“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” she howled as she bolted upright in the bed. Her emotion was everywhere at once. I choked on the pain and the hate she let out as she continued to scream in agony, her heart breaking all over again for reasons she never expected. I should not have felt her emotions so clearly, but I couldn’t turn it off, or down. I couldn’t stop the torrent of suffering she’d never understood until now.
I stood, intending to try to calm her. I reached for Julia and at the same moment, she shot a blast of red fire at me. It barely left her hand before I absorbed it and without thought, latched onto the source. Her power was a single thread inside her and that shot had taken most of what remained.
“This is how it has to be. You have to be stopped completely,” I said. Then, I pulled. It was effortless. The thread was tethered to nothing. There was nothing in Julia’s core, no true soul to speak of, and the power came easily into me. I turned my opposite palm up and allowed the power to exit, dissolving into a thin mist that dissipated into the air.
She watched it all in silence. With empty eyes, she watched me take what was left, the very essence of what she believed in, and said nothing.
We stared at each other for a few long minutes.
Finally, I said, “There are people outside who want to see you. They want to know this is over.”
Before I went for the door, I walked around the bed and snatched the cuff from the shelf. “And this, is mine.” I snapped the cuff over my forearm, immediately comforted by my mother’s gift. With the Keeper gone, it did nothing, and for that, I was grateful.
I took two steps toward the door, wanting to open it myself and reassure Aidan I was fine in person when she said, “It is indeed over.” The resignation in her tone spun me around just in time to see Julia, the covers down, a small dagger in her hand.
“The very same dagger that started this will end it. Fitting, don’t you think?” she asked. I stared at her, stupefied and unable to react as she gave me a sad smile and drove the dagger she’d used to kill Lavignia into her stomach.
The sight of blood got my attention and I almost ripped the door from its hinges to get it open. Aidan, Micah, and Rynna were the first in the room. Aidan came to me and pulled me to him, forcing my eyes away from her as I cried.
Micah and Rynna took opposite sides of the bed. Blood poured from Julia’s stomach and neither made a move to magically assist her. Instead, each one took one of her hands and they began to sing, the two a perfect harmony.
She plucked the sun from the sky,
She borrowed the moon for one night,
She looked down at this place,
And knew the timing was right.
She poured drops from the ocean,
Breathed fire from the core,
She exhaled her breath,
Dug her hands into the soil.
She gave of herself,
It flowed freely within,
But without her love and light,
Our souls will grow dim.
The keepers of men,
Caretakers of fur and fin,
Sworn protectors,
Guardians of all of them.
Her light shines bright,
We are never alone,
We need only look in,
To finally be home.
Before they could finish the last stanza, the light of life left her eyes and she was gone.
“Go home, Mother,” Micah said, his voice quivering.
“Let peace finally be with you, sister,” Rynna whispered.
47
One month later…
We were in the library, the place that had become our sanctuary since Julia’s death. The Hunters still avoided it and Tragar was a fountain of information about what life had been like when Gaea was still revered. We spent a lot of time listening not only to him, but anyone who wanted to share with us. Every memory taught us something new about who we were — to each other and the Earth.
Aidan and I sat across from Cole and Bethany. She had done her duty taking him back to the cabin after Joran got them to Tragar. We sent Joran for them as soon as we could and they’ve both stayed at Cresthaven with us since. They were somewhat inseparable, actually, which I found strange considering Cole had always referred to Bethany as a princess and she seemed to annoy him to no end. Even now, he was rolling his eyes as she chattered on about requesting some southern food from the Hunters who chose to remain cooks.
Cole and I had many conversations prior to today about me trying to give him his Mage power back. I was certain I could do it, but he continued to hesitate. I thought we were here to finally get on with it.
My knee bounced up and down, the anxiety and excitement of the possibility churning through me. Aidan reached out and brushed his fingertips over my shoulder. He fed calm energy into me, which was typically unnecessary. But this was my brother we were talking about. As my knee stilled, he shot me a wink, and I jabbed him in the side to remind him he shouldn’t be so cocky all the time.
If cocky is code for right, then fine, he whispered in my mind.
I rolled my eyes and refocused on Cole, but he was watching Bethany, a small smile playing at his lips. She stopped talking and I watched her take in the full weight of his stare. Her cheeks flushed and I knew what that secretive smile meant before either of them said a word.
“No way!” I exclaimed. Shock and elation hit in equal measures as Aidan laughed at my outburst. Cole lifted his arm and draped it across Bethany’s shoulders.
“Way,” he responded, smirking as both eyebrows shot up and down.
This time, we all laughed. “Tell me everything,” I demanded. Realizing what I’d just asked for, I immediately backtracked. “No, not everything, just how and when this all happened! What happened to princesses and dumb as dirt goobers?”
Cole looked down at Bethany and mouthed “goober” at her. Then, he gave her a modified version of the look he used to reserve for me. The one that said I had better start explaining or apologizing.
He didn’t get a chance to speak before she swatted at his chest, and said, “Oh, come off it, Cole. Think of it like recess. I just threw the ball at your head, so clearly I like you.” She grinned, and he shook his head.
“I may have lost my damn mind, Ame, that’s what happened,” he said. That got him a shove, but he dropped his arm down and locked her to his side. “Will you just behave?” he asked.
“Never!” she said, her voice muffled from her face being shoved into his chest.
“Okay, cut it out, you’re bordering on gross,” I said. “Really, though, when did this happen?” I settled back into the couch and tucked myself next to Aidan.
“You may as well spill,” Aidan interjected. “She won’t let this go.”
I poked him in the ribs, but never took my eyes off my brother and my best friend.
“I think in some ways it’s been happening all along, we just didn’t realize it,” Cole said.
“But, really, it started when we came back from Cresthaven,” Bethany continued. “I needed someone and so did he, for different reasons, obviously. The more we talked, the more we realized we already knew a lot about each other and we shared some common interests.”
This time, it was Aidan who choked on his surprise. “Like what?” he spat out.
“Well, Mr. Negative Ned, we both care about kids and want to help them. Back in Mississippi, I used to do Big Brothers, Big Sisters and I’ve always admired what Cole built with his gym. And I already told you about my Kenpo training, so Cole’s MMA obsession is something I get. And we both care about you fools,” she said.
“But, most importantly,” Cole interjected while Bethany continued to give Aidan the eye, “we realized we both needed a little normalcy. We want calm. We want a chance to really get to know each other. I want to take Bethany on an actual date.”
“You do?” she squeaked out, sitting taller in her seat to peck a kiss to his cheek.
“Wait,” I said as his words clicked
into place. “That means…” I trailed off, not wanting to jinx myself if it weren’t true.
“We have to go,” Cole confirmed. “We want to go back home to Brighton.”
“So you can try out a normal life,” I reiterated, internally laughing at the irony. There was a time normalcy was all I wanted. Now, here I was, trying to bring together what was left of an Immortal race that didn’t trust me or each other.
Aidan squeezed my shoulder and I looked up at him, already knowing we were on the same page.
“You deserve normal, both of you. But, Cole, are you sure you don’t want any of your power back? I know I can do it. I don’t want to leave you unprotected.” I gnawed at my lip, my worry already shouting “what ifs” in my mind.
“I don’t actually,” he said. “I want to go back to Brighton. I want to run my gym and give kids a role model they can trust. Bethany helped me see that the power didn’t define who I was, and she’s right.” He smiled at Bethany, and they exchanged knowing looks. “I don’t need power to be whole, Ame. We don’t have to worry about being attacked anymore. You’re a badass and I don’t think anyone wants to mess with the badass’s big brother.” My brother looked utterly at peace with his decision.
“Okay. So you guys are going home, to be together. Wow,” I said, still wrapping my mind around it all. I sat up and then stood, gesturing to Bethany. “Get over here,” I demanded as tears threatened.
As soon as Bethany was close enough, I grabbed her in a huge hug. “I love you, girl,” I whispered in her ear. “I’ll miss you.”
She smelled like vanilla. It brought back so many memories of days before life got complicated and we were just two girls sharing their first apartment. Bethany pulled away, putting one hand on each of my cheeks. “I will love you forever, Ame, but I have got to get the hell out of here.”
We stared at each other for a quick second and then burst into laughter. I would never be able to fill the hole she’d leave, but that’s what friends do. You have to let go sometimes.
I felt a hand lightly shoving me out of the way. Aidan pushed through and snagged Bethany in a hug as well. “He doesn’t understand how much trouble you can be, Blondie, but he’ll know soon enough,” he said, pulling her ponytail. She swatted him away and stood next to Cole. It already looked right as he wrapped an arm around her waist.
“Will you talk to Micah?” I had to ask. I thought his absence lately had to do with everything we had in motion, but realized now he knew what I had been oblivious to.
Bethany and Cole looked at each other. “I did,” Cole said quietly. “He understands as much as he can. We don’t know where this will go, but we want to try.”
I struggled to know one heart had to break in order to make another whole, but Bethany had been through too much to be tied to an Immortal. I saw that clearly. I only hoped Micah was okay.
“Then you should go, and know that we’re happy for you,” I said, meaning every word.
Aidan reached out and pulled Cole in for one of their bro hugs before I was enveloped in a traditional Cole bear hug. It was decided they would leave in the next few days.
I was becoming more and more accustomed to the fact that nothing ever stayed the same. We were all in a state of motion that made standing still impossible. Life just didn’t allow for that kind of complacency, even when you wished like hell it would.
It had been hours. A parade of people came in and out of Cresthaven wanting to meet Micah, me, and Aidan. They wanted to confirm what had spread like wildfire through the Immortal world. Queen Julia was dead. Rhi was dead. We hadn’t decided the best way to broach the topic of Gaea, and it didn’t feel right to sporadically do it with those in attendance, so we sat and we listened.
A dull throb started at my temples. I didn’t mind people, but only for so long. I wasn’t built for this. Aidan’s hands came to my shoulders and I relaxed into his slow massage, appreciating that he instinctively understood what I needed. There were still days I wanted to throttle him for anticipating my arguments and jumping ahead of our conversations before I had the chance to say the things in my head, but every relationship was a constant work in progress.
I was fairly certain he didn’t appreciate my constant second-guessing of our plans and my strings of questions with no answers. I also knew he struggled with being here. He wanted the freedom of the forest. He wanted to be out with the AniMages, finding those who were still hiding and unaware they could return. That’s where I wanted him to be, but right now, we had to win over the more influential Immortals and ensure they understood what we were trying to build.
I looked across the table at Micah.
Is it over yet? I asked.
Be patient, Amelia, Micah scolded, not for the first time. These people have waited a long time for this.
He was right. I knew he was. And he played the part of the royal perfectly. Smiling and nodding, complimenting when I would have said something snarky.
I need a break. Like now. He gave me a quick glare, but then nodded, making some announcement that Aidan and I were needed in another part of the house.
I smiled, truly grateful for the reprieve. As soon as we closed the side door behind us, we ran, laughing and gloating over our quick bit of freedom.
We slowed to a walk and Aidan pulled me into a dark room. I leaned against the door, his hands in my hair and his mouth on mine. Over the last month, so much had changed. We finally had quiet time together. We finally had late nights in the same bed. We shared dreams and made memories. We gave and took from each other, finding connections in ways I had only dreamed about. I hadn’t known what to expect, but as he generally was, Aidan was patient and tender. Every day with him stirred new feelings and intense emotions. I couldn’t imagine a life without him.
As Aidan kissed his way up my neck, it dawned on me. He gave to me all the time, but too often, I took. We were here, inside Cresthaven, because I believed this was where I was supposed to be. But it wasn’t.
I gently nudged Aidan’s chest and as we separated, my will wavered against his smoky stare. His eyes devoured me in a way that made me melt, but I shook my head slightly. “Aidan, we have to get back. There’s something I have to do.”
He glowered down at me. “We’re in the middle of doing something,” he said, his tone seductive and sulking all at once.
“You’re going to like this,” I said, lifting to my tiptoes to press a kiss to his scowling mouth. “Trust me.”
“I sincerely doubt anything taking me out of this room is going to be better than what was about to happen in it,” he said, grumbling.
I rolled my eyes and pulled him by both hands out into the hall back toward Micah. I got lucky. He came out of the main room as we approached and I directed him to a small table in the hall.
Aidan stood next to me, pelting me with silent questions I refused to answer. We had been able to develop some small shields against sharing every one of our thoughts, and these I kept to myself.
“Amelia, there are so many things that need done. You wanted out and I let you out. What do you need now?” I let Micah’s frustration roll off me.
“You hit it on the head, Micah. You’re great at all of this,” I waved my hand around, “pomp and circumstance. You know how to deal with everything they need, even when they don’t know they need it. I’m terrible at it. But, you’re the royal. I’m the Elder. He’s the AniMage King. We don’t belong here. This is your kingdom, not mine.”
Micah stared at me curiously. “You aren’t making any sense, Amelia.”
I laughed, the giddiness I felt bubbling up. “Gaea said I was no longer bound by the prophecy. So, what I’m saying is, I will not rule them all. You will.” I paused, letting that sink in. He leaned in like he hadn’t heard me correctly.
“Elders were never meant to rule,” I said, trying a different angle. “I have a role, but this isn’t it. And Aidan needs to be with his people. You and I are connected. You don’t need me here. Maybe for a little whil
e so we can get people to understand what we’re doing, but we won’t stay here long term. These are your people, Micah. This is your house. You are the King of the Immortals.”
Aidan’s shock was just as palpable as Micah’s. Even more so when Micah yanked me in for a hug. “Thank you,” he whispered.
“You have no idea how happy I am to do it.” I laughed as he released me.
I turned to look at Aidan.
You amaze me, he said.
A girl’s got to keep you on your toes, Montgomery, I returned with a grin.
Epilogue
We were in the grand ballroom. I stood at the center of a raised platform built by the Hunters. Amelia and Aidan were on my left and my Aunt Ryannon and Derreck on my right. We faced a crowd of a few hundred. Immortals of all races stared back at me, all in one room. They looked slightly wary of each other, and yet, they were here.
I searched the crowd and found Elias, Nell, and their children, who had awoken one day as babies instead of kittens. Amelia insisted magic lived within them, we just hadn’t found a way to activate it yet. She was on a mission to solve the puzzle my mother couldn’t. She and Aidan wanted to go out and search for the Immortals still in hiding. She believed there were more out there than we thought.
Joran was there as well, his head held high as he stood among the Hunters who had re-pledged themselves to the Clair line. No one would be forced into servitude again, and each Hunter had been given the choice to stay or go. Some chose to go, and I wished them well. Joran stayed, as did many others. Baleon stood close to the stage, always my second and never far from me. He was ever vigilant. Tragar stood close to Bale, as far from the rest of the Hunters as he could get. He had ink on his cheek, and was wearing a big grin.
My eyes continued, landing on Willow, the lovely blonde healer who helped me after we escaped Cresthaven. She smiled as my gaze lingered and I forced myself to leave my eyes on her for a moment longer, bringing a small smile to my lips. The hole Bethany left was still there and gaping, but my head understood why she hadn’t chosen me. My heart just needed to get with the program.
Bound by Prophecy (Bound Series Book 3) Page 25
