She couldn’t stay in here. She wasn’t certain she could remain in Bocka Morrow.
She didn’t even know who she was or who she should have been.
“Excuse me.” She stood and pushed past Damon and her family to get away from them then glanced around.
Where should she go?
All she knew was that she needed to be away from everyone, and those awful memories, if she could manage it.
“Cordelia?” Damon asked with concern and reached out to her.
She backed away.
He may have saved her today, but that didn’t mean he should be forced to remain with her for the rest of his life.
How could she be certain that the vine hadn’t picked her because of the secret and the role Lady Chandos played in it? Had she not been misled, who knew what may have been.
Cordelia continued to back away from the lot of them until she turned and ran for home.
Chapter 25
Damon steppedto go after her.
“Stop!” Madam Boswell ordered. “You will remain here.”
Damon turned. Was she bloody mad? “She should not be alone,” he argued.
“She needs this now,” Madam Boswell explained. “Cordelia is overwhelmed and needs the peace that can only be found when alone. Each of you would smother and she needs to finish this and find what is inside of her.”
Damon was so bloody sick of witches and gypsies and their words of wisdom. A witch is what had caused this in the first place. Then his mother tampered with it so that the truth would come to light one day. Maybe it was better if Cordelia had never known. At least she’d have peace, which she did not have now.
How could she? Her grandfather had said horrible things to her and none of them were true. Damon’s biggest fear was that Cordelia still believed them.
“Come.” Madam Boswell settled before the crystal and waved her hands over it.
“There is nothing but fog,” Damon complained.
“Unless enchanted, the visions are only for me.”
He nearly snorted. She could tell them anything and they’d either have to believe or disbelieve since they couldn’t see for themselves.
“The darkness surrounding you has been lifted,” she muttered.
How could he have forgotten the darkness? It was because someone he cared for had been in danger and he’d always assumed it was his family in danger from witchfinders.
Bloody hell, gypsies needed to have more specific visions! His lack of considering anyone else or that the evil was anything other than witchfinders had almost cost Cordelia her life.
“That darkness and evil is in my home!” he nearly roared then turned to his mother. “We invited her in!”
“Miss Perkins arrived before I protected Nightshade Manor from those who would do us harm,” she reminded him. “We thought we needed to fear witchfinders.”
She was correct. None of them ever dreamed they’d need to fear another witch, but now he knew better. “She can’t hurt Cordelia again, can she?”
The panic rose. His future wife had suffered enough and didn’t need a deranged witch coming after her.
“By now she has been locked in the dungeon and no amount of magic will see her released unless by my will, or the will of any with Drakos blood.”
That was a relief.
