Free Belmary House Book Two by Cassidy Cayman Page A

Ashford said. “There’s time still.”
    Tilly was surprised at his sudden change of mood. He’d gone from fearsomely angry to sounding nervous in his concern, in all but a blink.
    Kostya smiled. “That’s what you’ll do,” he said forcefully. “I shall stay here and wait.”
    “That’s madness,” Ashford argued, eyes wild.
    He gestured to Tilly to do something, help him convince Kostya not to stay, but for the life of her she didn’t know what to do. It was clear Ashford was terrified of Kostya’s decision.
    She shrugged apologetically. “I’m not sure how things can get worse,” she said.
    Kostya snorted and rubbed his hand over his face. Ashford shook his head at her.
    “Things can get worse, Matilda. Things can always get worse when the Povests are involved.”
    “You’re going to fight them?” she asked Kostya. She turned to Ashford. “We should stay and help him.”
    “No,” they both answered. Kostya stood and placed his hand on Ashford’s shoulder, smiled down at Tilly.
    “When they arrive, I’ll do whatever they tell me to do to have the curse lifted,” he said, heartbreakingly reconciled to his fate.
    “You don’t even know if they’re on their way,” Ashford said, getting up to pace back and forth.
    Tilly could feel the desperation coming off him in almost palpable waves and her fear for Kostya grew.
    “They’re on their way,” he said in such a calm manner, that her fear tripled in size and threatened to squash her. “You can feel it, too, can’t you?” he asked her, then nodded to Ashford. “That’s why he’s having a fit over there. He knows it’s true. They’re very close.”
    The two men stared at each other and Tilly forced herself to get her emotions under control. Ashford had told her that getting angry helped fight off hexes or whatever magical tomfoolery that suddenly made her want to run from Rouleney in a screaming panic. And she had plenty of reasons to be angry. Gripping her skirt in her fists, she knew she had to make a decision, or they’d continue their useless standoff until the Povests arrived and decimated them all.
    “He’s not leaving,” she said, jumping up to take Ashford’s arm. “So, are we staying or going?” She tried to make her voice sound as reasonable as possible, all while fighting the chills of terror that got stronger by the moment.
    “I think they’re waiting for you to leave,” Kostya said in his eerily calm tone.
    “You’re not helping,” she snapped, rounding on him, and holding tighter to Ashford. “Oh my God, I hate this.” She took several deep breaths but it didn’t help.
    “It’ll get worse if you stay.”
    He sounded taunting and she closed her eyes against the desolation on his face. She’d never run out on a friend in need before, but all she wanted to do was flee.
    “We’re staying,” Ashford finally said, the words coming out brittle and forced.
    Kostya laughed and advanced to give Ashford a hug. “You’ve always been the brother I was never allowed to have,” he said. “They hate that, you know.”
    “Good,” Ashford said childishly, and Tilly saw that he blinked back tears, feeling her own well up at what seemed to be a final farewell.
    “We’re staying,” she agreed recklessly. There was no way she could leave, she’d never be able to live with herself.
    Kostya looked at her sadly. “Shall I tell you why I was cursed? he asked, returning to the table.
    He sat down and patted the bench beside him, and she joined him, even though she dreaded knowing more.
    “Don’t,” Ashford said. “We shouldn’t be wasting time, we should make a plan.”
    Kostya shook his head. “I don’t want to insult you, Julian, but what exactly do you think you can do?” When Ashford didn’t have an answer, Kostya turned back to her and began his tale. “My people like control,” he said. “No one does anything without the permission of the leader of our coven. Nothing.”
    He paused and she wondered what