Goddess born...family...rival... Thoughts hovered like specters, but for the life of me I couldn’t recall why I disliked her.
An eternity passed, and no time at all. The root loosened, and I tumbled to the ground in a heap. The connection broke in my head. Air flowed to my lungs, in and out, until my breathing slowed. Movement and noise cluttered the clearing. I should have been more curious, but at present only one thing preoccupied me. On hands and knees, I moved toward the stream, and cupping one palm, drank deeply.
Someone touched my shoulder.
“Miss Kilbrid,” James said from behind me. “Are you hurt?”
Yes. I shook my head and tried to stand. When I stumbled, James placed a hand under my elbow. “Thank you,” I said, somewhat hoarse from the roughness in my throat.
Justine and Julian stood face-to-face. Her palm rested on his cheek, and his eyes appeared glazed, almost trancelike.
“What did you do to him?” I asked. What did you do to us?
Justine smiled without looking at me. “Just a little something I’ve learned over the years.” Her voice sounded normal, nothing at all like a moment ago.
“What is going on here?” James demanded, still beside me.
I instinctively placed a hand on his arm. “Wait, Mr. Roth.”
Another minute passed while they continued to stare at each other. “There you have it,” Justine said at last, so quietly I almost missed it. Her hand dropped from his cheek. “You’ve learned my secret and everything that has brought us to this point.”
Julian nodded. Then his shoulders slumped forward, and he slowly sank to his knees. His head fell forward next. The tricorn hat tumbled to the ground as he buried his face in his hands. “I thought they had run away together.”
Justine touched the crown of his dark head. “It would have appeared the same to anyone without all the facts.”
“She made me so angry.” A pained groan broke in his throat. “I... I might have killed her.”
“Don’t feel too bad,” Justine said. “I’ve wanted to do the same thing on numerous occasions.” She cut me a sardonic look.
I returned it tenfold. “The feeling is mutual, Miss Rose.”
Julian raised his head at the sound of my voice. His arms fell to his side, and he moved toward me, still on his knees. “Oh, Selah. Can you ever forgive me?”
My mouth tightened with anger. “Forgive you?” I asked, incredulous. “I’ll be bruised for a week from your tantrum.”
James’s hand tightened on my elbow. “What is he going on about?”
“Just a minute,” I snapped, in no mood to be interrupted. “This is the second time you’ve held me against my will, Julian. Do it again, and I swear you’ll regret it.”
Grief marred his face. “Never again.” He shook his head to emphasis the point. “You’ve my word as a gentleman.”
Justine brushed her gloved hands together. “That sounds reasonable enough to me,” she said matter-of-factly. “Now kiss and make up. We’ve no more time to waste quibbling.”
“Are you daft?” I asked her.
“Don’t be difficult, Selah. He’s apologized, now let it go.”
“Gladly, just as soon as he leaves me be and returns to London.”
“Well, unfortunately that isn’t the plan,” she said.
I watched her for a moment, suspicion gnawing like a worm in my gut. “What do you mean?”
Justine smiled, in a feline sort of way. “I mean that Lord Stroud will be accompanying us to Ireland.”
It took a few seconds for her words to sink in. “Oh, no he’s not. The man could have killed me if you hadn’t intervened with that little mind trick of yours.” A trick I would have traded my eyeteeth to possess.
“Which is exactly why we need him,” Justine persisted. “His gift is stronger than any of us ever guessed, and that root thing may come in handy when we’ve reached Wexford.”
James gave a grunt of surprise, but I waved him off.
Julian stood in a flurry of wool. His legs seemed to protest from the weight, but he managed to stay upright. “Upon my honor, I pledge my gift to your cause.”
I gaped at both of them. “What are you talking about? There is no we here, other than Mr. Roth and myself.”
“Don’t be stupid. You need all the help you can get.” Justine’s expression turned devious. “If you’re nice on the way, I’ll tell you about the present I brought, and how Lady Dinley and Master Faber responded to your stealth departure.”
Catria and Tiarnach.
The mention of my great-grandparents’ names brought me up short, an effect not lost on Justine. “I thought you may be interested, as they expressly forbade you to leave London.”
My shoulders stiffened in defiance. “They’ve no right to dictate my actions.”
“From what I heard, they greatly disagree.” Glancing down, Justine flicked some imaginary fluff from her impeccable skirts. “As they were unable to leave London right away, I was sent in their stead.” Her dark blue eyes met mine. “I’m supposed to bring you back one way or another.”