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“I…” She reached for Edmond’s hand, her gaze shifting from him to Lothair to Gaharet, then back again.

“Do not lie to me.”

“Aubert,” Edmond interrupted. “Now is not the time—”

“Did you put a spell on me? On us? Did you lie to us to get what you wanted? To all of us?”

She pushed out of his brother’s arms. “No! I didn’t put a spell on you, I swear. And I didn’t lie to you. Any of you.” Her shoulders sagged. “But I did…kind of volunteer. But I had my reasons.”

Aubert shook his head. He could not believe this was happening to them. Again. “You wanted—no, you needed—something from us.” Aubert raked a hand through his hair. “And we gave it to you.”

“I was dying. I didn’t have a lot of choices.”

She reached for his arm, but he spun away from her.

“Yes,” she admitted. “I had hoped when I came here a Langeais wolf would turn me, and I am so grateful you did, but that is not the—”

“Grateful?” She had agreed to be their mate out of gratitude? She had taken what had been but moments ago a wondrous thing and twisted it into something… He hung his head, unable to look at her anymore. “You are no different from Sabine.”

“Aubert!”

He ignored his brother and the throb of hurt radiating from Isobella, flung open the door, and stormed from the room.

“Aubert!” Edmond called after him, but he did not turn back.

“Who’s Sabine?”

Lothair’s words carried to Aubert as he pushed past the keep guard at the end of the corridor. They did not try to stop him. Something in his face must have warned them he would cut them down if they tried. He kept going, taking the stairs two at a time. He did not want to hear what the others had to say about Sabine. Or Isobella’s excuses.

Aubert did not stop running until he was on the top floor of the keep, bursting out onto the ramparts and heaving in lungsful of night air. He leaned against the ramparts, staring out across the Langeais village and a moonlit River Loire, the pain in his chest unbearable. He could not bear to lose her, but Aubert had to wonder, had they ever truly had Isobella at all?

* * * *

Isobella covered her face with her hands. She would not cry. Not in front of everyone. She would… “I have to find Aubert.” She made for the door. “I have to talk to him. He has to know—”

Edmond stepped in front of her, grabbing her by the arms. Not tight, but firm. “Give him time, Bella. Aubert will come around.”

“You don’t think that I…” That she was like Sabine. That she had used him to get what she’d needed. That she might have spelled them. “I promise, I didn’t use any magic. And I didn’t agree to…just because…”

“I know.” Edmond tucked a stray curl behind her ear and straightened up his tunic that had slipped down over one shoulder. “Aubert did not mean what he said. He let the warlock’s words get to him. Give him time to sort things out in his head, and he will come to his senses.”

Would he, though? The anguish on his face, the betrayal… Aubert was hurting. She knew what that was like, and it was the last thing Isobella had wanted to do. To him or to Edmond. She leaned her head on Edmond’s bare chest. All she could do was hope Edmond was right. That Aubert would give her a chance to explain.

And if he didn’t? What’d happened with Sabine had left deep wounds on Aubert that hadn’t healed. What if he refused to take her as his mate? She rubbed at her chest. She knew what that meant. They’d been clear about it back in the training room. It was both of them or neither. She might well lose Edmond, too.

Lothair sheathed his sword with a dull rasp. “Another body to bury under rubble thanks to you and your wolves. This is becoming quite the habit.” He bared his teeth at Gaharet. “I am not impressed.”

The hinges squeaked as Gaharet closed the iron grate. “He was a warlock. He would have escaped the moment we walked away, and you would have been none the wiser until morn. It is better this way.”

“Hm.” Lothair chewed over Gaharet’s words. His sigh was weary and resigned. “What will you do now?”

“There is not much more we can do here. We do not know where Lance or Cordelia are, except they are not in Langeais.” Gaharet returned his sword to its scabbard. “We will return to my keep to regroup. It will give Isobella a chance to study the contents of that book.” He held out his hand for the grimoire. “Tell us what we are up against.”

Isobella tensed, waiting for Lothair to give Gaharet the grimoire. Based on Stef’s warnings, Lothair wasn’t the person they’d want to have possession of it.

“I think I will keep this.” Lothair tucked the grimoire under his arm. “And I will join you on your journey to your keep. See you home safe. We shall leave at first light.”

“There is no need,” said Gaharet, though his gaze lingered on the grimoire.

Isobella wasn’t the only one who thought it shouldn’t be in Lothair’s hands.

“Mm.” Lothair would not meet their eyes. “But after recent events, I have a need to be free of these walls for a while. To be with company that does not hate me. At least not too much.”

Without a backward glance, Lothair, head down, walked out of the room.