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

off and looked past me.
    “She wants me to fall in love with you? Are you joking?” Instantly, I knew I’d hurt his feelings and the laughter in my voice fell away to silence.
    “Yes, that’s what she wants. And while I understand I’m not Aidan, we also have something bigger to deal with here. We have priorities. People’s lives are at stake, Amelia. And I don’t want or need you to love me, I just need you to stay alive and help me. Which means you have to stop pissing her off.”
    I thought he was going to stop, but Micah stood back and crossed his arms over his chest, a cold look transforming his features. “You don’t understand what my mother has been through or how her mind works. I do. Believe me when I say you are not safe. You are not protected. You are a prisoner and I am your only lifeline. So, you stay by me. You listen to me. And you keep your damn mouth shut. Do you understand?”
    For this moment, I had to disregard his patronizing tone and focus on the dots slowly connecting in my head. “Is that why you become someone else in front of her? Why you wear this mask of fear and intimidation around her and no one else? Because I don’t get you, Micah. One minute, you’re ordering me around, sneaking me out into the night, and the next, you’re cowering in your chair, acting like she just might turn you into a toad.” I stood a little taller, feeling good about finally calling him out on all his crap.
    He simply shook his head and rolled his eyes. “You aren’t listening to me. You have to play her game. You cannot underestimate what she’ll do or the lengths she’ll go. She doesn’t bother with me because she thinks I’m not worthy of bothering with. She doesn’t know the extent of my knowledge or power, because while I am the spitting image of my father, I am nothing like him.” Micah paused, his brows drawn together and expression pained. “She never hesitates to remind me I am nothing at all like my courageous, charming, and powerful father.”
    He turned from me, the stiffness of frustration making it seem as if he were growing taller while he tried to control his emotions. I could feel it all and knew better than to push for more answers right now, but his father had something to do with all of this. Instead of asking for elaboration, I decided to give us additional common ground to stand on.
    “It’s strange how similar our childhoods seem to be. I would catch my father looking at me like he was seeing a ghost. Like it pained him to even turn his head in my direction. Rynna told me how much I looked like my mother and instead of bringing me closer to him, it only pushed him away.” I started to pace the room, anxious energy filling me as Micah’s words rolled around in my head.
    I stopped and turned back to Micah. “Do you truly believe you can protect me?” The words were hushed. I didn’t want to actually say them and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer.
    “If I can’t protect you here, Amelia, no one can.”
    It wasn’t until the door closed behind him that I thought to ask why he was so intent on protecting me in the first place.
     
    Thankfully , Micah and I were the only ones present for dinner the first night. When I asked where his mother was, he shrugged. “She does what she wants. She could have jetted off to some council meeting or she could be sitting in her room, plotting our demise.” His attempt at a joke fell flat as my mouth dropped in shock.
    “Hey, hey, joking.” His hands rose in surrender. “I was merely joking. Baleon, can you please find out whether mother will be joining us?” Baleon nodded and disappeared, coming back minutes later to break the strained silence.
    “Your mother was called away, Prince Mikail. The Eastern territories are reporting possible sightings and she wanted to confirm for herself.”
    Micah nodded but gave himself away as he chewed his bottom lip.
    "What does that mean? What sightings?" I asked.
    “AniMages. It