Chapter 1
Anne was predictable, spending her morning in the same place she often did, and Seward watched her, the woman he’d once believed he was going to marry. Had it been up to Reuben it would have happened, but he was dead, Titus in his place. Titus had other plans, if Leonora was right about him.
Leonora wasn’t often wrong, but the Council wouldn’t go against their leader. If she was right… he studied Anne. She’d know, because it wasn’t as though Titus would keep anything from her. The two of them were too close for that, which might mean she knew more, and Seward wanted answers.
The bigger problem was convincing Anne to talk to him. Ever since Reuben died she’d kept her distance, probably due to Titus, and the way she acted… it was as though there’d never been anything between them. Maybe there hadn’t. Seward read into the way she acted in a way he shouldn’t have.
Only he didn’t want to believe it. Anne meant something to him, even if he never meant anything to her. The very thought of her being able to act so well… he breathed in deeply. Stop thinking. Do. Every moment Seward stood watching Anne was a moment of conversation wasted.
“Anne, can we talk?”
“Now isn’t a good time.”
Anne stood without looking at him.
“Please. I need to know if Leonora’s right.”
There was a moment, Anne stilling, and Seward didn’t need her words to be certain of the truth, but he wanted more. Was she truly willing to work with Titus?
“Don’t run away from me.”
Rather than saying anything, or stopping, Anne kept walking, and Seward followed her, running even though he didn’t need to.
“How would Reuben feel if he knew what was happening?”
“Father’s dead.”
“If Leonora was right about the ritual then she’s also right about how he died. Titus killed him.”
“You shouldn’t say things like that out loud, Seward.”
“I don’t care. Titus is days away from killing my mother, and you think I care whether or not he knows I know he killed Reuben.”
“Titus believes you’re the one most likely to take Beatrice’s place after it’s done.”
“Believes? He chooses.”
“There’s nothing certain until it’s done.”
“What if I don’t want to be on the Council, knowing what I do?” Anne started walking again. “I need to talk to someone about this. Please don’t go.”
From the tension in Anne’s back it was obvious she didn’t want to stay, but she stopped. He stepped closer.
“You don’t get to walk away. Being born a Goth puts a heavy weight on your shoulders, the same way it does all of us. I am sorry.”
“Don’t go through with the ritual.”
“It’s not as simple as that. Titus is the one who makes the decisions.”
“He’ll listen to you.”
“Not when it comes to this.”
“Tell me what it is. What he’s doing.”
Anne raised an eyebrow. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. Will it be the whole Council?”
“Please don’t do this.”
“Can I stop Mother?”
“Leonora couldn’t. Beatrice, like the rest of the Council, will make the same decision if you were to have the conversation.”
“Even though they don’t have all the details?”
“Seward, Leonora tried everything, and she couldn’t convince them to walk away. There’s a reason for that. It’s the same reason you will accept the position on the Council if Titus offers it to you.”
“No, I won’t, because I can’t work with Titus.”
“The only other option is death.” Anne’s eyes met with Seward’s. “If you aren’t working with Titus you’re working against him, and he won’t want any complications. You have a decision to make.”
“How can you be like this?”
“Like what? I’m making the most logical choice I can, because I have to.”
“Logical? You’re choosing to work with Titus to kill people. The entire Council. How can you live with that?”
“You heard Leonora. Both our souls are scarred. It’s not hard to work out why, is it?”
“Unless you change things.”
“Change them? I can’t change Titus. He is who he’s always been.”
“Have you even tried?”
For a few seconds Anne was silent. “This isn’t the first time, Seward. We’ve had the conversation multiple times through the lives we’ve lived. My brother will not listen to me.”
“Lives?”
“You don’t need to know any of this. Walk away. Pretend you know nothing.”
“Once, I think, we were friends, Anne. Reuben was talking to Father about the possibility of the two of us marrying. Now we’re here. This…”
“Father’s dead, and whatever plans he had are dead with him.”
“I know, but…”
“Please don’t.”
“We have to find a way to stop Titus. The two of us…”
“No. Just stop.”
“How can I stop? Mother will be dead soon if I don’t do something. You might be able to live with things as they are, but I can’t, and you’re my best chance of being able to stop Titus. Between the two of us we might be able to keep him from going through with it. You have to try.”
“I have tried.”
“Obviously not hard enough.”
“You don’t know what Titus is capable of. If you did we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”
“Fear isn’t going to stop me from doing what needs to be done.”
“Good luck with that. The last person who said those words was cursed, so…”
“Cursed?” Anne just looked at him. “I’ve read enough about the Lockwoods… are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“Do you want the truth?”
“No, I don’t want it, but I need it. You know that. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
“This could be a mistake.”
“Anne, just tell me. Please.”
“Titus and I have kept our memories since the beginning. Every time we’re reborn we know who we were. He’s been working toward the same goal for generations.”
“How many?”
“I haven’t kept count, Seward, but Titus was the one to bring magic to Glimmerbrook. We lived through that experience together.”
“How many times have you done the ritual?”
“As many times as we’ve lived, to keep our memories. It requires a sacrifice. Titus doesn’t care.”
“You do?”
“Of course I do. Unlike my brother I feel the weight of all those deaths, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it this time either.”
“Work with me, Anne. If we talk to Leonora, start planning how to stop Titus, then we might have a chance of being able to save them.”
“Seward…”
“I understand why you’re scared, but I can’t give up without trying. This is something I have to do.” Anne’s eyes met with his.
“Titus will kill you.”
From the emotions in her eyes it did at least seem like she cared. Seward studied Anne for a moment longer, before the temptation got the better of him, and, hands tangling in the fabric of her dress, he pulled her close. Lips pressing to hers, the way they had once before, he hoped for a response.
Anne’s hands pressed against his chest, a touch of her power added to her strength, as she pushed him back. “What are you doing?”
“I’m sorry. Last time…”
There was a flicker of emotion in Anne’s eyes again, but she hid whatever she might be thinking well.
“Sorry isn’t good enough, Seward.”
“No, it’s not, but I can’t undo what I did, and pretending I don’t still feel something is impossible. You might be able to walk away from it without wondering what might have been. I’m not like that. We could be together right now.”
“One way or another Titus was always going to stop it.”