Chapter 22

A piercing sound filled my ears.

Opening my eyes and taking a deep breath, I realised I was kneeling on a cobbled street. My cheeks were wet and my eyes so swollen I was barely able to see. Somehow, I managed to look around, and saw a dimly lit street with tall, medieval-looking houses. There were also some people standing near me. Frowning, I got to realise I knew them and the place I was now in, but…

With a shaking hand, I pressed the handle and opened the door. Then, I stormed out of the house and immediately tripped, falling to the ground.

"Lexi, wait."

"You're not going anywhere, arsehole."

The next thing I heard was the slam of the door and everything went silent.

"Oh, God," I gasped, covering my face in my hands and bending to the ground. A sob escaped my mouth as images from New Year's Eve started filling my mind. Going home after the stroll. Them having sex against a wall. Me running down the stairs. Me falling to the ground and crying my heart out. Me begging–

"I've been waiting for that day for a long time," a quiet yet strong voice said, sounding rather familiar. "First, you used my youngest daughter and filled her head with treacherous promises of solving all her problems. You gave her false hope and assured that you would help her brother as long as she gave you some of her magic."

Rhysand.

"Then, you deceived her and made a bargain with her, but you knew that she wouldn't be able to fulfil it." There was some sort of groaning, but it wasn't Rhysand because he added angrily, "You convinced a young untrained female to help you cast a bonding spell, and involved other lives in your sick game."

I sensed that someone approached me so I raised my head. Blinking, I tried to chase the tears away, and I realised that it was Rian. With sorrow in his eyes, he knelt in front of me and grabbed my right hand.

"You deliberately brought a young mortal woman into this world, just because you found enjoyment in her despair and broken heart," Rhysand went on. "You tried to use her to your own advantage as well, and got my heir involved in the process."

Rian squeezed my hand gently and flashed me a sad smile.

"To make things worse," the groaning intensified, just as Rhysand's voice became louder, "you were going to kill that innocent human out of boredom, and suck out my daughter's magic had I not interfered."

Gazing at Rian, I knew my eyes started filling with tears once more.

Everything that was swirling inside me seemed so painful and so overwhelming that all I wanted to do was cease remembering Henry and his betrayal. With all my heart, I wished I could forget about that damn evening and never return to it again, but I couldn't. All those terrible memories were so deep inside my head, heart and soul, that I had to live with them for the rest of my miserable life.

Not letting go of my hand, Rian squeezed it once more and whispered tenderly, "I'm here, Lexi."

I felt my chin started to tremble and I was on the brink of breaking down as he repeated with a sad smile, and got closer to me, "I'm here. I'm not going to leave you alone."

Gasping and sobbing at once, I clung into Rian and buried my face in his neck. When he put his arms around me and cuddled me up, I burst out crying, releasing all that was nagging me and causing real pain.

"I'm here," he said, gently stroking my back. "I'm here with you, Lexi."

"Did you really think you would get away with your doings so easily? That I wouldn't find out the truth about them?" Rhysand laughed quietly. "Apparently, you have forgotten that I'm the High Lord and this is my court. This is my family."

There was a strangled sound behind me but I didn't turn around to see what was happening. Instead, I snuggled up to Rian and closed my eyes.

"And I'll do anything to protect them from harm," Rhysand added. "Especially, when the harm is as unpredictable as you, my dearest Bryaxis."

Alerted, I lifted my head. Bryaxis?

Someone else – Bryaxis – let out a sigh and said, "Things we do for love, High Lord, are equally unpredictable, and they could backfire in a myriad of ways. You said you wanted to protect your family, but did you think about the consequences? Did you think about that poor innocent human when you stabbed me with your sword?" There was a cough, but Bryaxis went on, "Or were you so focused on avenging your family that you simply forgot about her and sending her back home? You do realise, High Lord, that by killing me you're destroying the only way to her world, don't you?"

Letting go of Rian, I fixed my eyes on him and frowned when I noticed he was staring at me with a guilty look on his face. "Is that true?" I whispered.

Rian lowered his eyes and said quietly, "I'm sorry, Lexi."

Gasping, I moved away from him and slowly turned around.

Just a few feet from me, there was a white-haired man who was kneeling on the street and looking straight at Rhysand. The High Lord of the Night Court had a bloodied sword in his hand and there were shadows all around him. I fixed my eyes on the white-haired man – on Bryaxis – who suddenly placed his left hand on his chest and coughed once again.

Rhysand hesitated for a second before answering. "I'll find a way to send her back home."

"Will you, High Lord?" There was laughter in Bryaxis's hoarse voice. "Or will you be so preoccupied with protecting your own family that you'll forget about her again?" He removed his hand from his chest and looked at it. I noticed there was something dark on the palm of his hand. Blood.

"Unlike you," Rhysand said coldly, "I don't break my word. Should I remind you the promise you made to me and your High Lady all those years ago?"

Bryaxis smirked. "They were just words."

"Words have consequences."

"Well, in that case," Bryaxis went on and laid his hand on the chest wound again, "your youngest is bound with me forever." He coughed, flashing Rhysand a nasty smile. "From the moment she sealed our bargain with her blood, she was obliged to just give me her magic. But when she recited the Eterne Oath–"

"You don't have to give me a detailed account of that day," Rhysand broke in. "I saw it in my daughter's mind. And believe it or not, I've learnt this and that about blood oaths."

"Then you know perfectly well that she doomed herself for all eternity." Bryaxis stood slowly up and, panting, added, "I can demand her magic right now and there is nothing you can do about it, High Lord."

Detecting a movement, I turned my head right, and saw Rian who was standing next to me and holding a curved blade. With a stern face, he was observing his father and Bryaxis. "Get out of here," he whispered, not looking at me. "Find the cake shop and then go to the House. Someone will help you get to the top." He glanced at me and smiled. "Just remember to close your eyes, honey."

When I nodded, he carefully approached the two men in front of us.

Reluctantly, I turned back to go to the House of Wind, but then I noticed a small figure that was coming nearer us. I narrowed my eyes, trying to recognise the person, but Rian was faster than me as he asked, "Melly, what are you doing here?"

Dirty and exhausted, my little kidnapper stopped right in front of him and said, "I was worried about you."

"You were supposed to go with Eirwen and the twins." Rian turned towards his younger sister. "You can't be here."

Meleri glanced at him and then at me. "I couldn't leave you alone."

Her brother frowned. "Sweetheart, you're not safe here. Take Lexi and go to the House. I'll be fine, I promise." Rian flashed her a smile.

"But–"

"No buts," he cut in. "Do as I say, Meleri." Then he added calmly, "Please."

The young fairy furrowed her eyebrows, but eventually nodded. "Fine," she said and extended a hand towards me. "Come on, Lexi."

I was just about to grab it when I heard a malicious laugh, so I looked over my shoulder and gasped, "Holy shit."

Too preoccupied with talking with Rian and Meleri, I hadn't noticed that Bryaxis started changing into his previous form – the black cloud that was surrounding us previously. His arms were nothing more than dark shadows and the same thing was happening to the rest of his body.

With a horrible smile on his face, the white-haired Bryaxis hissed, "Now, that we are all here, I think I will reclaim my end of the bargain, little princess."

"No, you won't," I said, standing in front of Meleri and shielding her with my own body. Though I was perfectly aware that I would have no chance of fighting Bryaxis, I couldn't stand doing nothing. Besides, I noticed that Rian was nowhere to be found, so I was Meleri's only protector. I closed my hands into fists and readied myself for the attack.

"I have been gathering my strength and waiting for you to come, little princess," Bryaxis flashed her a smile, completely ignoring me, "because I knew that you would do it anyway."

He glanced at Rhysand and went on, "You are all so predictable. So changeless… I would shed some tears if only I could." Bryaxis showed some teeth. "You thought you could kill me like that, High Lord. You thought that stabbing me with a simple sword can subdue me forever. Oh, no. Not when your daughter's magic is inside me." The rest of Bryaxis's body began transforming into shadows. "You can't stop it, High Lord. Not now. Not ever."

"We'll see about that," Rhysand said and lifted his sword.

Bryaxis laughed hoarsely. "When she's finally mine, I'll deal with you, half-breed Lord. Your father disgraced all purebloods when he mated with that seamstress."

"Really?" Rhysand asked, sighing. "I've been listening to that shit for over six hundred years. I should really write a book about that, but I need a catchy title. Any ideas?" He looked around. "No? That's a pity."

"Mock all you want, like everyone else in that court of yours," Bryaxis hissed. He was once again a swirling dark cloud, yet this time with a scary head. "But when the time comes, the Dark Mother will tend to you all. And I promise that you won't like it."

"Oh, I do love such promises," Rhysand broke in, coming closer to Bryaxis. "So tell me, when will that Dark Mother come? Any specific time?"

Bryaxis narrowed his eyes. "Sooner than you would expect."

"Hmm. That's better than nothing." Rhysand shrugged, still approaching the dark cloud. "Should I prepare a room for her at the House? Should I offer some refreshments? Will she travel with a suite? Will there be males or females? Will she–"

"Enough of that nonsense!" Bryaxis roared and the sound echoed through the air.

Still shielding my little kidnapper, I shrieked when a hand that was made of dark smoke shot towards me and the one that was hiding behind my back – Meleri.

Appearing out of nowhere and striking with lightning speed, Rian took a swipe at the shadowy hand and cut through it with his curved blade. Simultaneously, Rhysand severed Bryaxis's head with one stroke of the sword, and all I could hear was a dull thud when it landed on the cobbled street.

Then, there was silence.

Shivering, I backed away and sat on the ground, staring at Bryaxis's head.

He's dead, I thought and covered my mouth with a hand. He's dead.

"Oh, God," I whispered and felt that my eyes filled with tears.

A muffled cry escaped my mouth.

I'm going to stay here forever.