Free Bound by Prophecy (Bound Series Book 3) by Stormy Smith

of the pages were in order, I stood and gave Bale a quick smack on the shoulder, thanking him once more. He nodded and shook his head at me as I strolled outside.
    As I made my way up to the main house and let myself inside, I wondered how Tragar was doing. The old librarian was on a short list of people I cared for and he had been through too much.
    I stayed focused on the mission at hand, but made sure to say hello and exchange a few words with the Mages and AniMages I’d been introducing myself to. With each group, my welcome seemed to increase. Some called out to me and asked how I was. Outside of my experience in Brighton, it was the first time I was treated like a normal person, and I quite enjoyed it.
    Smiling to myself, I rounded the corner and found Bethany and Aidan arguing outside Amelia’s door.
    “Damn it, Ame,” Bethany yelled over Aidan’s shoulder at the closed door, “I’m sick to death of you acting like you aren’t in there. I’m going to kick down that damn door and drag you out here by your damn hair. Do you know what I’ve been through for you? What we’ve all been through for you? You’re being a selfish little—”
    “Enough!” Aidan yelled. His voice echoed down the hall, causing Bethany to take a step back. That step only lasted half a second before she was right back in his face, her yelling directed at him this time. I pitied the poor guy, but I surely wasn’t giving her another reason to hate me.
    “Oh, no you don’t, Aidan Montgomery. All you’re doin’ is makin’ this worse. You’re just makin’ ‘xcuses for her being A DAMN DRAMA QUEEN.” Bethany’s accent was as thick as her anger and wanting to kiss her should have been the last thing I thought, but it was what it was. I almost stepped in between them when the door opened and Amelia came into view.
    The bags under her eyes were pronounced. Her face was gaunt and her clothes looked too big and too long worn. I made eye contact with Aidan and he looked at me with begging eyes. Amelia’s solitude was clearly not his choice either. I jerked my head to the side and he wisely removed himself from between the two girls.
    Amelia spoke quietly, the calm in her voice unnerving and unlike her. “You don’t understand, Bethany. You can’t. I took something. I took something that wasn’t mine to take and I don’t know how to give it back.” Her voice cracked, despair slipping through. Amelia paused and shook her head. Her hands trembled slightly and she closed her eyes. After a brief second, she exhaled and the shaking stopped. The very power she spoke of helped to keep her hysteria at bay. “I don’t even know how I did it in the first place. I’m dangerous. I am a danger to every Immortal.”
    “Then it’s a damn good thing I’m not an Immortal, isn’t it?” Bethany threw the rhetorical question out as she gave Amelia a caring, but impatient look.
    “Honey, I know all of that and it doesn’t matter,” Bethany’s voice softened. “Your brother is fine. He might not be happy, but he’s alive and we’re figuring it out. Everyone knows what happened, and no one wants you to hide in here. We want to see you, to help you. I want to help you . I miss you, Ame. I’m not one of you and until two days ago, I was the only human here and completely worthless. I just want my best friend back.” Her last words were a hushed admission meant only for Amelia’s ears. I felt like an intruder on the moment.
    “Oh, B,” Amelia choked out as she allowed a single tear to slide down her cheek. The girls fell into each other’s arms, both talking simultaneously. They moved toward the room and I knew I could not lose my chance.
    “Amelia?” I called out. She looked up at me in surprise as I came down the hall. Bethany glared daggers, but that was our normal exchange.
    “I apologize for intruding, but I wanted you to know that I, too, have been waiting for you to emerge. I thought you might want these.” I held out the