Bound by Duty (Bound Series Book 1) (18 page)

“Well, since you asked so nicely, Amelia, I don’t know how I could resist.” Micah shot me one last look of irritation and turned to Cole to start relaying our story. His version didn’t differ much from mine and the whole incident took place over maybe five minutes, so there wasn’t that much to say. I kept waiting for Micah to bring up the color of our attacker’s power…but he didn’t. And Cole didn’t call him on it. As I sat back and thought about it, I realized I was likely being played by them both. Each one had independently decided what they would and wouldn’t share with the other and neither had bothered to loop me in.
Men. Sheesh.

I had brought up the blue power to Cole, but hadn’t mentioned the blue eyes I’d seen. It was common for an Immortal’s eyes to match their power, so seeing blue eyes wasn’t the weird part. It was the eyes themselves. I had only a split second to see them but I could have sworn they weren’t human eyes — which didn’t make any sense at all. I decided that I was just going to keep that to myself for now. If they wanted to play a game of secrets then fine, I could keep them, too.

“Alright. Let’s just get to the heart of it.” Cole took back control of the conversation, his tone authoritative as he stared Micah down. “Micah, do these people have any reason to want you? Do you have enemies?”

Micah paled just a fraction before his expression turned hostile and he laughed dismissively. “Me? You’re concerned about me? What about her?” he questioned as he threw an arm out toward me, obviously frustrated with Cole’s interrogation. “She’s the one running around town completely inept at controlling her magic. Her aura is stronger than anyone I’ve ever come in contact with, and you’re looking at
me
?”

I sat straight up in my chair. “My aura is
what
? ARGH! What is it with you two and the secrets?”

Micah looked at me, exasperated. “Amelia, I tried. I explained to you over and over again that you needed to control yourself — that you stood out. But you were so wrapped up in—”

“Work and school,” I quickly interrupted, giving him a pointed stare and stopping him from mentioning Aidan in front of Cole. “But, really, Micah, you should try being more direct. Something like, ‘Hey Amelia, you stand out like a lighthouse on a new moon’ might have done the trick!” I wanted to stay annoyed, but I wanted answers more. So, as embarrassment sent red flushing through my cheeks, I asked the question burning in my mind. “So, what does it mean that my aura is that strong?”

“You have got to be joking,” Micah muttered as Cole finally injected himself in the conversation again, at my defense, of course.

“Look, kid, my sister has had a rough road and I don’t appreciate all of your ‘I’m better than you’ crap. She’s obviously trying and there’s something a heck of lot bigger than the three of us out there. We need to know what it is. How about you actually provide something helpful in the conversation?”

I could see Micah seething in the chair next to me. He responded slowly, his anger barely controlled. His eyes flashed red as he turned on Cole.

“Do not call me
kid
, Bradbury. It is quite unfortunate that I seem to be the only one here who understands the gravity of the situation we’re in, and the fact that your ‘little sister’ is the flame to every other magical moth out there right now because she doesn’t know how to tone it down.” He turned to me. “Amelia, that is what I mean. The aura you exude is like magical candy. Anyone within a certain radius of you is drawn to it. I don’t actually understand why, because it surely isn’t your sparkling personality, but your power just feels different to us.”

No one said anything as we all mulled this over. Cole finally spoke, although much more respectfully, “And you’re sure this attack has nothing to do with you?”

Micah sighed. “While I cannot absolutely guarantee it — I do come from means — it doesn’t make sense. I’ve been here since before Amelia came. If someone were coming for me, wouldn’t they have done it already?”

“Fine. Fine. So, Amelia, it’s your power. You have got to lock it down. You’ve got to go back to the way it was when you first came.” Cole spoke with such authority, like I could just snap my fingers and it would be that easy. I sat there, first feeling guilty because I knew I couldn’t, then I got angry. It was happening
again
. The men in my life were just throwing out orders and I was expected to follow them without a word.

I vaulted myself out of the chair. “Oh, that is
it
!” I slammed my hands down on Cole’s desk, causing both him and Micah to jump backwards in their chairs as a violet shower of sparks erupted in the room.

“I have
had it
with you guys! I’ve had it with being told where to go and what to do and what to think and how to feel and how to spend every damn minute of my life. I’ve just HAD IT. Cole, I hear what you’re saying. I hear what Micah is saying. But, it isn’t that easy. My power is bigger and stronger than it’s ever been, since
someone
finally decided to help me do something with it,” I said as I tossed my head toward Micah and simultaneously glared at my brother.

“It won’t be pushed down and huddled up in some corner of my mind. It won’t
let me
do that anymore.” I could feel my power alternately raging and jumping with joy at my outburst. Lately, it felt even more like it was its own person, just trapped inside of me, and right now was definitely one of those moments. “It wants out, Cole. It wants to be used. If you want to protect me then you had better be okay with someone teaching me. The only way this is going to work is if I can figure out how to work with it, not against it.”

As I finished my rant, I realized that both boys were staring open-mouthed at me.

“WHAT?” I half-yelled, completely agitated. As I followed Cole’s wide eyes, I finally realized the issue. Everything in his office was floating. He hadn’t had much furniture in the sparse room to start with, but as I stopped to really look around, I realized that it wasn’t just his knick-knacks that were hovering.
Everything
was. Me. The desk with Cole in his chair. Micah in his chair. The whole room was suspended just a few inches in the air. I looked down at my own flip flops, still feeling the ground beneath my feet even though it wasn’t there. I dropped my head back and groaned in frustration.

“Just…just…dammit!” I slapped my hands down on the desk again and with another eruption of sparks, everything came down in a crash. The furniture stayed upright, but the items from Cole’s shelves toppled and scattered. “This has GOT to stop happening to me!” I exclaimed as I fell back into a chair, throwing my arm over my face.

Cole came rushing around the desk. “Ame, how did you do that? Have you always been able to do that?”

“Don’t you get it, Cole?” Micah said, scowling. “She has no idea how she just did that. That’s the problem. How are we supposed to teach her to control something she doesn’t even understand? That we don’t even understand?”

Unable to take any more of their constant bickering — or the continuous insults Micah didn’t even realize he was hurting me with — I stood up and walked out of the room. I could hear them both yelling after me, but I just kept walking.

I walked out the front door, got into my car, and purposefully ignored their calls and messages all the way home. I completely disregarded everything Cole and I had discussed about never being alone because I needed to be alone right now. And, if someone came, so be it, I had enough power whizzing through my system I was sure I could take care of myself. I walked into the building but didn’t go up to the apartment. Instead, I took the same path I had with Aidan and went to the picnic table.

I sat on the top, drawing my legs into my chest, pulling my dress skirt close, and laying my head on my knees. As I sat there, I tried everything I could to connect to my magic, but it seemed to only come out in reaction to someone else. I spoke to it — a lengthy inner monologue where I begged it to calm down and cooperate. I pleaded and even argued. Nothing. It just swirled around me and inside me, always reaching out as if it were looking for something. I had no idea how I was supposed to stay incognito while wearing a homing beacon I couldn’t control or shut down, so I finally just gave up and went inside.

Thankfully, Bethany was working.
Oh, no!
I’d done it again. I’d been so wrapped up in my own drama that I’d forgotten to talk to Micah about the double date. I dug out my phone and swept my finger across the screen, realizing I had been outside for over two hours. It seemed like only minutes. It was still only 10:00 p.m., so I went ahead and called Micah anyway.

He wasn’t exactly pleasant on the phone, but I suppose that’s what I got for walking out on him and Cole, and then ignoring their constant calls and messages for the past two hours. But, he calmed down and shut up when I told him what was happening with Bethany. I really had come around about those two and he seemed like he did really like her. I made him promise to leave her a message asking to see her tomorrow and to set a real date if he didn’t want to double with Aidan and me. We all needed a little normalcy for a night.

I heard Bethany come flying in the door about eleven, which was her normal time on the nights she closed the restaurant. She had to stay late to close out all of the other server’s tabs, count down the drawers, and reconcile the night. I had left my door open and was sitting in my papasan, allowing my mind to wander as music played softly in the background.

I heard the thud of her purse hitting the counter and moments later she almost skipped into the room and dropped onto my bed. She bounced up and down, chanting, “He calllled, we’re going on a daaaate! On Frrrriday! And we’re having breaaaakfast tomorrrrow!”

“Alright, B! See, I told you! I mean, you have to make sure to give him hell for what he’s put you through, but letting a boy pamper you isn’t the worst thing in the world!” I was genuinely excited for her and seeing the spark back in her personality was exactly what I needed. I had at least done one thing right this week.

I needed to be focused on Bethany and her good news, but Aidan’s face was the only thing I could see. I could hear him in my head, telling me he’d go slow, that he didn’t want me to be afraid. But, right now, that’s all I could do — be afraid. I was spiraling out of control and all I wanted was to hold on to him, but I was so afraid I would just hurt us both. The attack made everything so real. It wasn’t just Queen Julia out there, wanting me for her evil ways. Someone else was out there who knew what and who I was and they could just as easily go after Aidan.

“Amelia, honey, where’d you go? Girl, I know there’s something going on that you aren’t telling me about and I’m about at my wits end trying to sort it out myself. Just be out with it already. You were there for me; let me be there for you.” Bethany’s voice brought me out of my own head, but as the tears I held back for so long spilled down my cheeks, I had no idea what to say. It took all of my willpower to once again stop the truth from tumbling out of my mouth.

“Oh, B. It’s all just a mess,” I finally sputtered out. “Aidan is amazing, but I’m slowing things down one minute and jumping ahead of myself the next. I think I know what I want, but then I don’t, and I keep changing my mind. I think I’m going to ruin this because I’m scared.” It was the closest I could come to the truth.

“Argh. These boys will be the death of us, Ame.” Bethany shook her head as she quickly exhaled a puff of air that pushed her bangs out of her eyes. “I know what you’re saying about being scared, but Aidan isn’t going to run away and I don’t think he’ll let you either. You’ve got to decide what’s more important, lady — following your fear or following your heart. If you pick heart, you’re gonna have to accept being scared to death, but what you get in the end could be better than you ever imagined.”

I don’t know why I was shocked to hear Bethany throw out such sage advice as simply as if she were telling me which shoes went best with my outfit. It was what she always did at the exact moment I needed it. Every single time I broke down, that girl showed up with a smile and a mop to clean up the mess.

“Now,” she said, smacking her hands on her knees and standing up, “I do believe Fro-Yo is in order. There will be no more crying tonight. We are eating our weight in pineapple yogurt covered in sour gummy worms and strawberries, so move it, sister.”

She walked out of my room, leaving me no choice but to wipe my eyes, shake my head, and follow her. As we got into her Jeep, she also added, “And, no more sad music. For goodness sakes, Amelia, let’s at least convince ourselves we’re the ones in charge of these crazy relationships.” Her exaggerated sigh and eye roll had us both giggling, which was exactly what I needed.

We both knew the boys held the upper hand whether we wanted to admit it or not, but we still sang along to the radio, belting out lyrics about being “Stronger”. I couldn’t have been more thankful to have someone who could read me like a book and knew exactly how to pull me out of my own head. Well, that and a Fro-Yo spot that was open until midnight on campus.

After that night, I kept to my word and didn’t go anywhere alone. Micah and I kept up our sessions, focusing more and more on trying to control my unwilling power. Well, control probably isn’t the right word, considering it had refused to do anything I wanted in days and seemed to constantly be raging at me. I could feel it beating against my mind, as if it were trying to tell me something, but we just weren’t speaking the same language. It was frustrating and exhausting, all at once.

The only time my magic was cooperative was when Micah put me in almost threatening situations. He would deliberately come at me, his own power full-force, demanding a rise from mine. Only during those times did I have moments of complete dominance, where I was working in tandem with my power. I was able to lift larger and heavier items, take sneak peeks into the thoughts of my neighbors — since they were human and couldn’t stop me — and my defense just kept getting better. I hadn’t had any new issues pop up lately, and for that I was grateful.