Page 18 of Moonlight Bonds (The Nexus #4)

Chapter

Eight

T he force of the wind hits me like a wall, and it hurts.

Everywhere. I don’t know what I expected it to feel like, but the wind burns as it pushes and rips into my body until I turn numb.

Yet somehow my body feels weightless, like I’m in the depths of the sea.

I panic, the air feeling like it’s not getting into my lungs.

Suddenly firm arms wrap around my waist, pulling my back hard against someone.

The air seems to slow just around us as Hollis’s power surrounds me like a net.

He protects us both from the fall, and his Nexus burns for mine, and Gods, mine reacts.

Without a care that we are cascading through the air, that we are falling so fast, she reacts to Hollis’s Nexus.

Mine. He is mine, she growls in my mind, pushing our ass right into him.

Hollis moves a hand up my chest, and I turn, finding his eyes a burning black.

Black veins are crawling from his eyes and down his face, so different from anything I’ve seen.

“Hollis.” I barely breathe out his name. My Nexus purrs for him, and the world seems to stop moving, like we are floating in a dream.

He snaps out of it, lowering his hand and blinking. I turn back, shaking myself out of it too and pushing my Nexus down for a moment. I speak right to her though. “Bad Nexus. What were you going to do, fuck him in the air?”

“Yes. Why not?” she answers in my mind. Oh, so she has forgiven him.

When did that happen? Gods above, my Nexus is nothing but trouble sometimes.

Hollis doesn’t let me go even as I make my Nexus focus on the present, on our other mates free-falling right towards an early death if we do not get this right.

I’m relieved to see that they’re all nearby like they need to be.

I barely hear Hollis’s shout as he strains to hold on to his power, to keep us from feeling the chasing wind. “What’s the plan?”

Slipping my hand into my pocket, I grip the silver ball tightly as we continue diving straight down, straight into what looks like nothing but empty sea.

The ward for the city feels like a bright warning sent to the world, like pure starlight itself, and I feel it right before I slice straight through the gap at the top of the ward without setting any alarms off.

The wards are meant to keep everyone out, but there’s always a weakness, and unfortunately for us, theirs is right above.

The city stretches out in front of me, the sea fading from view and replaced by a beautiful, purple, alluring city that looks like a fairy tale.

All the buildings look like purple gems, round, and arranged in circular patterns, almost like a landing target.

Right in the centre are rows and rows of flower gardens.

Perfect. With one last glance at my mates, I grip the ball tightly, letting my power blast into it, before throwing it straight in the air in front of me, praying to the Gods it works.

The ball freezes mid-air, right before it expands with a bang and violent water spouts out of it into the air.

The water slams into Hollis and me, catching us in its current, and I gasp, taking in a cold mouthful of water.

Like a tornado, the current pulls me down its path, cascading right towards the ground.

I know the others will be caught up in it too.

My mind and body spin as I swirl down and down, unable to see if the tornado of water hit the ground or if I’m going to have a fall when the end of the funnel comes.

My stomach spins, I feel sick, and I hold it in just before I’m in the air for a second.

I land with a thump on the ground on a red flower bed.

I look up at the giant tornado of water in the air, seeing my mates spinning around it before being thrown out into the flowers one by one, all close to me.

Finn lands right at my side, breathless as he sits up. His wickedly mad eyes find mine. “Next time, explain what you’re doing, mate. Gods above.”

“I agree with him; please talk to us about what you’re going to do next.” Alek walks over, water dripping off his clothes, and extends his hand. “If your plan was to secretly get into the city, I’m afraid the tornado attracted attention.”

“Honestly, you all have major trust issues,” I mutter, grabbing Alek’s hand and getting up, brushing petals off me.

Onyx and Hollis jog over, both of them pale and annoyed as they drip water onto the flowers.

They all look so mad and shocked, and I can’t help it.

I burst into laughter, and I’m surprised when they join in.

Eventually we all stop, still dripping wet, and I grin at them.

“That’s one of the funniest things I’ve done in ages.

” My grin fades away as I hear bells going off in the city and sense we are going to have company.

My mates change from smiles and laughter to fierce protectiveness in a matter of seconds.

The buildings aren’t very high around us, but I begin to see shadows of rangers on the tops of the buildings, the plants hanging off the trees on top of the buildings doing little to hide them.

The reflective glass has a purple gleam to it, and this silver-covered stone makes up the majority of the rest of the buildings, but I sense people watching inside. “Trust me?”

“We just jumped out of a plane without a parachute or any powers to save us because you went first.” Aleksander glances at me as he conjures two black swords into his hands. “Don’t ask that again, and the next time you want to, think of today.”

Warmth fills my chest as my mates make a half-circle around my sides and back. They are on my side, and I’m not alone anymore. I close my eyes for a moment. “Nexus, bring some of the rangers down and make sure they are held. I need to make a point.”

Her laughter echoes in my mind. “With pleasure.”

Dark grey shadows slip out of where I stand and disappear.

In seconds, they come back, and twenty rangers are held in the air before us, struggling against the grey shadows locked around their bodies and mouths.

I sense my mates’ shock without them saying anything. This is a new gift. An old one, really.

More rangers appear out of nowhere, like a flash of light carries them, until we’re surrounded by a good two hundred.

They don’t move, their guns that gleam with Nex magic flashing in the sunlight.

I lift my head high and tuck my wet hair behind my ears as a woman walks out from behind the guards, and the way they part for her, it’s very clear she’s their Supreme Alpha.

The alpha female of Morriganis City. I know there can be alpha females, but they are rare, mostly because men don’t like to vote for women to be in power.

It messes with their unstable male egos too much.

She stops a few feet away, on her own, separated from the others.

Risky. I watch her carefully, calculating as I run my eyes over her long pin-straight blonde hair.

Not even the wind dares to make a strand move.

The alpha is wearing a white suit with purple crests clipped to the pocket of the jacket.

Her eyes are bright green. Her nose is straight, and there is a slight scar on her cheek.

Her features are all quite sharp, and she is familiar.

“Gwenieve Patience Autumn. Welcome to Morriganis City. I am the alpha female Althea Cannon of Morriganis City.” She begins, her eyes moving to my mates.

She pauses on Onyx. “And we are greeted with the Supreme Alpha of Starlight City as well. My condolences, Mr Nieminen.” When he doesn’t respond, she moves her cold gaze to me. “You look like your mother now.”

“I’ve never heard that one before. Did you know her?” I question.

She grins like a cat. She must shift into one. “Why did you not walk through our gates, Miss Autumn? We have been searching for you and sent word that you were to be brought here.”

I cock my head to the side. “I would have been brought in with a knife at my throat, and we both know it. Let’s stop playing games.

Your city is weak and easy to invade. It took me one attempt to get in and capture your men.

I did not come looking for a fight or for a new home, but there is an enormous threat to us all.

The Vian king has an army that will wipe out the world, and he will come here soon.

I want to stop him from destroying anything else. ”

“Wasn’t it you who destroyed Starlight City and killed so many, Miss Autumn?” she questions. There is no judgment in her tone, and it’s confusing. “Now you come to the next biggest Nexus city and tell me you are here to help us? Was that your plan with Starlight?”

I have to hide the wince, hide how deep she hit.

I’m so glad that Onyx speaks next. “Gwenieve could have destroyed the city and killed all of it long before she was used on that dark day for my city. I am aware you do not know her and you only have rumours, but she is not the villain here. The Vian are and always will be.”

“Yet you come with two half-Vian bastards to plead that case.” She turns back to me. She means me and Hollis. “I do not just have rumours of your character but actual stories from someone close. She is the only reason you were not killed on sight, Gwenieve.”

She clicks her fingers, and two people appear that make my stomach drop out.

Annie, being held up by a knife at her throat by a man that I don’t know.

A Vian. Dark skin, braids hanging down his back, and an empty expression on his face.

He holds her in a familiar way, his arm wrapped around her waist tight, but she is scared.

Her eyes widen when she sees me. She looks okay, uninjured, but I do not like that she is being held by whoever this is.

Her blonde hair has nearly outgrown all the red now, and it’s messy in waves as she shakes her head at me.

Hollis lowers his voice for me. “That is the second crown prince of the Vian king. His name is Issan. He cannot be trusted.”

Fantastic. What the fuck is a Vian prince doing here?

“I know you’re all scared of my Nexus and what happened in Starlight City.

Everyone has been scared of her for my entire life.

I know it’s why I’m here, and you’re holding a knife to my best friend’s throat like that will save you when it won’t.

” I let my Nexus take over my eyes, and my nails dig into my palms. “Annie is my best friend, and you will be scared of me if you don’t let her go right now.

” I lift my chin and let them see the monster within.

Their guards struggle as my Nexus tightens the shadows around them.

“Starlight City will look like the first course of a meal when I’m done here.

I didn’t come for a fight, but…I’m angry now.

I will let my Nexus decide your fate, and she is not as kind as me. ”

“We’re not here to harm her,” Alpha Althea orders. “Let her go.”

The Vian prince listens to her orders and immediately drops the knife and his hand on Annie’s waist. Within a second, she spins and slaps the prince hard across the face. “You fucking monster! Stop stalking me and leave me the fuck alone!”

He says nothing, but his eyes flicker with something unspoken between them. Annie runs to me, wraps her arms tight around my neck. I hug her back just as tightly. “Are you okay?”

She is asking me that. “You’re the kidnapped one, bestie.”

Annie just hugs me tighter for a moment and leans back.

She looks at my mates and sees Onyx staring at her a moment too long.

That’s his sister. I clear my throat, and she moves to stand next to Finnegan on my right.

I lower the rangers into the flowerbeds and pull my shadows back.

“I think we both want more than a fight, Alpha.”

“I have no intention of fighting my blood family, Gwenieve. I said you look like my sister, after all, and I did love her dearly.” Her revelation shocks me.

“You’re my aunt,” I blurt out.

“Of course I am, and I was looking for you, not to bring you back to hurt you. To bring you here for safety. My city can protect you for now, and you’re in danger because of what happened to you in Starlight City.

I’ve read reports from survivors who heard your screams for it to stop.

I know the truth, and if we don’t protect you, then the Vian king is going to end up with his hands around your neck and use you to take out our city next.

” She steps forward. “My sister never would have brought you up to be a monster, even if you were born as one, Gwenieve. There is a truth somewhere in what you are, and for a long time, my great city has worshipped a Goddess who is not spoken of outside these walls except by the Vian. I believe I have a history to tell you and a way I can help guide your path. You were meant to come here.”

“How did you know I was coming?” I ask.

“We’ve been expecting you, niece.” My aunt waves a hand up.

I slowly drag my eyes to the only high-rise building in the entire city behind me.

It looks like a metal dagger, the point cutting through the clouds.

I didn’t look too closely at it when I came in, but someone has written across it in red paint—or blood.

The rain hasn’t washed it away, and my legs threaten to fall out from under me when I read it.

“The Gods do not forget. The Rite of Freedom continues when she returns.”