Derreck came up and put a hand on Mr. Bradbury’s shoulder. “One thing at a time, Nathaniel. You’ve had a trying few days. The binds have only just been removed. Give your mind and your power some time to balance before you have a heart attack over meeting your daughter’s boyfriend.”
“I don’t know that I’m actually her boyfriend anymore, Mr. Bradbury.” I couldn’t truly make any claims. She had left me. “But I’m going after her, sir. You can count on me to bring her back.”
“Nathaniel,” he corrected. “Please, just call me Nathaniel. And let’s not talk about boyfriends or not-boyfriends for a few minutes, okay?”
I nodded. “Yes, sir. Mr. Bradbury…er, Nathaniel.” Dillon was standing next to Rynna and looked so embarrassed for me. I was sure my face was three different shades of red, so I tried to change the subject.
“Where exactly are we going? Where is this Will?” We needed to refocus on the task at hand.
“Ah, yes. Let’s go. He’s probably waiting. Nathaniel just came from Will’s. They’ve both been recuperating from the unbinding, so he should be in great spirits.” I didn’t miss Elias’s sarcasm and wondered exactly how pleasant this Will was going to be. I wanted to ask Amelia’s father how his unbinding had gone, but it was a pretty personal question and we had known each other all of five minutes.
Elias, Derreck, and Nathaniel walked back through the trees the group had just come from, with Dillon just behind them. For a second, I could only watch them walk away. I wanted to stop moving for a minute and give my brain time to sort through all the information streaming in over the course of the past few days.
“It’s a lot, I know. But you can do this. And so can she. I’ve seen her, you know, and she’s strong. She’s determined and she knows we’re coming for her. Well, not you—I didn’t know about you—but the rest of us.”
Rynna’s soft voice took a moment to register in my mind and I whipped my head in her direction. “You’ve seen her? When? Tell me.”
“Walk with me. We need to get you to Will.” She looped her arm through mine and I felt like a giant next to her. I could feel her warmth, both in body heat and love for Amelia. Her happiness at finding me here and her underlying fear for Amelia. My ability to sense emotions was getting stronger, but knowing people’s innermost emotions was still really strange.
“I saw Amelia the morning she left for Washington. She is with Mikail and he will help keep her safe. She also has a protective charm from her mother. It will help control the Keeper.”
“Micah? The lying Prince who pretended to be her friend and hurt Bethany?” I couldn’t restrain myself at the mention of his name. The visual of my fist connecting with his face was the only comforting thought I had.
Rynna patted my arm. “Now, now. What neither you nor Amelia have had time to realize is what’s happening now was set in motion years ago. We have never stopped trying to undo the damage Julia has done. Mikail is just another innocent who was born into a situation he didn’t ask for. He is not like his mother and he is not out to take Amelia from you.” She looked toward Elias, her features pinched in annoyance. “You aren’t the only one who has a hard time believing Mikail is on our side. I’ve been trying to convince Elias for months.”
I was silent, not wanting to offend her, but silently siding with Elias. “Was she really okay?” I finally asked. I hadn’t spent much time really allowing myself to think about Amelia and the situation she was in. I had intentionally tried to focus on myself for that reason. If not, I would obsess over her safety and what might be happening wherever she was. She and I were so alike in some ways. I knew she would sacrifice herself for everyone else. She’d done it, over and over, since we’d met. She’d told me a version of her life story while we were getting to know each other and adding in everything I’d learned recently, it was clear her pattern was to think she could take things on so others didn’t have to. Thinking of the rash decisions she could make and what that could mean for her was more than I could handle.
“She was okay. She’s scared, which is probably good. We both know how her temper can take hold and cause her to do some irrational things.” I couldn’t see the smile, but I heard it in her words. She definitely knew Amelia. “The protective charm I told you about will help her manage the Keeper power and as long as she listens to Mikail and steers clear of Julia, we should be able to get to her before anything can really happen. We set a few things in motion and pulled the Queen away from Cresthaven. It bought us some time. Not much, but some.”
“You don’t sound as confident as I’d like you to,” I said, pushing through branches. I wanted to ask more, but as we got to the other side, the guys were waiting, talking with a man I assumed was Will.
I expected some kind of greeting, but got nothing. Will stared at me, his face a mask of indifference, as we all stood awkwardly in the clearing near his cabin. He was big. He probably should have been a lumberjack or heavyweight fighter. He had close-cropped hair, looking like he owned his own clippers and did the job himself. His sleeves were rolled up his forearms and thin white scars crisscrossed his skin, along with what looked like burn scars around both wrists. I was puzzling over the perfect circles of scarring when pressure pushed at the base of my skull. Suddenly, my ears were ringing and my head felt like it was splitting open. I dropped to my knees, clasping my hands to my ears.
“What. The. Hell?” I could barely push out the words and seconds later, the change began. The too-tight feeling was everywhere at once, my insides swelling and rearranging as fur sprouted in various places.
“Will. Come on, man. Go easy on him.” I barely registered the words and had no idea who said them, but the pressure instantly backed off and the shift reversed. I groaned as things found their proper home inside me, wincing from the pain of muscles and bones moving. As quickly as the pain had come, it was gone. I still couldn’t come to grips with how I was able to withstand my body completely rearranging itself. I slowly sat up and found Dillon hiding behind Rynna as she glared at Will.
“William Ryder, was that really necessary?” Her tone was sharp, reminiscent of the various foster mothers who were always yelling at me for whatever fight I’d been in at the time. But I could feel her concern, where they never cared that I was always protecting the other smaller children. They were too focused on the attention I was bringing to them and myself.
Through my squinted eyes, I watched Will give Rynna a sideways look, his eyes narrowed. “Would you like me to invite him in for tea, Ryannon? Or would you like me to undo whatever Rhi has done to him?” There was no sarcasm; he simply spoke the words as facts.
I pushed myself up and stepped toward him, still a little lightheaded. “I’ve heard of Rhi. The Hunter, right? What did he do to me?”
Amelia’s father snorted. “It’s apparently his specialty. But if anyone can help you, it’s Will. He helped me.”
Will glanced around and then gestured toward his door. “Come inside. You never know who might be listening.”
We filed into Will’s cabin and I was surprised at how large the inside looked compared to the outside. Support columns were spaced across the open layout and it was clear Will didn’t get out much. Books were stacked by the dozen, the couch was old with one side sunk in, and dirty dishes were piled in the sink. This was clearly a bachelor pad.
“We’re protected here?” Derreck asked.
Will grunted and responded, “Of course. They will never find me again. I’ve made sure of it. Sit,” he said, directing me to the chair next to his. He looked up at Rynna. “You need to remove the child. He shouldn’t be here. Actually, none of you should stay aside from Elias. Nathaniel still needs rest.”
Nathaniel was the first to disagree. “I don’t need a damn thing but to find my daughter, Will. I’ve spent all these years trying to protect her and now she’s alone. Julia has exactly what she wants and I won’t have it. I want to go—now.”
Rynna stepped up and put her hand on his arm, her words s
oft. “Nathaniel, we need Aidan. If we’re going to get to Amelia, we need all the help we can get. Let’s leave Will to his work. A few more days will give us time to plan our entrance into Cresthaven.”
Nathaniel turned to glare at me. “We don’t have time to waste. Do you understand?” I could only nod.
For the first time, Derreck stepped toward me and I stood, still leery of him. He reached out a hand, saying, “I owe you an apology. I had no idea who you were and Amelia pulling away from you is partly my fault. Had I known…” His words drifted off and a weary sadness radiated from him. For a split second, I saw a man so much older than the one standing before me. How long had they been fighting this war?
I clasped his hand in mine, unable to stop myself from gripping a little harder than necessary. “We’re here now and she needs us. Go make your plans. Hopefully this won’t take long.”
Will’s voice cut in. “Oh, it won’t take long, but you won’t be going anywhere for a few days. And it isn’t going to be pleasant.” You would have expected sarcasm, but again, it was facts. His tone was level and the solemnness of it rattled me.
Nathaniel came up and shook my hand again. “Good luck, son. For my daughter’s sake, I hope you are the one.”
“Thank you, sir,” I responded. He nodded, turned, and left.
Dillon broke away from Rynna and ran to stand in front of me. He looked up expectantly and crouched down. “What’s up, Little Man?”
He looked around, clearly uncomfortable, and then threw his arms around my neck. “Be careful, Mr. Aidan. My owl says this is where you’ll meet your wolf, but he’s worried about you. I’ll take care of Miss Bethany while you’re gone. I’ll make sure she went home and that she and Charlie are okay.” He pulled away and ran to Rynna as she opened the door. She didn’t say anything, just gave me an encouraging smile and then pulled the door closed behind them.
I dropped back into the chair, both filled with adrenaline and exhausted all at once. “What now?” I asked, looking between the two men.
Elias stopped pacing the perimeter of the room, but wouldn’t meet my eyes. Instead, he looked at Will. They maintained eye contact for too long, making me think there were words I couldn’t hear being exchanged. Then Will moved his gaze to mine, and steely determination stared back at me. “Now, I’m going to restrain you so you can’t hurt yourself or me. I’m going to invade your mind and body and break every bond Rhi has put on you. It’s going to take time, but nowhere near as much as you’ll need in recovery. This is going to hurt—a lot. You’re going to scream and curse my name, but if you are truly Zendrick’s son and Amelia’s mate, you will withstand it. Follow me.”
Chapter 16
It was time. As I had suspected, not long after my shower, I was summoned. Now I was pacing. I was wearing a long, ornate, deep purple dress, one of the few hanging in my closet with long sleeves, and had twisted my hair into a ballerina-style bun. The run-in with the Keeper had left me energized, but jittery. I was talking to myself as I paced, trying to practice what I could say. Trying to envision what the conversation might be like. Micah had warned me to keep my sarcasm buttoned up and to be nice.
The soft knock on the door made me jump and I was surprised when Micah stepped through. He was dressed to the nines. I wasn’t sure how I ended up in medieval dresses while he got to wear tailored suits, but he looked amazing. His hair was pulled into a low ponytail and his bright purple tie was a nice contrast to his black suit and dress shirt, matching my dress perfectly. I cocked my head.
It was an educated guess. His voice rang clearly in my head.
Are there cameras in here? Because, seriously, Micah.
He laughed out loud. “No, of course not. Going into this night, I thought you might like the visual reinforcement of your power. Because you do have power, Amelia. And you can handle tonight. You can handle her.” His laughter had died and his words were serious. I looked into Micah’s eyes and saw hope. And pride.
I wanted to believe him. I was so close to believing him. But my hands were shaking and I was scared.
“Whatever you do, Amelia, be deferential. Don’t provoke her. I haven’t seen her yet today, so I don’t know what kind of mood she’s in. Tread lightly. Try not to offend her in the first three breaths.” He waggled his eyebrows a little, clearly trying to make me laugh as we both remembered my tirade our first day. It felt like a million years ago, not just a week.
“Let’s go.” I was finding it hard to speak. The words lodged themselves in my throat and it was as if I had swallowed a cup of sand.
Micah opened the door and nodded to Baleon, who preceded us. He reached down and pulled my hand into the crook of his elbow, squeezing it.
You are stronger than you know.
They were Rynna’s words, but Micah’s voice in my head was calming. I wasn’t alone, not entirely.
Bale opened the door and his eyes connected with mine as I passed. They didn’t hold the normal indifference I had come to expect and I felt his worry. It didn’t help. The dining room was massive and lit with candle chandeliers, sending shimmering shadows across the walls. The only furniture in the room was a table able to seat forty people. Micah had to slow his step and latch down on my hand to keep me from tripping over my own two feet as we crossed the room. At the end of the too-long table sat Queen Julia. She looked every bit the Queen in her silver gown and matching crown.
“Welcome, Amelia. I’m so sorry I’ve been away. Won’t you sit?” The words she used were pleasant, but her tone was ice. Her face was expressionless and her only movement was to take a small sip of her wine. My mouth wouldn’t work and could have been stuffed with cotton balls for the all the good it was doing me.
“Good evening, Mother. I trust your trip went well and business was taken care of?” Micah pulled back my chair and helped me sit, giving me time to collect my brain from where it had obviously fallen out of my body.
She waved away his question. “Someday those buffoons are going to realize I’m right and stop pining away for their beloved Elders. They only focus on the reproductive issues we’re facing and not on ensuring our bloodlines are pure and we have eradicated all those animals.” She shook her head and then scowled. “This is not appropriate dinner talk, though, Mikail. I want to talk about Amelia. How are you finding our humble home, dear?”
I couldn’t reconcile the words I heard with the mask of indifference she wore. She was putting on a show and doing a horrible job of it.
I sputtered a little, but finally found my voice. “Y-Your home is beautiful, your highness. Mi…Prince Mikail has shown me around and I haven’t found an area I don’t love, especially the library. I enjoy books and you have a wonderful collection.” I struggled to look into her eyes for more than a few seconds at a time.
She nodded slightly. “Indeed, we do. Mikail spent far too much of his time in that drafty old library with the ancient Tragar. Had he spent his time in the training yard with the Hunters, he may be more of a force to be reckoned with, but we cannot control the genetics our children inherit, now can we?”
She arched an eyebrow and Micah sighed, his shoulders slumping. This couldn’t have been the first time they’d had this exchange.
“It’s been unfortunate I’ve had to be away in your first few days with us, Amelia, but I do hope you and Mikail were able to spend some quality time together.” Her smile made me uncomfortable. The thought of marrying Micah, not some unknown Prince, and the insinuation of what I would have to do after the wedding, made me squirm in my chair. I forced a smile and nodded.
Thankfully, she continued. “But now there is no time to waste. In the hopes one good turn might be received with another, I have a surprise for you. An incentive, we’ll call it. I’ve brought you a guest. Would you like to see who it is?” Julia leaned back in her chair, taking another larger drink from her goblet. From the corner of my eye, I saw Micah’s expression tighten and dread filled me.
“Of course, your highness. How nice of
you to think of me.” The ache inside me grew and my power flared in warning for the first time in a long time. Fear, anger, and determination swelled within. All of the Keeper magic sat in the back of my mind, but I still didn’t understand how to activate it or how helpful it would be to me. And, I knew that was the exact reaction she was looking for, so I swallowed the lump of emotions and produced another smile.
“Rhi. Bring out our guest.” Her icy smile and sneering tone as she said the word ‘guest’ sent me into an internal tailspin. There were so many people she could use to hurt me. I only prayed it wasn’t Bethany again. Not here, not with the Queen pushing me toward Micah. The door we had come through opened again and I gasped as Cole was shoved through. His hands were bound and his left eye was black. His clothes looked to be days old. I dug my nails into the armrest of my chair and tried to stay seated as Cole shuffled forward. Rhi yanked the chair next to mine from the table and barely gave Cole time to drop into it before he shoved it forward again, sending Cole reeling and knocking into the table.
“Now, Rhi, you don’t have to be so rough. And unbind the poor child. We’re having a civilized dinner.”
I couldn’t take my eyes from Cole. He had yet to look at me as he glared up at Rhi, muttering something I couldn’t hear. Rhi snickered evilly as he removed the cuffs from my brother’s wrists.
“Your day will come, Mage. You have no idea what we have in store for you.” Rhi’s words were a gruff whisper, but not quite low enough to go unnoticed by Micah and me.
Finally, my brother turned to me and without a word, I quickly scanned as much of him as I could. His face was swollen, clearly healing from a previous injury. His wrists were raw, bracelets of purple and black bruising. His shirt was torn and his jeans were stained. Dirt streaked his skin. He should have been able to heal himself, so something must have been done to bind his power.
Bound by Spells (Bound Series Book 2) Page 13
