‘Where did you find it?’
‘In your husband’s study. Covered in his blood.’
Her chest tightened and the air seemed to disappear.
I think you’re going to need that glass of brandy now.
The fox padded over to Cynthia and rested his copper head on her lap in an unspoken and rather remarkable act of comfort.
Helena tried very hard to keep the panic at bay. She never panicked. Except for the one time Hamlet ate something nasty and became very ill. Thank goodness Aunt Rowan’s healing magic extended to animals. Even with her aunt’s impressive skills, it had been touch-and-go for a few days, causing all manner of rough seas in the calm waters of Helena’s soul. A terrible time she vowed never to repeat.
But that same breathless anxiety set in the moment Helena reached out with her powers to read Cynthia’s thoughts and heard… nothing.
Usually, people’s thoughts flowed around her like water. She could focus on one individual stream and hear exactly what that person was thinking. At times, she had to push harder to get to the hidden secrets people tried to protect. She knew her irises would lighten to silver and glow when she accessed her magic to delve so deeply into someone’s head, so she kept her eyes on the necklace and focused on hearing only Cynthia.
Complete silence.
It must be a mistake. Perhaps she wasn’t concentrating. Maybe Cynthia’s beauty was distracting her. Because even amidst her obvious shock, the woman looked as regal as a goddess when Helena had entered the room. Cynthia’s chestnut hair was piled high with curls framing her face. Her cheekbones could have been sculpted from the finest marble. Hazel eyes, though slightly red-rimmed from tears, flashed with keen wit. Her lips were the perfect Cupid’s bow, and Helena wondered if she used cosmetics to enhance their shape. Surely noticing all those silly details was getting in the way of reading the woman’s thoughts.
When she tried a second time, only to once more be hit with a confounding vacuum of sound, Helena knew something was very wrong.
And then her familiar left her side to put his head on Cynthia’s fecking lap.
Blinking away any remnants of her power, Helena sought out her cousin, and the shock mirrored in Clio’s eyes did nothing to dispel her alarm.
What is going on with Hamlet?
Helena ignored Clio’s unspoken question. Because she had no bloody clue. A familiar did not abandon his witch. Ever.
Cynthia might have stolen Clio’s time and Ellie’s goodwill, but Helena would invite the fires of hell to burn every drop of water within her before she would see the damnable woman steal her familiar’s affections.
Hamlet looked back at her and yipped in reassurance. He wasn’t playing at treason. Just snuggling another woman. Perfectly normal. Nothing to worry about.
Except bloody everything!
She had only pulled out the locket to rattle Cynthia and see if that knocked loose whatever was blocking Helena’s power to read her thoughts. The plan backfired spectacularly.
Perhaps she had been unwittingly hexed, her powers blocked by dark magic.
By Cynthia? Certainly not. She has no powers. She isn’t a witch.
Helena tightened her focus on the woman as suspicion crept in. Or could she be hiding latent magical abilities? It was rare, but not completely unheard of. Generally, magic was inherited along the matrilineal line, but there were cases of women from non-magical families demonstrating spontaneous powers. Helena had never met such a woman, but Cynthia might have an echo of magic resonating through her. A fascinating idea.
No. An inconvenient problem if that is why I can’t read her thoughts. Or why my loyal familiar is snuggling her with his head on her lap.
Any jealousy she felt was directed at Cynthia for stealing Hamlet’s attention, not her familiar for knowing exactly how soft the woman’s skirts were, or whether her scent collected in all that silk.
Even if Cynthia did have a smidge of magic running through her veins, it wouldn’t explain Helena’s inability to hear her thoughts. She could easily read the thoughts of her coven, and they were all powerful witches within their own elements.
Every mind in the elegantly decorated room was open to her. Except Cynthia’s.
She had never needed to touch another to know what they were thinking, but physical contact enhanced her powers. Maybe that would break through the wall of silence surrounding Cynthia. She extended her hand, holding the necklace like a treat to draw out her prey.
‘I can’t imagine this belongs to any of your maids.’
Cynthia’s breathing accelerated as she stared at the gold and ruby locket as if the snake wrapped around it were real and ready to strike.
‘Go on, take it. If it’s yours.’ Helena was baiting her. She held her breath, waiting to see what the captivating woman would do.
