walls and filled alcoves. Hand-woven rugs lined hallways and covered the dark hardwood floor. The manor had a history, and Allyn knew without asking that each piece of art told part of the story.
The manor was larger than Allyn had expected. I should probably stop expecting things to be as they seem. He was in unfamiliar territory and struggled to make sense of it all. Kendyl would have had an easier time. She was more impulsive, more emotional, and more spontaneous. She believed there was still some magic in the world, maybe not real magic, but she would believe, while he was still searching for the lie.
They descended two stories into a basement and rounded a corner, where they came to a stop. A sliding-glass door separated them from an enormous chamber lit with lamps hanging from the vaulted ceiling. Mahogany bookshelves, tall enough to require a ladder and overflowing with books, lined the walls. Ancient artifacts set in glass displays were spread throughout the room. It was more than a library. It was a museum.
Graeme punched in a code on a ten-digit metal keypad hanging on the wall, and the door slid opened with a hiss. Graeme waved Allyn forward. The air was dry and smelled… clean , strangely artificial, as if it was climate controlled. The door closed behind them.
“Excuse me,” Graeme said softly, holding up a hand.
A woman in front of them was hunched over a table, reading a leather-bound book. The fingers of her left hand were buried in her long silver hair, gently massaging the back of her head. It was the same woman who had tended to him in his room. Nyla.
“You should be resting,” Graeme said.
She looked up from her reading material as she became aware of the man approaching her. Dark circles surrounded her bloodshot eyes. Whatever she was doing, she’d been at it for a while.
“I can’t rest,” she said, returning her focus to the book in front of her. The room was quiet enough that Allyn could still hear their hushed voices.
Graeme glanced in Allyn’s direction. He placed a hand on Nyla’s elbow and gently pulled her up. “I don’t know what you’re looking for, but it won’t do any good tonight.”
Nyla pulled her arm free, never taking her eyes off the book.
“He’s gone, Nyla,” Graeme said in a comforting tone.
She looked up from her book, staring straight forward. “I know he’s gone,” she said, her voice cold. “You don’t have to tell me. I was there.”
“How long has it been since you’ve slept? When was the last time you looked in the mirror? I fear you’re intimidating our new guest.”
Nyla’s eyes flashed to Allyn. “What is he doing here? I thought he left.”
“He’s helping us.”
She looked at him, incredulous. “What does he know? He’s the reason Baylis is dead!” She shoved the table forward, rose to her feet, and stormed toward Allyn.
Allyn took a nervous step backward, looking to Graeme for help.
“Nyla…” Graeme said, his voice firm.
She ignored him, powering toward Allyn. She didn’t slow down.
Allyn backed into a glass encasement resting atop a pedestal. It rocked perilously. Turning, he caught it as it slid off the pedestal.
Nyla stormed past him and angrily punched the code into the keypad. Before the doors were entirely open, she had vanished around the corner.
“I’m sorry about that,” Graeme said. “You’ll have to excuse Nyla. She lost someone very special to her recently.”
“When you saved me?” Allyn asked, watching the hallway, expecting her to return.
“No,” Graeme said. “Before.”
“But she said it was my fault.”
“She was talking about something else,” Graeme said. “Come over here. I want to show you something.”
Allyn hesitated. For the first time all night, Allyn felt as if Graeme was holding something back, and it made him suspicious. “I’ve been wondering, how did you find me?”
“I had Jaxon and Leira follow you. I was sure Lukas would make another play, and I wanted them
The manor was larger than Allyn had expected. I should probably stop expecting things to be as they seem. He was in unfamiliar territory and struggled to make sense of it all. Kendyl would have had an easier time. She was more impulsive, more emotional, and more spontaneous. She believed there was still some magic in the world, maybe not real magic, but she would believe, while he was still searching for the lie.
They descended two stories into a basement and rounded a corner, where they came to a stop. A sliding-glass door separated them from an enormous chamber lit with lamps hanging from the vaulted ceiling. Mahogany bookshelves, tall enough to require a ladder and overflowing with books, lined the walls. Ancient artifacts set in glass displays were spread throughout the room. It was more than a library. It was a museum.
Graeme punched in a code on a ten-digit metal keypad hanging on the wall, and the door slid opened with a hiss. Graeme waved Allyn forward. The air was dry and smelled… clean , strangely artificial, as if it was climate controlled. The door closed behind them.
“Excuse me,” Graeme said softly, holding up a hand.
A woman in front of them was hunched over a table, reading a leather-bound book. The fingers of her left hand were buried in her long silver hair, gently massaging the back of her head. It was the same woman who had tended to him in his room. Nyla.
“You should be resting,” Graeme said.
She looked up from her reading material as she became aware of the man approaching her. Dark circles surrounded her bloodshot eyes. Whatever she was doing, she’d been at it for a while.
“I can’t rest,” she said, returning her focus to the book in front of her. The room was quiet enough that Allyn could still hear their hushed voices.
Graeme glanced in Allyn’s direction. He placed a hand on Nyla’s elbow and gently pulled her up. “I don’t know what you’re looking for, but it won’t do any good tonight.”
Nyla pulled her arm free, never taking her eyes off the book.
“He’s gone, Nyla,” Graeme said in a comforting tone.
She looked up from her book, staring straight forward. “I know he’s gone,” she said, her voice cold. “You don’t have to tell me. I was there.”
“How long has it been since you’ve slept? When was the last time you looked in the mirror? I fear you’re intimidating our new guest.”
Nyla’s eyes flashed to Allyn. “What is he doing here? I thought he left.”
“He’s helping us.”
She looked at him, incredulous. “What does he know? He’s the reason Baylis is dead!” She shoved the table forward, rose to her feet, and stormed toward Allyn.
Allyn took a nervous step backward, looking to Graeme for help.
“Nyla…” Graeme said, his voice firm.
She ignored him, powering toward Allyn. She didn’t slow down.
Allyn backed into a glass encasement resting atop a pedestal. It rocked perilously. Turning, he caught it as it slid off the pedestal.
Nyla stormed past him and angrily punched the code into the keypad. Before the doors were entirely open, she had vanished around the corner.
“I’m sorry about that,” Graeme said. “You’ll have to excuse Nyla. She lost someone very special to her recently.”
“When you saved me?” Allyn asked, watching the hallway, expecting her to return.
“No,” Graeme said. “Before.”
“But she said it was my fault.”
“She was talking about something else,” Graeme said. “Come over here. I want to show you something.”
Allyn hesitated. For the first time all night, Allyn felt as if Graeme was holding something back, and it made him suspicious. “I’ve been wondering, how did you find me?”
“I had Jaxon and Leira follow you. I was sure Lukas would make another play, and I wanted them
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