Page 46

Gregory sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“ Mrs. Dubois is not my patient. While her case is certainly of interest, I’m not in a position to intervene.

Moreover, I wouldn’t offer advice contrary to what Dr. Kohler already gave.

If she believes hospitalization is necessary, I trust her judgment. She’s an outstanding physician.”

“But she’s not a psychologist!” I protested. “You have more experience.”

“Unless Dr. Kohler specifically requests my input, I won’t interfere with her treatment,” Gregory said firmly.

“Uncle Gregory, you have to help!” Brayden implored, his voice filled with urgency. “You owe it to your family. She’s supposed to be under your care!”

“This is what you’ve been preparing for your whole life,” Bryce added gravely, nodding in agreement.

“You two are driving me up the wall,” Gregory snapped, his frustration palpable. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to…”

His voice trailed off as realization dawned, and his eyes shot to Bryce. “Are you serious?”

Bryce crossed his arms. “Yes.”

A complex expression flickered across Gregory’s face as he looked back at Bianca, his usual detachment momentarily slipping. “Well,” he muttered, more to himself, “that explains a great deal.”

I’d never seen him look like this before.

“You’re not going to tell the Council,” I stated firmly. It wasn’t a question but a warning—I would protect Bianca at any cost.

“ What ?” His narrowed gaze darted to me, the sharpness of his voice returning. “Mr. Damen, I suggest you erase that terrible expression from your face and come to your senses. Why would I tell them anything?”

It wasn’t so far-fetched. “But you were a member…”

“Insufferable fools, the lot of them,” he said. “I’m insulted you’d think so lowly of me.” His annoyed look lingered on me before he returned to Bryce. “And as for you . Why would you marry your sister ? Is there something addled in your brain?”

“That’s the least of our concerns!” Bryce responded, his gaze shifting to where Julian was gently stroking Bianca’s hair.

Julian looked up. “What do you want to do?”

“I think we should move her to the hospital,” Bryce replied. “No matter what she might want. It wouldn’t be the same as last time. We would be there now.”

Gregory’s face softened as he considered the situation. “She should be hospitalized.” He glanced at the IV setup. “But she’s been receiving fluids, at least.” His eyes met mine again. “What does Declan say? Does this have anything to do with him being in an uproar?”

I glanced at Bryce and Brayden, but they were watching me. I had no idea what they might have told him.

“He’s leaving it up to me.” Bryce nodded.

“An odd thing, that.” Gregory frowned. “Regardless, another option is to move her to Whisperwind . They have a medical ward. It would be better suited than here.”

A growl reverberated throughout the room—Titus. “We just said that she’s terrified of hospitals!”

Gregory rolled his eyes. “Oh, stop being dramatic, Dr. Ducharme. Whisperwind is not a hospital; it is her family home.”

“She can’t go to Whisperwind, ” Miles said, his voice low. “Declan is there. She doesn’t want anything to do with him.”

“I’m sure he would stay away,” Brayden murmured. “He’s afraid of overwhelming her because of what happened in the past.”

Gregory’s interest was piqued. “What are you talking about? Declan doesn’t back down easily.”

Brayden’s face went blank, his eyes shifting to his brother, who looked uncomfortable, but neither spoke.

“Answer me,” Gregory commanded, his voice carrying the weight of authority he wielded when we were younger. “If you want my assistance, I must understand what we’re dealing with. Otherwise, I cannot treat her.”

Brayden sighed, his expression sorrowful as he glanced back at Bianca. “She wasn’t always with Kieran...”

A burning fury coursed through me. I hoped they choked on that guilt.

Brayden attempted to continue, “It’s unclear how she ended up in that situation. It’s just that—”

“Abigail Grier rescued her,” I cut in, unable to hide the sharpness in my tone. “She found Bianca during one of her investigations.”

Gregory’s face drained of color as he passed a hand over his mouth. He remained focused on Bianca, lost in thought. After a long pause, he finally asked, “I assume her father knows about this? This is the reason for his rampage?”

Bryce nodded. “Yes. He’s upset because the case was abandoned ten years ago, and we want answers.”

Gregory frowned at him. “And no one thought to consult with me? What specialists has she seen?”

“Well,” I began, my chest growing tight. “Do Yun is assigned to her, but she won’t talk to anyone. She’s avoiding therapy completely.”

“That answer doesn’t make me inclined to back your approach.” Gregory scowled. “She needs treatment, as evidenced by the current situation. What caused her to enter this state?”

Julian responded, “She saw a picture of Alyssa.”

Brayden nodded, and Gregory’s frown deepened.

“That’s it?” he asked.

“We think she knew her,” Julian said. He was gazing at Bianca again, and my heart twisted.

“Why?” Gregory sounded genuinely curious. “Did you see something?”

“I haven’t looked into her memories,” Julian answered instantly. “But it makes sense. Finn said she’s afraid to speak about her first spiritual encounter, and Alyssa died right after she was born.”

“Well, you could know for certain.” Gregory stroked his chin. “Why are you waiting?”

There was a collective intake of breath as the older man broached the subject we’d all been avoiding.

Julian’s features turned dark. His voice was menacing, causing the hair on my arms to rise. “I can’t.”

“You can .” Gregory seemed unmoved by Julian’s reaction. “But you don’t seem inclined to do so.”

Julian blinked, some of the force diminishing. “I promised her that I wouldn’t.”

“You know that matters little. It is your position to do what needs to be done to care for her. That being said, I will not wait until she reaches a critical point,” Gregory said.

“I am prepared to relocate her so that she can receive more extensive treatment—the longer she remains in this state, the more dangerous it is.”

“But—” Julian began.

Gregory interrupted him. “However, before we resort to that, a necromancer could potentially pull her out of this condition, as she seems unable to do it herself. Then she wouldn’t need to be moved at all.”

“I won’t do it,” Julian protested. “What if we end up stuck in a loop of memories from back then? I refuse to put her through that!”

My chest tightened. I’d forgotten. While necromancers could lean toward which memories they accessed, in certain situations—and when their target had acute trauma—it became harder to control.

“I said a necromancer,” Gregory responded with a frown. “Mr. Julian, you have two Proxy Er Bashous, both of whom are currently more qualified than you. Between them, Joe has the most experience and the greatest control. He’s previously handled situations like this and is the best choice.”

Julian tightened his hold on Bianca and glared at Gregory, his head lowered. “You can’t just—”

Gregory continued, “You might think you’re protecting her from reliving traumatic experiences, but it is my opinion that someone in a catatonic state is trapped reliving those same events. She could already be experiencing everything you’re trying to shield her from.”

Julian POV

“What?” I asked. Bianca’s small form felt so fragile in my numb arms, and my thoughts shattered. Could it be that, despite trying to keep her safe, she was still suffering?

He had to be lying—but from the severe weight of his expression, I knew he was telling the truth.

“I am contacting Joe,” Gregory said, pulling out his phone. “I assume he knows who she is? It would explain his smug comments lately.”

“Yes,” I replied. My grandfather hadn’t asked me, but it was obvious from how he interacted with her that he’d figured it out.

Gregory didn’t reply and, instead, began to type.

“How does it work?” Brayden asked.

I planned on responding but couldn’t, even though I knew the answer. It made no sense, but it was so hard to want anyone near her. The slightest mistake would leave her mentally back in Eric Richards’s clutches. I didn’t even trust myself to perform an operation so delicate.

But, as Gregory pointed out, there was no guarantee that her current thought processes were much better.

“A necromancer can jump into a person’s consciousness. It was one of many ways that the art can be used in torture,” Gregory explained, putting away his phone. “It is also how they can access memories.”

“But—” Damen broke in, glancing at me, “isn’t it dangerous when someone has experienced trauma?”

“As Mr. Julian has already explained, yes, it can be,” Gregory responded.

“If someone accesses her memories and does not have complete confidence in their skills or is distracted in any way, then the necromancer could lose their way, and the target could be stuck reliving their worst memories until they die.”

Damen looked at me, frowning, and I tensed. “Normally, it wouldn’t be a problem,” I admitted. I’d intentionally thrown individuals into loops as an act of revenge or justice. However, now, I was uncertain. “But—” How could I explain this weakness to the others?

“Mr. Julian, for as much as you revel in your aloofness, I am well aware that you’re wary of potentially witnessing Bianca’s abuse,” Gregory said. “I wouldn’t expect otherwise, given your history.”

I tightened my hold around her shoulders and breathed in the scent of her. A light floral engulfed my senses, barely breaking through the emotions threatening to drown me.

She was in pain—even though I might not feel it, I believed Gregory—and there was nothing I could do about it.

It was my position, my role, to help her, but ultimately, I wasn’t strong enough.

Even though I’d trained hard and mastered almost everything about my craft, I could not confront my greatest fear.

And now, instead of fulfilling my duty, I would have to rely on someone else.

My cheeks felt hot as I held her to me. I’d never been so ashamed.

The tension in the room remained thick as time passed while we waited for my grandfather. My turn to be with Bianca was long over, and I could feel Titus’s gaze on me.

“Julian—” he began.

“Hang on—” I hastily interrupted, looking away. My tone slipped and became more challenging to control, and I took a deep breath. “Please.”

Titus didn’t respond, but nor did he press further.

Gregory stepped between us, breaking out a small flashlight, again checking Bianca’s eyes. “There’s no change,” he said, glancing at Damen beside him. “In the unlikely event that this doesn’t work, we must leave. I’ve already told my brother to prepare the ward as a precaution.”

“Oliver?” Miles asked. “If she doesn’t want to meet Declan, then she isn’t going to want to see her grandfather either. ”

“She’ll get over it,” Gregory replied. “She can’t avoid her family forever.”

Brayden looked between them and interjected. “Of course, he’d keep away too. The last thing we want to do is upset her!”

Gregory frowned and opened his mouth to speak when Titus stood.

“Joe is here,” he said, and my arms tensed.

Could I really leave something so important to someone else?

Pops walked through the door, nodded to Gregory, and approached the side of the bed nearest me.

“Julian,” he greeted, his deep voice breaking through the silence, but I couldn’t meet his eyes.

“Don’t hurt her,” I told him.

There was a short silence before he replied, “Don’t be stupid, I’m not going to hurt her. She’s made you respect me again.”

I glared at him. How dare he joke during this dire situation?

“Ah,” he raised his eyebrow. “There we are.”

I let out a breath, ignored him, and refocused on Bianca. Why did it seem like if I stepped aside, I might lose her forever?

Her appearance might be calm, but she depended on me to protect her. That was the way it was supposed to always be.

I couldn’t give up.

“I’m going,” I said through clenched teeth.

Pops tsk ed. “Always waiting until the last minute to make up your mind.” I looked at him, at his knowing expression, and he continued as he rolled his shoulders, “I will help you.”

“What?” I asked. But I was mentally prepared now!

Besides, that wasn’t true. Take Bianca, for example. I’d acknowledged my feelings about her from the first moment I saw her.

“I did not just leave an award ceremony to indulge in your whims,” he said, lowering his forehead. “You’ve made me come here, so now you get to deal with it.”

“What did you win this time?” Gregory asked.

“Just something or other,” my grandfather replied, shrugging. Then he turned his attention back to me. “Besides, I will not see you lose control while I’m here. This won’t be like anything you expect.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve connected with Shui,” he said, looking me up and down, “but you haven’t sensitively dealt with trauma in this lifetime. Addressing that in a way that doesn’t harm your target requires a different mindset than your usual destructive intentions.”

I glared at him. “I would never hurt Bianca!”

“I know.” Pops waved his hand. “That’s why it’s a good learning exercise.”

“This isn’t a learning exercise!” Titus cut in. “Can’t you see that she’s in serious condition?” He looked at Gregory. “She is your niece. You should be more concerned.”

“I trust Joe,” Gregory replied. “If he’s confident, then I’m not worried.”

My grandfather studied Bianca. “It will work. Julian does have the necessary skills, and I will be there too.”

“Then why didn’t Trinity mention it?” Damen asked.

“Both Julian and I are stronger than my daughter,” Pops replied.

“Trinity prefers modern approaches to the magic our family has always known. But being a necromancer means doing what is necessary, even if the method is controversial. Julian understands that, and under most circumstances, he embraces it.”

I felt myself flush and looked away. We did not generally discuss the details of our abilities with each other.

“Are you ready?” he asked, crossing his arms .

I took a deep breath and nodded, eyes fixed on Bianca. My stomach turned to stone as I braced myself.

I’d promised her.

But, like my grandfather and Gregory said, ultimately, that didn’t matter right now. This was a matter of her health and mental well-being. That took precedence over everything, even my own reservations.

“Ready,” I replied.