Antonia took another deep breath then blew it out slowly, her shoulders rising and falling.

  He waited for her to read further, but she didn’t.

  “Does it say anything about repairing an incomplete spell?”

  She shook her head and her exhaustion and disappointment flowed from her fingertips into his.

  Was this what she experienced all the time?

  Antonia then withdrew her hands from his and settled back, sighing once again.

  “That is all it says.”

  “At least you were able to read it, whereas we saw nothing.”

  Antonia frowned. “The words were right…” She gestured to the book. “They are right…they are gone.”

  “Only you could see them,” Philip said. “But you did see them, so now we know. And you can see me?”

  He asked that last question slowly because Antonia hadn’t really looked around, only at the book, even when she settled back.

  She lifted her chin, her eyes meeting his. “Yes, I can see you.”

  Only then did Philip relax.

  Antonia removed the necklace and placed it back in the glass box. “Thank you for the sight,” she whispered to the necklace before closing the lid.

  “So, the worst thing that will happen, if we don’t find a reversal, is that Philip will become a wolf each night at midnight, and only for a short time,” Petra announced. “While not pleasant, at least we do not need to worry about him becoming a werewolf and need to lock him in a cage.”

  What Petra was forgetting was that such a condition would likely drive him to madness, which could also lead to him needing to be in a cage and something Antonia would not allow.

  “We have some answers, but a reversal must be found,” Antonia insisted as she started blowing out the candles.

  “You should get some rest,” Chedworth said as he stood.

  “We do not have time for me to rest,” she nearly snapped at him. “If you are left in this condition, you could go mad. I cannot live with that.”

  She blew out the candles and tossed the crystals into her satchel.

  “It is late, Antonia,” Maia said. “We can start fresh tomorrow.”

  All she could do was shake her head. Urgency filled her and the longer they stood here meant less time for searching.

  “I am going to the vault.”

  Without waiting for anyone to follow, she strode down the path, but the further she got away from Chedworth, the stronger the ache in her soul became. She hoped that he joined her in the cellar, or she might not be able to continue reading journals.

  He was necessary to her concentration, her focus.

  She needed him.

  Antonia didn’t bother to return her satchel to her chamber. Instead, she sat it just outside of the door of the vault and returned to her reading.

  Chedworth soon joined her, and they stood side by side while reading journals. Next came his cousins.

  Nobody spoke and the only sounds were pages turning.

  As with before, they worked through the night. Her eyes were soon blurring and not even touching Chedworth helped.

  When exhaustion finally began to take over, she blew out a sigh.

  “I will rest and then return.”

  This was said to the others, but his cousins were gone. Only Chedworth remained.

  “They left a few hours ago, but you were so absorbed in reading that they did not wish to disturb you.”

  “How did you know that they left.”

  “I saw them. They gave me a nod, but their concern is with you.”

  “I will be fine.”

  “Not if you work yourself into exhaustion so that you are no help to anyone.”

  “I can rest after the full moon. Then it won’t matter.”

  “It will be too late,” he added.

  “I truly hope that it is not the case,” Antonia murmured.

  “Come. We both need rest.”

  Antonia was so weary, and it took everything within her to climb the stairs. “What time is it?”

  “Nearing four in the morning.”

  At his words she stopped and turned. “You did not change. Is it over?”

  Chadworth placed a hand at the small of her back and encouraged her forward. “I did. Right before I joined you in the garden for the spell.”

  Antonia frowned. “That was midnight?”

  We slept late, remember. It did not feel like midnight to me either. At least, not until the cramping in my hands started.”

  Antonia winced. She had to find a reversal. She must.

  “Was it just your ears and hands?”

  “A foot cramped also.”

  By the time the full moon arrived, he would turn fully wolf for a short time. If just his hands were painful, a complete change would be excruciating, and that is what would likely lead to madness.

  “I am sorry Lord Chedworth.”

  “My name is Philip,” he said.

  “I am aware, but it is not proper for me to call you such.”

  His laugh was low, and he paused at the foot of the stairs in the foyer and took her hand. “We share a connection through a spell, we are linked in a manner that I’ve never experienced; therefore, it is not necessary that we have formality between us.”

  “What would your parents and the rest of your family say?”

  He shrugged. “I do not really care what their opinion is on the matter.”

  She did. “I will consider it,” she said and began to climb the stairs to the floor above.

  He said nothing else but kept a hand at the small of her back.

  It was comfortable and relaxing.

  He paused but a moment outside of her chamber door and looked down and into her eyes. There was contemplation but caring as well.

  Antonia hated that he was going to walk away, but he could not sleep in her chamber again. They were lucky that they had not been caught the last time.

  “Goodnight, Antonia.”

  “Good night, Lo…Philip.”

  He smiled and winked then strolled away. However, with each step, deep inside, where the soul was only full when he was near, began to ache, just as it had the night before. By the time he reached his chamber, Philip paused and looked at her.

  Loneliness stretched between them. It was the only way to describe what she was experiencing.

  His jaw was tight, and he took a step back toward her, and continued, and as he neared, the ache lessened and was gone by the time he reached her side.

  “This spell,” he said.

  “This is madness,” she returned.

  “We need to sleep,” he reminded her.

  “I know,” Antonia answered as she opened her door.

  She no longer cared if she was ruined beyond repair. She needed her rest, as did Philip and neither would find slumber without the other by their side.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Their rest had been the same as before. Antonia was under the covers, and he was on top. Their backs were touching, and fingers entwined. What should have been an uncomfortable position was not, and neither had moved in their sleep.

  Philip heard the door open before he lifted a lid to see who intruded on them and noted the maid. He carefully withdrew his hand from Antonia and slipped from the bed.

  The maid was quiet and stepped out into the hall where he joined her and closed the door behind him.

  “You have said nothing of what you have seen?”

  “No, Lord Chedworth,” she answered. “I never will.”

  He stared into her dark brown eyes and decided to believe and trust her.

  The servants of Nightshade Manor had seen many odd things, most of which would send others running from the place, but they remained and were loyal to the family.

  “Thank you,” he said as he strode for his own set of rooms to prepare for the day.

  This emptiness that he felt when away from Antonia began to grow but he had to ignore it. They could not be with each other constantly, and likely it was only until the spell was reversed or after he fully became a beast.

  Except, this attachment to her was not new. It had existed in London.

  Philip hadn’t understood it any better last spring than he did now.

  He was surprised to find most of his family at the table when he entered the breakfast room. Not only Petra and Maia, who had been searching with them constantly, but Gretchen, Larisa and Selene, who had also been of assistance. They were now joined by his brother, Simon, and cousin Pierce, who had married Clara the night of the Witches’ Ball. She sat beside him, as did his cousin Orion and his wife Nina. Beside them was his cousin Damon, Viscount Bentford, and his wife Cordelia. They’d been visiting the neighboring estate, where Cordelia’s brother lived, these past weeks. They’d gone there as soon as Nightshade Manor became overrun with guests. The only people missing, who were in residence at Nightshade Manor, were his uncles, the Earl of Wharton and Marquess of Chandos, and Damon’s three nieces of whom Damon now had guardianship, and it was likely they were in the nursery. As for his own father, he was likely still at the family estate, even though the rest of his family were here.

  “Why is everyone here?” he asked. Pierce should be enjoying time with his wife. They’d only been married little more than a fortnight and why wasn’t Simon back at the estate?

  “Where do we start?”

  He turned to find his other two brothers, Lysander and Stefanos, entering.

  “Why is everyone here?” Philip asked again.

  “Two reasons,” his mother answered. “The women are going to help search the vault. The more that we have, the quicker solutions can be found.”

  “The men?” he questioned.

  Orion grinned. “To determine the best place for your cage.”

  “I am glad that you can find humor in my predicament,” Philip grumbled and crossed to the sideboard.

  “I do not think we truly need one,” Orion said. “With the number of witches at this table alone, an answer will be found.”

  “I hope you are correct.”

  “However, we also can’t wait until the full moon to decide what to do if there is no reversal found.” This was said in a more sober tone.

  “You will need it sooner than that,” Philip informed them as he filled his plate and took a seat at the table.

  “Why?” his mother asked in alarm.

  “There are more changes each night, and I can feel the strain in my boots, and arms. I do not wish to ruin a perfectly good set of clothing each time I change.”

  He hoped that she understood his meaning.

  “A private cell it shall be,” Orion announced.

  “Yes, that would be preferable,” Philip grumbled. It was bad enough that some of them may eventually witness his changes, but he didn’t want them to see him naked, before and after either.

  Antonia entered a few moments later but stopped at the threshold when she noted all the new arrivals.

  Philip stood and walked to her side before introducing everyone.

  “So, you are the witch who has turned my brother into a werewolf,” Simon proclaimed. She stiffened at the angry edge of his brother’s tone. Philip also experienced the guilt and pain that flooded her and flowed to him.

  “This is not her fault,” Philip barked and placed a hand at the small of her back, hoping to offer comfort. “I was the one who was there and did not announce my presence.”

  Simon raised an eyebrow as humor danced in his eyes “Rather protective of her, given what she has done.”

  Philip took a step forward ready to plant his brother a facer. Antonia placed a hand on his arm. “He is right. I did read the spell,” she whispered. “Your brother has every right to be angry with me.”

  “No, he does not.”

  Simon’s lips quirked as he turned away and sipped his tea.

  Antonia studied Simon. “Except, he is not angry at all, concerned, worried, but not angry.”

  It was Simon’s turn to look at her with astonishment.

  The veiling that she had longed for was present when she was with Philip. Though there was a crowd in the breakfast room, when Antonia placed her hand on Philip’s arm and looked at Simon, she felt only his emotions and everyone else faded. That is when she experienced the truth. The teasing, humor, and yes, worry and concern. Philip’s brother held no animosity toward her but was goading his brother. She did not know why because she could not read minds, thank goodness, but she could read emotions.

  “She is an empath, Simon,” Philip announced. “Did mother not tell you?”

  “How much do you see or feel?” he asked with concern.

  Philip grinned down at her. “Do not tell him. Let him worry about what you may or may not know.”

  That was not very nice of him, but Philip was only asking this to torture his brother in a manner she believed most brothers would, and not meant to be harmful or malicious.

  “She also sees auras, Simon. There is very little you can hide from Lady Antonia.” Philip chuckled and returned to his seat.

  This was all very strange but relaxing in a way she’d not experienced of late.

  Antonia crossed to the sideboard and began to fill a plate, famished for the first time in days and the only reason she could think of was because she had gotten real rest and because there was no tension in the breakfast room. There was underlying concern that had accompanied everyone since all this began but it was settled.

  She could only assume that it was because Philip would not fully become a wolf and need to live out his days as such. But they did not realize that a daily change, no matter how short, would be difficult for him.

  Conversation continued around the table as she took the only empty seat available, which was beside Philip. They were a family and loved one another. She was an only child and had never experienced such. Antonia drew on that caring, that love and let it fill her and it helped calm some of her concern, just as touching Philip usually did.

  When she finished eating and pushed her plate aside and sipped her tea, silence fell about the table, and they all looked at Antonia.

  “Why is everyone staring?” she asked.

  “No reason, dear,” Lady St. Alban announced as she stood.

  The others did as well, and slowly they followed her out of the breakfast room until only Antonia and Philip remained.

  “Why were they staring at me?”

  “They had asked when you would like to begin on the vault again.”

  Antonia frowned. “I had not heard the question.”

  How could she have not heard, understood, and felt everything.

  “I really do block the noise for you.”

  “Yes, but I should have heard a question, or at least felt it.”

  Philip placed a hand over hers and that is when she realized that she had placed hers on the sleeve of his arm. Her face heated. “What must they think of me?”

  “Nothing so drastic that you need to worry.”

  “How can you say that? They must think I am terribly forward.” Her panic rose further. “What if they learn…” she glanced around and then leaned closer to him. “That we…you know…”

  “Slept together,” he grinned.

  “Shush.”

  “Antonia, you are worrying for nothing. They are simply here to help, and you will find the lot of them in the vault.”

  “Everyone?” that was too many people, too many emotions, in a vault no matter the size.

  “They’ve been instructed that if their emotions become too strong that they are to leave.”

  “This is your family, your uncle’s home, nobody should guard themselves or leave.”

  “Does that mean you are willing to stay away from the vault while they search?”

  She pulled back. “No. I need to find the reversal spell. I must and then perform it before it is too late.”

  He grinned at her. “They know that as well and are only here to help.”

  He gave her hand a squeeze. “I will be there too, but the men will be otherwise occupied.”

  She frowned. “What will they be doing?”

  “Building me a cage.”

  Panic shifted within. “It will not be needed. We already know that.”

  “It may for the few moments that I am a wolf. For the protection of everyone else.”

  Oh, she hated that he may need to be locked up every midnight. It simply was not fair.

  Philip stood and held out his hand. “Shall we go to the vault and continue our search?”

  “Yes,” she finally said after another sip of her tea.

  They needed to find the spell today. They were already running out of time. There were only ten days until the full moon and two of the waxing crescent moon.

  When they reached the cellar, Antonia heard voices coming from the vault and male voices coming from a different corridor. There were so many directions one could go and if the lower portion was as long and wide as the house, there was much more to discover down here. However, she was only concerned with the large vault, which was at least a third of the size of the foundation.

  Philip frowned and stepped away and toward the male voices. Antonia wanted to go into the vault, but his curiosity had her accompanying him down a long corridor until they stepped into the center of a large room.

  “Did you know that Nightshade Manor contained a dungeon?” Simon asked with humor.

  There were three cells, a table but nothing else. Had there been torture devices or anything like that, they were long gone.

  “And there is a door to this room, assuring us of your privacy.” He grinned.

  “That is a comfort,” Philip answered dryly.

  Orion pulled on the doors of each cell, none of them gave, which was good, she supposed, if they were meant to hold something as strong as a werewolf.