He scowled at her. “You clearly aren’t.”
Madeleine patted her shoulder. “He’s right, dear. You need to rest. We’ll postpone the visit to the village until tomorrow. If you are feeling better then, that is.”
No!
The thought was so strong it tore right through the minuscule protection from her charm. Sadie looked over Nicholas’s shoulder and saw Lenora’s despair, not even sure at that point if she was still reading her thoughts or gauging her emotions with the evidence of her eyes.
I need to go to the village. I need to mail my letter. I want to go home!
Sadie rubbed a hand over her face and sighed. “You don’t need to postpone the visit on my account. Go without me.”
“Nonsense, dear.” Madeleine led her toward a chaise, and everyone from the foyer filed into the drawing room. “We aren’t going to leave you behind.”
At this point, that was really all Sadie wanted. Some peace and quiet in her own head—which she’d never get surrounded by people, especially if she couldn’t coax any more power into her amulet.
She took in everyone, trying to find inspiration to either send them all away or to escape herself. Helen looked concerned. Lenora was trying to hold back tears. Jane kept shifting awkwardly as if she couldn’t decide between rushing forward and finding a corner to hide in. Beatrice remained near the door, uninvested in the outcome of the conversation.
To her surprise, Abigail also remained near the door, though Nicholas had ventured further into the room. Sadie expected to see annoyance or even hatred in her gaze, but not the tremble of fear. Then the fear was gone as if it had never been, and the blonde glared at Sadie.
She moved her attention onto Nicholas, who now stood directly in front of her spot on the chaise, his attention locked on her amulet.
He was an earth-witch. He knew the rune on the front was a minor protection, but could he sense the influx of power as she traced the glyph? Given the way he was staring, Sadie feared the answer was yes.
She needed him to leave most of all. Since she knew he wouldn’t, the next best option was removing herself. Sadie turned to Madeleine. “I think perhaps I should go lie down.”
“Of course, dear. And if you need anything else, don’t hesitate to have your maid ask.”
“I’ll escort you to your room.” Nicholas announced. “You shouldn’t be by yourself in case you faint.”
And there went Sadie’s grand plan to escape him. She didn’t for a moment think he was worried about her fainting. No, his offer to escort her had been more of a threat than a show of concern. She resigned herself to his questions and allowed him to help her to her feet.
Even frustrated and overwhelmed as she was, Sadie still paused for a moment when his hand touched hers. There was a connection beyond the physical in that moment, a promise of potential. Nicholas felt it, too. She saw it in how his body stilled; heard his thoughts spark with speculations that would have made her blush if he hadn’t strangled them back as soon as they formed.
Then he pulled her up with unexpected strength, and she nearly stumbled directly into him. A vision of her crashingagainst his chest, and Nicholas holding her close before lifting her into his arms and striding out of the room swept over her. She wasn’t sure if the thought was her own or his.
But it was only a thought. She managed to find her balance, he released her hand, and the proper distance remained between their bodies as he winged out his elbow and she took his arm.
As they walked to the door, Sadie blinked in surprise. “Where’d Abigail go?” she murmured. When had the other woman slipped out of the room?
“I don’t know and don’t care.”
“You should care. If anyone is going to try to trap you in a marriage, it’s her, and if she isn’t staying near you, it is for a reason.”
They crossed the foyer, heading toward the main staircase. “Maybe the reason is you. I walked away while she was in the middle of talking to see what had happened to you—my priorities were clear.” He met Sadie’s eyes, his own now deadly serious. “I’m not going to let you distract me from what happened, Sadie. Something was wrong. I want to know what and why you thought your amulet could help.”
“I told you the amulet is sentimental. I often reach for it when I’m upset. And I can’t tell you exactly what overcame me, but I needed a moment alone. I still do.”
He ignored that unsubtle hint, turning the moment they reached the upstairs hall and facing her. A shimmering blue ward snapped into place around them. “You were feeding magic into it, Sadie.” He reached out toward her amulet. “But you weren’t tracing the glyph on the front.”
Before she could react, he had the agate in his fingers and twisted it around.
Sadie froze. She couldn’t even bring herself to bat his hand away or pull back. It was too late.
???
Nicholas studied theamulet, trying to piece together the runes in the glyph on the underside. “Suppression, magic, body, containment,” he murmured as he untangled the lines. There was more, and the ways they’d been carved together confused him, but he understood enough. He looked up, still holding the stone, the space between his body and Sadie’s almost non-existent. “Sadie, this looks like a charm meant to trap and smother magic inside a body.”
What kind of effect would such a charm have on a witch?
