Chapter 12
“Explain to me why you never told me you knew Dante. When did you meet?”
“From the first time you mentioned him it was obvious your plan was to use him in the ritual. How could I talk to you about any of this?”
“Anne…”
“I know what I feel doesn’t matter to you. It never has.”
“Of course it matters.”
“Don’t lie to me. I’m not a fool, Titus. You want me to keep my distance, because Dante is new magic. He’s not good enough for a Lockwood.”
“No, he’s not, and I thought you’d make better choices. Seeing you with him…”
“He’s my soulmate.”
“Dante is not your soulmate. Whatever you’re feeling when you’re with him was created to separate us. Leonora Ember is likely involved in some way, because she thinks the best way to stop me is by finding a way to destroy our relationship. An attractive man is the easy option.”
“He’s never met Leonora.”
“There’s no possible way you can know that. Lies are easy to tell. I need you to think, Anne. Why would your soulmate walk into your life right now?”
Anne stared at Titus. “Dante had dreams about me for a long time before he made the journey here.”
“Dreams?”
“They’re the way he Sees, because he’s never been taught how to control it. Some of the things he’s shared with me he couldn’t have found out from anyone else.”
“Except the Embers.”
“Titus…”
“Of all the families they’re the ones who know the most.”
“You don’t want to believe it’s possible, and nothing I say will convince you otherwise.”
“No, I don’t, but don’t pretend you aren’t exactly the same. Finding your soulmate is what you wanted, Anne. I can see it in your eyes. Believing him is so much easier than being logical.”
“Logical?”
“I know you don’t want to think he might be lying to you. The way you were earlier… even if you aren’t soulmates there’s real emotion there.”
“Yes, there is, and I know you, Titus. Anyone who comes between us is a threat. With Dante being new magic it’s even worse.”
“Centuries ago I made a promise to protect you, however painful it might be, for both of us. This is simply me following through with it, because Dante is not your soulmate, and what you need to do is keep your distance”
Anne closed her eyes. “You still want to use him.”
“Using him isn’t a viable possibility. Dante does know too much about the ritual. I believe he is a Seer, but he can’t See me, the same way I can’t See him. That’s why I had no idea they’d be using him to try to stop the ritual.”
“Which you think he’s doing through me.”
“Leonora Ember doesn’t care who she hurts in order to get what she wants.”
Did Titus know how he sounded? Leonora didn’t care. If anyone didn’t care it was him, and he’d proved that in multiple lifetimes, including the one he’d taken Anne’s love from her, for her ‘own good’.
After that she’d done her best to stop caring, and become who Titus wanted her to be. It was easier, until it wasn’t, because she couldn’t be that Anne.
“Titus, how many people have you killed for us to have immortality?”
“Please don’t.”
“You’ll say it was for the right reasons.”
“It is. How many times have we needed to be the saviours of magic once more?” Titus shook his head. “They need us.”
“At the expense of so many others. What if we hadn’t taken them, their power, to use to bring us back the next time with our memories? Don’t pretend I’m wrong.”
“Without me they wouldn’t have magic in the first place, Anne. I was the one who opened the door, changing the world. This is how things are meant to be, and you will be by my side on the night of the ritual. Dante is not coming between us. If he tries he will regret it.”
Anne was done. She stood, walking round the table.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Even though she couldn’t see it she could feel the magic in the archway.
“Titus…”
“I need you to understand what will happen if you choose Dante.”
“Both of us know what you’re capable of.”
“Obviously it’s not enough to keep you from making foolish choices.”
“Even before Dante arrived I was done. That’s what I don’t think you get. Going through this, life after life… I feel the weight in a way you seem to be incapable of.”
“It’s once more, Anne. How many times?”
“Once more is something you said several lifetimes ago. Why should I believe you this time?”
“Back when we first talked about what we wanted if we were to live forever there were a couple of issues you mentioned I wanted to keep from ever causing you pain. It wasn’t easy to do.”
“You have the solution now?”
“I’m on the cusp.”
“Unless you’re wrong, and then it will be several more lifetimes before this is over. That’s something I can’t do. Going through this again, taking another twelve lives for ours… no, Titus. Do it alone. I’m done. Never again.”
“After everything I’ve done…”
“Don’t even think about trying that. I never asked for this. You were the one who wanted to be immortal. When we had that conversation I didn’t think for a moment this would be where we’d end up, brother.”
“Neither did it, but here we are.”
“I need this to be over.”
“Anne…”
“Once more doesn’t mean anything to me. I’ve met the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. Knowing the day will come when I’ll have to leave him is hard enough, but remembering him… I can’t do it. Living is already hard enough.”
“You’ve just met him.”
“After so many lifetimes I know what I want.”
“No, Anne, you don’t. Dante is new magic.”
“You’re really going to use that argument, when you know it doesn’t matter to me?”
“Well, it should. You deserve someone who’s old magic, not Dante. Listen to me.”
“Exactly who were you thinking, Titus? A Villareal? A Darkholme? Have you already planned this out?”
“Possibly, or a Goth. Anyone is better than someone new magic.”
“Dante is stronger than any of them, and that is due to us. Little by little we’ve been taking all their strength.”
“Next time we’ll be able to wait for the right person.”
“Unless the right person is here.”
“Anne…”
“You aren’t willing to open your mind, are you? Anyone outside Glimmerbrook isn’t good enough. What I think, feel or want doesn’t matter.”
“Dante isn’t your soulmate.”
“Even if he’s not it doesn’t matter. I know what I feel, Titus. When I look at him I see my future. This is the first time I’ve let myself believe it’s possible, and you aren’t taking it from me.”
“What if it is a construct? A spell, to make you feel the way you are?”
“Has it crossed your mind I might not care?”
“You’d be fine if this was a spell someone cast on you? Dante, or an Ember, made you fall in love with him?”
“What I want is a chance to have a family, and live the life I dreamed of all those lifetimes ago. You took that from me.”
“For us to have something more. It’s not going to be one lifetime. We’ll be the ones in control of the Council for good, Anne, and then you’ll be free to marry whoever you want. Even Dante, if you reconnect.”
“I don’t want something more. All I want is one lifetime.”
“Think about what I’ve said, please. After everything we’ve done I don’t want you to walk away from your chance at immortality. Until recently this was what you wanted.”
“Was it?”
“You said it was, and I wouldn’t have done this otherwise. It was all for you, little sister.”