“Looks like we have to go.” Ariana stood up, clearly happy to end the conversation before she could dig herself in any deeper.
He grabbed her hand quickly before she charged up toward the house. “Wait. About that last question.” Her eyes widened and he grinned. “I’ll surprise you.” He let go of her hand and hurried ahead of her so she could be embarrassed in peace.
Chapter 25
Ariana hugged her mother another time before pushing her out the door. She refused to think it was the last time she’d hug her. Owen was getting similarly fussed over. Uncle Kostya kept thinking of bits of advice and Aunt Serena couldn’t seem to let go of him. Two of her little dogs circled his feet as if even they were afraid for him.
“We should go,” Ariana said.
It felt odd to say it. They wouldn’t be going anywhere, not really. But while they’d be in the same room as they started, if it worked they’d be far out of reach.
“Yes, she’s right,” her mother said, sounding anything but convinced.
Ariana could see the war she was waging in her mind. She didn’t want to let her go, but was helpless otherwise. For some reason this strengthened Ariana’s spine. She would not let her mother down.
Aunt Serena scooped up the dogs and they all made their way down the winding stairs. They had decided the best place to keep hidden from the past inhabitants would be one of the underused attics. It was stuffy and dusty and Owen couldn’t stand to his full height due to the slant of the roof above them, but empty save for a broken chair. It was just too difficult to get anything up all the stairs required to get in there and it would have been terribly cruel to use it as servants’ quarters. It was perfect for their plan.
They waited until they couldn’t hear their parents’ footsteps anymore and then Ariana got out the small velvet bag she kept her special herbs in. It was embroidered with her initials, a gift from her mother on her tenth birthday. She smoothed the skirt of the old gown, fluffing the part that was still a bit damp from crying into it.
“You’re stalling,” Owen said.
“Is it that obvious?”
“But why? You’ve done it dozens of times, right?”
She swallowed as her stomach did one of its many turns of the last hour while they prepared. And she still felt a little awkward around him since her brazen and wholly unplanned kiss. She tossed that aside. It was Owen, and they had a job to do. Her stomach flipped again.
“But this time it’s so serious. I can’t make a mistake. It’s not like being late for a luncheon. My father might kill someone.” She whispered those last words, still unable to believe it about him.
He sighed and patted her arm, then his expression grew serious. “Listen, I don’t feel any different after what Lucy did—”
“Why should you? You weren’t possessed.” Ariana didn’t understand where this line of conversation was going but she was so anxious with everything that was on the line that she didn’t mind the distraction.
He goggled at her. “Didn’t you hear her at the cemetery? She gave me her powers.”
Ariana blinked rapidly, trying to remember. The whole thing had happened so fast and she’d mostly been worried about Maria collapsing. But Lucy had said something along those lines, hadn’t she?
“But you don’t feel any different?” she asked, disappointed. She could have used some reliable help. Owen was strong, but anything but reliable.
He squeezed her arm impatiently. “Not like I’ve been struck by lightning or anything, nothing like that. But I feel calm.” He blushed. “Capable. Like when I’m out hunting and I know I won’t come home empty handed.”
“Good. That’s good. All right. I’ll get started.”
She smiled at him and he returned it warmly. She spread her herbs and confidently said the words, pricking her finger with the little knife from her bag. She leaned over and grabbed Owen’s hand, poking his finger before he knew what she was about to do. He barely squeaked and only sucked on his finger a little bit apprehensively.
“It needs blood?” he asked.
“All the good ones do,” she sighed. “Now hush and let me finish.”
Moments later, the spot on the dusty floor boards where she’d sprinkled the herbs began to fade and swirl and she took a deep breath. Owen followed suit, either from nerves or because he thought he had to. It did feel a bit like being plunged into a pool of water and it was a habit of hers after doing the spell so many times. It wasn’t exactly pleasant but it was familiar.
She knew they’d traveled when she heard a crash and opened her eyes to see Owen under a pile of boxes that had tumbled off a shelf that wasn’t there in their own time. She hurried to help him, but they were only full of linens so he wasn’t hurt, just befuddled. She realized this was the first time he’d gone through time since they were children.
“Do you feel sick at all?” she asked, wiping some cobwebs off his shoulders.
He shook his head and stood, hunched over even more since there were now baskets hanging from hooks on the ceiling. “I guess this room gets more use than they remember,” he groused.
“I feel sick,” she admitted, holding her stomach.
“From the spell?” He looked like he was ready to do something, and no matter how confident he felt with his newly bestowed powers from Lucy, she didn’t want him doing anything unless it was a real emergency.
“No, from having to go look for my enraged father and possibly running into different versions of my parents that won’t even know me.”
He nodded, relaxing somewhat. At least not ready to throw all manner of willy nilly healing spells her way. “My parents won’t even be married yet,” he said.
