Daughter of Stars and Nightmares (The Eternal Bond Saga book 1)

The Madness That Consumes

Mormo dragged Julia into the huge room and threw her down on the enormous black pentagram enclosed in a magical serpent array. When Thorsen saw Julia could use magic he had become, hell-bent on breaking the bind on her dark faerie side. It was early evening, and they had already dragged her into the room and forced to kneel in the circle four times that day.

After Thorsen had left her that morning it had only taken Mormo two hours to set things up. That hadn't given Julia anytime to rest or come to any terms with the atomic bomb Thorsen had dropped on her head. She was drained; her whole body felt as if it had been put through a meat grinder and then mashed though a sieve three times over. She barely had the energy to sit, let alone kneel. So she just lay on the floor where Mormo had thrown her, gasping for air as if she had just run the New York marathon.

Mormo was in his element. He paced the floor flipping through the pages of his thick, ancient, red leather bound grimoire. When he found the page he was looking for, an evil smile stretched across his face and his eyes glowed with malice and excitement.

They were alone in the room. Thorsen was enjoying dinner in the form of a cute blond and Julia had no idea where Damien had skulked off to. He had left her alone all day and the look Mormo was giving her: like she was a juicy hen and he was a ravenous fox, made her wish she hadn't chased Damien away.

Mormo crouched down grabbing a fist full of her sweaty hair yanking her head up. "Both Thorsen and your grandfather always underestimated me," his voice dripped with spite and venom. "Well, my dear I'll show them that was a mistake." A joyous laugh erupted from his lungs. "I believe I've figured out how to make another one of you. And that has just made you expendable. So my dear I am afraid tonight's the end of the road for you. But don't worry I will let you rest in peace. I plan on creating a far superior being to you." He stood up and placed his boot on her shoulder and shoved her onto her back. "Now let's begin. This time I will not hold back."

He started chanting and Julia's limbs anchored to the floor. She tried to fight against the invisible restraints but they wouldn't budge.

"Please, you can't do this," she desperately pleaded.

Her pleas fell on deaf ears as the evil warlock stepped into the circle. He had a look of pure glee etched on his face. Stretching his hands out over her he continued to chant. This time the pain ripped though her body, and she swore she was being boiled from the inside out and hot pokers were being rammed into her at the same time. Julia screamed until her voice gave out and she still couldn't stop screaming. Soon the pain took over all of her senses and her body and mind gave out. Darkness started to descend on her like a heavy blanket that she welcomed.

When Julia opened her eyes, she was sitting on a park bench in the middle of Havenswood. It was a beautiful warm summer's day. The sky was cerulean and crystal clear; the birds were chirping away in the distance, and people were going about their day. The town was perfect, not a hint of the destruction that had occurred days ago. It was peaceful and serene and Julia didn't care what was happening to her in reality. She was just happy to enjoy what she was sure were her last moments back in the town she loved.

"This is such a beautiful place. I wish I could have seen it. You really are lucky you got to grow up in a place like this," Julia's own voice said next to her.

Julia looked at her Victorian doppelganger sitting beside her. "I take it you're, Beatrix." After everything that happened to her it was an unnerving experience sitting next to the person she once was yet still knew so little about.

Beatrix gave Julia radiant smile. "That is correct."

A puzzled expression coloured Julia's face. "How is it possible that you're here? How is any of this possible? I mean; how am I you or you are me? I just don't get it."