“Then you need to do the right thing,” Xanthe says to him. “You need to give it back.”
Xander looks between me and Xane, still holding tightly onto each other. “Oh no,” he says. “This was clearly meant to happen. It was fate. She is mine now.”
Xane growls and takes a step forward, but I hold him back. “Never,” I say quietly. “Xane is my husband. I will never, ever be with you.”
Xander steps closer to us and he looks down at me with those bright, blue eyes that are so very familiar to me. “You will be drawn to me, Xerxei, you won’t be able to stay away from me.” He cups my face and bends down to kiss me when Xane shoves him away with a hand to his face.
“Kiss my wife and I will beat you to death right now. Surely death will break this bond between you two,” Xane says.
“No!” Xanthe says quickly. “It will destroy it completely.”
“I saved you,” Xander says to me. “It was our bond that gave you the power you needed. I am your Chosen one now.”
“Xane is my husband,” I repeat softly, and continue the mantra in my head. I am feeling the pull to Xander, just as I did with Xane. But there is one thing missing from this. Something so important that I know I can fight it. “Xane and I did the Blood Magick ritual. He activated my Demon powers. The intent was pure and honest and we both consented to perform the ceremony.” So, I leave out the bit where Xane wasn’t completely honest about a few things, as in it was a Blood Magick ritual. Everything else is true. The intent was pure, there were no malicious or negative feelings behind it. He was activating my powers and I wanted him to.
Plain and simple.
“What you have is a tainted mark, a stolen bond. Xane and I declared our love for each other, and we became one. We are a whole circle,” I say, gaining momentum in my speech. All of my feelings for Xane are bubbling right up to the surface and if Xanthe hadn’t interrupted me, thinking she was helping, I would have chosen him right there and then.
“They made a baby together,” Xanthe says. “A child that was created by a love so powerful it couldn’t be denied. You will be willing to give the bond back to your brother or so help me Xander, I will kill you myself and find another way to bring Xerxei and Xane back to where they should be.”
Xander blinks as he takes what we have said in.
“Xane is my husband,” I say again with finality.
“For now,” Xander says and disappears back into his bedroom.
“It’s strong,” Xane says, looking at his mother. “He sensed her need and it woke him up. He broke the wards to
get to her.”
“Do not be defeated,” Xanthe says, giving me a sincere and loving smile. “Your wife is standing by your side, as she should. All will be well.”
“You had better be right,” Xane says mutinously. “But what was that, Xerxei? It looked like someone was trying to possess you.”
“Someone was,” I mutter, avoiding Xanthe’s gaze.
“Tiamat,” Xane says flatly.
“Mm-hm,” I say vaguely.
“To what end?” Xanthe asks sharply.
“I don’t know,” I lie and Xane squeezes my hand. He has it all figured out already.
“Hmm, well I shall leave you two alone. I have my work cut out for me now that Xander has woken up,” she says.
“And don’t forget the other thing,” I remind her tersely.
“Of course,” she says and Astraports off, leaving me and Xane alone.
“You are weak,” he says to me, turning me fully towards him. “What has happened in my absence?”
“Remiel deactivated my Dragon Powers,” I say glumly.
“He did what?” Xane asks in disbelief. “How?”
“I wish I knew, but it’s true. She’s gone. So technically so is Xerxei, although I still have my mark. It’s all very confusing. But all that is left is me and half a Faerie,” I say, and I break down in tears.