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Chapter 4
Eloise blinked, still uncertain what had just happened.
Hades turned on his heel and stalked away, but the air of victory lingered in the room. She’d won!
She confronted the beast and won herself a freedom. It was a small freedom and even smaller victory, but the point was that he’d relented.
He was human, after all. And now, she was allowed to roam freely about the house. And if she lasted for forty-eight hours among the criminals, which she had no doubt she would, then she’d be able to send a message to her brother.
She already resolved to study everything she could about the house and inhabitants and inform Ford of where she was kept. She was certain Hades would read the contents of her note, but she would be careful to sprinkle in little details that would help Ford rescue her.
The next moment, however, panic took over. She was in the house with who knew how many bandits, rascals, and harlots. She had found a common language with Verity and one of her two guards, but who was to say it would be the same with the rest of the house’s occupants?
What was she to say to them? What was she to do?
She looked down at her dress. She cleaned it as much as she could before she went to bed every night, but that wasn’t enough. She’d worn it for the past four days. It was filthy. She needed to change into something, but she had nothing else. It’s not like she’d had time to prepare her valise when she was rudely snatched from out of the house.
Perhaps she should have asked Hades to procure her a wardrobe. It was his fault she only had one gown, after all. How was she to meet the house’s occupants looking like a beggar?
Eloise frowned. Perhaps Hades would not want her to look presentable because he wanted her to fail. She took a deep breath. She wanted to make a good first impression, but she didn’t want to fail at her wager. The guards were going to rat on her and tell him exactly how many hours out of forty-eight she spent in her room.
So Eloise squared her shoulder, resolute to leave her room and confront the people outside.
Here I come.
She cleared her throat and stared at the door.Come now, Eloise, do not be a coward.
For all her bravado, she was inexplicably scared of leaving the sanctuary of her room. But she had no choice; she had to confront the brave new world.
She stepped outside, and both guards turned toward her.
Sal directed her a toothless smile. “Master tells us you are free to roam the mansion. Didn’t think he’d allow that.”
“Neither did I,” she confessed with a nervous chuckle. “But I am excited to explore this opportunity.”
Sal nodded. “We are to follow you, though, and keep you out of trouble.”
“I promise, I am not looking for any kind of trouble,” she said.
“Nobody is ever looking for it.” The bandit shrugged.
Right, where would I like to explore?Eloise turned in a circle, looking around the huge, empty hallway.
Aside from the dark wallpaper, there were no decorations except for sconces hanging by the doors. There weren’t any paintings, no lush carpet adorning the floor. It was truly bare.
A few doors were on either side of her room, but it was cold in the corridor, making her feel as though the entire wing was empty. She shivered.
That was not exactly what she’d imagined the hall to be like. She’d thought the house would be teeming with people. She had never heard a soul as she sat quietly in her room, true. But where were all the rascals Hades had warned her about? Perhaps it was too late. It was a few hours before dawn, after all.
She looked around. One side of the corridor had a couple more rooms, and then it ended at a veiled window. The other side of the corridor was longer, with three or more doors, and then it led to the hall and probably stairs.
Stairs it is.
Eloise squared her shoulders and walked along the corridor, both guards following her and lighting her way with candles.
“So, who lives in these rooms?” she asked and waved a hand at a passing door.
“No one,” Sal answered.
