He didn’t immediately say no, so she took that as a positive sign. He actually seemed to consider her suggestion for a time. Finally, he walked over and held out the key between his thumb and forefinger. “I shall return this to you on good faith, that you will come to me the moment you learn of its origins.”
She slowly exhaled. “I promise.” She took the key and put it back in the lantern.
“In my study, you will find a book with a variety of keys sketched inside.”
“There’s such a thing?” she asked.
He didn’t even hesitate. “In my possession, yes. It isn’t something that is published for the public. It’s something of a personal reference guide for all the keys that any wicca might have obtained through the years. I shall leave it on my desk for your perusal.” He gestured to the lantern. “That key is nearly as ancient as time itself.”
Marlene’s eyes widened as she began to piece things together. “You didn’t know it was in the orangery, did you?”
“No,” he admitted. “I have the feeling it was planted there for you to discover, and you alone. Yet another piece of the mystery that evades my understanding.” He eyed her closely. “You are quite certain there is no wicca blood in your ancestry?”
“Not that I was ever told,” Marlene noted. Suddenly, the fine hairs on the back of her neck lifted. She raised a hand and rubbed her bare skin. “Is there is a particular reason you ask this?”
His expression turned grim. “It’s more of a theory.”
When he hesitated, she crossed her arms. “Don’t keep me in suspense.”
He gave a heavy exhale. “I saw enough of your mother to recognize her before she faded from view.” His eyes were piercing. “She was there the night Hector was exiled from the coven.”
Alaric had debated about whether or not to reveal such a shocking truth to her, but he realized he had no choice if he intended to stop Hector and keep Marlene safe. But if he were to do that, he would have to reveal everything. “It was a Cyprian’s ball held in London more than ten years ago. You would have still been a child at the time.” The image of her dancing about in her pinafore and curls made his chest tighten, because he could picture her having a daughter just like that someday. He pushed that thought aside, because it was too close to the fantasy he held for himself, and concentrated on the matter at hand. “Hector thought I was in possession of an important tome known as the Book of Magical Charms. It is said to hold the ultimate power of witchcraft. He was certain that I had it, so he demanded that I release it to him. I would not, and so he went into a fit of rage that flew out into the crowd. His strength beheaded several people.”
Marlene gasped, her focus fixed on the story. “What happened after that?”
“I told him he was relieved of any further duties within the coven and placed a binding spell on him before he could do any more damage, and then sent him on a ship bound for God only knew where. I just wanted him out of England before he could do any more harm. Because I was afraid I would become a threat to those that were dearest to me, I sequestered myself at the estate.”
She was silent for a moment, and then she asked, “Where does my mother fit into all of this?”
“I can’t say.” He gave a light shrug. “I only know that she was there, because I recall a mysterious woman in a brown, hooded cloak. She didn’t appear to fit in with the rest of us, but it was a highly secretive event. Only those who held the power of wicca would have been allowed entrée.”
Marlene reached out to clutch one of the wooden posts of her bedframe. “This doesn’t make any sense. I never knew my mother to act differently than anyone else of our acquaintance.”
Alaric contemplated the same thing. “There’s only one other explanation for her presence there,” he murmured. “If she wasn’t wicca, then she was meeting someone in secret who was. She would have been invited by a member of wicca, but that was strictly forbidden. It was dangerous for our kind to involve outsiders in our ceremonies, no matter how innocent they might have appeared, because the moment rumor reached the ears of the gossipmongers, we had the risk of being hanged. Or worse.”
“It makes more sense than my mother being a witch,” Marlene pointed out.
After considering all the possibilities, he said, “I know a way I might be able to find out. I will go to London and see what I can uncover from your parents’ estate.”
Marlene snorted. “My cousin will never allow a stranger to invade his private sanctuary. There were times he forbade me to leave my rooms.”
Alaric could feel a muscle tick in his jaw. He decided that he would deal with her cousin at a later time, perhaps even the score for such ill treatment of his own relation. “I am rather adept at finding ways around in places I’m not welcome. I only need your permission to pass over the threshold since it was once your residence.”
She inclined her head. “You have it.”
“Very well. I shall leave tonight. It is best not to delay.” He looked at her steadily. “You shall be protected so long as you remain inside this house. I would prefer it if you didn’t leave your chambers, but I don’t wish to make you feel as though you are a prisoner here.”
“I do appreciate that,” she said quietly. “But what happens if I have another vision?”
“I have already thought of that. Wait here.” He left through the connecting door that led to the sitting room and the master’s chamber beyond. He returned moments later with a pentacle that was glowing with a slightly blue tinge. He handed it to her. “This will ensure that nothing can lure you away from the security of this estate, and it should also keep any further visions of black magic at bay to help you rest easier.”
She held it in her grasp and the glow from the pentacle shone upon her face. “Why does it burn with its own light?”
“It assists in healing, which is why I keep it close at hand, but it also serves as a warning when there is impending danger about. It started to glow the day I learned Hector had returned to English soil. Each day it grows a bit brighter.”
She started to hand it back to him. “Then shouldn’t you keep it? If you are daring to ride to London, you shall need its power.”
He shook his head. “I intend to return by nightfall tomorrow night.”
