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I head for the door. Every moment Elena’s in this house is one moment too long.
“Where are you going?” Maura runs behind me, pulling at my elbow.
I rip my arm away. “Don’t touch me. ”
Maura is crying now, tears pooling in her eyes. “Cate, it’s not her fault! I’m the one who did it. ”
“Do you think that makes it any better?”
Maura leaps in front of me, barring the way. I shove her, hard, and she falls back against the wall.
I throw open the door to Elena’s room without knocking. She’s sitting in her green armchair by the fire, needle flashing through some sewing in her hands.
“I want you out of my house. Now. ” My voice is so cold, I don’t recognize it.
“You can’t do that!” Maura’s tears are falling freely now.
I close the door—no point in the servants overhearing this quarrel. “I’m the mistress of the house; I can do whatever I like. That includes dismissing servants who displease me. Miss Robichaud, we are no longer in need of your services. ”
Elena looks at me, quietly calculating the strength of my order. I stare her down. Will she try to compel me, too? Is she capable of it?
Maura pushes past me to stand next to Elena. “Father won’t like this, Cate. ”
“He’s not the one who has to live here. ”
Maura puts one hand on the back of Elena’s chair, protective. She juts her chin at me. “I’ll write and tell him and he’ll have to cut his trip short. ”
“Good,” I say coolly, planting my hands on my hips. “Perhaps he can talk some sense into you. Or do you plan to try and bewitch him, too?”
“You act like I’ve gone beyond the pale. You just said you’ve done it yourself!” Maura shouts.
My jaw drops. I stare at her, disbelieving, furious.
Elena slides her needle neatly into her sewing and puts it aside. “Maura, you tried to compel Cate? But it was unsuccessful?”
“Yes,” Maura says uncertainly. The doubt in her eyes is growing. “Does that matter?”
“Insofar as it means that Cate’s the stronger witch. It’s quite extraordinary, that both of you are capable of mind-magic. I’ve never heard of a precedent,” Elena breathes. She walks toward me but stops a few feet away, at the edge of her canopy bed, her eyes wary. “I’m sorry that I went behind your back and taught your sister, Cate. I know you haven’t trusted that our intentions are honorable, but—”
“Honorable? You kissed my sister!” I explode. The magic sways up, dizzying. I’d love to make that needle prick her. To smash all the pretty little bottles of scented water on her dressing table. To show her just how powerful I can be. I close my eyes for a moment, summoning up every ounce of self-control I possess.
“What’s going on?” Tess squeezes in the door, closing it behind her. “Why is everyone shouting?”
I point a finger at Maura, hovering over Elena’s empty chair. “Tell her! You tell her what you did. And you. ” I whirl on Elena. “I want you out of this house. Now. ”
“You can’t just throw her out on the street,” Maura says, hurrying to her side.
I ignore her, my eyes clashing with Elena’s. “I’ll give you until dusk to pack your things. John will drive you to the train station. We have some money for household emergencies; it ought to be enough to pay your way back to New London. ”
“If you make her leave, I’ll go with her,” Maura threatens.
I draw myself up, taller than everyone else in this room. Stronger. “Maura’s not the one you want. I’m more powerful than her; I’ve proved it twice over. I swear I’ll fight you every step of the way unless you tell her the truth. Your superiors in the Sisterhood might not mind your tactics, but I do. Letting her think you care for her won’t win you any favors if I’m ever in a position of power. ”
Elena looks at me for a long moment. She’s an ambitious woman; I hope I’ve chosen the right threat, the one that will mean something to her.
Finally, she turns to Maura. Puts a hand on her ruffled cream sleeve. “Maura,” she says, “I think you’ve misunderstood my feelings. ”
Maura’s blue eyes fill with tears. “Don’t say that,” she begs, taking Elena’s other hand. “Don’t listen to Cate. Please. I—I love you!”
Beside me, Tess lets out a little hiss of surprise.
“I’m flattered by your regard,” Elena says, pulling away, “but I don’t return it. ”
Maura reaches out a hand, then lets it fall. The same hand that cradled Elena’s face so gently. “But you kissed me!”
Elena shakes her head. Despite all the fuss, she still looks perfect as a china doll, not a single curl out of place. “You took me by surprise. It was a mistake. ”
Maura looks past Elena to me. “You were right,” she snaps, running from the room. “Are you happy now?”
The three of us stand in silence. Across the hall, Maura’s door slams so hard, the floor rattles. “Possibly we could have handled that better,” Elena says. She opens her armoire and pulls out her valise. “You can make me go, but they’ll only send someone else. I’ll tell them what I’ve learned. You can’t pretend this isn’t happening, Cate. You will find it easier to come willingly. ”
“And if I don’t?” I want Tess to hear her say it.
“The Sisters would rather not force your hand. But if they have to, they will do everything in their power to convince you. And their power is considerable. They will not hesitate to use Maura and Tess. ” Elena gathers her things from the dressing table. “I’m sorry to say that, Tess. It’s not how I would have things go. ”
“But you won’t stop them, will you? Which means I can’t have you in this house. Pack your things and get out,” I snap. “Tess, come with me. ”
Tess has been standing back, leaning against the tulip-flowered wallpaper, taking everything in with her observant little storm-cloud eyes. She follows me down the hall to my room. I can hear Maura sobbing behind her door, and my stomach twists.
Tess perches on my bed, swinging her slippers over the edge. “You’ve been keeping things from us. Tell me everything,” she says. And I do. There’s a knock on my door before supper. Tess is still here, lying across the settee on her stomach, reading Mother’s diary with a frown of intense concentration.
“Miss Cate!” It’s Mrs. O’Hare. Why has she climbed the stairs instead of sending Lily? “You’ve a caller. Brother Ishida is here to see you. ”
Tess sits up, alarm written all over her face.
“It’s nothing,” I say. “We haven’t done anything. ”
Unless Sachi’s told her father. Unless Brenna’s tattled. Unless—
No. More likely, it’s the second phase of the Belastras’ plan in action.
“Try to tell Maura he’s here, if she’ll open her door,” I tell Tess. “We don’t need another scene. ”
I fix my hair in the looking glass and head downstairs to the sitting room.
A heavy wind’s sprung up, sending leaves raining to the ground. Trees tap against the windowpanes with newly bare fingers. The curtains swirl into the sitting room like malevolent blue ghosts. I cross the room and shut the window. Brother Ishida is standing before the fire, his back to me.
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