“Mitch’s gonna be super stoked. I never thought about trying to just pass something in,” Eric said. He was standing on the terrace looking at the broken hammer, utterly baffled. After a moment, he gave his head a shake and grinned at Amelia, eyes twinkling with mischief. “Bet you’re starving. I’m gonna make you something awesome. Be right back.”
Amelia tried to object. Eric didn’t have a great track record when it came to the kitchen, and the last thing they needed was another disaster. But it was no use, Eric had already vanished. “Millie, I should go tell Mitch,” Angelle said, shuffling her feet back and forth. “See if he has any ideas.”
“Why bother? He won’t care.” Amelia knew it sounded like she was pouting. She’d never admit it, but she missed him like crazy. Tuning into his thoughts didn’t seem to cut it. More than anything, she wanted to see him, touch him, or just be close to him. Staying away was a deliberate attempt on his part, Amelia was sure of it, and it was like a kick in the teeth. The chain around her heart that tethered them together was pulled tight, inducing a constant, relentless tugging. She was glad that she was used to it enough now that it didn’t pull her off balance anymore, but it was still maddening. The worst part was she knew without a doubt that it wouldn’t stop until they were together. She had never really believed the old saying, absence makes the heart grow fonder, but to her dismay, it was another ludicrous saying that was dead on.
“Jeez, Amelia. You really need to figure out what you want from him. You told Mitch you needed time and obviously…” Angelle rapped her fist against the barrier so hard it trembled, shimmering like disturbed water. “You need it. He’s really trying to give you what you want. You made your bed, now you’re gonna have to lie in it.”
Amelia watched, speechless, as her friend disappeared. Since talking to the stupid psychic, she had been trying to find any possible reason she could to blame Mitchell for everything that had happened to her. Especially since he refused to come and see her. Could he really be staying away because she had asked for time?
Amelia didn’t know how long she had been dazed when a metallic clank brought her back. She glanced at the door and saw Lola, kicking a tray of food over the threshold. “So you’re a witch.” She leaned against the doorframe watching Amelia.
“Screw off, Lola.” Amelia huffed and crossed her arms. “I can’t deal with your crap right now.”
Lola rolled her eyes. “Stop moping around and feeling sorry for yourself,” she said dryly. “This poor-little-me act is pathetic. Life could be a lot worse.”
Worse? How could it get worse? “Easy for you to say. Just leave me alone. You don’t understand.” Amelia shuffled over to her bed and plopped down. She snatched up a journal and started reading, hoping Lola would take the hint.
She didn’t. “Clearly I understand.” Lola pointed at her mark. “I just chose to make the best of it. Most people would kill to find their soulmate.”
“Guess I’m not most people,” Amelia said haughtily and shot Lola a screw off kind of look. Amelia didn’t really mean it. In all honestly it wasn’t the soulmate part that was the issue. It was his irrepressible possessiveness.
“You’re tearing apart my family,” Lola shouted and slammed her fist against the wall. “I’m not going to let you keep doing it. I’ve never seen them so taken with anyone.”
“Not my fault,” Amelia retorted. “I tried to leave but he won’t let me.”
“You’re acting like a spoiled brat. You’re lucky to have someone like Mitch. He loves you. All of this is for you.” She waved around gesturing to the house. “This is the stupid castle from your dreams. You loved it so much that he bought it. You need to get over yourself.”
Amelia swallowed hard, fighting back the tears that were prickling her eyes. “He doesn’t love me. I’m just a vessel to him. He needs me but he doesn’t love me.” Amelia glanced at Lola, face closed and cold. “Just leave me alone.”
Lola threw up her hands, exasperated. “I really don’t get why you hate me so much.” She paused and gave Amelia a hard stare, and then she huffed. “Not that I care ‘cause you definitely are not number one on my must-be-friends list, but I’m just trying to help you. And if you think Mitch has a temper, you haven’t seen anything yet. If you keep this crap up you’ll be sorry.”
Amelia drew in a deep breath and puffed out her chest. “Are you threatening me?” she asked in a lethal tone.
“No, not a threat—a promise.” A wicked smile stretched out on Lola’s lips. “You can’t pick your family, Amelia, remember that.” Lola glared at her for a long, hard second. “You need to figure out how to let down whatever wall you’ve put up because if you keep making Mitchell think you hate him, he might actually let you go. Is that really what you want?”
Amelia couldn’t answer. She wanted to yell, no, that’s not what I want, but she just wasn`t ready to admit it. Not yet. Maybe never.
Lola huffed when Amelia stayed silent and then finally stalked away. With her gone, Amelia shut the door to her room and then curled up in bed, burying herself in the mounds of pillows.
She couldn’t help but wonder if she would ever be able to really love Mitchell again, love him like she did in the dreams. She wanted to love him. Everything in her yearned for him. But he was a different person now. And so was she. Back when it had all been just a dream, when the unstable emotions of the bond hadn’t been affecting them, it had been perfect. Well, almost perfect, Amelia thought. Aside for the just a dream part.
Amelia let her mind drift, recalling her favorite dream with Mitchell, the dream when she realized how much she loved him.
Something covered her eyes, soft and silky. Her heart pounded in her chest painfully fast with a mix of excitement and fear. Had she fallen asleep? She wasn’t sure. The last thing she remembered, she had been sitting on her new bed, in her new foster home reading a book.
If she had fallen asleep then maybe…“Mitchell,” Amelia called.
“I’m right here, love,” he whispered in her ear, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine. Amelia sucked in a breath, filling her lungs with his sweet, tangy scent. Her heartbeat became erratic and butterflies filled her stomach.
“Why do I have a blindfold on?” Amelia asked, leaning back against his muscled chest. A warm, tingling sensation filled her body from the touch.
“Because I have a surprise for you.” His voice, deep and velvety, wrapped around her and her knees went weak. His soft lips brushed against her cheek and he chuckled softly. “Do you want to see the surprise?” he whispered against her cheek.
Amelia couldn’t make her voice work so she nodded her head and the silky blindfold vanished. She gasped, not believing what stood before her. “The castle from the story Mom used to read me,” she breathed, taking it all in. The stone clad castle, with high turrets and balconies from every window was exactly how she had imagined it would be. “You remembered.”
“Of course I remembered,” he said, taking her hand and lacing his fingers through hers.
Amelia shifted her gazed from the castle to his breathtaking, sky blue eyes. His lips curved and her breath caught in her throat. “What are we doing here?” she asked, not sure of what else to say.
His smile grew wide, reaching his eyes. “I bought it for you.”
Bought it? For just a second, Amelia’s heart completely stopped beating. How had she gotten so lucky? She just couldn’t understand. She felt as if she was floating but all too quickly, reality came crashing in and the hard, cold truth filled her with despair; it’s just a dream.
Mitchell cupped her face in his hands. “Do you love me?”
“With all my heart and soul,” Amelia answered, and for the first time, she realized that she really meant it. She loved him. She loved the way he looked at her, like no one else mattered and she was the only person in the world. She loved the way his lips curved into a smile and the little creases that always showed at his eyes. She loved how he always seemed to know the right thing
to say. She loved his deep, English accent, the way it cocooned her every time he spoke. And she loved the way he made her feel, the way her heart beat when he was near, the electricity she felt at his touch, and the nervous butterflies he always caused in her stomach.
Mitchell leaned forward, brushing his soft lips against hers, sweet and warm. He smiled down at her, eyes hungry. “Do you believe in soulmates, love?”
Amelia knew there was no such thing as a soulmate. She knew that this was just a dream and that he wasn’t real but she couldn’t stop the words from falling from her lips. “I wish you were my soulmate.”
****
The days passed by, and Amelia just let them go. She slipped into a near-catatonic state. Her friends called to her, even Lola tried to get a response, but her dazed stupor remained. Completely unresponsive. Too much had happened. Amelia had never imagined that her world could end twice in one lifetime, but in fact, her world was ending again. Overwhelmed, she let herself shut down. It was all too much. She was a witch. The love of her life was a vampire.
It was Tyler who brought her back to reality. When she heard his voice at the door, she thought she was imagining it. He couldn’t be in the house. Mitchell would never have allowed it. “Millie, can I come in?” he asked, and Amelia watched in confusion as the doorknob turned and cracked open.
Amelia opened her mouth, and then closed it when no sound came out. Was she dreaming? The look on Tyler’s face told her he was trying not to scare her. “Mitchell asked me to check on you.” He inched his way into the room. “We’ve all been worried about you.”
The bed sagged when Tyler sat down. This has to be a dream, Amelia thought miserably, knowing she still hadn’t figured out how to break the stupid lock on her room. She gazed at Tyler wondering why she would dream of him. Why not Mitchell? Because really, Mitchell was the only person she wanted to see, but she knew that was her fault, too. If she hadn’t broken his connection, he would be here, not Tyler.
He looked tired, Amelia noticed, really tired. She reached out to touch his cheek, still not believing that he was really there, but just before her fingers touched him, a low growl rumbled through the air. Amelia snapped her head towards the door, looking for where the sound had come from.
Mitchell.
He stood in the doorway like a fallen angel, glorious and deadly. Before she gave herself time to think, Amelia was off the bed running towards him, arms open. She threw herself at him and was instantly flung back when she hit the invisible wall. Mitchell put a hand up and said, “I can’t come in, love, and it looks like you still can’t come out.” He shook his head and looked at her with gloomy eyes. “What have you done?”
“I didn’t do anything,” Amelia shouted and threw herself at the door again, frustrated. The beginnings of tears settled in her throat and her voice cracked. She glanced back at Tyler and then longingly at Mitchell. “How is he even here?”
Mitchell looked at her, torn and broken. They locked eyes and Amelia desperately tried to tell him how much she loved him through the link. But with each thought she sent, she felt it bounce back, like an email undelivered.
“Millie,” Tyler said, drawing her attention. “What is all this?” He held up a stack of paper and started to read, “There is danger in your future. Many wish you harm and will seek to destroy you. The one you love most will be the cause of your death. But be warned he is also the only one who can save you. Revenge is for the weak. When the time comes, you will need to forget the past and forgive those who have harmed you. Only then will you be able to forgive yourself. If you choose to be weak you will sacrifice those you love.” Tyler looked up at her, wide eyed, and then flipped through the pages. “You wrote it over and over.”
“Give me that,” Mitchell barked from the doorway, keeping his eyes fixed on Amelia. “You should have told me you’d had a vision, Amelia. I need to show it to Luke.”
Amelia took the page and carefully passed it through the barrier, making sure she didn’t touch it. She thought about telling him it wasn’t a vision, but she couldn’t tell him about Madame Crystal, so instead she remarked, “How could I tell you when you never bothered to come and see me?” He took the page. “Didn’t you miss me at all?”
For just a second she could see how much he was hurting and his pain washed over her with such force that she staggered back. But the moment ended too soon and the steel vault closed in around his heart. With a fleeting glance, he took off in a blur of motion.
****
An hour later, Amelia and Tyler were on the floor, journals and the warning spread out in front of them. “How much do you know?” Amelia asked. She closed another journal, finding nothing that could be used to break the lock she had accidentally placed on the room.
“Too much,” he replied. “Way too much. Mitchell filled me in.” He looked over at her, giving her a lopsided grin. “So, he’s your soulmate.”
Amelia laughed and man did it feel good. “Really? You know about vampires, you know I’m a witch and you picked out that I have a soulmate?”
Tyler shrugged. “I was kinda hoping I had a chance with you. That piece of info seemed important.”
Wow. Amelia knew he liked her, but really, that was important? Tyler was cute and sweet and for a quick second Amelia wondered what it would be like to be with him, forget about Mitchell and run away with Tyler. A blush crept into her cheeks and he chuckled. She began flipping through another journal. “I just don’t get it,” Amelia said, frustrated, eager to change the subject. “How were you able to come in?”
Tyler closed the journal he was looking through and leaned back on his elbows. “Maybe we’re looking at this wrong.” He took the warning and started reading it again. “I’m guessing Mitchell is the one who will cause your death and the one who can save you. Maybe this whole lock down has something to do with self-preservation. Maybe I could get in ‘cause I’m not a threat.”
“I think he’s right,” Mabel said, and both Tyler and Amelia spun around. “Obviously, I’m not a threat either.” She ventured into the room balancing a tray of sandwiches and sodas. “I thought you guys might be hungry.” She set the tray down on the coffee table and perched on the edge of one of the chairs in front of the fireplace.
“Mabel!” Amelia squealed. She bolted up from the floor and smothered the older woman in hugs. “What are you doing here?”
Mabel laughed and hugged her tightly. “Mitchell called me. He’s very worried about you, dear.” She kissed Amelia’s forehead and then pried her off giving her a motherly look. “Both of you eat up.” She gestured to the tray of sandwiches. “I think it’s time that someone tells you about Derek.”
Amelia stood in front of her like a rock, refusing to move or to eat. She could tell by Mabel’s expression that whatever she had to say it wasn’t something that she was going to like.
Mabel must have seen the stubborn expression because she smiled, a distant smile, and said, “Derek was marked for Angelle. Did you read the book Eric gave you?”
“Um, yeah,” Amelia answered. “But there was no ending. It just stopped after the bite explanation.”
Mabel nodded. “The book was written by Derek and Lola,” she explained. “After Derek died, Lola couldn’t finish it. It was a great loss for our family.”
“How,” Amelia choked on the words. She swallowed and tried again. “How did he die?”
“Take a seat and eat your sandwich, dear. You too, Tyler, and I’ll start from the beginning.” Mabel crossed her ankles and folded her hands in her lap, waiting for them to comply. For a moment, Amelia thought about crossing her arms, jutting out her lip and refusing to eat but then she looked at the peanut butter and jam sandwiches, her belly rumbled, and she realized she couldn’t remember the last time she ate. She sat on the other chair, snagged a sandwich, and wolfed it down. Tyler followed her lead and popped open a can of soda.
Mabel waited until Amelia finished her first sandwich and started into the second before she continued
with her story. “Angelle found Derek by accident. In that life, you were a barmaid. Angelle was helping Mitchell track you down. They had tracked you to a small pub just outside of Scotland, but when they arrived you had already moved on.”
“This isn’t my first life…” Amelia breathed, not as a question, but a statement.
Mabel shook her head. “You have an old soul. It’s a little different for supernatural beings. As a witch, you’re blessed to always come back to the same family. You have always looked the same, had the same parents, everything about you stays the same in every lifetime.”
“That’s awesome,” Tyler said, but Amelia wasn’t so sure.
Mabel smiled and continued with her tale. “When Angelle and Mitchell got to the pub they found Derek instead. Sadly, vampires were more than he could handle. He was terrified of her. It broke her heart.”
“So she bit him,” Amelia said. “He’s the one who said the bond was a curse.”
Mabel nodded, a short bob of the head. “Angelle thought that biting him would bring them closer together. She had hoped that with the increased link between them he would see that she wasn’t a monster. But young Derek was very stubborn.” Mabel paused, drawing in a breath. “I told you once that there is a fine line between love and hate.”
Amelia snagged a soda and took a few long gulps, giving herself time to think before she said, “I remember.”
“Sometimes it’s so thin you can’t see the difference. The bite gives the vampire more of an edge because they already have the power to manipulate our minds. In most cases we’re the weaker species but I don’t think that’s entirely true with you.” Mabel beamed at Amelia with pride. “I don’t understand the magic behind it but it has something to do with our blood mixing with theirs—this links any human to them, but with the soul bond …” she sighed and her eyes glistened. “Angelle realized her mistake and turned him into a vampire, her equal, to stop his suffering. But after the change, he couldn’t accept what she had forced him to become and his hatred grew. In the end, Derek killed himself.”
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