Air expelled from my chest in a rush, and relief made me dizzy as he stepped forward to untie my wrists. My hands were numb, and I rubbed them together, trying to blow warm air into my fingers. I had to get back inside. It was too cold. Freezing to death was still a genuine possibility.
“Thank you,” I said, my teeth chattering together.
His features were ravaged, and he sank to his knees in the snow. “Leave.”
I placed my frozen hand on his shoulder, but he shook it off.
“I said, leave. Before I change my mind.”
“You won’t.” I went down on my knees next to him, lifting his face in my hands. “Come back to the manor with me. I meant what I said: I’ll help you in any way I can. We’ll deal with Isabelle. We’ll deal with everything together.”
“She’ll try to kill you.”
“She can try. Wouldn’t be the first time.” I gave him a half-smile, and his features relaxed.
He climbed to his feet and unhitched the lantern from the tree branch.
We made our way back to the manor and reentered through the basement. I wiped the snow from my clothes and shuddered as I removed my slippers and tried to bring warmth back to my feet.
“Here—use this.” Andrew handed me a scratchy wool blanket he’d found in a trunk. It smelled musty and would probably make me itch, but it was the warmest thing I had at my disposal.
I wrapped it around my shoulders.
“There’s a hearth in the kitchen. Let’s get you warmed up before you go after Isabelle. You can’t do anything if you’re an icicle.”
“No. I don’t want to wait.” My steps faltered on the stairs, feet tingling as they reacted to the room temperature. “Actually…maybe that’s a good idea. My magic won’t return until I’m warmer, and I might need it to prove my identity.” I laughed softly. “Isabelle may look like me, but I’d like to see her cast a spell.”
In the kitchen, Andrew stoked the hearth back to life and added a few logs to the burning coals. It took a few minutes, but the fire sprang to life, giving off welcome waves of heat.
We were quiet as we huddled near the fire. There was something about our silence that felt heavy. I should be dead multiple times over, but I was still here.
“Are you ready?”
I curled my fingers, trying to ignite the sparks that signaled my magic had returned. A couple fizzled in the air, but it would have to do. Nodding, I squared my shoulders and went to find Isabelle. I charged through the great hall and straight into the parlor, where I could hear her trying to explain away our encounter.
As soon as I entered the room, the conversation halted. Cynthia gasped and pressed a hand against her chest. But Lila, who seemed to have calmed down after her outburst earlier, only let out a harsh laugh.
“I told you she couldn’t hide what she was. I knew it.”
“What’s happening?” Cynthia asked.
Lila said, “She’s not like the rest of us.”
“It’s over, Isabelle. Your brother couldn’t go through with it. No more lies. No more deception. You’re going to pay for what you’ve done.”
Isabelle screeched and launched herself at me. Her hands circled my neck, the force of her body causing me to stumble backward. We fell behind the sofa, with her landing on top of me, trying to get a more secure grip on my throat.
“Will you die already?” she grated in my ear. Spittle landed on my skin, and I squirmed beneath her, desperate for air as she got the upper hand. Her blunt fingers dug into my throat. Eyes wild, she strengthened her grip, and panic surged in my chest as black spots danced in my vision. “Andrew is so weak. I have to do everything myself.”
I flung my arm out, stretching my fingers for something to grab hold of. I grazed the leg of an end table, and I reached further, clamping my hand around it before jerking the table until it tilted.
A candelabra toppled to the carpet. The golden base was in my hand, and, with the last of my stamina, I cracked it against her head.
Isabelle’s grip loosened.
I rolled to the side, gasping for air, and then pulled myself up using the back of the sofa, glimpsing the terrified housemaids watching from the corner.
Cynthia rushed forward, trying to intervene, but Isabelle recovered too quickly. A thin line of blood trickled from her temple. Snarling, she grappled for me again, and the two of us crashed into the wall. I tried to send a jolt of magic into her body, but the pulse was weak and barely made an impact.
