“Ariana? What should I do with him?” Maria asked again, pulling her out of her thoughts.
She wrenched her gaze from the pathetic sight and tried to focus on what to do with him. As much as she despised magic in that moment, she knew she had to utilize it at least once more.
“Can you wipe his memories? Any memories of me, of this and that other time, and get him on the ship to Italy? He was going for an investment. If he can get to Italy and never remember, everything should be fine.”
“If we let him live, there’s always a chance he’ll find you again somehow.”
Ariana blanched at the mention of letting him live. She didn’t want that kind of control or power over anyone. “I don’t think so,” she said after some careful thought. “It was Milo who made him remember the first time. Or second time—” She clutched her weary head. “At any rate, Milo’s gone. I can’t live with killing him in cold blood. Whatever might have happened that other time, he’s helpless now.” She couldn’t make herself say innocent. After all, he’d merely gotten cold feet this time. If it hadn’t been for Owen and Maria, she’d still be dead despite his change of heart. “We can’t murder anyone.” She heard Owen moan outside the shed and she ignored him for the moment. It was probably just hitting him what he’d done in the house. “Can you do all that? Make him forget and get him on that ship back in his own time?”
Maria raised a haughty brow that wasn’t very Maria-like at all. “Of course. Go wait outside with Owen.
She didn’t look back at Nick as she left. It wasn’t him anymore, not the man she’d known. Or the man she thought she’d known. She wedged the rickety door shut and sat down by Owen, who huddled under a tree several feet away.
“You’ll be fine,” she said, patting his knee.
He refused to look at her. “Am I a monster? Was I?”
“You’re not a monster. That other time didn’t happen. Not really. It was my mother’s bad dream.” And a lot of other poor saps, she thought.
“But look at what I did in there.” He nodded toward the house in the distance.
“You saved my life,” she said crisply, but feeling as wilted as a trampled dandelion. “You’re a hero.” She slung her arm around him and rested her head on his shoulder.
“If you say so.” He sounded slightly less broken.
“I do,” she affirmed. “And you agree with me, right?”
He snorted. “As if I have a choice.”
A bit later Maria came out of the shed, dusting her hands on her skirt. Ariana didn’t know if she was making her hands or her skirt dustier, then looked down at her own gown. They were all in dire need of baths and fresh clothes.
“It’s done,” she said, heading back toward the house.
Owen scrambled to the door of the shed and looked in. He turned to Ariana with wide eyes. “He’s gone. What did you let her do?”
He ran after Maria, shouting. Ariana caught up with them to hear them bickering back and forth.
“We should have discussed it and taken a vote,” Owen said.
“It was Ariana’s decision,” Maria told him. When he demanded to know why, she shrugged and said, “It’s her life.”
“But I’m responsible for you.” He looked as tormented as when he found out he’d slaughtered the coven. “I’m responsible for what you do.” He lowered his voice. “Like in the village.”
“What happened in the village?” Ariana asked, hoping to stop their argument. Her head already pounded and she could use some silence.
“Someone tried to hurt Owen so I hurt them back,” Maria answered.
Ariana looked at Owen, feeling chastened by this disconcerting response. He pursed his lips at her bitterly. “She’s dangerous.”
“Did you do what I asked and only that?” Ariana asked Maria. Once again she’d forgotten it wasn’t really her sweet, benign friend they were dealing with.
“I made him forget and sent him to Italy in his own time,” she said. “He’s going to write to his brother twice a year so he doesn’t worry about him and so you can keep tabs.”
“Well, that’s all right, then,” Owen said.
“So glad you approve.” Maria rolled her eyes at Ariana and she tittered. Men.
“Well, what do we do now?” he asked, ignoring their little moment against him.
Maria veered away from them, toward the stables. “We go to Scotland like you promised.”
Chapter 20
Kostya left the breakfast room after barely eating a bite. He hadn’t seen Ashford or Tilly yet that morning, nor at supper the night before. He hoped it was because they were discussing the issue of the house burning down. Kostya still couldn’t fully believe Belmary House was gone, let alone that Ashford was responsible for it. Serena hadn’t wanted him to interfere, even after he confided to her about Ashford’s plan to seek out Nick Kerr.
“He’d never be so stupid,” she’d said dismissively and they ate their supper in the state of quiet worry they’d grown accustomed to over the last weeks.
The twins and Nathan clattered past him on the stairs on their way to their own breakfast and Kostya met up with Tilly at the landing. She looked mussed and tired and he assumed he was right
