Bound by Spells (Bound Series Book 2) (15 page)

He smiled a small smile at my bewildered expression. “But you have to let it talk to you. That’s the weirder part.”

“What do you mean?” I was completely confused.

“My owl tells me things. He tells me when Hunters are coming close and when people are good or bad. He makes sure I’m safe. He never uses words, but he tells me. That’s why I don’t talk to him, because he wouldn’t understand. I just listen.” Dillon looked up at me with wise eyes I was sure had seen too much after Elias’s story. “My owl should be able to hear your wolf, but he can’t.”

“What does your owl say about me?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Your wolf wants out—bad. He’s been howling a long time and you don’t hear him. Someone made it so you can’t hear him.”

One of the other AniMages yelled for him and Dillon took off around me. “Gotta go. See you, Mr. Aidan!”

“See you, Dillon,” I muttered, wondering why my best, and most confusing, advice so far had come from a dog and a kid.

Bethany
stomped around our small room. She didn’t speak, but she stomped. And she threw things into piles. And she exhaled loudly. I was a guy, but I wasn’t an idiot.

“B, talk to me.” Her head snapped in my direction.

“About what? What do you want to talk about, Aidan? How we’ve been here for days and nothing has changed? How you leave me with Charlie and Dillon all day? How I spend a majority of the day getting glared at by the animals and listening to people like Melinda make fun of me for being ‘just a human’ every time I walk past? We aren’t any closer to finding Amelia, which is why we came here to start with, and you have no idea where Cole is. The last time we saw his place, it was destroyed and you know Hunters took him. What the hell are we doing?”

I wanted to argue, but she was right. “I don’t know, I’m missing something. They want me to be some kind of leader and I have no idea how. It feels right, like this is where I belong, but I have no idea how to unlock whatever is inside of me. Dillon told me someone made it so I can’t hear my wolf. What the hell does that even mean?”

Bethany stood up and turned back toward me. “He said someone made it so you can’t hear your wolf?” She spoke slowly, a smile tugging at her lips.

“Yeah, what the hell, right?” I scratched the back of my head and she laughed, smacking my arm as she walked past.

“We need to find Elias. I think I know what’s wrong with you.”

Of course. It took a dog, a kid, and a chick to get me where I needed to go. I tossed my hands in the air and rolled my eyes at the empty room.

When I got back outside, I found Bethany and Elias in the middle of a very animated discussion. Well, at least she was. Her arms were flying around in wide gestures and she was talking nonstop. Elias simply stood back with his head cocked to one side, giving her small nods of encouragement. When I finally got within range to hear the steady stream of words she was spouting, I heard, “I’m telling you, Elias, it’s the same thing. It’s got to be. Those Hunters did something similar to Amelia’s dad. He’s
still
that way. I’ll just bet they did it to Aidan, too. How’s that for adding value?” All I could see was her back, but I was sure her signature satisfied smile was in place.

Elias looked over her shoulder at me, his eyebrows drawn together as he rubbed a hand over his jaw. “Feisty one, eh?”

I snorted my agreement. “I don’t really get what she’s talking about, though. And if a Hunter did this, who the heck is going to get rid of it?”

Elias was still rubbing his hand back and forth, clearly not listening and lost in his own train of thought. “Yo, Elias. You’re the only guy with possible answers here.” I snapped my fingers in front of his face and he jolted.

“Sorry. I was just thinking—”

“You need to find Will.” A voice I’d never forget interrupted him and Melinda stepped around the corner. She’d made herself somewhat scarce up to this point, but now she stood not two feet from me in her traditional outfit of skintight everything. While I could appreciate her from the neck down, I couldn't look into her eyes for long. Every time she’d caught me from across the grounds, she looked like she was not only undressing me, but plotting her next move. And her perfect smile was too stretched, too fake.

I was hoping she’d stay near Elias, but she strutted herself right into my space and traced her finger across my chest. “It’s about time we found the right man for the job, sugar. Had I known whom I was playing with, I wouldn’t have been so rough. Unless…that’s how you like it.” Her voice was low, blatant in words and tone.

“Oh, come off it,” Bethany broke in, her condescension slicing through Melinda’s wiles. “Do you actually think you stand a chance? You’re way out of your league, and a tramp. He loves Amelia. They are freaking destined for each other. Back off.”

Bethany’s outburst shocked everyone but Melinda, whose eyes narrowed, but her smile never faltered. She chucked me under the chin with that same finger, saying, “You get tired of waiting around for her, you know where to find me.”

Melinda turned to glare at Bethany. “At least I wasn’t used up and left behind,” she sneered.

Bethany took a step toward Melinda just as Elias stepped between them. “Enough. Both of you. Melinda, take it somewhere else. He’s not a toy, he’s your Alpha, and he deserves respect.” Elias gestured Melinda away as I pulled Bethany back next to me.

Melinda’s eyes lit up in a nauseating way. “Oh, I respect him, Elias. I just don’t think he needs some half-possessed Elder to fulfill his potential.”

“This is your last warning, Melinda,” Elias growled through clenched teeth. His eyes were glowing and he suddenly took up all of the space in the vicinity. His body hadn’t changed size, but the air around us expanded, making it feel like he was everywhere at once.

Melinda shrunk, bowing slightly. “Yes, sir.” Without another look at us, she walked away.

Bethany and I looked at each other through sideways glances, neither of us comfortable with looking toward Elias. I felt the moment he was back to normal and he didn’t waste time. He dragged his hands back through his hair and said, “She’s actually right. We need to find Will and we better do it fast. He’s the only one who could help you and you’re no good to us, Amelia, or yourself, if you can’t access your full range of power. We’ll shift tonight and head toward his place. He’s not fond of visitors, but he'll have to get over it.”

“Who’s Will?” we asked simultaneously. I had been itching to ask since Melinda brought him up and Elias had finally taken a breath that gave me the opening. Bethany turned to me with a small smile, and tipped her head, signaling me to continue. “You keep talking about Will, but why do we need him?”

“You know how I can hear your thoughts and that’s not something every AniMage can do? We each have a unique ability, and Will’s is removing magic from people that doesn’t belong. Specifically, he can break Hunter bonds, which sounds like your problem.”

Elias turned to Bethany, who I could feel was still simmering with adrenaline. “We might be gone a few days. Would you prefer to stay here, or we can take you back to your apartment with Charlie and a few guards?”

Her adrenaline turned to irritation. “Just take the lowly human back to her apartment so she can resume her pathetically boring life. And I don’t need guards, I have Charlie.” She didn’t wait for a response, just called out for Charlie and strode away.

“You can’t worry about her.” Elias’s voice broke my train of thought and brought my eyes back to him. “I’m sorry she doesn’t feel included, but she doesn’t understand the enormity of what we’re up against. This isn’t fun and games, Aidan. This is a war we’re prepping for.”

“What do I need to do?” I knew I should have felt scared, or at least worried, but all that mattered was finding Amelia. Every day I didn’t get to her was another day I had no idea what she was going through. If anything happened to her that I could have prevented, I’d never forgive myself.

Chapter 14

Micah
was supposed to be taking me to the library. I wanted more time with my mother’s journals and I was getting antsy waiting for him. I opened my door to find Baleon standing directly in my path, his black leathered frame blocking me from going anywhere. I tapped him on the shoulder a few times, and said, “Excuse me, coming through. Places to be. You know, there’s this Prince who’s waiting for me in the library?”

I was pretty sure he knew I was lying, yet he stepped to the side anyway. “After you,” he said. I wondered if this was some kind of test, but ultimately didn’t care. I needed movement. I needed to do
something.

Unable to resist the opportunity, I brought both hands to my chest in faux shock. “He speaks! And to a lowly prisoner! I can’t believe it.”

Baleon’s eyes narrowed, but I saw the glitter of amusement he tried to squash. Without another word, he pulled the door closed and started toward the library.

“You know, Bale, I’m on to your game. You want to talk to me. I can see it. I bet you and Micah talk all the time. I’m not so different. Want to know some things about me?” I didn’t wait for him to answer, I just continued talking to his back while he walked in front of me. I didn’t have a real plan, but I had to start somewhere.

“You know what I miss most right now, Bale? I miss music. I miss all my favorite songs. The ones I’d dance and sing to in the kitchen and blare on bad days. Do you like music? I’m sure you do. Everybody likes music. My brother always liked rap. Eminem. Dr. Dre. All that noise. Bethany…she likes pop and country. She really likes old country. Dolly Parton and Merle Haggard. Johnny Cash. You know, the man in black? You should know who he is, for obvious reasons. She loves it all. You’d love B, Bale. I mean, you both have the same initial, she’d fill all the empty space you leave, and really, everyone likes her. It’s pretty impossible not to.”

“What is it you find so appealing about humans and their trappings? It’s painful to listen to.” Rhi’s voice interrupted my rambling and I almost tripped in surprise. Baleon spun around and shoved me behind him before Rhi had finished speaking.

He held me with one hand and had me pressed into the wall.

“What do you want, Rhi?” he asked.

Rhi took easy steps toward us, smirking. “I only aim to understand the almighty prophesied one. What’s it to you, old man?” It was the least formal I had ever heard Rhi and I was puzzled by his insult. Though, it was basically impossible to guess an Immortal’s age, so I shouldn’t have been surprised.

“She’s my charge, Rhi. The Prince has asked me to accompany her
safely
, and I shall.” Baleon’s fingers dug into my arm tighter. I was sure he knew I was planning to move out from behind him. I had a few choice words of my own for Rhi.

Rhi raised his hand and orange fire erupted in his palm. He tossed the ball of magic in the air, his head cocked, clearly challenging Baleon.

“I do not need your parlor tricks, Rhi. I have the power our people were meant to have, not whatever she has done to you now.” The disgust Bale had for Rhi was unexpected.

Rhi’s smirk disappeared and the cold, glittering hate I normally saw in his eyes returned.

“She? Do you mean our Queen, Baleon? Did you forget to whom you are speaking? You will address her with the respect she deserves or you will regret it. I will enjoy making you regret it.” Rhi’s voice was low and I reflexively ducked back behind Bale.

Baleon took a step forward, his voice dropping to a whisper. “When will this madness end, Rhi? You know she is not right, yet you walk alongside her, thinking that someday she will make you King. It will never happen. You are misguided in so many ways. You always have been.”

I didn’t expect the verbal explosion that came from Rhi or the rough hands throwing me to the ground. I looked up to find Baleon and Rhi going at it without magic. They fought hand to hand, and it was like watching
The Matrix
live. Their movements were a blur, their coats made snapping sounds as leather sliced through the air, and I heard nothing but grunts and
thuds
as their limbs connected. They kicked, punched, hip-tossed…it was MMA meets ninja. I was happy neither of them had swords.

At one point, Rhi gained the upper hand and had Baleon pinned against the wall, his arm twisted behind him in a gross way that had me wincing. He pulled him back and then shoved Bale into the wall again. “Do you yield, old man?”