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Bound by Duty, Page 29

Stormy Smith


  Chapter 27

  There were so many reactions I expected but what I got was none of those. He simply looked at me and said, “No.”

  I watched him shake his head. His power rising in tandem with his emotions. My own power — both of them — beat on me from the inside out, screaming in my head. Wordless wailing assaulting me from all sides.

  I had to explain. To make him understand. “Aidan. Please. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. It wasn’t fair of me to start this thing with you knowing my destiny, but I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t stop how I felt. How I still feel. But, I can’t stop this. No one can. You have to let me go, Aidan.” I was grasping at his forearms and pleading with him. Finally, the tears started to fall as he backed away from me.

  “No,” he said again. “This can’t be happening. You can’t do this. They can’t make you do this.”

  I watched in awe as his eyes became even more iridescent than before. He stood straighter and seemed to grow taller before my eyes. I ran to him. “Aidan. Whatever is happening, please stop it. Just stop it!” I was sure I knew what was happening, but it couldn’t happen here. Not now.

  I put my hands on his cheeks and pulled him down to me, smashing our lips together. His power was nothing I’d ever encountered. It wasn’t like Elias or Melinda, and it wasn’t like Micah or Cole’s. It seemed like it was overtaking my own and his fear was penetrating both of us. He stood still at first and it was like kissing a statue. I kept murmuring for him to come back to me and he slowly relaxed and started to kiss me back. Finally, everything felt normal. Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Micah stepped into the clearing.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we’ve already been gone far too long. We need to get back before anyone realizes and the guards change for the morning shift.”

  Aidan looked as if he might kill Micah where he stood. “GUARDS?” He yelled, his tone alarming. He almost shoved me away as he stalked toward Micah. “You have her guarded? Is that how you treat your friends, Prince? You think you can just take her from me? Maybe you could have, but not now.”

  I saw Micah’s face as soon as he registered the brightness of Aidan’s eyes. You couldn’t miss them. He looked at me, bewildered and I just shrugged. The next look I saw was panic because the blue ball of magic building in Aidan’s palm was aimed at Micah. I screamed his name as I rushed at Aidan and leapt at him right before he let loose. The magic blast took out a few trees, but missed Micah as he dove the opposite direction.

  I landed on top of Aidan and was immediately pleading with him to stop. “Please, Aidan. You just have to let me go. If you hurt him, the queen will find you. They’ll hurt my family. They’ll kill you.”

  My fear had turned my tears to sobs and I heard the release of his breath as he pulled me closer and tucked me into his chest. As we stood and righted ourselves, I thought I had finally gotten through. Instead, Aidan held me at arm’s length. He caressed my cheek and I leaned into his palm, savoring the warmth of him. As I opened my eyes and he dropped his hand, I could see that I wasn’t going to like what came next.

  Aidan took three steps back. I was standing the same distance from him as I was from Micah, positioned at the tip of our triangle. Aidan glared at Micah and his expression only softened slightly when it came back to me. Micah still hadn’t spoken and seemed to understand that he should just stand there.

  “Amelia,” Aidan started. “You didn’t choose this. You don’t have to go with him. We’re already this far. We can run and I can protect you. We can get Bethany and Cole and your dad and we can just go. They can’t hurt us if they can’t find us.” His love wrapped around me as his power still intertwined with mine, pulling and pleading internally as he did externally. I wanted him to be right. I wanted it to be that easy. The last intact parts of my own heart broke and crumbled as he begged me to go.

  I choked up as the tears clogged my throat. I tried to use my own power to strengthen my resolve but it rebelled against the very idea of what I was about to do, abandoning me to my own demise. Everything in me wanted to go to him, but I couldn’t. It would only make it worse. I rooted myself to the spot I was in. I couldn’t look away from Aidan. I could see Micah in my peripheral, but he was just staying quiet as he stood, waiting.

  “Aidan, I’m sorry.” My words came out much stronger than I thought possible. “It’s just not that simple. You haven’t lived in this world and you don’t understand. This woman is evil. I don’t have a choice, no matter how I feel about you. I have to go.”

  I started to turn to Micah as I heard his quiet words. “Pick me, Amelia. Please, pick me. Be the one who finally picks me.” My whole body seemed to cave in on itself as my soul ripped in half.

  Everything inside of me bellowed for me to run to him and let this love carry us as far as we could go, but I couldn’t make another selfish decision. I didn’t allow myself to turn back around and face him as I whispered myself, “I can’t. I’m so sorry. Goodbye, Aidan.”

   

   

  I walked to where Micah was standing and followed him from the clearing. My uncle Derreck had been right all along. The moment had come and I had chosen duty over love. Just as I had for Bethany.

  My destiny had been dictated from the very beginning and I would always have to choose my people over myself. The further I got from Aidan, the more it felt like very best parts of me were being shredded to pieces as our powers were forced to separate. The tears slowly fell and rolled down my cheeks. I didn’t bother to wipe them away. I swore to myself that these would be the last tears I cried, so I just let them come for all the days I would wish I had them back.

  As we got in the Acura and Micah backed out, I saw blue eyes shining from the trees. Moments later, I heard the most bone-chilling howl. I couldn’t stop the audible gasp and from my peripheral, I saw Micah’s eyes flash as we watched Aidan drop to all fours.

  Neither of us looked away, but the red of Micah’s eyes shone in the dim lights of the interior as his power reacted to the perceived threat.

  “Did you know?” It wasn’t accusatory. It was barely a whisper between us in the dark. I could only shake my head as Aidan completed his shift, snarled in our direction, and loped away. I had wondered. I had guessed. But I hadn’t known. I could only hope he had heard what I said. That he wouldn’t try to go it alone.

  I finally turned to look at Micah as he said, “Then no one else needs to.”

   

   

  Amelia’s journey is just beginning. Stay tuned for the next installment in the “Bound” series.

  Acknowledgments

  Abe — From the first day I brought up the crazy idea that I wanted to write a book, you were nothing but supportive. This book would not exist without you. Thank you for reading it in secret, even when I told you that you didn’t have to, and knowing what I needed in the process — even when I didn’t know myself. Muah.

   

  Renee — You read the first chapter and told me it was good. You built my self-esteem and told me I could actually do this. Thank you, lovely. Thank you.

   

  My Betas — I can’t believe all I put you through! Shannon, Callie, Kristin, Christina, Natalie, Carrie and Renee…you read draft after draft. You were nicer to me than you should have been. You cheered me on and let me freak out along the way. I love you, ladies. For real.

   

  Kristin — You get a special note, because you truly took this book to the next level. I cursed your name at first but the drafts that came from your edits were a Phoenix rising from the ashes. You saw the bones of the story I really wanted to tell and you made me tell it. Thank you. From the absolute bottom of my heart.

   

  The Rebel Writers — Oh, ladies. I haven’t gotten to meet a single one of you in person and yet you are among my dearest friends. You kept me sane, you pushed me to keep going and you believed in me when I didn’t. You shared your secrets and made me better. An
d you made me laugh, constantly. The Rebels will truly take over the world — I have no doubt.

   

  Toni — For not laughing at me when I told you about the crazy book I was writing and how I needed a designer but couldn’t pay much. For getting so excited about this book and designing a gorgeous cover that will do just as much for me as the words on the page. And for putting up with my, “Just one more edit” emails and “Did you see my email?” text messages. You’re the best.

   

  Monica — You took my words and made them shine. And you put up with all of my grammar questions. You’re wonderful and I can't wait to put book two in your hands.

   

  Rachel Higginson, Tracey Garvis-Graves and Jessica Park — For answering my incessant questions about being an author, the process and the realities. For the ridiculous amounts of Facebook messages, texts and phone calls you allowed me. Your books and your professionalism inspired me and I wouldn’t have come this far without you.

   

  Mom — I love books and words because of you. I befriend every character as if I knew them personally because you showed me how someone else’s world can become your own. You fostered the mind and passion that made this book possible. I love you.

   

  For every person over the past year that congratulated me, encouraged me and got so excited about what I was doing. You kept me honest and pushed me forward. I appreciate your words, your gestures and your willingness to let me gush about my baby more than you will ever know.

   

  And last — but most important — thank YOU, dear reader. For buying this book, for getting to the last page and supporting my dreams. I hope you enjoyed the world I created. I would love to hear what you thought, good or bad, so that I can make the next one even better.

  Keep reading for a sneak peek at the first chapter of

  Bound by Spells

   

   

  ONE

  Aidan

   

  I woke up naked — again. The dry leaves and small twigs crunched and snapped as I lifted my head and looked around the dark forest floor. Exhaling in an exasperated huff, I dropped my head back to the dirt. I had been running for hours. She walked away, got in Micah’s SUV, and didn’t look back. So, I ran. It wasn’t the first time I had shifted without seeing it coming, but the change erupted from me like a volcano. It was violent and painful. Bones broke and reshaped in seconds, muscles stretched, tore, and reknit before I could let out the scream of agony that came out as a howl. I couldn’t pinpoint the moment it happened. I lost myself in the change and no longer had human thoughts. The last memory I had was her stick-straight back and methodical paces toward the car as she whispered goodbye. She didn’t want to, but she left me anyway.

  I closed my eyes as the weight of the truth pulled me deeper into the damp ground. She didn’t even look back. Thinking about the pain she’d caused brought the animal inside of me out again. I heard the howl echo in my head, but I didn’t want to shift again so soon. I slowly inhaled, letting my breath fill my lungs, expand my ribs, and push into my back. The air released through my mouth and nose as I tried to calm the fire pulsing in my mind. The sensations always started at my core. A deep thrum vibrating every cell in my body, making me look down at my skin to ensure nothing was bursting through as my insides popped and shoved against each other. Even now, hours later, when I had no idea where she was or what she was doing, Amelia filled my head and the vision of her violet eyes was like pouring salt on the open wound she left in my heart.

  She made a choice. Now you make a choice, I scolded myself, frustrated with the emotion I didn’t want or need, and the vulnerability only she made me feel. I shoved up from the ground, brushing myself off as I tried to come to terms with being completely naked. No one had been around to explain what had been happening to me these last few months and I had hoped not to wake up miles from my car, my clothes ripped to shreds. But, it had happened before, so at least today wasn’t a shock, just a nuisance.

  I turned in a circle, unsure of which way to go. Then, something in my head clicked and I knew exactly where my car was. I still had no idea where all of the subtle instincts and knowledge had come from, but I couldn’t complain about getting lost ever again. It was the middle of the night and odds were I wouldn’t run into anyone, but just to be safe, I stayed back from the tree line and tried to keep my thoughts calm. Calm meant my eyes stayed their normal gray and not the blue glowing orbs that stared back at me in the mirror when this thing took over. After my first shift, my eyes stayed electric blue for a week. Every time I’d looked in the mirror, I felt like a freak. I couldn’t leave the house without sunglasses. I stopped going to class. I could feel and sense so much more. It was overwhelming and exhausting.

  As I moved quickly and quietly through the trees, I remembered what it was like just months ago when I would have left a trail for anyone to follow. Now, my feet barely moved the foliage and even the best trackers would have problems knowing where I’d been. The frustration was I wanted to be found. The heaviness of solitude was a yoke around my neck, weighing down my body and mind. My parents had been dead for so long, I had only the memory of the emotion I felt when remembering them. It was a fleeting ache of knowing I had once been loved and wanted. Since then, I had bounced from foster home to foster home, only to constantly be told I wasn’t a fit for my current family.

  Then, I found Amelia. Through our first month of class, I sat back and observed the quiet girl who moved with the same weighted motions I did. She understood loneliness. It was clear in the way she would brighten at an instructor’s question, but dim as she refused to allow herself to answer — the way she moved with awkward grace, always bumping into things, but never people. I had overheard her and Bethany talking, and I knew she would be at that party. It was why I’d gone. But I felt like a creeper. I had been hiding out, berating myself for being there, when she came flying down the stairs.

  I watched Amelia leap from the bottom stair of the deck like she could fly — all of the awkwardness gone and her movements fluid and beautiful. She pushed her way into the oncoming tide. She was lit up in the moonlight as her head dropped back and from my angle, I could see her smile. I was an intruder on the moment, but her smile broke something open inside of me. She was content and I was jealous. I wanted to know her secrets. I wanted to know how she found that place. She was my beginning and my end. Because now that she’s gone, I’m some kind of magical freak and I’m alone — again.