Page 88 of Magic Touch
Still cradling me, he says. "We will come. Whatever sent that evil intended to destroy this coven. That implies it intends to gain access to the king. I didn't watch all those men die in France only to have the English throne taken from within."
Minerva rushes over and presses her hands to my arm. "I have to reset the bone."
William's grip on me tightens, and his mind opens to mine completely. "I have you."
Keeping his beautiful heart merged with mine, I barely feel the jolt of pain when my bone clicks into place.
Minerva knits the break, and the pain eases to a dull ache. "Better?"
"Yes." I stretch and bend my elbow to test the healing. "Much better. Thank you." Reluctantly, I get out of William's lap and stand.
Sylvia is helped to her feet and up the stairs.
Turning to help with the healing, I'm stopped by Sara Beth. "You should go and rest. I know you gave more than you should have to protect him, and you will heal better if your magic returns naturally."
I want to help, but it's hard to argue with the truth. "We'll return in the morning. If you need us sooner, send word to Sir William's house."
With a nod, she draws me into a hug. "I owe you more than an apology, but please let me start with that, Esme."
Shocked, I accept the embrace then tell her, "You owe me nothing. What was between your mother and mine is past. We have new paths to forge, Sara Beth Ware. It is our destiny to strengthen this coven if we can. Goddess told William to protect this house. We will do just that, if you will let us."
It will probably be the only time I'll ever see Sara Beth cry. Tears stream down her face, and she lights up with a smile at the same time.
We both laugh and hug again.
William and I gather Theodora from where she’s helping with the wounded, and head home.
We ride in silence, William holding my hand, and his mother staring out the window at nothing.
When we arrive at his townhouse, Henry hands Theodora down. She turns back to us. "I shall never see anything as magnificent or terrifying as what I witnessed tonight. I was so very proud of both of you. You would have died to protect witches that a moment earlier were judging you." She shakes her head. "Magnificent."
Henry escorts her up the stairs while William and I follow. Too tired to stop and recount the night's events, we climb the stairs to our room.
With a loud cry, Simon rushes into the room and circles our feet before leaping into bed and demanding pets from each of us.
“How in the world did you get here, little one?” I scratch his head and lift him into my arms, letting his attention draw my worries away. Simon is turning out to be a very good familiar.
William pulls me to sit beside him on the edge of the bed. "I couldn't have held that thing much longer if you hadn't given me your energy and convinced the others to do the same."
"It's not your fault." I hate that his voice is filled with regret.
"Why didn't your magic work against that?" He presses his lips to the top of my head.
Simon purrs and rubs his head on William's chest before coming back to me and resting in my lap.
"I'm not certain. Something about the way your magic works, perhaps. My magic is conjured through the elements. Yours comes from desire or so it seems. I don't know." I shake my head, pick Simon up, and put him on the bed before rising. "Perhaps we'll understand more after we rest."
He pulls me between his legs and presses his cheek against my chest. Wrapping his arms around me, he says, "I thought I would lose you. I feared I couldn't save anyone. In one night, that thing could have taken so much from Windsor, and from me personally."
Running my fingers through his hair, I shudder at the vision of him holding back the tide of evil. " Goddess warned us. Did you realize something was coming?"
"Yes. I knew I would have to free myself from Sara Beth's binding."
"And you knew you could?" My heart pounds as it did when the cord first wrapped around him.
He nods against me. "I knew when she cast it, that it couldn't hold me if I wished to be released."
"Yet you stayed bound through the tribunal. Why?" Hands on his shoulders, I pull back so I can see his face.
