Bound by Spells (Bound Series Book 2) by Stormy Smith Read Free Book Online Page A

explaining something, but I wasn’t listening to at all. He frowned at my interruption.
    “No, there aren’t. My mother has ultimate control of the Hunters via the collars they wear, so they are the only ones she surrounds herself with.” His face held a look of disgust he couldn't mask, but as another Hunter strode through the entryway, holding a covered tray, Micah quickly grabbed my elbow and turned me toward a painting.
    “Watch what you say here, Amelia. They are always listening.” His words were barely audible and I had to bite my tongue from telling him he sounded just like my father. Then again, my father had been right, and likely so was Micah.
    Still gripping my elbow, Micah turned me toward one of the long corridors jetting off from the entryway. As we entered the hallway, Baleon appeared behind us. I hadn’t heard his footsteps and jumped a little as his shadow fell over me.
    Like the entryway, the hallway was all marble floors and high ceilings. The light fixtures emitting a soft glow were medieval-looking sconces spaced every five or six feet. Micah spoke quickly, his head whipping between me and the things he was pointing out. He smiled as he explained the architecture and decor to me. He pointed out pieces along the corridors that came from the Fertile Crescent—items sculpted by his ancestors or painted by famous Mages from our history books. I was particularly drawn to the paintings and struggled to keep up as Micah kept walking, wanting to study each one to see what our homeland actually looked like.
    Baleon followed just behind us, but each hallway we passed held another Hunter. As I looked back at the Hunters, they all stared me directly in the eyes. Their orange eyes swirled, looking far too much like a close-up of the sun as it spat solar flares into the universe. Their eyes would narrow as our gazes met and I could see the animosity coming from them. They made it perfectly clear they’d rather have me buried out back than walking their halls.
    I was lost in my own thoughts as Micah finally slowed and stopped in front of a room. He didn’t speak for a moment and I was afraid of what would come next.
    “We aren’t sharing a room!” The words were out before I could stop them and both of my hands flew to my mouth. I looked around to make sure no one else had heard my outburst.
    Micah actually chuckled, a low reverberation reminding me far too much of Aidan and the sound he would make as he laughed. “No, Amelia. We will not be sharing a room. We are betrothed, not married—much to my mother’s dismay. This is your room and mine is directly across the hall. I paused because I was in the midst of making a decision.”
    Micah turned away from me to face Baleon. “Bale, from now until the wedding, I am assigning you to protect Amelia. You will protect her with the same vows you swore to protect me. Understood?”
    Baleon did not look thrilled. “Yes, Prince Mikail. As you wish.” Bale took up the position next to my door, never even acknowledging his new charge standing right in front of him.
    “You’re joking, right? I mean, Micah, we both know I was right. Your mother needs me. She wants something from me she can't get if I’m—”
    Before I could finish, Micah shoved me into my room and kicked the door shut.
    “Will you stop?” he whisper-yelled. “Listen very carefully to me, Amelia.” He pointed his finger at me and waited until I nodded, looking up into his eyes.
    “Every single person in this home works for my mother. Trust no one, no one but me and Baleon. He is my man, of that I am certain. And you misunderstand your position. Yes, you have something my mother wants, but she is playing a game I don’t even understand yet. Yes, there’s the prophecy, but she doesn’t seem anywhere near as concerned with it as she is with this wedding. It’s all she’s talked about. It’s the reason we flew alone. She wants us to spend time together. She wants you to…” He trailed