Chapter 28
Leonora warned them, and she was right. There was no doubt the bond was affecting Dante more. Anne felt it. It existed. With time it could be as strong as the bond with Titus, logically. Unfortunately that was exactly what they didn’t have, and with Titus knowing… had there always been a plan?
It was Titus. Of course there was always a plan, but the problem was not knowing what it might be. He knew Dante would be part of their lives at some point, without knowing exactly when, due to the limitations of whatever their father was able to share with him. Working round it was still possible.
That didn’t mean it would be easy. Anne breathed in deeply. Possible was enough. It had to be, if Dante didn’t choose to walk away. He seemed to believe the soulmate bond was a good reason to stay with her. Maybe he was right. Whatever happened there was some hope. A different future, finally.
Cornelius studied Anne, before making the decision they needed to talk. It was easier away from the Lockwood house. He stepped closer to her, drawing her attention away from her thoughts, and her eyes met with his for a moment.
“Anne, I…” There were no right words. “What I did wasn’t a mistake.”
Anne’s reaction wasn’t entirely unexpected, as she rested her head in her hand.
“Cornelius…”
“However it also wasn’t fair for me to take advantage of the moment, and for that I will apologise.”
“Your apology is accepted, but this isn’t something I can talk about now, especially here.”
Anne stood, moving before Cornelius had a chance to say anything more, and he followed.
“This isn’t a conversation we can have in the house, is it? For now this might be the best place, with Titus focused on the ritual. Although it’s probably not about him. No, you’re worried about Dante.”
Even saying the name was enough for the jealousy to return. Cornelius pushed it away, as Anne looked at him.
“Dante doesn’t care. He doesn’t think you’re a competitor, and he’s not wrong, Cornelius, which is why it’s best for us not to have this conversation.”
“You already have my promise, Anne.”
“It’s not about the ritual.” Anne turned, eyes meeting with Cornelius’s, before he looked down at the ground. “It’s about you. You’ve been a part of my life for a long time, so the last thing I want to do is hurt you. Especially now.”
“You care?”
“Of course I care. If I didn’t I wouldn’t be here.”
“Was there ever a chance of there being something between us? I know Reuben wouldn’t approve, I’m far too old for you, but I… this isn’t a question I should be asking, but I find I care less about that now I know how close I am to my death.”
“That’s not a question I can answer.”
“For what reason?”
“Honestly, Cornelius, it’s because I don’t know.” Maybe she was being too honest, but Anne cared too much to lie. “What might have been is complicated, especially with Dante here, and there’s more to it than even him.”
“Jonathan.”
“You knew?”
“I’m not blind, Anne.”
Cornelius stepped closer, Anne’s hand rising to her chin, his hand touching her arm.
“Love is complicated.”
Not a word she’d have used, but then she knew more than he did about the reasons for his choices. Hence Leonora telling her not to be alone with him.
“Are you having problems with your wife?”
“Our problems started when she realised Jonathan wasn’t born with the Darkholme power. After he left… well, it’s hard to be in the same room as her. Had she accepted him he might have made a different choice.”
“It wasn’t only Natalie.”
“No, I know. She’s the one I’m angriest at.”
Cornelius’s hand touched Anne’s waist, his eyes on hers.
“What you feel…”
“I know there’s no chance of a future between us. Even if it wasn’t for the ritual Dante’s here, and that changes so much. He believes he’s your soulmate.”
“Dante is my soulmate.” Anne shrugged. “Titus is my brother.”
“He can’t kill Dante.”
“It’s not as simple as it may seem.”
“Why not?”
There were so many reasons not to explain it to Cornelius, but maybe he could help, however dangerous it might be. Anne found her hand touching his chest, acting as she would have done before.
“You’re safer not getting involved.”
“Safer? The ritual will kill me whatever happens, Anne. If I can help I want to.”
Being alone with Cornelius was a bad idea. Leonora wasn’t wrong. The darkness was something Anne could feel more away from the house, as it changed him into someone he’d never have been.
“I appreciate the offer.”
Anne took a step to the side, Cornelius’s eyes not leaving hers, the confusion obvious. “Why not accept?”
“Titus…”
“Even if he does find out it’s not going to change anything. He will always make the logical choice. It’s who he is, and you will always be more important to him than anyone else.”
There was a reason for Anne’s reaction, one she obviously didn’t want to talk about, which was why Cornelius felt the need to get to the bottom of it. She wanted to blame Titus for her not accepting help, and it would have worked before. Now, though, he knew the truth, so there had to be more to it.
“Anne, let me help you.”
Before she had a chance to do or say anything Cornelius pulled her into his arms. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing that happened the other night matters right now. I can tell there’s something you need, and I won’t let you walk away without telling me. Do it for Jonathan.”
“Cornelius…”
“He’d want me to do anything I could, because it was obvious how he felt about you, and what I feel… it’s different. I’m different. Maybe he’s the reason you could never see me that way. The whys don’t matter now. What you need from me does, so just be open with me, Anne.”
“I thought there might be some information in one of the old Darkholme journals that might help me to find a way to stop Titus.”
“Stop him?”
“We don’t have time for the whole story now. There’s too much to it, but the short version is I don’t want to keep walking the same path. I can’t.”
“Then come back with me. We can spend some time looking through them. Do you have a specific time period?”
“Cornelius…”
“You’re going to say you can’t, and try to come up with some excuse, which isn’t going to work. If you do want to stop him it’s not as though you can keep putting it off.”
Cornelius released Anne, and she stepped to one side again, thinking through what Leonora said. Being alone with Cornelius would be a mistake. So far she hadn’t been wrong. He might have taken no for an answer before. The man he’d become wasn’t going to.
“Being around you isn’t as easy now.”
The way Anne stood, arm around herself and uncertain, made it all much harder, but if there was a chance of her stopping Titus it was something Cornelius wanted to explore as much as she did.
“Nothing will happen. I know there’s no chance of anything between us, Anne. All I want is to help you.”
Words were easy to say. Anne looked at Cornelius. He believed them. Leonora might be wrong. There might still be enough of who he was for them to be safe alone.
“Please give me a chance. There are too many of them for this to work any other way.”
“I know.” Anne sighed. “Titus can’t know about this.”
“He won’t. I promise. Come with me now, and we can spend some time going through everything I have.”
Anne nodded. “I have an hour. Then I’ve got to go back to deal with something else.”
“Dante?”
“Right now all I want to do is get him as far away as possible, but I don’t think it’s going to happen.”