I leaned in, my elbows on my knees. “I know. That’s part of why I’m here. I’m having a meeting tonight and I’m going to explain to everyone where things stand and what will be happening over the next few days. Derreck tells me we’re shielded from the Hunters for now, which is great, but there’s more we need to do and that means I need a favor.”
“Anything that doesn’t require movement,” Micah responded drily as he shifted in his seat, grimacing.
“Actually, it’s from your Hunter.” I glanced toward Baleon, standing directly behind Micah, and his eyes narrowed.
“Was what he did for Amelia not enough?” Micah asked.
“No, as far as I know, she’s fine. Charlie hasn’t come for me, so I assume she’s asleep,” I said.
He nodded. “Good, that’s good to hear. Then what do you need?”
“There are three things actually,” I started, “both the AniMages and Mages need to be comfortable with you and Baleon being here. Tonight, at the end of the meeting, I’d like to announce that the two of you will help remove the binds from the women Amelia didn’t get to and that you’ll be cataloging all of the power from those already here. We need to know what we’re working with when Julia sends the Hunters for us. I’d also like Baleon’s help tomorrow when we bind the Keeper power.”
The two of them spoke at once, then stopped simultaneously. Baleon gestured for Micah to go ahead, which I assumed was typical.
“As far as the first request, Bale, is that an issue?” We both looked to the Hunter.
“No, Prince Mikail, that should not be a problem. It will only take time,” he responded, his mouth in a tight line.
“Very good. I’ll also handle the documentation you need. I agree they need to see me as an ally and not a threat. As far as the last item, Aidan, is this a wise plan? Do you know what you’re doing, or better said, asking to be done?” Micah sounded wary, but not skeptical, which I appreciated.
“My theory is a Hunter who can break binds, can make them, and given Baleon’s confirmation, he can indeed break binds, it seems only logical he can bind the Keeper inside Amelia. Cole will do exactly as he did in Cresthaven. He will feed Amelia the power she needs to restrain the Keeper and control it so Baleon can place the binds. Given what Baleon did today, I’m assuming Amelia will be able to play her part. Did I miss something?” I looked up at Baleon as his nostrils flared, refusing to blink until he responded.
“And what exactly will you be doing while Cole and I put ourselves in danger?” he asked.
This time, it was my turn to react. I clenched and unclenched my fists, knowing my anger was misplaced. I kept making plans to save the girl I loved, yet couldn’t do any of the saving myself. It was damn infuriating.
“I have to stay away from her,” I forced out. “In Cresthaven, I tried to help her, to feed Amelia’s power, but the Keeper latched onto me and almost drained me dry. It made the Keeper stronger and I can’t put Amelia in that kind of danger. So, I need your help.” The knot in my stomach grew as the silence lingered.
“You will have what you need from both of us, Aidan. We know what this means, for everyone.” Micah spoke with quiet determination, and it was reassuring.
I blew out my next breath slowly, bringing my blood pressure back down before saying, “Thank you. Thank you very much, both of you. As far as tonight is concerned, I want to start by introducing the two of you and have Cora share the story of your help. I need her to begin convincing them you are on our side and aren’t going to betray us, especially Baleon. Then we can discuss the unbinding. Is there any way to remove that collar?”
Baleon smirked, his teeth a white slash against his brown skin as he wrapped both hands around the collar and yanked it apart. “This has been merely decoration for years,” he said as he tossed it onto the counter with a clanging bang.
“Perception is reality and all they need to know is she can’t get to you,” I said as I stood. “Come outside after dinner as you hear people starting to gather. The right people will know what to do and once it’s over, you won’t have to hide from anyone, except maybe Bethany.”
Micah chuckled as he shook his head. “Touché.”
8
“Right now we are in a situation with many unknowns,” I said, speaking to the Mages and AniMages who sat and stood in the grass behind Derreck’s deck. I leaned on the railing, my arms spread wide as my fingers pressed into the red varnished wood. Bethany stood off to the side near Rynna, the lone human in the group, but she stood tall and I appreciated the nod of encouragement she gave.
“We’ve come here to seek refuge from the Queen and her Hunters, to help Amelia fulfill the prophecy, and to set all of us free. There are many strong women here who have suffered a great deal through their years with the Queen. We also have AniMages who have been running, trying to save their race, since before I was born. It isn’t easy for any of us to be stuck in one place without everything and everyone we’d like, but I believe we all realize what is at stake if we’re found.”
I stopped and looked out at the crowd. The women Julia had held captive stood with hands protectively covering their bellies. The AniMages sat haphazardly in a pack on the grass and looked antsy, a feeling I understood all too well.
“There are two people here we have not discussed yet. Micah and Baleon, please join me.” I turned back toward the house as Baleon opened the door. After receiving a glare from Micah, he pulled his arm back, allowing the Prince to make his way to the chair we’d set out. Baleon took his place, standing directly behind Micah.
Murmurs erupted in the crowd and a mix of fear and anger replaced the peaceful resolve from moments ago. “Before you react, please, hear me out,” I said as I raised my hands, trying to quiet them down. “I know you saw these two arrive a few days ago. This is Prince Mikail and his guard, the Hunter, Baleon. They are on our side. They fight with us. But, I realize my words are not enough for you. Not all of you have access to me in the way my pack does and you can’t know I am telling the truth. So, I’d like to have one of you share a story. Cora, can you please come up here?” She made her way to the deck and Dillon walked with her, hand in hand, until she mounted the stairs and stood next to Micah.
She waited for the quiet, a patient smile on her face. “Many of you were there the night we escaped Cresthaven, but some weren’t. Even if you were, what Amelia did to save us and the chaos of what happened makes it hard to know exactly what you did and did not see. I was the first to be freed. I was one of the first to jump into the fray once our reinforcements arrived, and I saw who stood beside me. It was the Prince and his Hunter. We fought the other Hunters back to back. There was no question and no hesitation. I am AniMage. For as long as I can remember, I have hated the Queen and her Hunters. A Hunter killed my husband and I thought, my child. But, I am here and so is he. I am reunited with my beloved Dillon because of these two.”
Cora let her words sink in before she continued.
“After Aidan was able to get Amelia to safety, the Prince stayed behind. He faced multiple Hunters and showed mercy, even while they aimed to kill him. He did not shoot to kill. He did not use his abilities to their fullest. He deflected, he injured, and he held the line so each of us could be saved. He and his Hunter fought their families for us. Look,” she demanded, pointing to Baleon, who stared straight ahead, “the Hunter does not wear the Queen’s collar. He is not influenced by her or under her power as the others are. And the Prince, he cares for a human and allows his heart to ache versus bringing her any more pain. How could a man so compassionate be so terrible? And why would a man like that bring a spy into our midst?”
We hadn’t talked about that particular detail and as Cora’s words echoed through the group, heads turned to Bethany, who was as white as a sheet, a look of panic widening her eyes as she stood frozen. I turned to find Micah opening and closing his mouth, clearly working to find some sort of rebuttal but not finding the words.
Cora held a satisfied smil
e I didn’t fully appreciate until I looked back out into the crowd. I thought the story of Micah and Baleon’s heroics would be what they needed to hear, but it seemed a conflicted heart was something they all understood better. Everyone’s eyes bounced between Micah and Bethany before exchanging looks of commiseration and understanding. I didn’t miss the looks of judgment as well. Bethany was still the lone human in a camp of Immortals and I constantly worried about her.
“Um, thank you, Cora, for your honesty,” I said, stumbling over my own words. She nodded, and with a pat to my arm, rejoined Dillon at the bottom of the stairs. They took their seats and I continued.
“I know there are a group of you still bound from your ordeal at Cresthaven, which is another reason I asked Micah and Baleon to come tonight. They can help you, if you’ll allow it. I have to believe you’d rather be able to defend yourselves and start to feel whole again. Please, let them help you,” I said, watching for reactions. A few women brightened and a few looked terrified.
“The last of the AniMages will join us in the coming days, and they may not understand everything we have been through together,” I continued. “I need your help to share our stories and ensure they are ready to embrace this new world, because we will fight together — all of us — Mages, AniMages, and Hunters. You all know Amelia Bradbury is here and she is the one who holds the power of the Elders inside her. She will be visible and fighting alongside us again as soon as she recovers from her ordeal at Cresthaven. There are still so many decisions to make, but there are a few things I know for sure.” I started flicking my fingers in the air one-by-one as I counted them off.
“First, if you have not felt them, there are shields here and we are protected — at least, for now. We may call upon some of you to help enhance those, so anyone with that particular skill set, please see Derreck.
“Second, the AniMages are allowed to shift and run, but only within a quarter mile radius from the house. I know it isn’t much, but I understand the need to be free and I feel the pull as much as each of you. If you stay in that zone, you will be protected by the shields.
“Third, Rynna and Cora will continue to care for those who are pregnant. There are a few mothers expecting soon and we need to make sure they have safe deliveries before we move to another location.
“And last, we will fight. We will find more of our people, we will assemble, and we will fight. But, we have to be smart about it, or we will all die. So, please, be patient, and bring me both your ideas and your concerns. I don’t know what each of you are capable of, but Micah will be in charge of logging who you are and which abilities you have so we can best form groups and determine how to move forward. We all know this war has been coming for a long time. It is only now that we have hope on our side.”
I took a slow breath and steeled myself before finishing with, “So, I ask you, are you with me? Are you willing to be patient, to help each other and those who will be joining us, and give me the time I need to find the right path? Our people have fought and lost for years. If we want to win a war against the Queen and her Hunters, I need each and every one of you!”
I got louder as I went, punctuating the last sentence with multiple slaps to the deck railing. I was relieved to hear cheers and clapping when I finished, and couldn’t help but smile.
“I am going to lead a pack of AniMages out to run, because I need one myself. Everyone else, please see Derreck and Micah so we can begin to build our plan. Thank you.” I quickly hopped down the steps and stopped in front of Bethany while I gestured my restless pack to the trees. She was still pale, standing in the same position, but now biting her lip. I slowly reached out to her and put my hand on her shoulder, which made her jump.
“Hey, B. How you doing?” I asked, realizing instantly it was a dumb question. A moment of strained silence followed.
“Cheese and freaking rice,” she finally breathed out in a rush. “I don’t even know what I’m still doing here, Aidan. I’m human. I’m useless. My best friend is comatose and I can’t help her. Some woman who turns into who-knows-what just told me the guy who broke my heart — whom I’ve made it my mission to hate — still cares about me and I spend all my time trying to convince a bunch of women I’m worth their time. This is worse than high school. At least back then I was the cool one, not the one begging to be included. What am I doing? Why am I here?” She looked at me helplessly, her eyes filled with tears and her posture slumped. Nothing about this girl was the Bethany I knew.
I pulled her into a hug, and said, “I know. Trust me, I know the feeling. But, I need you. I need you to help keep me sane, and I’m going to need you when Amelia wakes up, because she’s going to need you, too. And I can’t do any of this without Cole. You are the link with the Bradburys, B, whether you want it or not. That Micah stuff, I don’t know where that came from, and we can pretend it never happened if that’s what you need. But don’t abandon me out here with all these crazies. I might shift into a damn Pegasus and disappear.” A muffled laugh came from the face buried in my chest before she pulled back, wiping under her eyes and sighing.
“Fine, Montgomery. I’ll stay. For you and Ame. But hear me now, I don’t care how he feels or what some psychic woo-woo AniMage says, I want nothing to do with him. Give me any assignment you want, but keep me on the other side of the yard.” She stood with her fist on her jutted-out hip, her feistiness returning. This was the Bethany I needed.
“All right, Blondie, done. Can you help Rynna make the rounds and check on the women? And make sure you guys get Cora to spend time with Elias. I know he’s worried about Nell and it would be great if she could figure out what to do for her.”
Bethany was already walking away, her hand waving back at me. “On it, boss,” she threw out.
I shook my head and then dove toward the trees, unable to hold back my wolf any longer. We needed to run, and I needed to think and prepare for what was coming. I had no idea what to expect, but I wouldn’t accept anything less than Amelia back in my arms, where she belonged.
9
He left me in this damn chair and sent them to me. Aidan took off and the next thing I saw was him hugging Bethany. My Bethany. The Bethany who hated me, wouldn’t look at me, and would likely use the tip of her favorite rhinestone-encrusted stiletto to punch a hole in my chest before she’d laugh with me the way she was laughing with him.
I sighed as the first woman approached me and Baleon handed me a notepad and pen. Her blonde hair was long and loose, and it looked too much like another blonde I didn’t want to think about. I could tell she was nervous by the way she twisted her hands together repeatedly.
“Hello, I’m…Micah. It’s nice to meet you.” I did not want to be Prince Mikail to these people. I wanted to be one of them, to belong somewhere. I lifted my eyes to meet hers and brought forth a smile.
“Hello. I’m Willow. I’m a Mage and a healer.” Her voice was so low, I thought I might be the only one to hear her. A healer? My face must have given away my question because she laughed, a soft melody that brought a smile to my face before I could stop it.
“Yes, I’m here. The only one here, actually,” she said as she looked around at the empty deck. “Not because I wanted you to write down my name, but because I could see you needed me. I was there. I saw what you did for us with my own eyes. I’m one of the few who were not pregnant at the time and I fought as well as I could. I only wish I’d seen Amelia’s father go down. I might have been able to help him. As it is, I consider it my duty to help you, if you’ll let me.” Willow spoke quickly, the words coming out in a rush as she continued to fidget.
I was silent a moment. She stood there simply because she wanted to heal me. There were few times in my life where someone had done something for me out of personal choice.
“I don’t know exactly what my mother did to me. All I know is I was hit multiple times and the pain is merciless. Each time Baleon finds a way to stop the pain in one place, it materializes in another. If you can stop
it, please do.” Part of me wanted to move inside, but staying out here was a political move. It showed the others I was willing to be real in front of them. No one but Willow had approached me to follow Aidan’s order of logging their abilities. I needed help in more ways than one.
Bale tried to object, but I quickly silenced him and motioned for Willow to proceed.
She squatted down in front of me and took my hands. It was a closeness I hadn’t had since Bethany and I wasn’t prepared for the feeling of soft, warm skin touching my own. I saw Willow’s healing energy. It was the same green as Cole’s power, but a grassier shade. I watched the smoke gather around our joined hands and it reminded me of the leaves in the maze behind the library — the deepest, brightest green, promising life.
“I feel what she’s done and it’s going to take more than I expected, but I think I can rid you of the spell. Brace yourself. This won’t be pleasant.” Even while her words should have concerned me, the melodic tone of her voice had lulled me into complacency, making me wonder if this was part of the healing process. Then, pain ripped through me.
I cried out as I heard her yell, “Hold him!” and felt large hands on my shoulders. As the next jolt of pain flared through my core, my eyes popped open and I watched as tears streamed down Willow’s face. She held onto me with one hand while a steady flow of red power came from the other. The fire that flared throughout my body, singeing my blood and scalding me from the inside out, was now bursting from her palm.
Seeing her in action forced me to hold myself together and stop fighting the process. Bale’s grip released marginally and eventually, Willow let go of my hand. She dropped to her knees in front of me, her breaths shallow as she folded forward, her palms flat against the deck.
I gestured for Baleon to help her. He crouched down and spoke in low tones to verify she was okay. He helped her stand as another woman mounted the stairs, coming toward us.
Bound by Prophecy (Bound Series Book 3) Page 4
