Bound by Forever - (True Immortality #3) Page 0,117
blossoms were in full bloom. Lush greenery surrounded the beautiful pink flowers. Exquisite Japanese maples with spaghetti-like branches and orange leaves. Plants she had no name for that dripped and hung and hugged the garden in a variety of shades of green. The sweet, intoxicating scent of jasmine surrounded Niamh.
Why was she here?
“There she is.”
Niamh whipped around at the familiar voice, but no one stood on the large stepping stones that led across the pond to the traditional Minka house in the distance. Niamh squinted. It seemed blurred at the edges.
The whole garden was blurred at the edges.
Where was she?
Why was she here?
Hadn’t she just been with Kiyo?
“This is where he was staying.” Astra’s voice echoed around the garden.
Niamh’s pulse raced. “Where are you?”
“I am everywhere, sister. You’ll never escape me. Not even your immortal mate can stop me.”
Niamh’s let out a shuddering breath, searching through the quickly growing darkness for the fae. “You don’t want to come at me again, Astra. After what you did to Kiyo, you’ll be lucky to walk away.”
“Don’t taunt me with your anger, Niamh. It gets my hopes up.”
“Where are we?”
“In your head,” Astra’s omniscient voice answered. “In your dreams. I came to ask you where you are, thinking I might catch you unaware, but your defenses really are back up again. He’s healed you.” Her tone was mocking. “How quaint.”
“So you don’t know where I am?”
“I’ll find you. Eventually. But your scent seems to have changed since the mating bond, so I can’t get a read on you until I see you again.”
“You can follow me by scent?”
“Only if we’re close enough. I got busy and distracted while you were getting busy and distracted by your dog. Next thing I knew, you were gone and your scent trail was gone.”
“What a shame.” Niamh smirked. Mating bond for the win.
“I wouldn’t be smug, sister. Now that the bond has snapped into place, you’re one step closer to being what I need you to be.”
Remembering Kiyo’s words from earlier, she threw back her shoulders and called out into the now-dark garden, “Even without him, I will never walk away from who I really am.”
“You say that now, but once he’s dead—and when I’m done, make no mistake, he will be dead—you won’t be able to contain your grief. It will swallow you in its darkness and you’ll need me to pull you out. I’m the only family you’ll have left.”
Thinking of Rose and Thea, Niamh shook her head. “You’re wrong.”
Astra sighed wearily. “Only time will convince you otherwise.”
“Astra.”
“Yes, sister?”
“You underestimate my mate. He’s ready for you now. You come at him and he’ll tear you to shreds with his bare hands.”
“Mmm, how savage.”
Niamh narrowed her eyes. “But he’ll leave you for me in the end. I’ll be the one to put the iron in your heart.”
“And add another patch of darkness to your soul in doing so.”
“Oh no.” Niamh shook her head. “Killing you will be saving the human world. That, my dear psychopath, keeps me on the right side of good. Your end won’t blacken my soul.”
An animalistic snarl flew at her from the pagoda. Niamh raised her arms to defend herself and—
She flew upward out of her seat, letting out a gasp of fright.
“Niamh.” Kiyo pulled her toward him.
Her skin was damp with sweat, the blood rushing in her ears as she tried to orient herself. She was on the bullet train with Kiyo, heading to Osaka.
Panting, she took in her mate’s concerned countenance and slowly calmed down. The woman across the aisle peered at her curiously.
Niamh slumped back in her comfortable chair.
“Was it another nightmare?” Kiyo asked, smoothing her hair off her forehead as he leaned into her.
She reached for his hand, slipping her fingers through his. “No. It was … Astra invaded my dream.”
“What?” he bit out quietly. “How the hell can she do that?”
“She said she was trying to manipulate me into telling her where I was. But good news”—she smiled wearily—“she might be able to get into my dreams, but she can’t manipulate me in there. And she was tracking me through my scent, but the mating bond changed it. Apparently, she was off doing villainous things while you and I were giving each other happy times. When she got back, we were gone, and my scent trail with us.”
“Because our scents have mixed.”
“Exactly.”
“Did she say anything else?”
“Oh, just her usual threats. She’s getting a bit boring, actually.”
Kiyo didn’t look so amused as he leaned in to steal a