“I’m afraid so.”
Philippe walked in slowly. Any air of playfulness had vanished. He set his hands into the pockets of his breeches, setting back the long lapels of his gray velvet coat. I’d noticed that he often did that when he was worried. “What happened?” He glanced toward the doorway. “Should we go somewhere else to chat?”
“No, we’re fine here. I’ve cast wards against eavesdropping ages ago.” But not against breaking down the door. I’d have to fix that.
Amelia gripped her hands at her waist. “Please tell me what’s happened.”
Tension tightened up my neck and shoulders. Best to make this simple and quick. “There’s nothing we can do to save our friends.”
A heavy silence filled the room. The air suddenly felt too thick to breathe. If there was anything worse than leaving the Necromancers for dead, it was telling Amelia. My Sisters could be alive somewhere with hours left to live. Even so, there was no point in raising Amelia’s hopes in the matter. My responsibilities lay elsewhere now. “It’s time to mourn them, Amelia. We’ve done all we can do.” Every word felt like a knife wound in my chest. How could I abandon them?
Rein in your emotions, Elea. You can’t allow the Vicomte to take your people’s power.
Amelia crumpled to her knees. Her hands covered her mouth as if to hold in a scream. Philippe knelt beside his sister. “I’m so sorry.” With his golden hair, he looked like a visiting angel. “I know how much Veronique meant to you.”
Amelia’s lower lip trembled. A long moment passed before she spoke again. “Everyone I care about leaves me.”
Philippe gently wrapped his arm around his sister’s shoulder. “Not me.”
Amelia sniffled. “No, not you. Veronique is gone, though.” She turned to me, her pretty blue eyes rimmed with red. “And you’re leaving soon, aren’t you?”
Bands of sadness tightened around my throat. Amelia was right. Once my work here was done, I’d vowed to return to Braddock Farm. “I’ll remain for a while yet.”
“You’re leaving me. And Rex will leave me too. I can feel it.”
A small jolt of surprise moved through me. “What do you mean?”
“Yes, we’ve spent time together.” Her shoulders trembled. “Alone.”
They did? The urge to protect Amelia welled up inside me. How could they leave her alone with Genesis Rex so soon? Amelia knew about manners, but not the intricacies of statecraft. An experienced politician like Genesis Rex could manipulate her in a dozen different ways, none of them good. “When did this happen?”
“After the play.” Amelia gripped the folds of her gown so tightly I thought she might tear it open. I’d never seen her act like this before.
“Do you like him?” To me, Rex seemed like a father figure. He was all gray hair and cavalier attitude. I couldn’t imagine falling for him.
Amelia stared at her lap. “I know it must sound silly, yet I do.”
“Yet you hardly know him.” The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Something about all this didn’t seem right. “And he’s so old.”
“Elea has a point, you know.” Philippe pulled a kerchief from his pocket and began patting the tears on Amelia’s cheeks. “In fact, the boys you normally like are so young, they have faces full of acne.”
Amelia frowned. “Not all of them had acne, Philippe.”
“True. Some had voices that hadn’t deepened.”
At last, Amelia broke out into a small smile. “Even so, Rex is different. He may be older than the boys I usually admire, yet his age suits him perfectly.” She huffed out a slow breath. “Still, I don’t think he’ll ever be attracted to me. I’m simply another alliance to him.” She looked up at the ceiling, trying to hold back more tears. “What a fool I’m being. I lose a few friends, meet one new man, and what do I do? Turn into some kind of blubbering idiot.”
My protective urges for Amelia came back a hundredfold. “Don’t apologize for how to feel. It’s not like you’ve had a horde of people in your life to rely on. And the gods know the Vicomte hasn’t been kind, to put it mildly.”
“That is putting it mildly,” said Philippe.
I shot Philippe a frustrated look. Sometimes, his commentary simply didn’t help things. I refocused on Amelia. “It’s true that Veronique and I can’t be close to you physically. We’ll always be with you in spirit, though. And you know why? Because you’re a valuable and lovely person, Amelia. Your friendship is precious to all who know you.”
Amelia stopped sniffling, and I took that as a good sign and kept on talking. “And don’t forget—Rex only just met you. ‘Love at first sight’ may be a pretty tale for bards, however it rarely happens in real life.” I glanced at Philippe, as he was much more of an expert in the amorous arts than I was. “Wouldn’t you say so, Philippe?”
“Of course. I’ve never been in love personally, but I’ve seen it grow.” He leaned back and tapped his square chin. “Elea’s right. Give Rex some time. If he’s half the man you say he is, he’ll come around.”