Chapter 21
Footsteps came down the stairs. There weren’t Titus’s, which was for the best as he wouldn’t be pleased she was looking through his research, but she didn’t know exactly who they belonged to. It was probably Cornelius. He was the one most likely to be looking for her brother.
“Can we talk?”
Anne turned. “You want to talk to me?”
“Dante said I should.”
For a few seconds all she could do was stare at Cornelius. “About what, exactly?”
“You don’t need to ask that question. There’s only one thing I could need to talk to you about.”
“Why now?”
“I need to know if they’re both right.”
“Both right?”
“Leonora and Dante.”
Silence followed his words for a second time, and Cornelius studied Anne. The way she reacted told him more than he wanted, but he needed more, even though he didn’t know if she was going to have the courage to betray Titus.
“Dante was the one who convinced you?”
“Last time I tried talking to him he pointed out you were the one who knows Titus best. If anyone can tell me what’s going to happen the night of the ritual it’s you. Going against Titus’s wishes won’t be easy, I know that, but, Anne, I need the truth. Am I a sacrifice?”
“Cornelius, I can’t.”
“Titus is your brother. He has your loyalty. I understand that.”
“No, you don’t, because if you did you wouldn’t be here now.” Anne breathed in deeply. “Saying anything, especially so close to the ritual… he’d never forgive me.”
“You still care?”
“It’s more complicated than that.”
“Complicated how?”
“Do you believe Dante’s my soulmate?”
“It’s what Dante said, and I have no reason to think he’s lying. The soulmate bond is rare. For him to have come all this way to find you there has to be something to it.”
“Titus doesn’t agree.”
“He doesn’t want to believe it’s possible.”
“No, he doesn’t, but he’ll have to eventually. The soulmate connection is going to be affected by a soul bond.”
“From what little I know about soul bonds they involve generations where you’re connected with someone.”
Slowly, Anne nodded. “They do, and certain choices have led me down that path.”
“You’re soul bonded to Titus?”
Cornelius didn’t believe Anne. It was obvious from his voice. “For you to understand you need to accept one thing Leonora said was the truth. This isn’t the first time, for either of us.”
“How many lives?”
“I didn’t keep count, but it’s enough the soul bond is stronger.”
“Tying your soul to Titus’s for the rest of time.”
“As if it hadn’t already been long enough.” She glanced at the stairs, like she thought Titus might join them at any moment. “I keep going over it in my head, trying to convince myself he didn’t do it on purpose, but I don’t think it was accidental.”
“With him also being a Seer…”
“He might already know about this, and if he does… he’s not happy with me as it is.”
“Do you care?”
One of the questions Anne didn’t have an answer for. “I don’t know. Maybe. Yes, but I don’t want to.” She studied Cornelius. “You know even asking will be a problem.”
“You think I care?”
“About Titus? Not in the same way I do, but, yes, I think you care. If you didn’t you wouldn’t be here now, asking me for the truth. He won’t answer your questions, and you’ve already caused enough problems by introducing Dante.”
“Dante knows too much.”
“Of course he does.”
“Please, Anne. I need the truth.”
“When you never cared before. You trusted Titus.”
“I need a chance to prepare for what’s coming next, even if it is my death, because I’m not going to walk away. The Council does need to change.”
Unable to stay still, Anne let herself pace. “This is for Jonathan.”
“Yes, it is. I want Glimmerbrook to be better. With a younger Council it’s possible. Seeing how he was treated… I know you were friends.”
“Unlike the others he was safe. Father was never going to see Jonathan the way he did Maximillian, Seward, Wolfgang, and some of the others.”
“He left for a reason. Natalie never accepted him, and I told Jonathan to follow his heart, which led him away from Glimmerbrook. Did he ever say anything to you?”
“The night he left he came by to say goodbye.”
“Even though Titus’s wards are meant to keep everyone out.”
“Jonathan wasn’t affected.”
“I didn’t know that was possible.”
“Neither did I, until I was woken by the tapping of stones on my window.”
“You don’t know where he went.”
“Even if I did I wouldn’t tell you. I made a promise, Cornelius, and I’m going to keep it.”
“Thank you.”
“What for?”
“For being someone he could trust.”
Cornelius needed to know the truth. He deserved a chance to make an informed choice, but if Titus ever found out… it was possible he already knew, although he’d said once before he tried not to spend too much of his time looking to See what was to come. If he did he’d never actually do anything.
Watching Anne, as she kept moving, Cornelius stayed patient. He was asking a lot from her, at a time when she was already dealing with more than she wanted. If she was ready to tell him, to break from Titus, she would, and if not… well, he knew enough. The ritual would be his death.
“You need to promise me you won’t say a word to Titus about any of this, and it can’t change the decision you’ve already made.”
“I have to go through with the ritual, whatever it might mean for me in the future.”
“Cornelius, I know it’s not fair of me to ask for that, but if he finds out…”
“Anne, it’s fine. You have my promise. Tell me.”
“Jonathan would never forgive me.”
“He’s not here, and we both are.”
“When I told you about the soul bond, our other lives… this isn’t the first time, Cornelius, and knowing Titus it won’t be the last.”
“Tell me how it works. You extend your lives?”
“Not exactly. We hold onto our memories when we die, so when our souls transition to a new body we know who we were, which is not an easy way to live. He wants true immortality, without losing his power, and that’s led to us going from life to life. I should have told you the truth years ago.”
“Why didn’t you?”
Anne felt Cornelius’ hand touch her shoulder. “I couldn’t. Until Dante… even now I know this might all end up being the worst mistake I’ve ever made, but he’s given me hope again.”
“Hope for something different?”
“For a life. This has been an existence. Nothing more.”
“Titus doesn’t agree.”
“No, he doesn’t, and it’s the reason we’ve never had children. As he can’t do the same thing for them he believes it best for us to wait until we have true immortality, even though we’ve argued through the lifetimes about whether or not this is what I actually want.”
“He’d argue it was, and he was always doing this for you.”
The way Cornelius looked at her made it all that much harder than before. “I don’t deserve your understanding. We both kept his from you, Cornelius, and even as the ritual got closer I chose not to say anything, when I should have.”
Anne turned away. Cornelius put his hands on her arms. “I’m not angry with you.”
“You should be.”
“Had you not met Dante would you have told me any of this?” She shook her head. “I understand the choices you’ve made. Do you really think I haven’t read the stories?”
“That’s not a good reason.”
“Of course it is.” He turned her, pulling her into his arms. “I mean it, Anne. After everything you’ve been through I can’t blame you for choosing to protect yourself.”
She buried her head into his shoulder. “Jonathan said you were a good person. I am sorry. You deserve better.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Cornelius…”
“Until I had a son without magic I acted the same way as the others. It’s for the best.”
Anne looked at him, their eyes meeting. “Don’t say that.”
With a finger her tilted her face up. “There’s one thing I want to do if the ritual is to be my end, although Reuben wouldn’t approve.”
Before Anne was able to do or say anything Cornelius’s lips were pressing against hers. She should have known from the way he was looking at her, but it didn’t seem possible. It was Cornelius. He’d never shown any interest, and yet he obviously was. Maybe the understanding wasn’t out of kindness.