Page 120 of The Silent Mountain
Stefan’s lips tug into a smile. “It does.”
“While I am with Ludwig, please make sure that we begin renovating one of our bigger cottages, for Erin and Cassie. I want them to have their own space with everything they need. I am sure Cassie will want a laboratory for herself, and Erin probably needs more space for her library.”
“I was hoping you would suggest that,” Stefan says. “I admit, I already have a building in mind.”
“That is if Erin is truly planning on staying,” I say. “Technically, she was just here to help us with the spell.”
“She wants to stay,” Stefan says with so much confidence that it surprises me.
“Is there anything I need to know?” I ask, eyeing him over. When he remains quiet, it tells me more than words could have. “Erin?!” I ask. “Isn’t she quite old?”
“I am a middle-aged man myself,” Stefan points out.
“I don’t mean her looks,” I point out. “But Alana told me she is at least a hundred years old, and can change her appearance to her liking. When Azadeh met her, she looked like an elderly woman.”
“It doesn’t matter to me,” Stefan says.
“Then, do what you want to do. You have my blessing.”
He looks relieved at my words. “Thank you,” he says. “I was scared you would oppose it.”
“Why would I?”
“She is a witch.”
I sigh. “Well, things changed, didn’t they?”
“They certainly did.” Stefan smiles. “I will see that Erin and Cassie are living comfortably,” he promises.
“And I will see that Ludwig won’t do anything rash.”
Frederick and Erin were right. Ludwig’s body seems to be healing well, his fever’s gone down, and his night terrors have lessened. Erin even told me that he was briefly awake, very much aware of his surroundings and of what has happened.
The last part worries me. I had hoped we could ease him into things, but instead, he already is aware that he’s lost Barbara.
Ludwig stirs in his bed, turning to the side and opening his eyes. He hasn’t noticed me yet, and I am not sure how exactly to make my presence known without unsettling or startling him. He beats me to it, however, because he reaches for a dagger on his bedside table. It pushes me to act instantly. Reaching forward, I grab his hand, stopping him. He startles, only noticing now that I am here. “Your Highness,” he gasps.
“Don’t do it,” I say quietly.
Ludwig peers at the dagger, his whole body tensing. “How did you know?”
“I just did,” I admit, because it’s what I would have done if Alana had passed, but I don’t tell him that.
His eyes are devoid of any emotion, as if something deep inside has broken in him. “She is not here anymore. She will never be here anymore.”
“Did she know how you felt about her?” I ask.
“I told her I love her, and that I would like to court her once she overcame her illness,” he says quietly. “She agreed.”
I don’t buy it, not all of it. I have known Barbara for too long to believe it. “That’s not all she said, is it?”
He swallows thickly. “She had a feeling she wouldn’t make it,” he says quietly. “And told me to promise her to move on if she did. How could she make me promise that? How can I ever do that?”
“You loved her, Ludwig,” I say. “And she knew you did and returned your feelings. Her last hours were spent with you, the person she loved. She left this world, loved and in your arms. In a way, you gave her a gift none of us could have given her. I am sure it meant the world to her.”
Tears fill Ludwig’s eyes, and he turns to look away. “How does it matter, since she isn’t here anymore? What am I going to do from now on?”
My father might not have been a great father, and he wasn’t a good leader either, but there is one thing I have learned from him: shifters always need a task to hand, especially those who are born to be warriors like Ludwig. “Alana got seriously hurt,” I say. “And Cassie is weakened also. We lost a few strong warriors.”
