Philip then took off running through the garden. She was likely in the parlor with his family waiting to find out what happened, but Philip came to a halt when he saw the witches down by the water. It took him a moment to realize that it was Antonia who was on the ground, waves lapping at her skirt as she huddled and sobbed.
Did she not know that her sacrifice had worked or was she suffering because of what she’d given.
He slowly approached and called her name.
“Go away,” came her muffled voice.
Maybe the spell had been truly broken and she no longer wanted to have anything to do with him, which meant that whatever they’d been experiencing had not been real. Except, it was still real to him.
Philip drew closer and knelt beside her. “Antonia, talk to me. Why do you cry so hard?”
She stilled, then sniffed, before lifting her head and looking at him.
She then placed a hand against his face. “Did you change?”
He placed his hand over hers. “No.”
The relief he saw in her eyes could be felt to the very bottom of his soul and before he could register what was happening, Antonia’s arms were around him and he nearly fell backwards.
All Philip could do was laugh as joy filled his being. He was free and Antonia was alive.
She pulled back. “I was afraid…I…when I heard the wolf howl, I thought…” Her eyes filled with tears again.
“It was not me. Nor did anything change. The spell has been broken.”
A sob broke and all Philip could assume was that Antonia had been carrying so much pain and worry within her and now that everything was over, she could finally let her emotions free.
“Why don’t we go inside,” his mother said.
Antonia ducked her head and in the full moon Philip could clearly see the rose bloom on her cheeks.
He stood and reached out a hand to her. She took it and then frowned. “That spell is broken as well.”
They no longer shared a link, but he did not miss it because he knew that what he was feeling was real. The only question, what was Antonia experiencing when they were near and when they touched?
“Come along,” his mother called.
“We should go in,” Philip said. He’d survived enough this night. If his heart was to be broken, he would rather it happened tomorrow.
Antonia could barely put one foot in front of the other and if Philip had not kept a hand at the small of her back, she may have collapsed. The hand that at one time renewed her body and awakened her no longer did so. Yet, it was still a comfort.
The spell had truly been broken and whatever had previously bound them to the other was gone.
What did that mean?
That was a stupid question. Now she would find out if what she had been experiencing was real.
She glanced up at Philip from the corner of her eye. What she experienced in London still existed. His calming and quieting emotions nearly silenced everyone else. But was that all?
No, her heart still warmed when she looked at him, and she longed to be held.
But what if he did not feel the same.
He always feared that there would be nothing after the spell, and that was the reason he refused to even kiss her. Had he known deep down that there could be no more than perhaps friendship?
They stepped into the parlor and the happiness and relief from Philip’s family washed over Antonia. She grasped his arm to lessen the onslaught. It was not unpleasant, simply too much.
He pulled her aside. “Your gifts still remain? I thought that was your sacrifice.”
