Oliver nodded. That wouldn’t even be an adjustment for him, but it would be for Felipe and Gwen. Staring at them, his mind drifted to Ivy’s forthcoming proposal and the wedding that would follow. “Would we still be allowed to see our families?”
“Of course. The name might come from monastic life, but you won’t be forced to abandon your loved ones. I think it’s better, more grounding, to retain that connection and have them near if possible.”
As Mrs. Van Husen held Felipe’s gaze, melancholy rippled through the tether. If they got to live a prolonged life, they would get to see Teresa’s art shows, how her career unfolded, the person she decided to live with, her children if she chose to have them, but they would also see her and everyone they love die. Gwen would lose her sisters but see their children grow and maybe even their children’s children. Before Felipe, Oliver always feared that if Gwen died before he did, no one would be there for him in his final days, but they would be there for everyone they loved. He would make sure they were never alone or uncared for at the end. Felipe’s hand slid into Oliver’s with a squeeze as if sensing his thoughts.
Clearing his throat, Felipe asked, “Please correctly if I’m wrong, but the whole point of having anchorites is to stabilize the magic underpinning the society and to make life better or at least try to, correct?”
“We don’t always get it right,” Turpin began, “but, yes, the point is that you are in charge of everyone’s well-being. You will ultimately become the eldest member of the community, and it is your duty to never forget the past. By bearing witness to thepast, you can better navigate the present and prepare for the future. The anchorites are meant to be part of the community yet apart from it. You are to build things for others, not yourself. Do you understand?”
The three of them nodded, but silence hung heavily over them as Turpin watched and waited for an answer Oliver still couldn’t give. Oliver’s heart beat loudly in his ears. He couldn’t risk Felipe’s life, but he didn’t want Gwen to lose out on doing so much good if he didn’t take it. It wasn’t fair. There was no right choice. A warm burst of adrenaline flowed through Oliver’s breast as Felipe straightened.
“I want to do it. I would like to be an anchorite alongside Oliver and Gwen.”
Oliver stared at him in horror. “I told you I’m not risking your life for this.”
“I think Inspector Galvan wants us to expand the anchorites from two to three. A plan I whole-heartedly endorse,” Mrs. Van Husen replied.
“Is it possible?” Oliver asked softly, his eyes trailing to Turpin’s dry expression.
“I think it is. I told William you would never agree to his proposal, but as always, he didn’t listen to me. I think it’s very possible to expand to three anchorites. First, there was one, and then, we were two. With three anchorites, the Paranormal Society can grow into what it needs to be as we head into the next century. We can neither live in the past nor stand on tradition.”
Holding Oliver’s hand tighter, Felipe turned to him. The same spark that Oliver had seen in Felipe’s eyes when he talked about his plans for the orientation had appeared again. The tether pulled taut between them as Felipe held his gaze and whispered, “I know you’re scared, but I think we should do this. You and Gwen are the heart and brains of the society like Turpin and Mrs. Van Husen are, but I’ve been the hand. For far too longthey haven’t had anyone looking out for them, and I want to be that person. I want the three of us to work together to make things better for everyone. There is no one I trust more to do that than you and Gwen.”
Oliver sucked in a wet breath. It sounded so easy. If they agreed, Gwen would create her center for learning, Felipe would keep people from falling between the cracks, and Oliver would make sure no one felt the way he did. He would be there for the future necromancers and people others called strange or who needed more help than their peers, and he would make sure they always felt welcome at the society. Every step of the way, he would have the two people he loved most at his side. Holding Felipe’s gaze, Oliver nodded, and his partner broke into a wide grin.
“Does this mean thethreeof you will become the future anchorites?” Turpin asked.
If it meant extra time with them, the answer would always be yes. Turning to Gwen, he waited for her to nod. “Yes, we’ll become the anchorites together.”
Relief and joy flooded the tether as Felipe threw his arms around Gwen and Oliver. A wet laugh escaped Oliver’s lips as he hugged his favorite people close. He wiped the moisture from his eyes as he sat back. Mrs. Van Husen watched them with a proud smile. She gave Turpin a questioning look as he stood and stuck his head out of the parlor door to check something in the library.
“So when would we start?” Felipe asked.
“We would want to have you fully take over by the new century, so we have two years to get your affairs in—”
Before she could finish, the floor tossed and heaved beneath their feet. The boards clacked and books tumbled off the shelves in the library as Oliver threw his arms around Gwen and Felipe scrambled to his feet to keep Mrs. Van Husen from falling. The shaking grew to a roaring rumble. It shot through the bedrockof the society and through the walls. Glass shattered and something crashed in the distance, but in an instant, there was stillness and silence. Oliver’s limbs shook as Gwen pulled away from him with wide eyes. Something was wrong, something was very, very wrong. Turpin stood rooted in the doorway, his eyes glowing a ghostly white as they darted back and forth as if trapped in a vision. Oliver opened his mouth to speak when a crack sounded behind him. He turned in time to watch a spidery fissure break across the plaster. Mrs. Van Husen leapt forward, throwing her arms up as if she could hold back the strain.
“The building. William, help me!” Mrs. Van Husen cried as another crack formed on the opposite wall and the ceiling buckled.
Mr. Turpin shook his head and pushed. The air around them thickened in time with the sweat beading on the librarian’s brow.
“What’s happening?” Gwen cried, her voice high as another tremor followed by a pop passed beneath them.
“Someone has gotten past my wards. He’s in the Special Collections trying to tear the society apart from its foundations,” Turpin explained, pushing the wall back with a shove that sealed the crack. “I noticed him too late, and now, he’s pulling on the magic beneath our feet. If he upsets the balance too much, the whole place could cave in. Our predecessors only opened the channel so far for a reason.”
Turpin’s hand shot out as stone scraped stone and glass broke somewhere in the distance. Oliver eyed the ceiling nervously as if it might cave at any second. In the halls, he could hear people running beneath the ringing of the fire alarm.
“Holbrook,” Felipe spat. “It’s Holbrook, isn’t it? He must have gotten wind of his arrest and decided to destroy the society while he still can. Turpin, can you let us into the special collections?”
The head librarian looked uncertain.
“We have to let them. We can’t hold this together and deal with him,” Mrs. Van Husen said breathlessly.
“I will open the way for you, but it is dangerous. The magic near the fissure is unpredictable, and our intruder has made it worse. Keep where you want to go in clear in your mind, or you’ll roam. Most importantly, be careful. The society’s future depends on you.”
***
Gwen guided them through the library and down the stone steps of the Special Collections. Felipe eyed the bulbous unearthly lamps bathing the stairs in an unnaturally soft, steady glow. Several had broken or cracked, their heavy heads lolling on their stems. Striated stone spread out as far as the eye could see, but beneath the building, the cracks were even more evident. They cut through the bedrock like grasping fingers. Gravel rained down from the ceiling as minute tremors passed through their feet. Books and artifacts lay scattered across the stone floor, but what worried Felipe most was the yawning chasm at the center of the cavern. A line of stone balustrades encircled the chasm, but many had cracked and fallen into the void below. At the bottom of the stairs, Gwen looked around as if trying to get her bearings.
