around?”
Rebecca nodded then stood. Tonya watched her, nervousness pulling her stomach into knots as her friend walked over to the maroon velvet curtains and pulled them apart. Sunlight streamed through the French doors, warming the hardwood floor and illuminating the previously darkened room.
Rebecca motioned her over to the window. “Perhaps you should see for yourself.”
37
With a deep breath, Tonya climbed from the bed and placed her bare feet against the cool floor. She still wore her jeans and blue tank tank from when she’d confronted Marcus and the cool air of the room sent goose bumps along her bare arms.
Standing, she slowly made her way to the doors as Rebecca opened them. “This is the second floor balcony. It spans the entire length of the back of the castle and overlooks the gardens below. I think you’ll find what’s in the gardens rather interesting.”
Scowling at her friend, Tonya stepped through and forward to the iron railing. The weather was warm, almost springlike. The gardens were full of flowering shrubs and flowers the likes of which she’d never seen, colors so bright and full they looked as though they’d been painted by the strokes of an artist’s brush.
Her intrigued gaze wandered along the garden paths to a clearing close to a lake.
Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at what she had initially thought to be horses. But they weren’t horses.
She raised her hand to point. “Are those?”
“Unicorns?” Rebecca asked, a grin tugging at her lips. “Yes. There’s also a pegasus.” With a nod, she pointed out the horse flying across the horizon, his wings spread wide, his legs curled beneath him.
“This can’t be real. These things are from Greek mythology. What the hell are they doing here?”
“They’re here for protection. Have been for thousands of years. I haven’t seen them but there are also a couple of dragons and a few other things I hadn’t ever heard of before. I should probably warn you about Vincent as well.”
“Who’s Vincent?” Tonya asked with trepidation, unsure she even wanted to know.
This whole trip had turned into a bad version of Fantasy Island.
“Vincent is—”
“Me,” a deep voice rumbled from behind her.
“You could have at least given me a moment to prepare her, Vincent,” Rebecca chided.
Tonya slowly turned her head, almost afraid to look. At first she didn’t see anything and frowned toward the empty room. With a shrug, she glanced back to Rebecca.
“Down here, my dear,” the deep voice said, a soft English accent punctuating his words.
Her gaze dropped to the floor and she stared in shock at a cat. His tail swishing gently, his fur a rich deep black, his eyes so blue they rivaled the sky outside. A diamond-studded collar decorated his neck and sparkled as he tilted his head slightly to study her. Tonya’s heart skipped a beat. She would swear he smiled at her.
“What’s wrong, dear? Cat got your tongue?” Vincent asked in amusement.
38
Tonya opened her lips to speak but nothing came out. The room began to rock precariously and she grabbed the railing to keep from falling but it was no use.
Darkness closed in around her and she fell straight into Rebecca’s arms.
“That went well,” Vincent drawled and Rebecca shot him a glare.
“You did that on purpose, you mean old cat,” she snapped.
“Now why would I have done that?” he purred.
“According to Nicholas, because you enjoy it.” Rebecca huffed softly as she positioned Tonya’s limp body onto one of the wicker lounge chairs along the balcony.
“You shouldn’t believe everything he tells you, Rebecca. Nicholas tends to exaggerate things, especially when they pertain to me.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes. She’d already had to come between Nicholas and the cat once today. She wasn’t sure who enjoyed antagonizing the other more, Nicholas or Vincent. “Go get Marcus, Vincent. Please.”
Vincent meowed then took off. Rebecca sighed,
Rebecca nodded then stood. Tonya watched her, nervousness pulling her stomach into knots as her friend walked over to the maroon velvet curtains and pulled them apart. Sunlight streamed through the French doors, warming the hardwood floor and illuminating the previously darkened room.
Rebecca motioned her over to the window. “Perhaps you should see for yourself.”
37
With a deep breath, Tonya climbed from the bed and placed her bare feet against the cool floor. She still wore her jeans and blue tank tank from when she’d confronted Marcus and the cool air of the room sent goose bumps along her bare arms.
Standing, she slowly made her way to the doors as Rebecca opened them. “This is the second floor balcony. It spans the entire length of the back of the castle and overlooks the gardens below. I think you’ll find what’s in the gardens rather interesting.”
Scowling at her friend, Tonya stepped through and forward to the iron railing. The weather was warm, almost springlike. The gardens were full of flowering shrubs and flowers the likes of which she’d never seen, colors so bright and full they looked as though they’d been painted by the strokes of an artist’s brush.
Her intrigued gaze wandered along the garden paths to a clearing close to a lake.
Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at what she had initially thought to be horses. But they weren’t horses.
She raised her hand to point. “Are those?”
“Unicorns?” Rebecca asked, a grin tugging at her lips. “Yes. There’s also a pegasus.” With a nod, she pointed out the horse flying across the horizon, his wings spread wide, his legs curled beneath him.
“This can’t be real. These things are from Greek mythology. What the hell are they doing here?”
“They’re here for protection. Have been for thousands of years. I haven’t seen them but there are also a couple of dragons and a few other things I hadn’t ever heard of before. I should probably warn you about Vincent as well.”
“Who’s Vincent?” Tonya asked with trepidation, unsure she even wanted to know.
This whole trip had turned into a bad version of Fantasy Island.
“Vincent is—”
“Me,” a deep voice rumbled from behind her.
“You could have at least given me a moment to prepare her, Vincent,” Rebecca chided.
Tonya slowly turned her head, almost afraid to look. At first she didn’t see anything and frowned toward the empty room. With a shrug, she glanced back to Rebecca.
“Down here, my dear,” the deep voice said, a soft English accent punctuating his words.
Her gaze dropped to the floor and she stared in shock at a cat. His tail swishing gently, his fur a rich deep black, his eyes so blue they rivaled the sky outside. A diamond-studded collar decorated his neck and sparkled as he tilted his head slightly to study her. Tonya’s heart skipped a beat. She would swear he smiled at her.
“What’s wrong, dear? Cat got your tongue?” Vincent asked in amusement.
38
Tonya opened her lips to speak but nothing came out. The room began to rock precariously and she grabbed the railing to keep from falling but it was no use.
Darkness closed in around her and she fell straight into Rebecca’s arms.
“That went well,” Vincent drawled and Rebecca shot him a glare.
“You did that on purpose, you mean old cat,” she snapped.
“Now why would I have done that?” he purred.
“According to Nicholas, because you enjoy it.” Rebecca huffed softly as she positioned Tonya’s limp body onto one of the wicker lounge chairs along the balcony.
“You shouldn’t believe everything he tells you, Rebecca. Nicholas tends to exaggerate things, especially when they pertain to me.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes. She’d already had to come between Nicholas and the cat once today. She wasn’t sure who enjoyed antagonizing the other more, Nicholas or Vincent. “Go get Marcus, Vincent. Please.”
Vincent meowed then took off. Rebecca sighed,
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