“Damien!” Michael said, rushing toward him. “It’s good to see you up! How are you feeling?”
“Better. Tired but not bad.”
“You should still be resting,” Millie chided. “Let’s move this conversation into the sitting room where Damien can rest.”
They traveled into the sitting room. Millie situated Damien on the couch. “Are you sure you’re warm enough?”
“I’m sure,” Damien assured her.
“Now, what did you mean when you said you weren’t wrong, Damien? We searched the entire mill. We found nothing,” Alexander informed him.
“Celine told me she was in the old mill. The Duke was keeping her there. But she said something about an enchantment. That he used an enchantment so no one could find her. Was there really nothing there? Not even a trace?”
“Nothing,” Gray responded. “Tell us more about the enchantment. Why didn’t you tell us that before?”
“I could barely get out what I did. You disappeared before I could tell you. And I don’t know any more. Celine didn’t tell me. I asked about it, but she said I couldn’t stay.”
Gray stood, pacing around the room. “An enchantment strong enough to hold Celine in and prevent anyone from seeing her or rescuing her? Have you ever heard of anything like that?” Gray asked Alexander.
“No. If Celine was human, I’d have said yes, but she’s not.”
“If she was human?” Michael questioned.
“Yes,” Alexander responded. “There are a variety of standard enchantments that work well on humans. However, being powerful enough to hold off any assaults from Celine… well, that’s another matter entirely.”
“Perhaps it’s a modification of one of those human spells,” Damien suggested.
“We will start there with our research,” Alexander agreed.
“Sounds like a good place to start,” Damien agreed.
“You need to rest,” Millie argued.
“I’m okay! I’ve been sleeping for an hour.”
“You need rest,” Gray agreed with Millie. “You’ve got to be ready for Celine’s next contact. Give him the sedative.”
“No! We have things to do!”
“You need rest! We told Celine the plan. She’s using that information to determine when to contact you. If we change it and she’s not aware, she could kill you summoning you. Go to sleep, get the rest you need,” Gray lectured.
“He’s right,” Michael said. “I need sleep, too. I’m tired and I haven’t even been through half of what you’ve been through. Come on, we’ll both head to bed.”
Damien grumbled. “Fine, fine.”
Millie prepared the sedative, administering it before walking Damien to his room. She sat with him until Gray arrived, books in hand to research while Damien slept. Without the sedative, Damien would have tossed and turned, anxious to research the situation. With the sleeping aid, he was out in minutes, off to a dreamless sleep.
Celine stared at the sliver of moon visible from her window. She walked a fine line with Marcus. Her plan to save her sister seemed to be working. Celeste should be restored to her normal state soon. After that, she could be freer with her refusals of Marcus. But not too free. She still needed to protect her family. Pushing too hard before she could manage a way out of his trap could cost her family’s lives. “One step at a time, Celine,” she told herself.
Celine’s brow creased. She snapped her head toward the cell’s door. What was that sound? Was it footsteps? Had Marcus returned to continue their argument about her signature in his book? Celine braced herself for the confrontation.
The noise continued overhead. Something was different. Marcus would have been down here already. Celine listened hard. It sounded like multiple people walking above. Her heart skipped a beat. Someone was here. Damien must have passed the message along! “Down here!” she called.
Lights appeared, shining down the stairway. “Here, down here!” she called again. Figures appeared on the stairs. The light glared in her eyes, making it impossible for her to identify the person holding it. The beam swung away, and she recognized Gray and Alexander. Her heart leapt for joy at the sight of them. Gray called up the steps to someone else. Within moments, Michael joined them.
“Anything?” he asked.
“Gray! Alexander! Michael!” Celine shouted, waving from her cell. “I’m here!” The trio walked around the basement, searching the place. It became apparent to Celine they could neither see nor hear her. Gray approached the cell. He jimmied the door, unable to open it. He shined his light inside, reporting to the others that he found nothing. Celine stood inches from him, unable to communicate. She reached out to him, unable to touch him.
He leaned against the door; his frustration clear. Celine stared at his face. She shared his pain. He slammed his hands against the door, upset, venting. “He wasn’t wrong, Gray,” Celine answered him, despite his inability to hear her, a tear rolling down her cheek. “I’m here. I’m right here.”
Alexander suggested they return to the house to seek more information. Celine watched them go. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks. They were so close, but she was unable to communicate with them. She hated to see them go. Her first glimpses of her family in over a week were bittersweet. But they were getting closer. Soon, she would reunite with them again. Soon, she promised herself, soon.
Damien awoke after ten the next morning. The late-night administration of the sedative meant he slept until mid-morning. He cursed the late hour. He hated sleeping this long, particularly when there was a problem. Alexander read a book in the armchair.
“Find anything that may help?” Damien asked, stretching as he climbed from bed.
“A handful of notions that may prove to be useful. If we can pinpoint more information about the enchantment, we may have more luck. I wonder if Celine has any additional information.”
“I’m not sure. I can ask her if she contacts me today.” Alexander nodded his head. “Also, I’d like to visit the mill. I realize you didn’t find anything
