Bound by Forever (True Immortality 3)

“It wasn’t my mission. You took advantage of me when I was at my weakest.”

“I don’t see it that way.”

“Of course you don’t.”

“But I’m sorry if you feel I did something to betray you. That was never my intention. You’re my sister.”

“We’re not sisters,” Niamh hissed, energy crackling angrily around her.

Astra smirked. “There she is. Buried beneath that placid persona is my furious, raging, powerful sibling.”

Niamh immediately calmed.

Astra laughed. “But there’s that self-control of yours I loathe.”

“You can’t change me,” Niamh warned her. “I am who I am, and I know I’m on the right side. You can’t make me help you open the gate. I will fight you every step of the way. You’ll never get me close to that gate.”

Astra gave her a small, smug, knowing smile. “I thought so too. I mean, I don’t need you willing, but with you so focused on your pet wolf, it would be very hard to get you where I need you to be. However … I had a vision. It turns out Kiyo is going to be very useful to me, after all.”

Worry burned through Niamh. Despite how hurt she was, her first instinct was still to protect the bastard.

“Haven’t you wondered?” Astra leaned forward again, her gaze filled with scorn. “Why you feel such a deep, abiding connection to the dirty lupine? I know you have, Niamh.”

Her pulse raced as suspicions she’d kept buried fluttered to the fore.

Astra nodded, expression smug. “Yes, you have. Because you know the signs. And he wouldn’t be able to share your visions unless you shared an incredible bond. The only reason you’ve discarded the idea is because you can’t sense his feelings nor he yours.”

Her adrenaline kicked into high gear. “How do you know all that?”

“My vision helped me understand quite a bit.”

Before Niamh could respond, the familiar scent of earth and smoke caught her attention.

Astra grinned triumphantly. “Perfect timing.”

No!

Niamh glanced behind her, fear filling her at the sight of Kiyo hurrying toward them, his angry gaze focused on Astra. Niamh knew when he recognized Astra from the vision they’d shared because he began to run.

No! Kiyo, no! She pushed up from her chair to stop him, but a blur moved past her, kicking her hair around her face.

And suddenly Kiyo was struggling as Astra held him in her viselike grip. Niamh flew at them, not caring if any humans witnessed their strange interaction.

“Stop!” Astra shouted, raising a syringe over Kiyo’s chest. Niamh skidded to a halt.

Kiyo’s shoulder jerked, as if he was preparing to fight, but quite abruptly, there was a crack and he went limp in Astra’s arms. It was a strange sight—an elegantly built woman, holding a tall, muscled, unconscious male like he weighed nothing.

Niamh’s palms were slick with sweat as she stared at Kiyo’s broken neck. Rage rushed through her. She moved, ready to rip Astra’s head off, when the fae lifted the syringe.

“Ah, ah,” she warned.

Niamh’s eyes narrowed on the silver liquid inside it.

“Do you know what my vision was about, Niamh?”

She shook her head, baring her teeth at the fae bitch.

“It was about what happens to a fae when the most important bond in her life is snapped and taken from her.” Astra smiled sweetly. “It’s enough to make even the lightest soul welcome in the shadows.”

Understanding dawned too late.

Niamh rushed at the fae, screaming her outrage, but the syringe had already been plunged into Kiyo’s heart.

And then Astra was gone.

Kiyo sprawled unconscious in the middle of the park as onlookers watched on in confusion and fear.

Niamh fell hard at Kiyo’s side and pulled up his shirt. Silvery veins had already begun to spread from his heart.

She tried not to panic.

Kiyo was immortal.

He already told her he couldn’t die.

Sensing humans crowding in, Niamh lifted his unconscious body into her arms, pretending to struggle.

“Do you need help?” a young Japanese woman asked in English.

Niamh shook her head, pushing past people to get Kiyo into the restaurant. She ignored the shouted protests from those around her and dragged him all the way into the restroom.

A wide-eyed woman let out a gasp of shock as Niamh hauled Kiyo into a stall.

His head lolled horribly on his neck as she shut the stall door behind them.

Holding him tight, Niamh thought of the hotel.

After a moment of disorienting darkness, she opened her eyes to find them in their hotel room.

Kiyo swayed in her arms and she lifted him with ease.

Lying him down on the bed, Niamh stepped back on shaking legs to study him.

He looked like he was merely sleeping.

“Kiyo,” she whispered. “Why did you come back?”

Creeping forward again, she lifted his shirt to take another look.

The silver veins had lengthened. The spot around his heart was inflamed.

He couldn’t die.

He was immortal.

Astra didn’t know that.

He couldn’t die.

Niamh studied the scar across his belly.