Bound by Spells (Bound Series Book 2) (19 page)

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.

The longer I stared into Cole’s eyes, the more my fury built. My breathing picked up and the roaring began in my head. The Keeper magic stayed where it was supposed to, but I could feel them crying out their willingness to help, if only I understood how.

“Don’t, Ame. It’s what she wants. I’m okay.” Cole’s words were raw, his voice hoarse. I closed my eyes, knowing he was right and hating that I couldn’t defend him as he had always done for me.

I turned back to my right, toward the Queen, only to find her studying us. She was leaned back in her chair, her elbows on the armrests and fingertips steepled together. She looked amused.
Amused
.

Calm. Stay calm
, I told myself.

I refused to take my eyes from Julia’s. “Thank you, your highness. How kind of you to invite my brother to stay with me. I can only imagine what an imposition it’s been for you to get him all the way to Washington. I expect he’ll be staying near me so we can catch up?” I gritted out the words and we both knew the game was being played.

Her eyes couldn’t hide her delight and mine likely gave away the anger I couldn’t completely tamp down. “Of course, dear. I’m sure the two of you have lots to say to each other. Just remember, your brother is here as a courtesy. And I expect that courtesy to be returned. Soon.”

What she didn’t say was, “or else,” but we all heard it. His wounds were visible on purpose. The stories he would tell me would purposefully make my blood boil. His pain was intentional. But what exactly did she want from me? My agreement to consummate a marriage I didn’t want? I couldn’t give her access to power I couldn’t control. What was her end game?

“Shall we eat?” Micah interrupted the silent war between his mother and me.

“Of course,” she replied, snapping her fingers, causing Hunters to file in with various dishes. I nodded and they piled my plate high with fish, vegetables, and breads. My glass was filled with water and for once, I wished it were wine. As I tried to take in what was happening around me, I realized the only Hunter in the room I could feel was Baleon. The rest were blank. It piqued my curiosity, but I didn’t have long to ponder over it since Micah’s worry radiated from his side of the table and my brother felt like a volcano ready to burst. I reached out toward the Queen, trying to pinpoint her aura to see if it would tell me anything useful. Unfortunately, she was like a radio tuned between two stations—a ball of static sending so many emotions my way, I couldn't begin to sort through them. I pulled away and picked up my silverware.

I ate mechanically, easing my left hand down between Cole and me. In seconds, his finger gripped mine and I almost choked as his true feelings assaulted me. My brother—the one who healed me, who calmed my storm—was battered but raging. His body had bruises I couldn’t see and his power was bound somehow, indeed. I could feel parts of him reaching for me, as they always did, but something was blocking them. I squeezed his hand, hoping to convey I would help, and his tightened around mine again.

“Amelia, I am going to be blunt. I want to see what you can do. I want to confirm for myself you have what I expect you have—what I need you to have. I saw a taste at Esmerelda’s, but if you are what they say, then there is so much more. How cooperative do you plan to be?”

I tried to keep my voice level. “Would you like me to put on some kind of display? It doesn’t work like that. I don’t know what you want from me, but I can’t just snap my fingers and make things happen. I don’t know what I am, or what I’m not, but I’m not hiding anything from you. You know very well what my childhood was like. You were watching. You know I wasn’t properly trained. You know what I know and there is nothing more.”

She laughed, a low, throaty chuckle. “Nothing more? What do you call the display at Esmerelda’s? It’s quite more than any Mage can do and you bear all the markings of an Elder. I just need to know whether you have the power. Did Liana find a way to give it to you?” She leaned in, her excitement unnerving.

“Don’t you say our mother’s name. You don’t deserve to even know her name!” Cole's raspy voice boomed through the room and he swayed back and forth on his feet.

“Oh, sit down.” Julia waved at him as if she were swatting away a fly and shook her head at the Hunters, who had moved toward my brother. “No need to get so worked up, Mr. Bradbury. I’ve known your mother for years. There was a time when we were even friends. But times change and priorities shift. She was a traitor. She made my sister a traitor. And your sister is the proof of her ultimate betrayal. The question simply is, will the two of you continue your mother’s foolish ways or will you join the right side of this war?”

“I am no one’s pawn, your highness. And you have given me no reason to choose your side outside of threatening the people I love. Why don’t you try telling me exactly what it is you’re fighting for?” Micah looked surprised at my response, as did his mother.

“You are no one’s pawn? Is that what you truly think, child?” Her tone was sharp, her eyebrows arched. “A pawn is all you have ever been. Your father tried to control and hide you to keep you from me. My son dated your little human friend simply to get close to you. Your mother used you as a vessel to hold the only magic that could supposedly stop me from trying to save us. My Hunter betrothed you to Mikail to ensure no matter what, you landed right where you are. You are nothing, if
not
a pawn.

“But I will humor you. Your family is a mix of Elder and Mage. Elders always mixed their magic with the other races and claimed it would benefit us all. What really happened is they diluted the Mage bloodlines and diminished our power. They allowed animals to pollute us and servants to believe they could rise above their ranks—that their power was theirs to have and not ours to manage. Whether the Mage inherits green or red power is as irrelevant as their eye color. What matters is that Mages rule the Immortals and ensure our survival. I have spent my life trying to cleanse our people of these mixed races and put the classes back where they belong. Don’t you see?”

I gripped Cole’s hand, trying to control my temper and the power building in my body. I had been draining myself for days, but the feeling of it growing, unfolding and stretching through my system, like the warmth of a latte on a cool morning, made me feel strong and confident.

My words were even and tempered. “Can you tell me, your highness, how Elders who ruled our people for hundreds of years in peace and harmony had it so wrong? How your methods have made us better and not worse? I realize I came from a simple place and was not well educated, so it isn’t clear to me.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly and her lips flattened into a thin line, but she didn’t scold me as I had anticipated. “My methods, as you call them, are making us better because they are ensuring Mages will dominate the Immortal race. They will be the ones to procreate again and they will have the most pure and powerful magic our people have ever known.”