So much had happened in these past few days, his reaction to her could simply be because of all they had endured, but he hoped that wasn’t it. And, if this connection remained, Philip knew without a doubt that they would court and likely marry. Why would he want to live the rest of his life without her. She was the other part of him. She filled the space that had been empty without him even knowing it existed until it was filled.
As they drew near the parlor, Philip reluctantly let go of her hand. He did not want anyone noticing because they would comment and make assumptions that he was not willing to discuss. First, he needed to know for certain if what was between them was the truth, or simply a spell, and he would likely not know that until he was back to normal.
If he was ever normal again.
“Did it work?” his mother asked as they entered the parlor where everyone waited.
“No,” Antonia answered with defeat. “But I have not given up and with your permission, I would like to return to the vault.”
“It is past midnight,” Lady Wharton objected.
“We are also running out of time,” Antonia reminded her. “I slept today when I should not have. I need to find a way to fix the spell, or bring the words from the book, or both.”
“I will help you,” Petra announced and stood.
“As will I,” Maia and Samantha echoed each other.
“I will offer what assistance that I can,” Philip said. “I may not be able to perform magic, but I can read.”
“If I were younger, I would assist,” his mother said. “For now, I will retire and visit the vault in the morning if nothing has been found.”
Antonia made her way from the parlor, his cousins and Lady Samantha following, then Philip trailed behind.
“Did anyone read anything that would be related to a wolf, werewolf, or anything related to animal magic?” Antonia was asking them.
None of them had.
“While that is a disappointment, at least we do not need to retrace our steps, and can keep reading until we find something.”
“Including a veiling spell,” Maia offered.
“That is not important now. The spell to fix the broken magic that has affected Lord Chedworth is.”
The reason she was here was so that she could enjoy Society and gatherings without suffering, yet Antonia had just set that all aside to help him when he knew how painful her own condition was to endure.
He may not be able to perform magic, but as he read, he would not forget that she needed an important spell, relic, or potion too.
Once they reached the vault, the four witches separated without hesitation as if they knew exactly where to go. Of course, they had already been reading in here, so he assumed they were just going to where they had stopped.
Philip instinctively followed Antonia. It was by her side where he wanted to be. When he joined her before a shelf of relics she paused.
“You know not to touch anything, I assume.”
“Only read the journals,” he responded. He knew the rules.
“As you are taller, I will let you read the journals closer to the top as it will save me from having to get a stool.”
“I am but your servant.” He executed a slight bow.
Antonia placed a hand on his sleeve and warmth filled him.
“Thank you.”
He looked into her light blue eyes and spoke from the heart. “There is no place that I would rather be.” The full truth was that there was no place that he wanted to be but with her.
When Antonia had previously read the journals, she often took time to study them, even though they would have been of no benefit to her. So many items were of interest, for the magic they could be a part of, and some of the danger and destruction they had caused. Such was not the case now. Her mind was focused, searching for any reference to animals, beasts, or wolves. Once she found a spell to help Chedworth, she’d return to where she previously left off to look for reference to a veiling spell.
Yes, it was unpleasant being in crowds, but not nearly as painful as partially becoming a wolf each night. She’d seen the pain in his eyes, on his face, and felt it within herself. Chedworth could not endure such over a lifetime, or even a year without it taking a toll on his body and that is what frightened her. Except, if he fully became a werewolf, it would only be once a month, and only when the moon was full, but that was still bad enough. At least, those were the myths, but how could anyone know if it was true or not. Further, she couldn’t even be certain what would happen to Chedworth because the spell had not been fully completed.
