“Whir?” Maeve frowns.
“The knives moved. They repositioned themselves. I kicked Tony and set him off balance, but the sculpture… the blades sliced right through him. Scooped him up into the air.”
“That sounds a lot like magic, El,” Maeve says softly.
Eloise stares at the gallery wall. "I… I think there's a connection between the house and my family, my ancestors. Like they're here, helping me. Like the house is... alive somehow."
She shifts in my arms. She’s agitated, and I sense she’s not ready for the truth. I pull her closer and exchange an uneasy glance with Maeve. We both know it’s all real, but Eloise isn’t strong enough to face this tonight. Not after everything. “I have you now. You’re safe.”
Maeve takes a deep breath and sighs. “About that. She said there were others in the cavern. They’ll come looking for Tony. Something has to be done with the body, Damien.”
I nod. “I’ll go.”
Eloise twists in my arms. “What are you going to do? They’re dangerous.”
I lower my forehead to hers. “So am I, and I will do whatis necessary to keep you safe. Stay with Maeve. Drink your tea. I’m going to make this go away, little dragon. Trust me.”
44
The Magic in Your Veins
ELOISE
“If I drink any more tea, I’m going to float away,” I tell Maeve. I’ve slept on and off on the sofa all night, with Maeve filling my cup every time I came to. “I think I've drank an entire pot of the stuff by now. It tastes like ass, by the way.”
Maeve shrugs. “Yeah, but it’s working. Look at your arms.”
I do and my breath hitches. The once bright red bruises are barely discernible anymore. I gently prod the skin around my eye, and that feels better too. “Your aunt Hildie is a genius!”
“Yeah. I’m pretty sure she saved your life last night. You were in bad shape.”
I heave a sigh. “I can’t thank you or her enough. You must know that. And after everything with the candle, I wouldn’t have blamed you for not coming at all.”
She brushes her thick fringe of bangs to the side, her eyes lined with red behind her glasses. “I did take someheat from my family about the candle. Honestly, I was worried Aunt Hildie wouldn’t agree to give me the tea. They’re all so angry about it. But everyone agreed to give you grace because you’re new.”
“New?”
She looks down at her fingers. “I know you’ve been through a lot, and your mind is fighting the truth about this. It’s a self-protection mechanism. But denial is not just a river in Egypt.”
I shake my head. “What?" I scoff." I’m not in denial.”
“Only a powerful witch could have broken Damien’s curse. You may not have known what you were doing when you threw the candle into the fire, but your magic knew. Your magic wanted Damien for itself.”
“I... I just... I thought he’d served his time.”
She waves a hand dismissively. “It’s done… and a moot point. I forgive you. But this is bigger than that. It’s like I said before. That pattern on your back isn’t just a tattoo. It’s a sigil containing your family’s keyspell.”
“Right." She narrows her eyes. "But what does it all mean. You said I wasn’t a witch.”
“You’re not. But you’re magical. Damien?—”
“Where is Damien?”
“He had to go back to Night Haven because the sun is rising, but while you were out tonight, he told me something. He didn’t want me to pass it on until you were stronger. He didn’t want you to worry about it.”
“As you pointed out, I’m practically healed, so tell me.”
“Damien’s friend found your sigil in a book in the Night Haven palace library. An ancient book, Eloise, written hundreds of years ago.”
