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

I had to know where you stood to understand what we were up against.
    And where exactly do we stand, huh, Micah? Because while I appreciate the library and not being a prisoner in my room every minute of every day, your mother is going to come home eventually and we both know she wants more from me than just a wedding.
    He sighed and pulled himself up. Putting his elbows on his knees, he steepled his fingers and pressed into his forehead.
    You ask as if it is a simple question with a simple answer. My mother is nothing if not entirely unpredictable. So, the only thing I can definitively tell you is you have a few days of reprieve and in that time, you need to work fast and learn fast. The library is at our disposal and there’s a lot to learn here, but getting you ready to handle my mother and her Hunters is just as important.
    You ask as if it is a simple question with a simple answer. My mother is nothing if not entirely unpredictable. So, the only thing I can definitively tell you is you have a few days of reprieve and in that time, you need to work fast and learn fast. The library is at our disposal and there’s a lot to learn here, but getting you ready to handle my mother and her Hunters is just as important.
    “Okay,” I said aloud, closing down our connection. I needed the mental space to reconcile the fear and determination swimming within my system like minnows and sharks in the same stretch of water. “I want to start.” I stood up. “But I just need a minute, okay?”
    I walked away from him without waiting for an answer. I couldn’t leave the library, but I could find a quiet corner to collect my thoughts. I forced strong, sure steps that conflicted with the gut-wrenching realization that even his help would only go so far. I would have to handle the Queen on my own and there was no way to even guess what she had in store for me. For the hundredth time, I wished my mother had lived. She could have prepared me for this. As it was, I walked into a minefield wearing clown shoes.
     
     

Chapter 9

     
     
    “Do you have any idea where we are actually going?” It was my turn to ask. We had been scouring the woods for a few hours, looking for some particular clearing Bethany was “just certain” she remembered how to get to. In response to my irritated question, she let a low branch fly back and almost smack me in the face. Thankfully, my reflexes were better than she likely assumed and I caught it before any permanent damage occurred. I glanced down at Charlie and muttered how lucky he was to be lower to the ground.
    “I was sure this was the way we came. We came over a hill and then there was a scratched up tree and we went right. Or did we go left?” She turned in a circle, looking genuinely perplexed.
    “Well,” I stated dryly, “left and right are complete opposites, so it kind of makes a difference. We’ve come to this same tree three times now. Think, Bethany. Which way did you go?”
    The breeze shifted and in my first inhale, I knew exactly which way we should go. “This way,” I hollered over my shoulder, finally happy to be getting somewhere. I took off through the trees with Charlie on my heels. Bethany wasn’t quite as quick.
    “Aidan! Aidan, wait for me. Human, remember? No super-fast floaty running skills over here. Still tripping over the bushes and crap. WAIT UP!”
    I heard Bethany’s words, but I was on the trail. I made my movements more deliberate and sloppy so she could easily follow me, but I kept pushing forward. It wasn’t fifty more feet before Charlie and I came out in a clearing—the clearing. I was sure of it.
    The area was a stark contrast to the smells assaulting my senses. The scent of shampoo and body soap, of dirty denim and sweat. Wet fur, mud-caked paws, and excrement. Charlie let out a low growl and stuck close to my side. As my gaze swept across the trees again, I saw an owl sitting back in the leaves. Its eyes never left me as I took in the scene and