“We didn’t make it there either, and when I went on my own afterward, everything felt normal.”
They were actually quite close to the manor. And probably already late for luncheon. He sighed and dropped the ward. “We should head inside.”
Sadie looked around, then nodded. “I suppose we should.” She looked up at him. “I won’t judge the people who call the forest haunted as harshly anymore—though I still think it is generally a matter of them jumping at shadows. Mostly.”
“I’ve lived next to this forest my entire life, and this is the first time I’ve felt this way. It is almost certainly mostly jumping at shadows.” He glanced at those shadows, which seemed deeper now. “But perhaps I, too, will be more understanding in the future.”
They followed the path around a bend, and a form leaped out at them.
Sadie jumped, pulling her hand free as she slapped it over her mouth to stifle a little shriek.
Nicholas had a ward around them again in a blink.
Then they both realized that the “demon” that had startled them was none other than Abigail, in her pouffy white frock. Given where she was standing, she had to have been on the path as they rounded the corner, and there really wasn’t a way to hide such wide skirts covered in ruffles, yet she had taken them both by surprise.
Honestly, Nicholas might have preferred a demon. He reluctantly dropped his ward.
Abigail crossed her arms. “There you are. Everyone was worried when you didn’t show up for the meal. We thought the demon might have gotten you. You could have at least warned someone if you didn’t plan to come in.”
From trying to force herself on him to nagging—Abigail certainly had an interesting technique for securing a suitor. He kept his tone mild when answering her, though he didn’t really feel like it. Sadie was right; he was too nice. “We didn’t realize how late it had gotten. I hope no one felt the need to delay their own meal because of our tardiness.”
“Apologizing after the fact doesn’t change that we were sick with worry when you didn’t show up,” Abigail snapped. “What if Sadie were possessed, and she led you out here to murder you?”
Nicholas bit his tongue, wanting to give Sadie a chance to respond to such an accusation herself. She’d no doubt have a scathing reply. But she said nothing.
He looked over to find her standing there with a grimace on her face, her eyes clenched shut, and her hand wrapped around the amulet she always wore. The tiny surge of power he sensed had to be from her tracing the glyph on the back with herthumb. Whatever her power was, Abigail’s confrontation was aggravating her limited control.
Nick wrapped an arm around Sadie’s shoulders, afraid she might just topple over with the way she was swaying. From the corner of his eye, he saw Abigail recoil. Sadie shuddered.
Not turning away from the woman in his arms, he addressed Abigail, his voice now frosty. “You can go tell everyone no demons got us.”
“How do you know she’s not—”
“Go, Abigail. Now,” he snarled.
Nicholas could be polite for his mother’s sake, but he wouldn’t let social niceties get in the way of protecting Sadie. When Abigail didn’t leave, he turned, giving her his back, standing between her and Sadie, and gently pried Sadie’s fingers from around her amulet. He flipped the agate over and traced the unknown glyph with his nail, willing more magic to flow into the stone.
Sadie shuddered again, but this time with relief as the glyph activated and blocked her own power. She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his chest, and he listened to her breathe. First a few harsh breaths, then they slowed and calmed.
He also heard Abigail’s footsteps as she finally walked away, but that was a distant thing. His focus was entirely on Sadie.
“Better?” he asked when her breathing was normal once more.
She nodded against him. “Thank you.”
He pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head. “To be clear, Sadie, I still don’t like not knowing exactly what that charm does, and have no intention of strengthening it for you indefinitely. However, I’m not going to leave you to suffer when I know it can at least help you in the short term.”
She pulled back slightly, and he had to force himself to let her, then rejoiced when he realized she wasn’t trying to get away,but to look at him. “I’ve never had quite this problem before,” she told him quietly. She licked her lips. “You know I have trouble controlling my magic, but it doesn’t usually affect me like this.”
“Can you tell me what was different just now and the other morning in the foyer?” He knew she didn’t want to expose what form her magic took, but maybe she could give him enough that he could make her a new charm, something that would help without bottling up her magic like he suspected the glyph on her amulet did.
She shook her head, but then spoke anyway. “I’m not sure. Both times what I… sensed… was more powerful than usual. But it wasn’t just that. It felt malevolent. Like—”
“Like the forest did until Abigail left.” Nicholas finished, realizing that the shadows no longer looked as deep, and that he wasn’t flinching at things moving right at the edge of his vision.
He met Sadie’s dark brown eyes, and they both fell silent for a moment.
“It has to be a coincidence, right?” Sadie finally asked.
