Bound by Prophecy (Bound Series Book 3) (21 page)

H
e didn’t speak
. I told Aidan I loved him for the first time and he was silent. I watched his pupils dilate, a black dot growing against the vibrant blue of his irises. His head tilted to the side and brought his hand to my cheek.

“Say it again,” he said softly.

“I love you, Aidan. I do,” I said, assuring him. “You’ve shown me in every way you could, and I was afraid to believe it. Afraid if I did, you’d leave me, too. But before you say anything else, before Gaea does anything, I need to know you choose me, as well. I don’t want to make choices for both of us. This is a lot. This is insane. So, I have to know you’re in before we move forward.”

My heart rattled in my chest. It beat so quickly, I was sure my ribs would rupture and it would skip across the stone floor.

I studied Aidan’s face. Watched the corners of his eyes wrinkle and his lips spread into a wide grin. His adorable dimple appeared and I wanted to push up to my toes and kiss it. That dimple was his tell. Only when he was truly happy did he smile big enough to bring it out. I couldn’t help but smile back at him, even though he hadn’t said anything.

“After everything we’ve gone through in the past few months, doll, you really think there’s any other option for me?” Aidan’s voice was low, a husky whisper meant just for me. “You’ve wound your way around every defense I’ve ever built and taken up every inch of my heart. There is nowhere I wouldn’t go, and nothing I wouldn’t do to keep you safe and remind you every day I will not leave you. I will love you every day. I will love you when I want to lock you up and throw away the key, which I’m sure will happen often enough. You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried, Amelia. You have always been my choice.”

Gaea clapped her hands, a girlish squeal surprising both of us and reminding us of her presence. Aidan and I turned just in time to feel a tiny shock work from our feet to our foreheads. Our jeans and jackets disappeared. Aidan wore long dark brown pants, a cream, long-sleeved shirt, and no shoes. The material looked light and comfortable.

I looked down to find a beautiful cream dress. Long-sleeved, a fitted bodice, and a flowing A-line skirt. It was made of the same material as Aidan’s clothes. I also wore no shoes, yet the stone didn’t feel cold beneath my feet. My hair was down around my shoulders and Aidan reached up to play with whatever was in my hair. I looked up at him, the question obvious.

“A flower wreath made of daisies,” he said with a grin. Of course.

“You are wearing the traditional dress of our mating ritual,” Gaea said from behind us. “The clothes were typically blessed by either the oldest living Immortal, or the Elders. This time, they are blessed by me. Your mating will bind you to each other, me, and this earth. Are you ready?”

Gaea positioned herself the same way a priest would in a wedding. She stood in front of us and Aidan and I faced each other, our hands joined between us. We didn’t look away from each other when we simultaneously answered, “Yes.”

Gaea placed her hands over ours and began to speak. “Two hearts, two minds, two souls, forever linked. Your mate is not merely a companion, they are the fulfillment of your very essence. From this point forward, Amelia Bradbury and Aidan Montgomery, you have chosen each other. Before all others, against all enemies, even between friends and family, you will put the other first. It will not be a choice. It will be vital to your livelihood.

“Together, you will hold power no one has ever seen. You will be charged with changing the future of the Immortal race. Your collective power will bring back the light for those who have lost it. Your power will give and take life from this Earth. You will sustain each other. You will feed and replenish each other’s souls.

“Aidan, you will carry the portion of my power Amelia cannot sustain continually. When the time comes, you must give her what she needs, even if she doesn’t understand she needs it. Do you understand?” she asked. Aidan nodded, his eyes locked on mine.

“Amelia, you are the light this world has been looking for. You have grown so much during this journey and your heart clearly reaches for your people. Do not be afraid of what I give you. Wield it fairly, graciously, and honestly. Do not fear your emotions, but do not let them rule you. Do you understand?” she asked me. I nodded as well, whispering, “I do.”

“Very well,” Gaea said. “One heart, one mind, one soul. By the Earth that provides, the Water that replenishes, the Fire that sustains, and the Air that gives us life, I am the Mother of them all, and I join the two of you forever more. As the humans say, you may now kiss to solidify this union.” Gaea stepped back.

Aidan didn’t hesitate. Stepping forward, he captured my lips in his. Another shock rippled through us as my arms came to his neck and his wrapped around my back. It was a gentle kiss. One steeped in emotion and honesty. When we pulled apart, Aidan recoiled slightly, but quickly rebounded.

“Your eyes,” he said, turning to Gaea. “What happened to her eyes?” he asked.

“Don’t fear, Aidan. That is my mark. It is the way you will convince others of who Amelia is and who the two of you are now. The change in her eyes is also accompanied by a change in her power. It will no longer be only the violet of Elders. When she calls on our collective power, it will be white, yet another sign. Also, memories that were once blocked by me, in the hopes of allowing the races to start over and begin anew, will return. My children will remember their prayers and my origins. They will see Amelia, hear my name, and know.”

I wished I could see them for myself and with that errant thought, a mirror appeared in my hand. While shocked, I couldn’t resist looking down. My dark hair was still down and the daisy crown sat upon my head. Violet eyes stared back at me, the same bright glow I’d always known. Now though, white starbursts extended from my pupils outward, the spires varying lengths and cutting into the purple. It was a mixture of who I was, now infused with Gaea’s spirit. It was beautiful.

I looked up at Gaea and the mirror disappeared. “Just as quickly as you conjured the mirror, you can rid yourself of it,” she explained. “My power is embedded in you, Amelia. You can call on it at will. Do not fear it. Embrace it. Allow it to be as much a part of you as the power you received from your brother. This power was also meant for you. You proved that with your ability to work with the Keeper.

“I must go now, but know I am never far. You also must go. Much has happened while we’ve been here together, and if you don’t hurry, much will go wrong. I am counting on you both to make the right decisions for my children. Do not let me down.” Gaea stood, her hands clasped in front of her. She nodded, almost bowing, before she disappeared.

Charlie and Onyx stepped forward. A boyish grin came over Charlie’s face as I closed the distance between us.

“Do you have to go?” I asked them. I had grown accustomed to Charlie’s presence. He was another grounding influence in my life. Even when he’d been my dog, I felt better with him nearby. Onyx wasn’t as familiar to me, but knowing they were brothers, and that he had taken care of Cole while I was away, was enough to make me concerned.

“We must,” he responded. The Sentinel Charlie had been so serious, it surprised me to see his expression soften.

“We will meet again, Amelia,” he assured me. “I have seen who you are and know who you can become. Your best decisions have come when you trusted yourself and used what the great Mother gave you for the good of the whole. Remember that, and you will see you do not need us.” Charlie gave me a quick bow and I stood taller. He had seen everything from the Keeper power initially manifesting in me to us finding Gaea. It meant something to have his words to carry in my heart. I looked over to find similar compassion in Onyx’s eyes. Wherever they went, I was certain those two would be watching out for me in some capacity.

I returned to Aidan’s side and we faced Charlie and Onyx. They looked at each other and then back at us. Both gave a short wave and then faded as Gaea had done.

“So, it looks like you’re stuck with me now, Montgomery,” I joked, a sudden shyness taking hold as the reality of the last few hours set in.

He tucked a rogue strand of hair behind my ear and let his fingertips linger on my cheek until I looked up at him. As he spoke, he lowered his face to mine, his lips millimeters from my own. “I do believe you chose me first, Amelia, which means
you
are actually the one stuck with
me
.”

“Mmmhmmm,” was all I could muster as I waited for the kiss his tone promised. He made me wait, his voice low as he said, “Say it one more time.”

I laughed and acquiesced. “I love you, Aidan Montgomery. And if you don’t kiss me right now, I’m going to figure out just how mean I can be to you without hurting myself.”

“Well, we wouldn’t want that,” he said, covering the inches between us in an instant and muddling any retorts I had with a mind-blowing kiss. After a few moments, Aidan pulled away and touched his forehead to mine.

“We need to go. Gaea warned us and I think we’ve learned she isn’t to be ignored,” he said.

“I know. We can do this, right?” I asked.

Aidan stepped back and held out his hand. “You and me against the world, doll. Forever.”

“Forever,” I agreed, taking it.

We quickly left the castle, knowing no matter what came next, we would face it together.

W
e reached
the small cabin Aidan had used before storming Cresthaven and frustration continued to get the best of me. I brainstormed, trying to come up with a plan, but Baleon rejected idea after idea of how I’d get back into the castle to get to Cole.

Bethany interjected, doing what she always did. She made things simple. “Why don’t you just walk in the front door like you live there? You do technically live there, right?” she asked tartly.

I turned to her, prepared to chance her wrath by telling her to find somewhere else to hover, when Baleon said, “She does have a point, Prince Mikail. Why not walk through the front door? It would create less suspicion for you to make your presence known than for you to attempt an entrance and be found out. We have no idea what we’re walking into right now. We could find out. And then you could tell Amelia.”

Bethany’s eyebrow rose. She dared me to speak the words on the tip of my tongue. Her feistiness had slowly returned and it only made it harder to maintain myself in her presence. She kept herself at arm’s length, though. Outside of her initial breakdown, she had not cried, nor had she allowed me to come close to touching her. Even after leaving Brighton and spending a day in the car together, she said as few words to me as possible.

The only question she had was when we were getting Cole back. It was only making my edginess worse to hear her concern for him. They had spent days together. We had spent months together. Yet, she seemed to care more for his wellbeing than mine. She didn’t flinch at me walking back into the lion’s den, but he had to be rescued. Though, he had no magic, so her concerns were likely founded. Damn logic.

So, now I strode up to the front door of Cresthaven as if I hadn’t turned against my mother and her Hunters. As if I hadn’t allowed her precious baby-making factory and the girl she’d spent my whole life trying to control get away, and then run from her clutches myself.

When I left, I did not believe I would ever return. I did not believe I would ever have to face her again. But, I should have known better. The demons of your past are never far away. You can never outrun them — you can only face them head-on and fight them to the death.

Baleon was only steps behind me and as I’d anticipated, the door opened before I even reached the stairs. I was shocked to see Joran step out. The last time I’d seen him, he was fending off Hunters as Baleon and I escaped. Joran barely acknowledged me, saying, “Please, stay here, Prince Mikail. Rhi will be down shortly,” while looking out over our heads.

Baleon stood at my side and we waited. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, I said, “Joran, you don’t look well. Is everything okay?”

He was thinner than usual, his movements slower and his eyes dull. He had never been indifferent or mean to me, like most of the Hunters, and I had always appreciated that. “Ye-yes, Prince Mikail. I am fine. Things have been…different since you left.” He would not meet my eyes and I saw the slight tremor in his hands as he held them clasped in front of him.

Before I could react, the door opened and Rhi stepped out. A swagger in his step stirred a latent rage inside me, but I swallowed my aggression to play the part. Baleon and I discussed this at length. There was only one way I was getting inside.

Rhi stepped up beside Joran and the Hunter did his best not to flinch. I could not reconcile the intimidating, tattoo-covered behemoth man I knew with the twitchy shell standing in front of me.

“Have you come groveling home, Prince? Tossed out by the little purple-eyed Keeper and her boyfriend? You’re not much use to anyone, now are you?” Rhi’s grin was wide as he stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his feet planted as he blocked my path.

I didn’t rise to his bait. “Tell me, Rhi, what oath did you take?” I asked pleasantly.

“Excuse me?” he replied.

“Your oath,” I said slowly. “You took an oath to my grandfather that you renewed to my mother. What were the words of that oath?” I only allowed a slight smile to develop as he finally understood where I was going. His arms dropped to his sides as his eyes hardened.

“I took an oath to protect and serve the Clair line for as long as they would have me, just like every other Hunter.” As he spoke, his eyes began to swirl, the orange and black mixture giving away his anger. My smile widened.

“Mmm, I don’t believe those were the exact words, now were they, Rhi?” I took the steps two at a time until I stood next to him. I looked up at him until he finally moved two steps down.

“I am sworn to protect
and obey
,” he forced out, “the Clair line.” I looked down at him, nodding.

“That you are. Which means, as
Prince
Mikail Clair,
you will obey me. You will not disrespect me again. You will take me to my mother and you will not speak unless spoken to. Understood?” I stood there, waiting for confirmation. He could not see the sweat running down my back, but he could likely hear my heartbeat race.

“Yes,
Prince Mikail
. I will remind you, though, your mother is the only one who can force my compliance,” Rhi’s warning did not fall on deaf ears. I knew this charade would only last so long. Hunter honor and pride would keep him in check, but would it be for long enough?

“Very good. Lead the way,” I said, standing aside so he could pass. I looked over my shoulder to see Joran’s amused expression. His eyes lit up and I watched him stand a bit taller as he finally met mine. His small nod was all I needed to know we had one more on our side.

O
f course
, I knew how to get to my mother’s rooms, but I wanted to observe. As we walked through the house, Rhi leading the way, I watched how the other Hunters reacted to him. Some he nodded to, and they returned his greeting. Some he stared down, and they quickly looked away. There were clearly two camps of Hunters at Cresthaven.

My mother’s suite was on the far side of the house, and it gave me time to think. Amelia and Aidan would be back in the States soon, likely already en route to the cabin.

Amelia had reached out to me when they left the castle and I explained Cole being taken to Cresthaven. I told her Bethany had come as well, and Amelia wanted me to wait for them, but I didn’t trust my mother or Rhi. If anyone was going in to get Cole out, it had to be me and Baleon, and we had to go alone. It was our safest chance.

I knew Amelia would be angry that we left before they returned, but I couldn’t fathom she and Aidan had found anything in Syria that would change our plan of attack. She couldn’t walk in here and take on these Hunters. What I was doing was the right choice. It was the safe choice. She could tell me whatever stories she swore I needed to hear in person after we got her human brother away from my mother and Rhi.

Finally, we approached my mother’s door. The two Hunters stationed outside stepped apart and allowed us inside after a nod from Rhi.

“You can wait outside,” I said to Rhi.

“I will not,” he replied, staring down at me. “I serve the Clair line, but your mother is the head of that line. You attacked us. You fought against her. You aided those half-breeds and the Keeper. You cost us years of work and planning. I do not trust you, and I will not leave her alone with you.”

“Now, Rhi, at least allow my son to share the story he concocted to reason away his betrayal.” Her voice was weak, but it carried from her bedroom.

As it always did, the anxiety that surfaced anytime a direct confrontation with my mother was looming rose sharply, threatening to steal my breath and make me turn on my heel to get as far away as fast as possible. I clenched my jaw and drew in a slow breath as I entered her bedroom door. Before I could cross the doorframe, Rhi stepped in front of me, leaning down so his swirling orange eyes were level with mine.

“Watch yourself in here, Prince. There is nothing I won’t do for her,” he hissed. He barely got the words out before Bale shoved him backwards. Bale said nothing, and Rhi flashed a smug smirk before leading the way into mother’s room.

I crossed the threshold and was shocked to find the drapes drawn. The room was lit by small sconces only. Hunter fire burned in them, casting an orange glow over the room. The four-poster bed was a mountain of pillows and blankets. In the low light, it was hard to find my mother amidst it all. As my eyes adjusted, I saw her in the center. I held back a gasp and worked to keep my face neutral.

“There is no need to hold back, Mikail. I know what I am, and what I am no longer,” she said, her hoarse voice barely above a whisper. The woman speaking to me looked nothing like the woman I’d left just a few weeks ago. Her blonde hair was silver, her perfect complexion filled with lines and wrinkles. Her cheekbones stood out and her collarbone was sharp edges threatening to puncture her skin.

“What happened, Mother?” I asked.

Her eyes were sad, the ice blue dulled to a pale shade. “All power comes at a price, Mikail. Sometimes you know what it is up front, and sometimes, the price doesn’t matter, until it does.”

“It’s killing you to control them, yet you still do. You allow it to drain you. Why? How is this worth it?” I cursed the wayward emotion filling my chest. She was my mother and she was dying.

Her eyes flicked up to mine and the stare that had terrified me as a child was back. She could still lock me in place with just a look. “How dare you question me, Mikail? After everything you’ve done, after all the ways you’ve betrayed me, your name, and your people? You do not ask questions. You answer them. You tell me, son of mine, why are you here? I thought you made your choice very clear.”

She struggled to pull in a breath, the wheezing noise giving away her inability to fully lecture me. She was suddenly more human in my eyes. She was not the woman of my nightmares, and she did not hold the power here. I simply needed to wait this out and do as Bale and I had decided.

“I’m sorry, Mother. You’re right. I did not expect this, and I’m acting irrationally, which is not what Clairs do. I am here because I made the wrong choice. I am here to apologize and beg your forgiveness. I was wrong to fight against you. I see it now. I see what you meant. I watched the AniMages and finally understand. They are vile, disgusting creatures. We do not want them in our world. They must be dealt with.”

“Is that so? Just like that?” she questioned. “You say you’ve come around and changed your mind, and I should believe you?” The wheezing was worse, and short coughs accompanied it.

I stepped up to the bed, taking a chance to sit on the edge and reach for my mother’s hand. It was a gamble. Her skin felt paper thin and the bones were too pronounced, so I grasped it lightly.

“You told me to always evaluate all sides of a situation before I made a decision,” I said stoically. “My initial evaluation was incorrect, and as soon as I realized that, I came home. They fight for a ridiculous cause. They believe they deserve freedom, but they deserve a quick death.” I hated myself for saying the words, but she would accept nothing less.

“My Queen—” Rhi started, but my mother interrupted.

“Silence. My son is speaking.” His mouth snapped shut and Rhi took a step back. His animosity for me rolled off him in waves that most certainly wanted to drag me under.

“What did you learn that you can share with us, Mikail?” she asked. I knew she would. I was prepared.

“If your Hunters have not already found the group of AniMages Baleon stripped of their power, then they are likely long gone. But, their power will not return. Baleon bound it and they will live their lives out wishing they had not come at me. They are not dead, but they will wish they were. I made the decision to leave and they didn’t want me to tell you the women were birthing and the children were still powerless, but it is the truth. Leaving here did nothing to change what we already knew. Our people are dying, Mother, and we must do what is necessary to save them.”

“And the Keeper?” she asked, focusing on me as she struggled to push herself higher on the pillows surrounding her.

“She’s gone. She and the AniMage left, alone. They went off chasing stories and rumors. Idiots,” I sneered.

“I want to believe you, Mikail, but we both know I have no way to see inside your mind. No way to know if what you say is the truth. You are going to have to prove to me your allegiance is real. Do you understand?” There was a familiar hitch in her tone, and I knew I would not like her next words.

“I understand, Mother. What is it I have to do to prove my allegiance to you?” I asked, keeping my tone deferential, just the way she preferred.

She looked up at Rhi and a wicked smile bloomed across his face. I looked between them as she nodded. He tipped his head in silent acknowledgment, turned, and strode quickly out the door. Baleon and I exchanged quick glances of wary trepidation.

Julia didn’t speak to me. She didn’t look at me. For a long stretch of minutes, we sat in utter silence, save for my heart beating furiously against my chest. The longer I sat there, the more firm I was in the knowledge of what was about to happen.

There was only one outcome. All I could think was,
Do it now, you have to do it now. Kill her now.
But I couldn’t. I was frozen. And when the door finally opened, I was not shocked to see who was shoved through it.

My mother finally turned to face me. The joy in her eyes was the purest form of evil.

“To prove your allegiance to me, to your people, and your crown,” she said, “Mikail, you will kill him. You will kill the Keeper’s brother and you will do it now. Then, and only then, will I believe the stories you told are the truth.”