Bound by Duty (Bound Series Book 1) (28 page)

That set off a fresh wave of tears. I gave myself one more minute to let my heart howl in agony before I pulled back and started to wipe my eyes.

“I can’t do this right now. He can’t matter right now. Right now is about Bethany. You have to keep me focused. You have to help me get her back.” I stood there, staring into my brother’s eyes as the transformation came over both of us.

His jaw tensed, his eyes darkened, and his posture stiffened. My own magic rose to meet his, making my eyes change to luminescent violet and my sorrow get buried in the back corner of my mind. This wasn’t the time for me to wallow in my broken heart. Maybe what Derreck told me was already happening — I was already choosing duty over love. It wasn’t even a choice, it was just how it had to be.

Micah showed up not long after Aidan left. Cole and I were talking quietly when he walked in. We had already decided that we were not sharing anything with him about my Keeper status. There were far too many unknowns at this point. Midnight was only an hour away and we went over our very simple plan, time and time again. I basically knew where I was going. I would slowly build my power levels as I hiked, making sure I could instantly protect Bethany and myself if it came to it.

Micah and I would open communication lines right before I left. He would see everything, including how I got there so he and Cole could find us if need be. We still hadn’t heard from Uncle Derreck and his phone was going straight to voicemail. Hopefully, he would show up soon. We could use his expertise on this one.

If all hell broke loose, they would get to us as fast as they could, which was pretty fast. My job was to protect Bethany, get us the hell out of there, and to try to keep my rogue power in check so that the AniMages didn’t understand more about me than they needed to. I realized as I reran the plan through my mind that I still hadn’t told them what I knew.

I cleared my throat, suddenly feeling like a bit of traitor for holding out on them. “Um, you guys should probably know that I’m pretty sure they’re AniMages. The people who have Bethany. I mean, I know they are. I watched Melinda shift at the theater.” I squirmed a little in my seat, knowing just what was coming.

Both Cole and Micah started yelling at the same time. It was a combination of “Why didn’t you tell us?” and “What the hell are you talking about?” and five or six other jumbled questions and swear words overlapping each other.

I stood and spread my hands out, trying to shush them both. “I get it! I should have told you! Do you guys want to know what I know, or what?” They both shut up, glaring daggers at me. Micah looked down at his watch, making it clear I was wasting time.

I sat back down. “You know, I don’t need either of your hostility. It’s been a hell of a few days and I’ve got a lot on my plate. Bottom line is, the blue power we saw coming at us on the beach that day was AniMage power. Did you know that, Micah?” My tone was accusing, but deep down I hoped he hadn’t.

Much to my dismay, he averted his eyes. “Ha — gotcha! See? You knew. And you didn’t say anything either.” I pointed an angry finger at him, waiting for his defense.

“No, Amelia, I didn’t say anything,” he said with a scowl. “But, it wasn’t because I knew then, I didn’t know until today. Just tonight after I left you and talked to my people, that’s when I knew. I wasn’t withholding information, like some people.” He narrowed his eyes, glaring as I rolled my own.

“Whatever. Either way, I saw Melinda at the last second before we got away shift into a huge, dark red wolf. I don’t know if all of her people are AniMages, or what this rebel group is all about, but I wouldn’t be surprised. From what you’ve told me, Cole, they got the crappy end of Julia’s wrath.”

I saw Micah tense at the same time that Cole eyes darkened. “They sure did, which makes them even more dangerous, Ame. Dammit, I should be going with you.” That set the boys off on another heated argument.

I found myself reassuring them, when in all reality, I know it should have been the opposite. An eerie calm had come over me, my magic was a whisper in every cell. Not pumping through my veins as it had been lately, it made itself known in other ways. My stride was faster. My hugs to them before I left more fierce. My eyes shone like night lights. Even my hair floated a bit around me. This was how I had felt at the theater. Like I could do anything.

I was going to get my best friend back.

I let the back door slam after I shoved my way through it, convincing myself I could do this. I walked up the trail and at the tree marked with a slash, I deviated and started pushing through the brush. I didn’t go far before I came to a clearing. Micah was in my head; I could feel him sitting in the back of mind, trying to be quiet, but his anxiety radiated into my subconscious.

As I pushed the last of the tiny tree branches out of my path, I saw him. Across the grass-covered oasis stood a man that had to be six-foot-five. Even from my distance, I could see the rigidity of his muscles as he stood facing me, his arms crossed. What I couldn’t see was his face as the trees cast a shadow over him.

We both stood facing each other, silent. Finally, I opened my mouth to ask where Bethany was when he spoke first.

“Get him out,” he said. His tone was dry and impatient.

“Who out?” I asked, wondering how he could possibly know.

“We all have our gifts, Amelia,” he said with a smirk. “I found his trace as easily as I found yours, it was only as you approached that I realized he wasn’t physically here. So, again, get him out. We had an agreement.” Only his mouth moved as he spoke. He didn’t fidget. I couldn’t even tell if he was breathing.

I closed my eyes and whispered a quick apology to Micah. His anger exploded just as I kicked him out of my head and shut the door behind him.

“He’s gone,” I said, immediately feeling fear flood my system as I realized I was truly alone. But, it melted into determination just as quickly. Bethany was here. I had to get her back.

The man finally stepped out into the clearing, the full moon’s light shining down on him. He took sure strides to the center, still a good fifteen feet from me. I was surprised to find he had bright red hair, thick and wavy.

“I am Elias. It’s nice to meet you, Amelia. We’ve been waiting a long time to find you,” he said, a genuine smile transforming his chiseled face from menacing to boyish charm.

I couldn’t believe how easily he transitioned to being conversational. Like we were here to get to know each other instead of freeing my imprisoned best friend.

“You know, I don’t really give a crap who you are. All I want to know is where Bethany is and what exactly you’re expecting from me to get her back,” I snapped, impatient and eager all at once.

“Fair question. She’s here.” With breaking eye contact he said, “Bring her out.” He clearly wasn’t talking to me.

Bethany stumbled out of the tree line behind Elias, flanked by a large wolf on each side. I saw the burnt red coat of the wolf on the right and knew it was Melinda. I had no idea about the one on the left, but it wasn’t just two wolves who accompanied her — animals streamed out from the forest. Wolves, panthers, mountain lions, owls…there had to be at least ten of them. The animals surrounded Elias, making a semi-circle. He still hadn’t broken eye contact or changed his stance.

“Let her go,” I said. My hands were starting to shake as my power rose to meet the surge of magic around me. All of this power in one place was more than I could handle but I couldn’t show my hand. He couldn’t know what or who I was. It was the one promise I’d made my brother, I wouldn’t give myself away. So, I pushed, shoved, and scolded myself internally, while trying to stand relaxed and poised in front of a mass of AniMages.

“We will let her go, but first, you and I need to have a discussion. There are things we need to get straight, Amelia. Information you need.” I hated the cocky certainty in his tone. How he was controlling the situation. I was surprised that my fear hadn’t returned, but for whatever reason, I was sure Elias didn’t want to hurt me. I was at least glad to know my internal alarms were back in action.

I had kept myself from looking at Bethany, trying to maintain eye contact with Elias and hold my ground, but I couldn’t stop any longer. She stood stick straight, and even with her hair a mess of tangles, her makeup streaming down her face from dried tears, and a wrinkled and dirty dress, she held an uninterested stare until her eyes connected to mine. As soon as we locked, the fear was evident. The panic she had been containing came to the surface as her eyes filled.

A lump lodged itself in my throat at seeing my best friend like that. I glared at Elias. “Are you afraid of a little southern girl, Elias? You think she’s a match for your crew?” I tossed my head toward his minions. “I think it’s a safe bet that she can stand next to me and we can still talk, don’t you?”

A small smile played at his lips and he nodded. “Go,” he said, gesturing to me. Bethany took a few steps forward, maintaining a perfect pageant stride until Melinda let out a low growl and nipped at her heels. Bethany let out a squeal as she sprinted to my side. I enveloped her in a hug, crushing her to me as I finally exhaled.

“You okay, B?” I asked into her hair. “Huh,” she snorted weakly, “and I thought I was the bad influence on you.” I couldn’t help but smile, relieved that she was okay enough to make jokes while we were being stared down by a hoard of Immortals.

We parted and I kept her hand locked in mine, standing just in front of her. They wouldn’t come close to her again.

I turned myself back to Elias. “You wanted to talk. Talk. And, while you’re at it, control your animals.” Melinda took a step toward me, her eyes a disconcerting shade of iridescent blue. A deep growl built in her throat before Elias broke in. “Stop. Melinda, shift. Now.”

His words were even. He never raised his voice or changed his tone. In just four words he had tamed the beast. In the blink of an eye, I was staring at a red-haired Melinda crouched down in front of him. She was completely naked and didn’t seem to mind at all. She stayed in her crouch as she shook her head and her hair fell around her shoulders, providing modest cover.

“My apologies, Amelia. Some of us are a little more passionate about the cause than others. Melinda will control herself.” He looked down at her without moving his head and she nodded in grim submission.

I nodded, still waiting to know why I was here.

“You are here because you have been lied to your whole life, Amelia. Yes, I heard that.” He clearly saw the question in my eyes. “By your father, your nanny, your schools, and your friends. We’ve seen you. We know who you are. What you are. And you need to know that we are the people you need to fight with. To fight for. We are the exiled, we are the ones who were tortured and held captive. We endured the worst of Julia’s reign and you can help put us back in our rightful place. Only you.” His eyes were as pained as they were hopeful.

“I apologize for the means in which we had to get you here, away from the rest of them, but there are things you need to know. We couldn’t risk anyone else knowing we were here.”

I put my hand up. “I know all of that. I’ve been told about what the queen did. How she treated you, the Elders, and any Mages who didn’t fall in line. I know what happened.”

In an instant, he was two inches in front of me. Bethany gasped and stepped backward, still holding my hand and forcing me to twist toward her and into Elias.

“Do you now?” he whispered. Looking into his deep blue eyes was like staring into the depths of transparent ocean water as they swirled and churned. His hand cupped my cheek and I dropped straight into Elias’s own personal hell.

I stood in the center of a small log cabin. All around me, people were throwing things into bags, moving quickly here and there. People were running in the front door and out the back. I couldn’t move as the action never stopped around me. Finally, I heard someone speak. A woman turned to a young man, who I immediately recognized as a young Elias, and said, “Are you sure? Are you sure they’re coming for us? We know nothing. Why would the queen do this?”

She was young, maybe in her twenties. Fear etched panic lines in her face. Her lips were a tight line and her eyes shone with unshed tears. Elias reached out and pulled her to him, embracing her as he whispered in her ear. I almost smiled at the sweetness of his gesture. It was clear that he loved this woman.

Their loving moment didn’t last long though as another man came barreling into the room. “They’re coming! John is up in the sky and he said they are close. We have to go. Elias, we have to go now!”

Elias grabbed the woman’s arm and the backpack she had been holding. “Come, Nell. We have to shift. We have to go now.” She pulled her hand from his and it immediately dropped to her stomach. “But, Elias, we don’t know what that will do. I was told not to shift…” her voice drifted off as the tears dripped in a steady stream down her cheeks. Elias’s breathing was becoming shallower by the minute.

“Nell, honey, I can feel them. I can hear what’s in their heads. They won’t spare anyone. Not even a pregnant woman. You’re going to have to shift. Please, Nell.” The other man looked back and forth between them, clearly torn, before he wished them luck and ran out the back. Elias pulled Nell outside. “Shift, Nell. Now. We can have another baby.”

She silently shook her head. “You don’t know that, Elias. A new AniMage hasn’t been born in years. We have no idea why, but our people need this baby.”

“But, Nell, I need you.” Elias crushed her to him, wrapping her inside his giant arms. He pulled back and looked down at her, heartache in his eyes. “You won’t shift, will you?” The sadness of his words pierced my heart. Nell shook her head. The heartache in his eyes was replaced by unwavering resolve. “You aren’t going to leave, so I’m not either. We’ll do this together. You and me, Nell. Just like it's always has been.”

The tears continued to fall as she nodded and reached up to press a kiss to his lips. It was not a romantic kiss, it was desperate, scared — it was a good-bye kiss, and they both knew it.