Her brow furrowed in a manner that made him want to kiss her worries away. But he had promised to keep his distance, so he would do so. “That’s impossible. London is several days, even if you travel by horseback.”
“Don’t concern yourself with the how. Just know that I won’t leave you for long.” He reached out and closed her hand around the pentacle. “Keep this close but ensure that the servants don’t see it. I will instruct that you have free rein of the estate while I am absent. It will give you ample time to look into the mysterious key” He started to turn away, but he couldn’t resist leaning down and giving her a light, consolatory kiss on the lips. “Sleep well, my dark princess.”
With that, he left the room.
Chapter 14
Considering everything else that Alaric had revealed to Marlene in recent days, he decided it would be best to omit the fact he would be heading to London—in the form of a crow. He didn’t want to deceive her, but he wasn’t sure she could handle another shock.
On a normal journey to London, which were generally few and far between, he might have taken his carriage, but since he didn’t want to leave Marlene alone any longer than necessary, he knew this was for the best. It was a risk to assume the form of his familiar, but he considered the places he could go and hide if someone were to realize his identity and it became too dangerous for him to be seen out in the open. The last thing he needed was to get injured and find himself unable to transform back and return home in a timely fashion.
As was common in the moors, the night generally brought about a misty and gray fog when Alaric stepped outside. It was the reason that the heather grew in such fragrant abundance so far inland. It carried the moisture from the coast.
He tried not to think about how foreboding it appeared, considering most of his success was relying on what he might find in London. It was imperative that he uncover something of note in regard to Marlene’s mother and her relationship to Hector. That would only bring them one step closer to learning the truth behind all of Marlene’s visions.
Alaric had the suspicion that it wasn’t Marlene’s former illness that had brought about all of these strange perceptions so many years ago—but something more powerful.
Like magic.
It was the only thing strong enough to withstand the test of time. The question was, why had they ceased—and why had they suddenly returned?
Alaric knew he was missing a vital clue to solving this mystery, which is why he knew he had to make the difficult choice to leave Rosedale Heights now, in order to investigate the matter further.
Unfortunately, this was another truth that he’d been forced to keep from Marlene.
Walking toward the copse of the trees at the edge of the estate, under cover of the shadows around him, Alaric closed his eyes and pictured himself looking down from above. When he opened his eyes, he found himself soaring over the countryside, high above his beloved moors.
At times, Alaric had imagined a life when he wasn’t tied down to this land. He’d left his home years ago and ventured to London, believing that he was meant for a life in the city where he could freely practice the magic that his parents had long yearned for him to conceal. The power in his veins had always rebelled at being denied, so he had ignored their warnings and set out to see what he could accomplish on his own.
It didn’t take him long to find others that possessed the same abilities he did, whether they had also been passed down through the generations, or they had dared to become an initiate and assume magic on their own merit. Either way, Alaric had finally felt as though he had belonged, that he didn’t have to hide his true nature. Because of his dedication to the wicca, and because his bloodline spanned decades, he had quickly been chosen to lead a newly formed coven as the High Priest. For a young man not yet twenty, this was a high honor. He had been humbled by the coven’s faith in him.
What he hadn’t known at the time, was that it was just one more reason to earn Hector’s hatred. He had been jealous that Alaric had risen to such a revered position when he imagined he had the right to lead. However, months passed without any direct defiance, until Hector believed that he had possession of the Book. Then his madness had known no bounds.
Alaric glided over the land of his birth, enjoying the feel of the wind through his feathers. There was nothing else that could compare with the freedom he felt whenever he became one with the crow. He wished he could release his inhibitions more often, but with the threat of witch persecutions still prevalent over the land, he had to refrain from assuming his alternate form more often than not.
Most of the night he flew over the dimly lit villages that lined the way toward the heart of England itself. His final destination was the estate that lay just outside of London, but until dawn arrived, he intended to find a place to land and gain some rest.
He turned and headed for the main thoroughfare of the city.
When she awoke the next morning, Marlene found that she had actually slept quite well. For the first time since she’d arrived at Rosedale Heights, her dreams had been free from terror. Of course, this might have had something to do with the fact that her conscience was clear from guilt for withholding previous information from Alaric. Now that he knew about the key, there was nothing else to hide, and she was feeling quite unencumbered as she dressed in a cheery yellow gown that morning. Although the day proved to be another rainy one, at least her spirits were lifted.
The first thing she did was remove the key from the lantern and put it inside the pocket of her skirts, and then she carefully tucked the pentacle behind her bodice, until she was assured it wasn’t visible, and then she headed downstairs to the master’s study. She encountered Mrs. Bates the moment she left the north wing.
“Miss St. Clair.”
If Marlene didn’t know better, she thought she heard a slight inflection in the housekeeper’s tone when she said “miss.” Then again, she was staying in close proximity to the master. It only stood to reason that Mrs. Bates might frown upon Marlene’s altered position within the house. In lieu of a chaperone, and with Lady Erica’s absence, there was no doubt what the servants were thinking. But it wasn’t as if they would be wrong. She had lain with Alaric, and she had no one else to blame but herself if she was forced to deal with the disapproving glances now.
Rather than act as though anything was wrong, Marlene offered her a bright smile. “Would you mind sending my breakfast tray into Sir Gothry’s study?”
The lady inclined her head, although her mouth was pinched. When she replied, her lips barely moved. “Of course. The master told us that you were welcome to any room in the estate.” She lifted a brow. “While I might think it rather odd that he should allow you entrée into his private sanctuary, it is not my place to question my employer’s decision.”
Marlene inclined her head. “Lovely.” She wasn’t sure what else she might say to that statement, so she decided it was best to say nothing else at all.
Once she had entered the room, she found an unmarked tome upon the desk, just as Alaric had said it would be. She sat in his chair and seemed a bit out of place in such a formal position, but when her maid, Amy, brought in her tray, the girl didn’t even glance at her. She just set the silver tray on a nearby table and shut the door upon her departure, as if knowing she would want some privacy.
Marlene pushed aside her reservations at being treated differently. It wasn’t as though she had ever fit in from the moment she arrived at Rosedale Heights, so what would it matter if she did now?
She took a moment to drink some restorative tea, and eat the fare laid out for her. When she was finished, she returned to the desk and removed the key from her pocket. She set it upon the mahogany top and opened the book in front of her.
