Chapter 36
“I don’t understand why you’re being so kind to me.”
“There are many reasons, Anne. Your mother. Jonathan. Nora.” Natalie’s eyes met with Anne’s. “What I know is that you aren’t who some think you might be, because of your brother.”
“All it took was one different decision, and I’d have been him.”
Titus slipped silently through the door, hearing Anne’s last words. She wasn’t wrong. It was one of the reasons for the bond, to keep her from ever losing herself, with Titus more able to control the darkness. From the beginning it was obvious. Hence pushing Julian into the fire, for Anne.
Natalie, however, might become a problem, depending on how much she knew. Her actions made it seem as though she wasn’t one to fight, but there was no way to be certain, especially with the way they were talking. Getting Anne away was the priority, and maybe he’d even answer some of her questions.
“It’s time to go.”
Anne stood, moving to the end of the bed, Natalie close behind her. There was no way to tell what happened.
“You’re you?”
“Of course I’m me, Anne.” Titus sighed. “We need to get back.”
“What happened to Julian?”
“Do you care?”
“Fine, what happened to Cornelius?”
“He’s alive.”
“Alive, and?”
Natalie looked at Titus. “Julian’s gone?”
“He’s been dealt with. That doesn’t mean anything right now. Cornelius isn’t who he was.”
“What does that mean?”
“It depends on you, Natalie. We both know why he made the choices he did.”
“Titus…”
“You’re the reason he lost his son.”
“You aren’t being fair, brother. Jonathan had a number of reasons for leaving Glimmerbrook.”
“The love of his mother might have kept him here. We both know that, Anne, whether you want to admit it around Natalie or not.”
“No, it wouldn’t.”
As they stared at each other Anne knew Titus was shaken.
“How is Cornelius? Can we do anything to help?”
“I didn’t stop to ask, Anne.”
“Even though he’s meant to be an ally.”
“Before he made the decision to work with Julian.”
“Can you be certain it was a choice?”
“We aren’t going to argue about this now. I need to get you home.”
Julian might not be gone.
“First we need to check on Cornelius.”
“No.”
“Titus…”
“Everything we’ve been through today should be a sign you aren’t safe around Cornelius. He chose to help Julian in the belief it would have an effect on his relationship with you.”
Anne closed her eyes. “You can’t know that.”
“Of course I can.”
“I…”
“Cornelius is the one who talked you into coming here, right? He told you he’d do whatever he could to help, which meant finding the Darkholme journals, in the belief they’d have the information in you needed, and they don’t. What you need you won’t be able to find. That didn’t matter to him.”
“Destroyed or lost?”
“Hidden, because I need to keep you safe.”
“In the end this is my decision to make. The choices you, and Thaddeus, made for me are the wrong ones, whatever you might think.”
“Anne…”
“One way or another I will learn the truth, no matter how complicated it might be.”
“Father cared about you.”
The argument was probably one they shouldn’t have around Natalie. “What he felt for me doesn’t change anything. I don’t want this.”
“Our lives have been entwined for centuries.”
“Due to the bond. Neither you or Thaddeus asked me whether I wanted to be connected to you for the rest of time.”
“Unfortunately, after what happened, there wasn’t time to ask you, or even explain it to you.”
“I know when you’re lying to me, Titus.”
“Anne, please. We can talk about all of this at home.”
“No, we can’t, because I’m not going home.”
“Why are you doing this now?”
“You know why. Julian.”
“Back when he first returned I thought he’d made the logical choice. It never crossed my mind he was biding him time, waiting for when he thought the right moment was, and for that I apologise.”
“No one knew about him. Even the Embers. He’s their family, and he’s been hidden from them too.”
Natalie looked to the side. There was no good reason to step in, especially not with the way Titus looked. He knew she was close to Leonora, closer than Cornelius, and planned for her husband’s death, because it would make some things easier.
“For good reason.”
“No, Titus, for your reasons.”
“Julian was dangerous.”
“He wanted to tell me about the bond centuries ago. That doesn’t make him a danger to anyone apart from you.”
“Anne, please. Natalie has enough to deal with right now. We should return home, and give her a chance to talk to Cornelius.”
“I want to talk to him.”
“Not now.”
“You can’t keep trying to control me.”
“Right now what he needs is rest. Natalie can make sure he gets that.”
“Why didn’t you care before?”
“I still don’t care. Obviously you do, even though I have no understanding why, considering the choices he made. Julian wanted you, Anne. Like Cornelius.”
“Cornelius is a friend.”
“We both know he wants to be more. How can you be so willing to forgive?”
“Sometimes it’s the right thing to do, brother.” Anne shook her head. “Not that you’d have any understanding of that.”
“This time I’m certain you’re wrong. Keep away from Cornelius.”
“I want to at least talk to him, and understand what happened.”
“Even Leonora told you to keep away, Anne. Please don’t keep pushing.”
“You’ve been watching me.”
“Of course I have. Something was coming. Father warned me about this lifetime for a reason.”
“Warned you? No more secrets, Titus.”
“Father just told me to keep an eyes on things. I thought he meant Dante, but it turns out there were more problems, so of course Julian was going to use this moment to make his move. He knew I was focused on something else.”
Unfortunately, that did seem to be the truth. “I need the whole story.”
“Need?”
“When it comes to Julian, yes. I don’t remember him at all.”
“You weren’t meant to really know him. Father’s connection with the Embers was… I don’t even know how to put it into words.”
“Try.”
“Not here. At home.”
“Home isn’t home any more. Going back there…”
“It’s the safest place.”
“Maybe for you, but I… the darkness has changed so many people I cared about. Once it might even have done the same to me.”
“Shared strength makes things easier, little sister. It’s one of the reasons for the bond. We look after each other.”
“Had I been given a choice I might have agreed.”
“Anne, you were nine. Of course you weren’t going to get a choice. Father was so worried about you I agreed to it without really thinking.”
“Titus…”
“We’re going home. I am willing to talk to you about this, but Natalie needs some time with Cornelius. Don’t make me use the bond.”
“You wouldn’t.”
He would. Even if it wasn’t the reason he’d agreed to it there was no possible way he’d simply let her go when he had the bond to make her do whatever he wanted. Anne turned away from him, not able to look at him any longer.
“No, I wouldn’t. I never have. That’s not why it’s there.”
The words were enough, and Natalie pulled Anne into her arms. “For what it’s worth I believe him. I don’t think he wants to control you, even though that’s what he’s done.”
“Yet he can’t let me go either.”
“He was young when he accepted the bond too. Experience is very different to theory.”
Even though Natalie’s words were true Titus disliked them coming from her. It wasn’t logical. She was helping, and it was what he needed, Anne’s emotions all over the place. Yet Cornelius believed she was the reason for Jonathan leaving. His anger at her still burnt hot after six months.