Her laughter died as she took it in, bending over the blown glass to see the flame inside. On a steady exhale, she snuffed it, casting herself in gloom.
She might never trust the dark anymore, but she refused to fear it too.
***
Because unfortunate instances seemed to happen to her in pairs these days, Alora shouldn’t have been so surprised when upon making for Opulence Mansion’s large front doors, she heard her name called from above. She looked up.
William peered down at her, his face transformed at her attention and pulling into a smile. “Well, well, Miss Pennigrim. I didn’t knowyouwould be here today.”
His voice didn’t ring through the grand hall as she would expect, and she found herself puzzling over how that came to be. Soundproofing was always a tricky business, and never absolute. But this…thiswasabsolute. Her expression pinched as shethought it over, and because of it, it took her a rude amount of time to answer.
When she glanced up next, she found William’s smile had fallen a bit.
“Door Twenty-five won’t design itself,” she said, though she softened her annoyance with a small smile. She didn’t know if it was even him she was irritated with, or if her feelings were still in an uproar over the Urchin’s dark eyes and even darker warnings. “I was just leaving.”
“Oh, don’t go just yet,” he said, now leaned over the railing.
It was true she’d finished ages earlier than expected, what with the help of the groundskeeper. Well, the groundskeeper and—him.The nasty cauldron of emotions he’d invoked had caused her to ignore her own rules, conjuring paper into existence. She’d never been more upset with herself. She only wanted to go home and forget everything she’d learned.
Too bad she’d drank from the potion today.
“I’m afraid I’m very busy.” She pulled up her hood.
“That’s unfortunate,” said William, his mouth turned down in a mock frown. “I’d planned to show you something magical, and now I can’t help feeling as if you’re avoiding me.”
She was avoiding him, but not for the reasons he believed. She pressed her eyes closed beneath the shelter of the cloak. “Magical?”
“Yes,” said William, his voice nectar-sweet and coaxing. “You’ll be quite in love. It is my favorite door aside from my own.”
She tipped her head back at his voice, almost yearning, and found his hopeful smile returned in full force. She couldn’t very well leave after seeing it. “All right,” she said on a sigh, and walked to the base of the staircase where she began to climb.
Chapter Thirteen
“Door Ten,” he said. “Room of Love.”
Alora followed in behind him. “When you said I’d be quite in love, I didn’t think you meant it literally.”
He chuckled, handing her a tumbler of clear liquid. Thirsty and searching for distraction, she swallowed it. “It’s more an experience rather than the real thing.”
Alora took in the four large beds separated only by thin gauzy curtains, each draped with satin sheets and sleek bed skirts that puddled on the floor. Crimson, of course. “I think I remember Master Merridon saying something similar. That there are no performers here, but an experience for members who are without. But I forget, is it dreams? Or the reliving of old memories?”
“No, you’re thinking of Door Eleven. Lennox prefers that one.”
Alora watched William remove his shoes, intrigued. “Which is Door Eleven?” She brushed the hood from her head, relishing the feel of the fabric against every strand of her hair as it slid down.
“Room of Happy Days,” he supplied, unbuttoning the first few buttons of his shirt. He sat upon the bed, swallowing from the same glass he’d offered her. “Why don’t you take off your shoes.”
Alora, who found herself unabashedly staring at that revealed triangle of skin, thought:What a perfect idea.She bent, unlacing her boots and removing her stockings. She nearly moaned aloud at the feel of her feet in the thick carpet.
“This room is divine.” She couldn’t fathom she’d thought the colors too overpowering only moments before. When William patted the space beside him, she hurried forward, digging her toes in with every step. She sat down, the mattress giving way pleasantly, shaping to her body. She wanted to cocoon in it.
“May I?” he asked.
Alora glanced down to his hands, extended toward her throat. She lifted her chin in response, and William made quick work of unclasping her cloak and tossing it from the bed. She whimpered where his fingers brushed her skin.
“How do you feel?” he asked, and his hand, where it’d been against her throat, trailed the length of her neck.
“I feel...” she began and broke. Her head tilted, allowing him further access. His fingers were long and smooth, and she moaned. “I feel like I never want you to stop.”
