still there, such as from when she had fallen on her ass earlier. She was going to have such a big bruise.
“Thank you so much for helping out Finley, Marion and Nicholas. I don’t know what I would have done if they hadn’t survived. I know I would not be able to bear the guilt.”
“Now, Dallas, you know that we would do anything for you. If we’d lost you, the guilt would have overwhelmed us. I know for certain that Marion would have been beside herself. She’s always had a soft spot for you.”
Marion didn’t hand out her affections lightly so if she did feel that way about Dallas, Dallas was honored and more than a little touched.
“I’m sorry about the damage that’s been done to your house. I could easily fix it with a restoration charm if you’re okay with me using that kind of magic.” Oliver’s voice had a soothing quality to it and just hearing it made her feel a little better.
“Charm away,” she muttered, wincing as another wave of pain shot through her temple.
“I have to say, witch hunters will do whatever they need to do to gain entry but they usually don’t break any valuables they might be able to take and sell on the black market.”
She grimaced again. “If you’re referring to the broken vase in the hallway, I’m afraid that wasn’t the work of the witch hunters—that was me. I’m not exactly trustworthy when it comes to breakable things. I don’t know why Anya decided to give that to me. She must have known it would have been at risk here, especially considering where she wanted it put on display. I usually stick any china figurines in curio cabinets so I can’t possibly break them, but I should know that Anya likes putting only her prizes in curios. She has a few in our living room. I try to stay out of that room unless I have to clean it. The wax dolls give me the creeps.”
Oliver stared at his sister’s collection and was a little awed by it. His sister needed to slim down her extensive stockpile. She shouldn’t have witch hunters in living wax. He pulled at the collar on his shirt as uneasiness washed over him. He recalled how horrible it had felt being encased in the magical wax. Though he hadn’t been hungry or thirsty in that form, he’d still been quite aware, and he wondered how long her victims had been conscious of their confinement in Redgrave House.
“How long has she had some of those witch hunters all dolled up?” he asked cautiously, not wanting to raise the ire of Dallas and have her pull a defensive routine on him.
“I’m surprised she didn’t tell you. She’s quite proud of her collection and her mother—your mother added quite a bit to it as well. I suppose some of those dolls have been in there for more than twelve years,” she mused. “I can’t keep track of time anyway. It slips away on me without me even noticing sometimes. Ironic considering the power I have, right? I can’t tell you how many days I’ve had to look at the newspaper to know what the date was.”
He smiled. She was totally different from Anya and yet he found that change in personality quite refreshing. Even though the two had grown up together, they both had distinct personalities that reflected their different physical attributes.
It might actually count to his benefit to have some old-time witch hunters imprisoned in this house. He could get some pretty valuable information out of them and see that they finally were put on trial for their past sins.
Unlike some of Anya’s other enchantments, her living wax dolls stayed in that form until she decided to free them. He had tried numerous times to circumvent the curse when he’d been in wax form and had been defeated each and every time. Not only that, but when he did attempt to break past the spell and failed, he’d finally felt something and it was sheer agony. Fortunately, Anya had reversed the spell so he could reveal himself to her.
If she hadn’t heeded Damien’s advice and turned him back to flesh and bone, Oliver would still be living a life of misery in Damien’s office. He might be able to break her hex on the dolls and turn them back himself, and he was willing to try—if he found any that were worth saving.
He balked at