Sadie sighed. She didn’t want Nicholas to get in trouble for having a library full of demonology texts. She didn’t want to be forced to leave and start over in a new village where no one knew her secrets. And though Abigail had worked willingly with the demon, Sadie couldn’t say for sure how deeply hosting a demon would affect a person.
“Her worst crimes might truly be the demon’s fault,” she admitted, resting her head on his shoulder. “Not that I think Abigail deserves absolution for her part in everything, but the demon could very well have warped her thoughts. She presented it with a perfect envious and spiteful canvas to work on, but the desire to kill everyone in her way I think only came because of the demon’s whispers. Left to her own devices, Abigail wouldn’t have gone that far.”
Of course, she also showed no remorse. Nicholas knew that, so she wouldn’t point it out and make him feel worse about having to decide between holding Abigail accountable and hiding his own use of forbidden glyphs.
Sadie lifted her head. “Shall we head back to the manor?”
Nicholas looked around, but there was no sign of their battle with a demon for him to study besides the new glyph-stone over the closed portal. The forest was the same refuge it had beenbefore, with no hint of hauntedness, just the normal shadows that came from being sheltered under towering trees.
It only took him a moment to look back at her. “I suppose. There’s no point lingering here, and the spring is never going to have quite the same calming effect on me again.”
Sadie raised a brow. “I’m not sure I’d call your memories of the spring calming, anyway.”
He smirked. “But they were pleasant. We’ll have to find a good spot for swimming in the stream, instead.”
Thirty-Six
???
The demon wasdealt with, but Sadie had completely forgotten that the most harrowing challenge was still to come. Because no one else had learned about the demon, and Madeleine had supper waiting for Nicholas, Sadie, and Abigail’s return as if nothing had happened, it had completely slipped Sadie’s mind that a different secret had come out that afternoon.
She entered her suite to dress for supper, a little confused that dressing for supper after they had battled a demon was still a concern, and found Pippa waiting for her with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.
Sadie winced.
“A witch? You are a witch and you never told me?”
“I don’t tell anyone, Pip.”
“Why not? From what I heard, you are quite talented.”
“Because I know exactly what people will ask first when they hear I’m a witch.”
Pippa’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“What is the first thing you want to ask me, now that you know?”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Sadie rubbed her temples. “No. Pretend I had told you. What would be the first thing you’d ask me after I said I was a witch?”
Pippa thought for several moments. She still looked confused when she finally answered, “I’d ask what your power is.”
“Exactly.” Sadie sighed and dropped her hands. “I like brewing potions, but I don’t like using my natural power. And I don’t like sharing what it is. It’s easier not to admit to being a witch at all.”
“So, don’t tell people what your power is. You can just say you are a water-witch and brew potions. I can’t believe you would work for Mr. Ferman rather than sell potions.”
“It’s not that easy, Pippa.” Sadie pulled her friend over to the divan in the front room of the suite. Supper would have to wait a little longer. “I’ve tried. I’ve tried so many times, and my power always gets me in trouble. Think about it, are you really willing to just ignore the fact that I haven’t told you what it is?”
Nicholas shouldn’t have made the deal with Abigail. Sadie was going to have to tell Pippa about her telepathy, anyway. She wouldn’t be able to explain things to her friend sufficiently otherwise. And if she didn’t make it clear, Pippa would insist on Sadie telling everyone she was a water-witch. Either way, her comfortable anonymity in Lamsdel was gone.
“I mean, not when you make it sound so scary. What power could get you in trouble? It’s not like you are summoning demons or something.”
Sadie winced again, and this time her friend noticed.
Pippa’s eyes went wide. “You can’t summon demons, can you?”
“No.” In for a copper, in for a gold, Sadie decided. “But there was a demon in Marstede Manor, and I could sense it because I’m a telepath.”
