Page 31 of Moonlight Bonds (The Nexus #4)

“Fine.” I grit my teeth. It begins to rain softly on us all, and I don’t take my eyes off Onyx. I reach for Finnegan, Alek, Hollis, Severi or Rhodes in my mind. Any of them. Someone has to come and help Onyx and me. Please help me!

“You know that the six Gods”—he laughs like it’s some kind of joke—“came from one person who fell from the sky. They fell, falling stars crashing into the world. I was one too, but I came after them. I was not worshipped as a God like they had become. I came to a world that was already thriving and bowing down to Gods that came from the skies, but they did not see me as anything but a liar and a nobody. I don’t remember where I came from.

“Time passed, but I found myself mortally bound to this earth and my stronger powers locked away, unable to be touched, and death, well, death was a real threat to me for once. I was a God in the skies, and I should have been worshipped like them, but instead I found myself cursed. Cursed to be mortal for nothing that I had done. Or maybe I did something to another world. I don’t remember the worlds before this, but they couldn’t have been important.

“The Nexus were interesting. I fed on a few of them when I realised I could feed to take their power. I might have caused a few wars when my kills got blamed on the Vian, but it didn’t matter.

I got real power for the first time in my life since I lost the others, and finally, I could be a God to the people of this world.

But then I realised they had no desire to bow to me when they had their holy Gods. ”

Jealousy rings out of his voice, and he continues, “I went to the Vian, and I found them worshipping you, the Morrigan. Some saviour of light and darkness that they loved. An anti-hero of sorts. You weren’t good back then, and you loved blood, darkness and death.

The others judged you for this darkness, and you were lonely amongst other Gods.

” The way he smiled at me like we were friends—it’s because we once were.

“Oh, how you used that grey magic of yours to kill so many, and I was at your side. You didn’t need a twin sister to boost your power back then; you only needed to so much as want it. ”

He shakes his head with a wistful look on his face.

“I think the fates made you a twin this time so you couldn’t be the Morrigan in her full power ever again.

When I told you what I was, where I was from, we became good friends and I loved you.

You changed one day when you met a group of Nexus who would become your mates, not your current mates.

You stopped wanting death and darkness, and at their command, you grew the Vian city to be one of peace.

” His eyes narrow. “When it was clear that you didn’t want me in your world anymore, I killed your mates and then you. ”

My Nexus snarls in my mind, pushing the control I have. Her sadness overwhelms me until it’s all I can feel, like it’s my mates dying.

“That’s why my Nexus hates you so much. We have history…and you killed her!” I shout.

“Yes, and I became king to the Vian, telling them the Nexus killed their beloved Morrigan, and I promised them revenge. For a thousand years, I have grown an army on that promise.” He smirks.

“When you were dead, I went to the other Gods and told them we could end the war if they bowed to me. They said no and that if death came for them, then they would be reborn one day to get revenge. Killing them was easy, but their warning sat on my chest. What if the Morrigan’s powers returned and the other Gods’ magic came back too?

” He shakes his head. “I hunted witches to tell me prophecies until all the witches were gone.” Not all of them.

“Did you know all five of your mates have the powers of the Gods? That the Gods speak to and guide them through their Nexus, just like yours? Or did you only just begin to suspect when you learned what you were?”

“I don’t have to answer any of that for you.” I keep my voice hollow. “You’re scared of me and them. Aren’t you? How have you lived this long?”

He doesn’t answer for a long pause. “I might as well tell you everything, Morrigan. The problem with my life is that I didn’t want to die a mortal death like the others.

I had no interest in that. After everything that happened with the amphitheatre and the Gods, child, I realised there must be a way that I can escape death.

I murdered a few people in the city, caused a little chaos, and thrived in it for a short time.

I was put on trial and I asked for the Rite of Freedom.

After I completed the Rite of Freedom, the Gods were forced to give me the true gift.

Freedom makes you immortal, immune from not just all sins committed but death itself.

I cannot die. I am immortal, powerful and endless.

There was and there is nothing that could ever stop me.

” He looks at Onyx. “And the Gods meddling in this world ends now. You don’t need all of your mates. ”

I run, but I’m far too late. The Vian king slams his hand through Onyx’s chest, rips out his heart and throws it onto the ground in front of me.

The world slows as he throws Onyx’s body onto the ground, and I catch his head, falling with him onto the road.

I don’t know who is wailing and screaming, my Nexus or me, as the bond between us becomes tight and begins to drift away, fading like a dying star.

I claw at it in my mind, screaming and screaming as I try to hold onto Onyx, to our mate bond, his hot blood pouring into my hands, all over my clothes.

There is nothing I can do as my mate dies in my arms and his life just fades. Onyx said he’d never leave me.

I barely even feel the king snap something metal around my neck before he yanks me from Onyx, pulling me from what is left of my mate.

I scream and fight, begging the world to stop this.

I claw at the road, digging my black nails into the tarmac, blood dripping off Onyx right in front of my eyes.

But it doesn’t stop him, not as he takes me into a portal.

Not as I feel my mate bond die alongside my mate.

Keep reading with Starbound Souls here…