Bound by Spells (Bound Series Book 2) (26 page)

Finally, he stopped me and I heard a door open. Placing his hand on my lower back once more, he guided me into a room. I heard the loud
thud
of the door being closed and the
snick
of the lock. I focused on the sounds. Beeps at regular intervals. The
ting
of metal on metal. Quiet feminine voices. A television in the background. The sound of muffled tears.

My nose wrinkled at the smell of bleach. Anxiety crept through my system. “Joran?” I said his name quietly, unsure of who else was in the room, but knowing there was no way we were alone. He didn’t respond, but the air shifted as what had to be a hand moved across my face. And, just like drapes being pulled to one side, my vision returned.

My mouth gaped open and I gasped as I took in the scene around me. There were women everywhere—there had to be twenty of them—all in hospital beds, hooked up to multiple machines. Each one looked at me in fear, their eyes wide as they pulled themselves to the furthest corners of their beds. Only one looked at me passively—indifferent even. She had long, deep red hair pulled to the side in a braid that interrupted the blue-checkered pattern of her hospital gown. She stared into my eyes with such intensity, such hate, I could hardly maintain the contact. She didn’t know me or why I was here, but it didn’t matter.

My eyes travelled the cavernous room, with rows of beds and scared women, finally landing on barred doors lining the walls. One look at the animals struggling to move to the back of their cells and I knew what was in front of me. I had seen enough pregnant stray cats growing up to recognize it right away. I walked slowly through the room, looking at each woman, even though most wouldn’t look at me. Joran didn’t try to stop me, but he stood still, his face blank as he looked in the opposite direction of the women. Then I came to the cages.

In the first cell was a cheetah. Her coat was dull and patchy, her frame small but clearly bloating with pending kittens. A collar around her throat was anchored to the wall, giving her only a few feet of chain to work with—just enough to lay on the floor as she labored to breath. Next to hers was a cage far too small for the tigress contained in it. She, too, was chained to the wall, her belly swollen with kittens. She huddled in the back of the cage, baring her teeth at me as I wrapped my hands around the bars of her cell. A low growl rumbled in her throat and tears welled in my eyes. Her fear was only slightly outmatched by her determination to protect her kittens.

Not wanting to scare her, or anyone, further, I pulled away and stood. Seeing the two pregnant AniMage females made me look harder at the women around me. Each one protectively wrapped their arms around their bellies. The women were all in varying stages of pregnancy—a few weren’t even showing. I was certain I had found myself in Julia’s personal breeding center. Our conversations suddenly made sense now. She was up front about the fertility challenges the Immortals had been facing and had alluded to finding the solution, but I never imagined this.

Anger rushed through my veins and I debated removing the cuff right then and there, ripping the doors off the AniMages’ cages and getting both the women and animals out, but I had to be smart. I had no idea where I was, I had no help, and I wouldn’t have any clue what to do with these poor women when I got them free. I had to remind myself these were women carrying children. I couldn’t put them in more danger than they were already in.

“Where is she?” I demanded as I strode to face Joran. He opened his mouth to answer as I heard the door open. I turned to find Rhi enter the room. I crossed my arms over my chest as I watched him move toward us. Rhi stared me directly in the eyes, gloating over my rage. His mouth twisted into an evil smile and he ran his hands over the foot of the women’s beds as he passed. He didn’t spare them a look, but his smile grew as they cowered away. He enjoyed their fear and it made me want to break him. I clenched my fists and reminded myself
again
, now was not the time.

As he got closer, Joran adjusted his position so he was standing beside me. He moved only inches, but I felt his presence and it gave me confidence. Between his earlier words and his behavior now, I knew he was at least a partial ally. Right now, I would take whatever I could get. Unfortunately, Rhi also noticed his movement.

“Do you stand with the Keeper now, Joran? Do you betray your people and your Queen?” Rhi walked around us in a tight circle. He took slow, measured steps as he eyed not only me, but Joran. His eyebrows rose over his bright orange eyes as he appraised me. His eyes met my own, traveling to my toes and back again. As he walked a second circle, he stopped in front of me, leaning in so his face was only inches from mine. Power rippled through me and from the way my Keeper bounced around frantically inside me, I was sure his swirling orange eyes were met with the deep violet of my own. Violet smoke I couldn’t stop gathered in my palms as I struggled to stand still.

“You are an abomination, girl. What’s inside you should never have been, and we will get it out. One way or another, the Elder power will be put in the hands of the Queen and used for its rightful purpose. You may think otherwise, but you are only a pawn in this game. You mean nothing. You are nothing.” He smiled and then a flash of surprise crossed his face as I smiled in return. A wide grin formed as I leaned into him this time, whispering my own threats.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Hunter. I broke your binds once. I have more power inside me than you’ve ever had in you.” His eyes narrowed and his smile melted into a thin line as his jaw clenched. I continued. “You can’t begin to know what I’m capable of. And bringing me here to see this was the wrong move. I didn’t know firsthand what you were doing. I didn’t understand. But I see it now. You’ve just made this my fight, and I will fight you with every ounce of what’s inside me until you beg me to stop.”

“Enough.” Her clipped tone cut through the tension between us, and both Rhi and I pulled back, turning to see the Queen standing just inside the door. She walked toward us, wearing a pantsuit, her heels clicking across the cement floor. It was the first time I’d seen her in anything but a formal dress. She looked like woman ready to go into the office instead of a manipulative mastermind. Every hair was perfectly in place, pulled up in a loose chignon. Her face was made up flawlessly, down to the smoky eye shadow making her blue eyes seem even brighter.

She made her way to us, stopping every so often to tap the end of a bed and tell a woman she looked healthy, to comment her baby was growing so well, or to ask her how she felt. They murmured responses without meeting her eyes and Julia didn’t acknowledge their fear or the complete silence overtaking the rest of the room. She finally made her way to stand in front of me, but before she could speak, I did.

“What’s going on here?” I demanded. “What are you doing to them? I thought our people couldn’t get pregnant.”

I scanned the women once again and only the redhead would meet my eyes. Now her look was different. She looked at me with interest—hope even. Our eyes locked and I wished I had time to create a connection with her, but I had to focus.

“I knew after last night you wouldn’t listen to words. I wasn’t going to be able to convince you of anything unless you saw it for yourself.” She turned to survey the room and I could feel pride radiating from her. She truly believed what she was doing was the right thing.

“What I see are women being held against their will.” Violet smoke still surrounded my hands and I took a few breaths in an attempt to temper my power and calm the emotional storm brewing inside me. I was outraged on so many levels but Micah had warned me she was unstable. I had to play the game.

Julia faced me again. “When Mikail’s father died, all I wanted was revenge. I wanted to see the AniMages punished for their crimes. They were always the weakest link and the Elders allowed their magic to pollute ours. They claimed the mixing of magic furthered our abilities and evolved our lines, but the truth was, the Elder control inhibited our growth.” I wanted to interrupt. But, though Julia was speaking to me, she clearly wasn’t present. Her far-off gaze and hollow words made it obvious it wouldn't matter what I said. She wanted to tell her story, so I bit my lip and let her.

“Mages were put in charge of the people because we are the purest lines. We are not animals. Our instincts are not to hunt and destroy. So, yes, at first, I took my revenge upon the AniMages. It wasn’t easy, mind you. First, I had to convince the Hunters and other Mages I was correct. I needed them to believe AniMages weren’t worth saving. And then, I tried to convince the Elders, but in the end, I just used their love of people against them.” Julia smiled to herself, a satisfied quirk of her lips.

I hadn’t known how disturbing a smile could be until it was attached to stories of murder and genocide.

“The Elders serving on the council wouldn’t leave their chamber in the main castle, so I attacked their mates to draw them out. I knew one couldn’t fully function without the other, and I can be so creative with my torture techniques.” Julia smiled to herself, the memories that turned my stomach and provided history I wanted to forget bringing her satisfaction once again.

“Once the Elders were no longer there to meddle in royal affairs, I drove the AniMages from our lands and disposed of their leaders. But I ordered my Hunters not to kill any children. I was pregnant with Mikail at the time and couldn't bear the thought. They were to bring the children to me in hopes I could cleanse them of their vile blood and they could help build the next Immortal generation. They were part Mage. I had hoped to simply make them all Mage. I had come to my senses and realized it made no sense to kill off an Immortal species simply because I could. It made far more sense to simply alter them to be what we all needed, which was to be fully Mage. Then, they could be trusted. They could be taught. But, as my Hunters swept the countryside of our homeland, they found there were few children and even fewer pregnant women—both AniMage and Mage. I knew then something had to be done. So, instead, I asked Rhi and his men to bring the pregnant women to me. All of them.”

Her words sunk in as I scanned the room again. The women were of varying ages and lineage. “How long have they been here?” I asked.

“It depends. Once they can no longer conceive, they are of no use to me.” Julia shrugged, as if her statement had no further implications.

“What happens to them when they can no longer conceive?” The words were slow to exit my mouth.

“That is no concern of mine. Rhi and the female Hunters handle such things.” She spoke the words as if my questions were stupid as she waved a hand in the air, swatting the notion away like an annoying fly. As if I should have assumed not all of the women had been here for years, and of course, they would be disposed of once they were no longer useful. I looked toward Rhi and he was smiling again. A disgusting twisted grin confirming the poor women were dead.

“Does Prince Mikail know about this? Does he understand what you’ve been doing?” I prayed she would say no. I couldn’t fathom Micah being a part of this.

“Of course not,” she snapped. “My son has no idea and it will continue as such. He doesn’t need to concern himself with this. He is not built to handle the pressure of ruling. Joran and Rhi are the only males allowed here. Female Hunters guard the women and Mikail has only seen the Huntresses as servants. He would never consider I have alternative uses for them.”

“And the Huntresses, do they have the same problem?” I caught Joran wince ever so slightly from my peripheral vision.

“Not that it matters, but since they have come to work for me, no, the Huntresses have borne no children.” I turned to scan the room again, but really only wanted to see Joran’s reaction. His features may as well have been stone, and he stood as if there were a metal rod in his back. There was more to Julia’s story than her casual dismissal of their worth.

I took a minute, letting her words and his reaction sink in. Everything about this was too much. I wanted to free the women and AniMages right now. I wanted to stab Rhi in the heart with the nearest scalpel and pin Julia to the wall while I let the shifted AniMages feast on her body. Revulsion pooled in my stomach and bile built in the back of my throat.

“Why am I here?” It was the million-dollar question. I couldn’t fathom what it was she expected me to do.

Julia’s cold smile sent chills down my spine. “You, dear, are here because not one of these women can actually give birth to an Immortal child. They either miscarry or the poor thing is born human.” The way she said human, with such disdain and loathing, made it clear she hated humans even more than AniMages.

“What happens to the human children?” The words slipped from my mouth as I exhaled, though I hadn’t meant to say them.

“She kills them! She takes our babies and she kills them! MURDERER! SHE’S A MURDERER!” The shrill screams of one of the women made me jump. She pulled on her restraints, tears streaming down her face as she continued to scream, “MURDERER!” She was one who didn’t have an obvious belly. I was sure she must have recently had a baby who had been taken.

Julia stared in her direction, entirely indifferent to the wailing accompanying her outburst. “Where are the guards? Sedate her before she riles the others.”

Rhi didn’t wait for guards, or call for anyone. Instead, he stalked toward the woman. Her screams stopped and she pulled herself into the corner of the bed, trying to become as small as possible. He grasped around her ankle, his hand glowing orange. She yelped and I heard his low words, a vibration filled with painful promises.