling in her throat from escaping.

  Leaning back in the Bard’s arms she searched his face, it was calm, serene and beautiful.