Chapter 18
“Dante, we need to talk.”
Cornelius’ voice was the last thing Dante wanted to hear, but it wasn’t a surprise. After how they left things it was an inevitability, because Titus would want Cornelius to fix things, knowing they couldn’t deal with Dante the easy way.
“I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Please. Five minutes.”
“Do you really want to have this conversation in public? Isn’t that going to cause more problems?”
“With how close the ritual is I doubt it.”
Even if someone did find out it was unlikely they’d go against Titus. He probably wouldn’t be happy, but it was the only option.
“Nothing you say will change my mind, Cornelius. I know what I’ve Seen.”
Words Cornelius didn’t need to hear to know it wouldn’t be easy to convince Dante to join them.
“Tell me.”
“You know.”
“Maybe I do.”
“From the beginning you were lying to me.”
“How did I lie?”
“By not telling me you were his.”
“Anne mention that?”
“She might have.”
“My friendship with Titus doesn’t have as much of an effect on the choices I’m making as you might think. He simply makes that future possible.”
Dante still didn’t turn.
“Explain to me what that future is.”
“Better than the present, and the past.”
Slowly, wondering how much Anne truly knew about Cornelius, Dante turned, but he kept his eyes on the ground
“You think removing the current Council will make things better?”
“I know it will.”
“Cornelius…”
“Hear me out first, because I need you to understand.”
“Titus wants me dead.
“We both know he can’t kill you. Not without affecting Anne, and I think I managed to convince him not to do anything stupid.”
“Even though he doesn’t believe it’s possible.”
“Protecting Anne comes first.” Cornelius shrugged. “He won’t do anything to harm her, whatever he might believe.”
“Tell me about the Council.”
“I don’t know where to begin.” Cornelius breathed in deeply. “The Council, as it is, has existed for around 300 years. Back then it was started by a Titus Lockwood.”
“One of many, from the sounds of things.”
“Every four generations, I think, but I’m not a Lockwood.”
“Was there anything before the Council?”
“Yes, and no. It wasn’t as organised. The Council exists as it is to guide those with magic, but, little by little, those who have taken their places have lost their way.”
“Unlike you.”
“Having a son without magic changed the way I saw things.”
“Did he leave Glimmerbrook?”
“About six months ago we woke up to a note. Jonathan made the decision it was for the best, which… I don’t disagree. The way he was treated… it’s one of the reasons I made the decision I needed to work with Titus, so that never happened to anyone else.”
“Starting again, from the beginning.”
“Not entirely the beginning, but close enough. Those who have the power to be chosen are all much younger.”
“You think that will make a difference?”
“I want it to make a difference, Dante. Maybe I’m wrong. All I know for certain is I have to try something.”
“What happens if you die alongside the other members of the Council?”
Cornelius studied Dante, holding back the annoyance. “One of my nephews will take my place. Probably Sterling. It’ll be a few years before he’s old enough, but he has the Darkholme power, so Nicholas will be asked to step in.”
“Your brother?”
Cornelius nodded. “There’s just the two of us now. Our parents died relatively young. Mother died in childbirth when I was still a teenager, and Father… he never truly got over losing her. Some remarry, but Father said he couldn’t. It wasn’t the right thing for him to do.”
“All the current Council members will have passed on their beliefs to their children and grandchildren. Removing them won’t change anything, whatever you might hope for.”
“With some time we’ll be able to fix that.” Cornelius closed his eyes. “I understand why you’d be against the idea.”
“Titus agrees with you?”
“He wants those born without magic to stay in Glimmerbrook, for different reasons. Had your family not been elsewhere we’d have been able to help. As it is you’re here alone, because something went wrong, and it’s due to someone leaving.”
“My parents would be alive?”
“It’s a much more likely scenario here than it is out there, Dante. Although I don’t know exactly what happened we know from experience those who come into their power later are more likely to be changed by it.”
Something that might only have happened due to Dante’s grandfather, if Anne was right.
“What if Titus has a different goal?”
“Please don’t…”
“Everything comes back to him. He’s the one leading the Council. I need you to think before you do something you will regret, Cornelius, because I can tell you don’t want your nephew to take your place.”
“He wants the same thing I do.”
“You believe he wants the same thing you do.”
“Our focus is on Glimmerbrook. Magic is complicated, in many ways, Dante, and we’re doing the best we can to make certain nothing terrible happens to anyone.”
“In order to do that you need to do something terrible. Your soul will be scarred.”
“For the right reasons.”
“How many times do you think someone else has thought that? They’re doing it for the right reasons, but those reasons are entirely selfish.”
“Returning us to Titus again.” Cornelius almost laughed, but held it back. “You don’t know him the way I do. He’s a good person.”
“Would Anne say the same thing?”
“I don’t know. Anne and Titus have a different kind of relationship. She knows him in ways I can’t.”
“Then maybe the time has come to listen to her, because there’s one thing I’m certain of – she doesn’t want to move forward with the ritual. It’s not what you think.”
“Anne is much more gentle than Titus, Dante. Of course she doesn’t want to go through with the ritual. The very thought of hurting people is something she hates, but the reality is it has to be done, whether she likes it or not. I am sorry it’s going to affect her, because I do care about her.”
“Not enough to make the right choice, and stop Titus.”
“This is a decision we made together. Had things been different Jonathan wouldn’t have left Glimmerbrook, but even his own mother couldn’t accept him for who he was. Natalie… I never once thought my wife would make the choices she did.”
“Cornelius…”
“No, I need you to listen, and understand. You weren’t born here. It’s not possible for you to know, but you can take the time to learn, which is when you’ll see.”
“Was Leonora the same?”
“In some ways, yes, but she tried. Celeste and Jonathan were close until he left.”
“Celeste is Leonora’s daughter?”
“Yes, she is, and she’s a good person. Both of them are. Nora… she’s making what she believes are the right choices, because she isn’t willing to trust a Lockwood. Titus isn’t like the others. I trust him to do what’s best for Glimmerbrook, and she doesn’t.”
“You’re wrong. This isn’t about Glimmerbrook. It’s about Titus.”
“Again, Dante, you don’t know him.”
“I know him better than you do, thanks to Anne. Talk to her. Stop relying on what Titus tells you. Unlike me she might actually be able to convince you he’s not who you want him to be.”
“Fine, I’ll talk to Anne.”
“Good.”
“Please think about what I’ve said. You could be exactly what we need to convince the others why it’s so important changes are made. After everything you went through you’re one of the few people who can help them see the truth about the dangers of magic.”