Page 23 of Before the Bond Breaks
Wolford hesitated. “A few beings have come around. I say beings because I don’t know what they were. They were cold. Wrong. The way they looked at me, like I wasn’t even a person.”
Eitrborn. The personality matched.
Candra’s posture relaxed, just slightly. “That’s true.”
Wolford exhaled. “They asked about the stone by name. Said they’d pay any price for it. I sent them away—told them if anyone brought it in, I’d keep it aside. But I haven’t seen the damn thing, I swear it.”
Jenson’s eyes flickered in my direction. The man believed he was safe now.
I kept my gaze locked on him. “If you see them again, or if anyone brings up the Severing Stone, you contact us. Do not try to use the stone or deal with these creatures yourself. Understand?”
The owner nodded, sweat beading at his hairline. “Understood. I like breathing, Alpha. I don’t cross shifters. And I definitely don’t cross Valkyries.”
The room seemed to hold its breath for a handful of seconds. Maze finished her circuit, pausing near a wall of darkened display cases cluttered with broken grimoires and fae jewelry. She shot me the smallest of nods—nothing suspicious, nothing dangerous, but every hair on my body stood on end, anyway. The anticipation was suffocating. A storm was coming. The wolf inside me prowled beneath my skin.
We’d just started for the door when it exploded, sending a cascade of glass and loose relics crashing to the floor. Cold air ripped through the musty shop, followed by the stench ofsynthetic magic andeitr. I didn’t need to turn to know what was coming.
A dozen eitrborn poured into the shop, moving with coordinated, unnatural precision. They wore hoodies, jeans, and boots as if trying to pass as human, but their movements were anything but. Their faces were blank. Eyes black as pitch, not reflecting a hint of soul or mercy.
Maze dropped into a defensive stance, power shimmering at the surface of her skin. Jenson tensed beside her, already reaching for his blade. Candra’s hand hovered over her own weapon, magic coiling at her fingertips. The shop owner dropped straight to the floor behind his counter, scrambling out of the line of fire.
Theeitrbornfanned out, filling the room, bodies moving as one.
There was no sound but the low hum of their combined magic, and the shatter of glass rolling across the uneven floor. My wolf surged forward, ready to fight, ready to kill. The odds didn’t matter. These things couldn’t be reasoned with, couldn’t be bargained with. It was a waste of energy trying.
One made eye contact with Maze. Its head tilted, lips parting just enough to show darkened gums. “Target located,” it said, voice flat. “Eliminate threat. Secure asset.”
The rest moved in, arms rising, claws already extending from their hands. Power crackled through the shop. Paint peeled from the walls as wild surges ofeitrbornenergy slammed up against the wards, setting off a cascade of shimmering light as the shop’s protection spells tried to counter the attack.
Jenson shifted, placing himself slightly in front of Candra, making the Valkyrie glare at him. Maze conjured a shield of raw will, her eyes burning brighter with every heartbeat.
I pulled my magic to the surface, ready to slam the nearesteitrbornwith a pulse of grounding energy. Every muscle in my body tensed as the first wave came at us.
Theeitrborncharged, pushing through the narrow aisles. Cramped shelves rattled, relics tumbling as claws and fists slammed into the wooden supports. The lead monster lunged at me, arms stretching farther than I thought was possible. I’d never seen anything with the power to stretch their bodies like that. That only proved how little we knew about the bastards.
Calling my grounding pulse, I threw it at the beasts. The magic ripped around the eitrborn, forcing its attack to slow. Jenson moved past me in a blur, blade already in motion. He anticipated theeitrborn’scounter two full seconds before it happened, ducking under it and slicing the creature’s neck so clean the head rolled off and bounced into a pile of cursed books. The body collapsed. Black blood hissed as it hit the floor.
“Left! Maze, two coming for you—” Jenson’s voice carried sharp and clear, cutting through the chaos.
Maze pivoted, energy flaring from her core. She stared straight at both attackers. Her Command of Will power unfurled into a wave of pressure so strong it nearly slammed me backward. The two eitrborn froze mid-step, jaws slack, eyes dulling to blank. Candra darted forward, efficient as always, her blade punching through both heads. They didn’t even react. Their bodies slumped, blocking the next monsters behind them.
More eitrborn crashed through the back entrance, claws and teeth gleaming. The shop’s wards flickered. They were designed for thieves, not magical fights, but the wards held just enough to channel the chaos. I felt static in my bones, the thrum of everyspell Jenson, Candra, Maze and I launched clashing with the poison-charged air.
One eitrborn leapt for my throat. Jenson’s warning gave me just enough time for me to duck low, grab the creature mid-air, and slam it into the shelving unit. My wolf roared for the kill, but I held it just barely back. I struck out with a knife-hand, landing a blow to its sternum. As it reeled, Candra slid in, sword blindingly fast. She severed its arm at the elbow, then beheaded it in the same motion.
Maze moved at my shoulder, throwing another pulse of magic. Three more eitrborn tried to dog pile her, but she glared at them. When she spoke, her voice was cold and calm as she poured every ounce of her authority into the command. “Stop.”
They did. Their bodies locked, suspended in unnatural stillness.
Candra and Jenson took them apart. Jenson’s precision was almost surgical as he called out the moves before they happened, weaving between attacks with inhuman grace. His sword whirled, cutting through limbs and bone with zero wasted motion.
Glass and drywall exploded along the ceiling.Eitrbornrained down from above, landing on the display cases. One reached for Maze, claws inches from her face. I hit it with everything I had, my Grounding Pulse slamming into its chest, magic pulling it down. It seized, spasmed, and then Jenson’s blade finished it.
Black, slick blood, reeking of rot, splattered the walls and pooled across the floor. Maze’s breaths came quick, but her gaze never wavered. Each command forced the monsters to slow, then freeze. But with every use, she went paler, sweat blooming down her temples.
My chest tightened. Maze was using too much power, draining herself to keep everyone else safe. I needed to get her out of here. Fast.
Another wave hit. These were bigger, stronger. Their eyes flickered green, veins bulging under skin that barely passed for human. One went straight to Candra. She didn’t dodge. She met it head-on and buried her sword to the hilt in its guts. Another eitrborn tried to flank, its magic strobing, but Jenson blocked it, using his power to anticipate every feint and counter. Together, they moved as a unit, never more than a step away from each other, blades rhythmically tearing through the enemy line.
