Chapter 29

"I have always loved you, Julia."




I couldn't breathe. I fell to the ground, clasping my hands over my chest. All of a sudden everything was so clear. Nathaniel was under the influence of black magic. He was cursed, because he interfered with Sid’s pathetic plan. I had been so stupid, believing that he changed, that he suddenly hated me.
Jasper had made him forget me years ago, a few months after we met. Jasper used black magic then, too. He was jealous over the fact that I had moved on, so he used black magic to make Nathaniel forget I existed. God, how could I have missed all the signs?
My heart pounded furiously as thoughts about that dinner at my parents’ home and our conversation in his boardroom began moving swiftly through my head. I should have suspected that Nathaniel wasn't capable of being so cruel and indifferent.
There was no way I was going to submit to Tron and marry him. I needed to do something, anything to stop this nonsense. Tron and Jasper were as bad as one another. I couldn't be the child from the prophecy. My mother was a human, and I had half of her non-magical genes. They made a mistake, believing in this mass delusion.
"Let me get this straight," I said, my voice vibrating with anger and bitter disappointment, "You murdered my grandmother, labeled her a cheater, and cursed my fiancé because you believe I was born with some special abilities, magic that can make you immortal?"
"Finally, we’re getting somewhere," Tron said, nodding to Jasper.
"Then you’re one fucked up son of a bitch. No one can become immortal; it's impossible, and once I gain my power back, I’ll kill you for what you’ve done to my family, and the people I truly care about." My words were calm and steady. I wouldn't waste my strength on empty words.
Tron shook his head and waved his hand. The pain came back, and before I knew it I was on the ground, screaming in agony. I heard Tron’s voice in my head, telling me he was planning to torture me until I came to my senses.
"First, you will become my wife, and then we will become king and queen. You should be happy. No one has ever been given such a privilege. Your grandmother did a lot of damage covering up your abilities, but in the end, I was victorious. I’ve already won and now I need to claim my prize."
I was trembling, cold sweat dripping from me. Tron was in the circle with me. He grabbed my hand and pulled me back to my feet. Jasper approached, and the flames began burning higher with an intensity that made me wince because of the light. More clouds shaded the moon and my skin buzzed with strong currents of magic. Tron looked proud, almost trembling with excitement. I couldn't show any weakness in front of him, but his expression was making me sick.
His obsession with immortality turned him into a murderer, the royal who fed his ego with hatred. The magic I felt wasn't mine. Jasper was using our connection, penetrating my system. I felt him in my head, rummaging through my thoughts, my fears and desires. He was the reason I was so powerless.
"Let's just get on with this, you know, the usual. I don't have time for any drama," Tron said, and almost burned me with the sparks shooting from his arm.
Jasper waved his wand and a book appeared in his hand. Years ago, he was good. Maybe that part of him remained somewhere deep inside him, but at this point I doubted it. Tron must have promised him something very special. My ex didn't do anything out of the generosity of his heart.
"With the power of the air, with the power of all the creatures on this earth…"
He was mumbling the spells, but these words weren’t powerful. Then he closed his eyes and started talking in a different language. Latin or French, I couldn't tell. I needed to do something, attack Tron or hit him. All at once, I started smelling cinnamon, apples, freshly cut grass and mint leaves. I now heard my heartbeat, the wind, my erratic breathing and the animals nearby, hiding behind the trees; their euphoric excitement was apparent.
Jasper was still talking, but his eyes were closed, and his magic was still harvesting mine. He was forcing me to move my mouth, to tell the world that I was accepting Sidheart as my husband. My head pounded, pumping way too much blood into my veins. I didn't want to accept it; I needed to fight.
"Will you, Julia Taylor, take this man to be your husband. Will you …"
My head moved, so I was looking directly at Tron. His eyes were filled with empowering darkness. The moon was completely shaded by thick black clouds. My fear and hopelessness was shading my mind, the rotten magic scorching throughout my body. It felt like snakes were slithering beneath my skin, injecting their poisonous power with their fangs. I fought with him, shutting down, wanting to scream.
"Don't fight him, Julia. It's in the contract. You’re obliged to carry it through. As my wife you will have the whole world on their knees."
I heard Tron talking, broadcasting the images of us together in the future. Jasper’s power forced me to open my mouth and agree to whatever Tron wanted. I was marrying a man who was a killer, that poisoned the man I love and broke my family, because he was afraid of death.
Then out of nowhere the connection was cut. I heard a shot. Jasper was out of his magical trance. A second later he was on the ground, breathing hard, like he couldn't move. Birds broke through the trees, flying above us. It was a shotgun; someone must have fired it. The flames in the circle fizzled out; the wind picked up. The darkness shadowed the space all at once. My own power rushed back to me, igniting the fire in my stomach, quickly and out of the blue, like it was finally awakened. I started crawling away, when Tron shouted orders to Jasper, but my ex wasn't moving; he just lay there motionless. They were both disoriented and maybe injured. A sudden rush of my power was like a breath of fresh air. They couldn't see me, and Jasper must have still been on the ground. I heard their hissing gasps.
"Light! The light, you fool."
The tar-like darkness surrounded us, but Jasper’s charm was broken. Whoever fired the gun was near us, probably hiding between the trees.
"Let go of her or this time I won't miss!" an unknown voice roared.
I saw a stream of purple magic flying through the air. It crossed the lake and then it vanished. This sudden distraction gave me enough time to gather my strength. Sweat was running down my face, and then Jasper was in my head, using his black spells to gain control over me.
I heard him and screamed as loud as I could, launching the combined forces of my magical energy and anything I could pull from Jasper to wreak havoc on the men near me. I had never experienced this before. My voice, loud and clear, was hurting them both. They were writhing on the ground, holding their ears. Tron fought, using his magic, trying to charm and spell bind the source of my power, but I overpowered him, my voice, my anger and my grief giving me strength. I kept screaming, until he howled in abject misery, levitating above the ground, sobbing his defeat.
I lifted my hands connecting with the magic around me. I felt it deep in my core giving me strength to finish whatever I started, to gain my revenge for my grandmother. Jasper was doing something with his wand, using his own spells to protect himself from mine.
Soon I was drunk with the power of magic, filled with the euphoria of controlling everything around me. The clouds started moving away and the moon cast her pale light as my power seeped into the world around me. I was controlling them both. My screams faded, and I was breathing hard, fighting to stay in control.
Tron was still on the ground, clutching his ears, mumbling words that didn't make sense. I didn't know how long I was lost in the wrath of my broken heart, intoxicated by my own power.
A moment later I was conscious enough to realise that I was standing in the lake. My hands were on Tron’s neck and I was drowning him; he was fighting back, slashing at the water. My first instinct was to pull away, to let him live. His energy seeped into me and his terrified thoughts passed through my mind. He twisted, digging his nails into my arms, trying to pull away.
I quickly pushed that thought away. Tron was Sid, a murderer, a thief, and a mad fairy filled with hate and vengeance. I didn't stop, instead I held on until there was no resistance. He stopped fighting and the water stopped bubbling. My heart was jackhammering in my chest when I finally let him go. He was dead. I had killed him.
The water was disturbed, it covered me up to my waist, and the body of the royal fairy floated on the surface near me. Images began spinning in front of my eyes. Tron standing in front of my grandmother; Tron influencing Anthony’s partner to fight me in his house, him making a deal with Jasper, Tron slashing Ella’s throat.
My body shook as I stared at his corpse, feeling numb from head to toe—all his misdeeds running on a loop through my brain. Everything was finally falling into place. I turned around and started walking away from the water, knowing that Tron was right. My grandmother had marked me when I was born in order to protect me. I felt the magic in my veins, strong and lustrous. I could control other people’s thoughts, influence the weather. Suddenly I had it all, power that could make me live forever. There were no more limitations, no constraints—by killing the royal I had released them.
I left the lake, drying my clothes. I saw Ella’s body lying on the ground; blood soaked the grass around her. I looked at my sparkling hands, wanting to help her, to do something, but no one could bring back the dead, even the marked one. Ella was dead, and it was entirely my fault.
Then a bright red light shot at me from out of nowhere and my sleeve caught on fire. An enormous force spun me around and I was forced down on the ground. Hot, pain erupted in my skull, and my stomach revolted.
"Did you think once Sid was dead it would all be over?" Jasper demanded, approaching me slowly.
I had almost forgotten him, thinking he wasn't a problem anymore. I roared, trying to reach out and burn him, but he laughed, stepping on my hand. He was crushing my fingers, and when he let go, I could feel him in my head again. I noticed his wand shining in the darkness. Jasper squatted, grabbed my mouth, easing my suffering. “I've been waiting for this moment since that old bastard told me what you are. Now I just have to complete the ritual and get what always belonged to me. The power of immortality."
He tied me up and for a moment I just laid there, expecting the worst, losing my strength. My mouth was full of grass, my breathing long and laboured. Jasper was moving near me. He was wrong. I was still useless, and the power that I felt for a brief moment was gone. It was an illusion. I was never more powerful than either of them.
"I’ve taken the potion. I felt what you’re capable of. There is no escape, Julia. You were always the missing piece, but I was too blind to see it for years. This is going to hurt, so get ready," he whispered. I caught the scent of spicy cinnamon and felt a stabbing pain between my eyes.
The pain came back, and it was worse than the last time. It penetrated me, sliding deep inside, wrapping itself around my spine and neck. Every part of me burned, and I couldn't stand it, but I had no energy left to scream. Jasper must have sliced my back open; it felt raw. I could feel him pouring something hot and sticky over the wound. It burned, and I moaned pleading for him to stop, crying for him to show me some mercy. I heard Jasper’s raspy voice, unknown words and more pain.

"I have always loved you, Julia."

I couldn't make a sound. His dark, lethal spells were tearing my power apart. My heartbeat was slowing down. The flames were real this time, melting my skin, making deep slashes along my spine. This wasn't any marriage celebration. Jasper was killing me with an infinity spell.
I started having flashbacks of my life. The moments that mattered. I saw my family, Nicky, Ella, Kate and Kelsie. I went back to the day when I saw Nathaniel for the first time, when we made love. All those memories were precious. I just needed him to stop now. He had won, but I couldn't give him what he needed when he was killing me.
Then, the pain stopped. I had no idea what happened or how long I was lying on the ground. My heart pounded deep in my chest. Panic seized me as I looked around. Jasper was in front of me, but he was frozen, his pupils dilated, and before I realised what happened, he fell forward on the ground. There was a large dagger stuck in his back.
My mind couldn't comprehend what just happened. He wasn't moving. His wand lay a few meters away from him. Trembling furiously, I tried to lift myself up, but whatever he had done damaged me from inside out—he wrecked me.
"No, Julia, stay still. You’re injured," said the voice that I would have recognised anywhere. My grandfather was beside me, assessing my injuries. He looked so sullen, and weak, like he hadn't had a proper meal for months.
"Grandpa Fred? What’s happened? How did you get here?" I asked, and tears began streaming down my cheeks. Maybe I had died. Jasper had done what he planned, and this was the afterlife.
“That's a very good question, darling, but I believe we need to call the authorities first. You need to get to the hospital before it's too late."
I didn't need to look. I knew that I had a large open wound on my back. I felt dizzy and disoriented as I lay there. I looked at Jasper, hoping that he was dead. That dagger must have pierced his heart and I was happy about it.
"There’s another body here," Grandpa said.
"It's Ella. Tron butchered her. None of this was her fault. She just wanted to find her father," I grumbled in anger, looking at the lake, where Tron’s body still drifted above the surface.
Grandpa looked at her for a long moment. His clothes were dirty, and he was limping.
"How long has it been since she died?" he asked.
"Half an hour… I don't know. She was in the boot. Jasper must have kidnapped her."
"Come with me. I know you’re in pain, but this is important," he said, helping me to get on my feet. Dizzy and lost, I held my grandfather’s hand and stood up. His hand was warm, and I instantly felt better. He was using his last bits of energy to heal me. Grandpa took me to Ella. I couldn't look at her. She was dead, and it was all because of some stupid prophecy.
"How will I live ever with myself? This was all my fault," I cried.
"Her life isn't lost yet," Grandpa Fred said and then leaned down touching her cheek. I didn't know what he was doing. It was too late.
Grandpa dropped his head and started moving his hands over her body. I felt the warmth in her; I heard her heartbeat. This was impossible; his illusion was cruel and sick. Ella had bled to death, but yet her slashed throat began closing, the large wound fading in a matter of seconds. Tears were falling down my face; I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The colour returned to her cheeks. Her mouth opened, and her chest began to rise and fall. She was waking up.