Chapter 26
“There are more. I just don’t have space for all of them.”
Anne studied the piles of books. “How many more?”
“Enough for us to be here for the entire time we have.” Celeste sighed. “Soul bonds have fascinated the Embers for lifetimes, but we are missing more than I thought we would, possibly because your bond was created.”
“Missing?”
“Books aren’t here from some generations, mostly the early ones, which I think would actually be the most useful.”
“From when one of the Embers was Titus’s ally.”
“When I was talking to Mother she said she thought there might be a missing Ember. One not mentioned by their sisters.”
“Titus would know more than I do. Back then I was a child, and I was struggling after what happened to my parents. I remember the three sisters. Had I not known Titus I’d have said he was close to the eldest, but my brother only uses people, so I doubt there was actually a friendship.”
“She thought otherwise.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“You seem… unhappy.”
“He knows what we’re looking into, which I expected, and he doesn’t believe we’ll be able to find a way to break the soulbond before the ritual, so he imagines I’m still going to be by his side on the night of the full moon.”
The door closed. “I hate to say it, but Titus isn’t wrong, Anne. Breaking a soul bond the strength of the one you have… if I thought for a moment you didn’t know about it I’d have told you it existed. What Titus chose to do…”
“Father had an Ember create the soulbond. Titus simply kept a promise.”
Anne and Celeste turned, Anne’s eyes on the floor, unable to look at another of the people her choices hurt.
“Mother…”
“What you’re attempting is dangerous. Doing it alone… he hates me already. It’s not as though helping will make things any worse than they already are. You’re going to need me. None of us have dealt with a created bond before.”
“Leonora…”
“You aren’t going to have a better chance of talking me out of this, Anne. I do remember the time when you were Celeste’s closest friend. How I treated you at the time… it wasn’t entirely fair of me to assume anything, especially seeing how you were with Jonathan. I want to help.”
“Both of us working against Titus may draw his ire in a different way.”
“He probably already knows. If he wanted to stop this he would. As it is he’s letting us do the research, because he’s not worried.”
“What he’s able to learn is going to be affected by Dante.”
“Yes, but he can still See more than enough.”
“Anne’s right. Unfortunately.”
Looking at Leonora for the first time, Anne was able to see the touch of amusement in her eyes. “This is a way to get back at him.”
“It’s not as though he’s going to change his mind, is it?”
“My brother doesn’t change his mind when he’s made a decision.”
“Then we do what we can to show him he’s not always going to be in control.”
“Unless we can’t.” Celeste looked between Anne and Leonora. “Breaking the soulbond might not be something we can do.”
“Which might mean unravelling the soulmate bond, to keep Titus from being able to use Dante’s strength.”
“Is that what you want?”
“Of course not, but it’s not about what I want, Celly. Dante deserves better than me as it is, and if I can protect him from Titus, even if it means giving up a chance at happiness, then so be it.”
Leonora almost smiled. “Dante might not agree with your choice, Anne.”
“Honestly, I don’t care if he does or not, because I will not let Titus destroy him through me, which we all know is possible.”
“The soulmate bond will protect him. Titus will be able to kill Dante, which will affect you in this life, but he can’t do anything more.”
“Unless he’s found a way.”
“Until Dante arrived in Glimmerbrook he had no way of knowing any of this would happen. He’s in a very similar position to us, which means he’ll need to do the research.”
“Father told Titus not to mention the soulbond until I met my soulmate, so he knew it was possible.”
“Not when it would happen?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then he’s still going to need to start from the beginning, without the research the Embers have done through the years. We are one step ahead. It’s not a lot, but it’s better than nothing.”
“What do you suggest we do next, Leonora?”
“First you have to talk to Dante.”
“Dante will say the same thing he’s said every other time we’ve talked about this – he’s here to save me.” Anne sighed. “I think, in a way, it’s because he couldn’t save his parents.”
“They had magic?”
“Yes, they did, and I think his mother sacrificed herself to protect him from his father.”
Anne couldn’t say too much, and bringing up the name Marlowe anywhere away from Dante would be a mistake. Titus couldn’t know there was a chance Jacob might be out there somewhere.
“Should I go too, Mother?”
“It would be a useful thing to do, but remember how the bond will affect the conversation.”
“Maybe I should be the one who stays back.”
“No, you need to introduce me to Dante. After that you might have to leave, but if you do…”
“Cornelius will find me at some point, Celly, and it’s probably best to deal with it sooner rather than later.”
Leonora looked between them. “What did he do?”
Anne and Celeste shared a look. “He kissed me.” Anne sighed. “It’s probably the darkness getting the better of him.”
“Probably, but it will only lead him down paths he wants to walk. You know the same way I do, Anne, and what he chose to do was something he wanted to do. Be careful if you see him.”
“I will be.”
“Titus knows?”
“From the way he talked about it I think he saw it as a way to keep Cornelius close.”
“Using you once more to get what he wants.”
“Something he said earlier…” Anne closed her eyes. “In our first life Titus wasn’t born a Lockwood. Father found him outside the wards.”
“The soulbond is stronger than I thought would be for two unrelated siblings, but then you’ve been related every life since, the bond tying him to more than just you. It tied him to the Lockwood bloodline.”
“Father chose him, Leonora, to be the one to protect me through the lifetimes.”
“Protect?”
“Honestly, I’m beginning to think both of them were a little lost when it came to the idea of protection.”
Leonora nodded. “The more we learn the easier it will be to find a solution to this problem. Your father knew you were going to find your soulmate?”
“According to Titus.”
“He knew it would happen, but not when. Like Titus he was a Seer.”
“Magic flooded him with knowledge, which is what led to him losing his sanity, before he killed Mother.” Anne breathed in deeply. “Well, that was the story I was told by Titus. How much of that is true is something I can’t know.”
“None of us know a lot about what happened back then, unfortunately.”
“Cornelius might have the Darkholme journal. If he does…”
“Anne, don’t.”
“It’s not the worst idea.”
“Going anywhere with Cornelius alone is a terrible idea.”
“Leonora…”
“No, promise me you won’t ask him. Please.”
For Leonora to be that worried it was likely she knew something Anne didn’t. “I promise I won’t ask about the Darkholme journal. Maybe you can do it, bring me up if you need to, because it might be enough.”
Relief filled Leonora’s eyes. “Yes, it might, and when I get a chance I will talk to him.”