Hellbound To You Novels & Stories

“You’re not part of its time. It shouldn’t see you.” But it did. The Pale One’s hand extended through the memory, its fingers wreathed in shadow and light. The cracked barrier pulsed like a heartbeat, threads of the Vein wrapping around its arm. "You carry the tether. The current answers your call. Will you finish what I began?" The words seared into her mind. Her mark — the soulbound tether on her chest — ignited, golden light bleeding into the surrounding currents. Kael’s grip tightened. “Avery, whatever it’s asking, don’t answer.”

It was large enough that I’d scarcely need to stoop to enter, but beyond was absolute blackness broken only by the great gouts of steam that erupted forth every few times. “Just a wolf den, right, Philomela?” Tristan perched on his heels, his eyes wandering over the scene. Setting my shield on the ground, I glanced to my right at the other woman, seeing that her face was as white as a sheet. “ It is a Shazam of the underworld,” she muttered, then rounded on Tristan . “I will tell Alpha Orion so myself, Tristan will vouch for you that it was madness to enter.” Tristan met my gaze. “It is your choice, Andronika. I won’t force you to go in there.”

As her feet drew closer to the door, the low buzz gradually got clearer, transforming into a loud, high-pitched rasping sound. Recalling Kate’s latest bluff, Zia’s eyes widened with suspicion. Was she really going to?… No way! “Hey!” Zia shouted as she fumbled with the door’s lock. Throwing the door open, she jumped backward, just in time to avoid being split in half by her crazy best friend’s chainsaw. “Are you crazy, Kate?!” “Yes, I am. You are driving me crazy!” Kate screamed above the saw’s loud noise. She turned off the saw and Zia’s thumping heart slowly returned to normal. Her wide eyes remained glued to Kate’s furious ones.

Every possible outcome plays out in my head, each one worse than the last. I stare at him, his calculating gaze pinning me in place, the weight of my decisions pressing down on me like a vice. If I had found the money elsewhere, could I have avoided this? Might I still be here, trapped in his suffocating web? No. I wouldn’t be. But now, there’s no escaping. Every door is locked, every path leads back to him. And he knows it. The satisfaction in his eyes says it all.

Levi shouted, slashing at a shadowy tendril that breached the barrier, only for it to reform instantly. The colossal hand lunged, its fingers grazing Autumn’s arm, leaving a searing cold that made her gasp. Her silver light flared instinctively, blasting the hand back, but the effort sent her to her knees, the curse’s pain intensifying. The altar behind her glowed brighter, its runes pulsing in time with her heartbeat, as if awakening to her presence. The voice in her mind—her mother’s, or something older—whispered again: The bond is the key. Without it, the power will consume you.

Another began undoing the fastenings of his shirt. Santa stepped back, clutching his clothes. “Wait, wait. What exactly happens in there?” Kieran’s tone was flat, as though reciting something he’d explained too many times. “The heat and the herbs will draw out resistance, confusion, fear. It clears your head, strips away distractions. Without it, the bond will falter, maybe even fail.” Santa’s mouth went dry. “Fail? That’s… possible?” “It has happened.” Kieran’s eyes flickered toward him, unreadable. “But don’t worry. If the bond fails, the master usually disposes of the feeder and tries again with another.”

“Over my dead body.” Bryan stepped in front of me. “He will never touch her.” Kael raised a hand. “Not that kind of bond. A power bond. One that allows him to take control of her abilities. If he succeeds—” “He becomes unstoppable,” I whispered. Kael nodded grimly. “Exactly.” The stones above us groaned as another distant collapse echoed through the fortress. Time was running out. I inhaled deeply and met Kael’s gaze. “Help us find him.”

I clenched my fists until claws bit deep, anchoring myself in pain I could trust. He was back. The only one I had ever made, the only one I had ever bound to eternity, and he called to me with corpses as ink. A summons written in slaughter, dragging my name through blood until she looked at me and saw a liar. I felt the bond shuttered between us and nearly broke it open in spite, just to feel her heartbeat steady me. But I did not. I would not give her that balm until this was ended.

The rhythmic BEEP… BEEP… BEEP of the self-destruct sequence pulsed through the entire Thorne tower, a chilling countdown that vibrated through Caleb’s very bones. The golden dome of Scarlett’s spirit-shield flickered violently around them, struggling to hold against the dual assault of the Void-Curse and the building’s collapsing infrastructure.

“You are just slipping in and out of consciousness. The healer checked you out.” “And?” I croaked. He took a shaky breath, looked like he was thinking of what to say. When he finally spoke, it was almost a whisper. “She says something’s draining you. Not a sickness. A bond. Or maybe a curse.” My heart just dropped, cold and slow. “A curse?” He nodded. “She called it a tether. Something’s feeding off your life. But… there’s a way to break it.” He hesitated, eyes darting away. Like he hated what came next.