Free The Soul's Mark: CHANGED by Ashley Stoyanoff

she is one of each …”
    The spirits raised their hand, silencing her.  “Three more days, and not a second longer.  If they are unable to fix it in this life, we will put him back into the cycle when she is ready.”
    “Give them a week,” she pleaded, as their body began to melt , and separate, dissolving back into their individual elements.  “She’ll never be ready without him.”
    “Three days,” the spirits said in unison, and then they disappeared into the air.

CHAPTER 10
     
     
    Amelia woke up with ren ewed vigor and determination to fix Mitchell and figure out a way to deal with the vampires and their soulmates.  It was amazing what a goodnight’s sleep could do.  For the first time in days, maybe even years, her head was clear, and she felt as if she could tackle everything that lay in front of her.
    She lay in bed for a few moments, blinking away the sleep from her eyes, as she watched the pale orange light of the rising sun flitter through the French doors.  She vaguely remembered Mitchell getting up this morning, or was it last night?  Amelia wasn’t one-hundred percent sure.  Either way, he still hadn’t made it back to bed.  She pulled in a deep breath, and then pulled the blankets back, hopping out of bed.
    Amelia padded across her bedroom and headed for the shower.  Last night had been … long.  Too long.  Amelia had stay ed in the library scouring her journals for hours.  And although Megan had said she was going to help, she had taken off after only an hour or so with a phone call, leaving Amelia to the grueling task of trying to find answers alone.
    But Amelia really didn’t mind being alone.  It had given her some much-needed time with her thoughts.  And she’d figured out something.  Something that she thought could help her save Mitchell.  She hated to admit it, and well, she really wasn’t planning to admit it to anyone but herself, but he was right … again.
    She’d found a spell.  One that would hopefully heal him, but the problem with that spell was that it took a lot of power.  Amelia had the needed power.  She knew she did.  Except she also knew she couldn’t control that kind of power by herself.  She hadn’t been able to control it when she was human, and her abilities were even more unpredictable now that she was a vampire.
    Amelia pulled out a towel from under the sink and slung it over the frosted glass shower enclosure, before reaching in and turning on the taps.  She stuck her hand under the stream, playing with the hot water tap until it was blistering, and then stripped off her pajamas and jumped in.
    The scalding water beat down on her and the steam fogged up the stall in a thick white fog.  She pulled in a deep breath, letting herself relax as she reconfirmed to herself what she needed to do: solidify the bond with Mitchell.
    But really , she had already kind of figured that one out; she just really wasn’t ready to do it.  It wasn’t that she didn’t want him in her head.  She did.  And she really, really wanted the closeness back.  To be able to feel him again.  To be linked to him like they were meant to be.  She wanted to be one with him more than anything.  She was just scared.  Scared of what she might do.  Terrified that she’d hurt him.  Completely freaked out that she would turn into that big jerk he had been when he had first bitten her.
    But she knew if she did it, if she bit him so they could fully share their souls, he’d be able to access her magic again.  And if he could use it, and help her use it, together they’d be able to heal him.
    Together.   Hadn’t her mother told her something like that?  Together they would be able to change the bond into a gift.  Together they were stronger.  Together …
    “Spirit s, give me strength,” she whispered, as she let the water cascade over her body.
    Amelia sighed long and loud.  Mitchell had so much belief in her.  He’d known right away that she needed to