Could he be a wolf in limbo, cursed to suffer a change every single night at midnight?
That was her fear.
At least with her magic, she could escape people for a few days and not suffer. He did not have the same opportunity, which was why finding a spell to end his transformation was more important than anything she ever needed.
“Mother said you were down here. Where should I start?”
Antonia turned to find Philip’s younger sister, Gretchen, standing at the end of the aisle. Beside her were Maia’s younger sisters, Larisa and Selene.
“Do you know what you are looking for?” Maia asked.
“Yes, mother explained,” Larisa said.
“Good, then start at the opposite ends of the aisles and we will meet in the middle, but hopefully one of us will find something before then.”
“She also said that the five of you need to go up to breakfast then find your beds. She and our aunts will be down to continue reading.”
Antonia blinked. “Breakfast?”
“Yes,” Gretchen laughed. “Apparently the five of you have been down here all night. It is nearly ten in the morning.”
They’d been reading, hardly even speaking, for nearly nine hours. The entire time, Chedworth had been by her side, reading as she was. Sometimes their hands touched, or arms, and it usually happened when she was growing weary and her eyes were starting to blur, but with each touch, she was renewed and reminded of her purpose. And the longer they were in the vault, the more often they touched until sometimes it had not been accidental on Antonia’s part because she needed his renewing strength and silently wondered if that was why he touched her.
“Tell us where you have left off and we will continue,” Lady Wharton announced as she came into the vault, her sisters-in-law following.
Philip’s mother came toward them, and Antonia explained which journals had been read and which had not. Lady Wharton inquired the same of Maia and Lady Chandos of Petra, and Gretchen of Samantha.
“Now, go eat and rest. I will alert you if we discover anything.”
Antonia blew out a sigh. She wanted to keep looking and reading. “I will break my fast and then return.”
“You will not,” Lady St. Alban ordered. “You need your strength. If we find a spell, but you are too weak to perform it, matters could be made worse, not better.”
She had not thought of that. And she was so very tired.
“You are correct. I shall eat, then rest, then return.”
Antonia followed Petra, Maia and Samantha from the vault. Chedworth was behind and as soon as he placed a hand at the small of her back, a part of her was renewed. However, Antonia knew that she must rest no matter how much she wished to stay by his side.
Chapter Fourteen
There was silence around the breakfast table. Philip assumed everyone was too exhausted to talk, as was he. He’d never filled a plate, took his seat, and just ate as if alone when others were present, but he wasn’t the only one.
The servants were even quiet, as if they sensed that none of them could even answer a simple question and refilled teacups without prompting.
His cousins and Lady Samantha finished eating before Philip and Lady Antonia and left the breakfast room without a word.
Antonia remained in her chair, leaning back, cradling her teacup, and staring ahead as if contemplating an issue.
“Is all well?” Philip asked.
She blinked and focused on him. “Yes. No…” She allowed a small smile. “Your mother is correct. We need some rest.”
With that she set her teacup aside and rose. As soon as she stepped across the threshold, Philip immediately felt the loss and that space within that had been filled began to empty, as if it had been a bucket holding water and someone had started to tip it.
He quickly pushed his chair back to follow, gaining on her as she climbed the stairs, the bucket inside filling again.
It was the oddest of sensations, but he knew deep down that he didn’t want that emptiness to return. An emptiness that he had not even known he carried until it was replaced.
