Aelfric turned piercing eyes on Miss Darcy. “If she wishes, but what has happened to you?”
Miss Darcy wrung her hands. “He was well when we left his house, but he has grown more and more ill, yet he refused to stop.”
“I defanged the snake.” Eversleigh barely managed to get the words out. “I held the fangs here.” He held up his hand. It was bright red, streaked with black.
“Evlan, you should have left it for me,” Aelfric scolded. “Libbet, will you take him to Titania for healing?”
Elizabeth grasped Eversleigh by the elbow, offering what support she could despite her dizziness. “What snake was this?” she asked him as they approached Titania.
“A spell. Sorcery.”
She gasped. “Lady Catherine put a spell on Miss Darcy as well?”
Eversleigh swayed. “Not Lady Catherine. Another sorcerer. Fellow named Wickham.”
“Wickham, a sorcerer?” she exclaimed. Then Titania was before them, so she said, “Great lady, Prince Evlan has been injured by dark magic. He is in grave need of help.”
Titania wasted no time. She took his hand and studied it. “My poor boy. You should not attempt such strong magic.” She held his hand in front of her face and blew gently on his palm.
Eversleigh blinked. “Oh. That is better.” He looked at his hand as if wondering who it belonged to. “Better, but I am so sleepy.” He collapsed on the grassy bank and his eyelids began to droop.
DARCY DEMANDED, “GEORGIANA, what is all this about?”
The girl opened her mouth but no words came out. She scrunched her face in concentration and finally said, “I... cannot... say...it.”
Aelfric, seemingly undisturbed by this, asked Miss Darcy, “Would you like me to remove the snake now?”
“Oh, yes. Oh, yes!”
He cupped her cheek tenderly, gazing into her eyes. She swayed slightly. Aelfric stepped back, a slender black snake in his hand and an expression of revulsion on his face. He dropped the snake and ground it into the grass with his boot heel. The grass burst into flames that leaped up quickly, flickered, and died. “Is that better?” he asked.
“So much better,” the girl whispered. “Lord Eversleigh said I must not thank you, but I will never forget what you have done for me.” She yawned.
Behind her, Elizabeth watched the proceedings with a look of shock.
Darcy caught Georgiana as she crumpled. “What did you do to her?” he demanded.
“I removed the snake. She is unharmed, merely asleep,” said Aelfric.
“What is this snake? I do not understand.”
Aelfric’s mouth twisted. “It was dark magic. I do not wish to speak of it. I must cleanse myself now.” He strode away.
Darcy wanted to run after him, but he could not leave Georgiana. He carried his sleeping sister to the edge of the clearing and lowered her gently to the ground.
“That...” said Elizabeth in an awed voice, “That was very wild magic.”
“But what did he do?”
“Dark magic is what the fay call sorcery.” She hesitated. “Just before Titania healed him, Eversleigh told me Wickham had cast a spell on your sister.”
“Wickham again? It cannot be. He is a liar and a cheat, but not asorcerer.” But a sinking feeling of uncertainty filled him.
“Eversleigh sounded certain, but he is asleep now as well.”
Darcy scowled. “I wish that brother of yours were more inclined to ask questions before he acted.”
Titania called out, “Come, it is time!”
