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Chapter 6
The horses galloped for the last leg of the curved road leading up to the castle. A rock face filled on the left-hand side, and a sharp descent into the abyss on the right. With the reins tied up, I curled up in the front seat, pulling my jacket tight around my chest as the cold wind slapped me in the face and stole my breath. These horses were resistant and incredible. They looked like normal creatures, except they snorted fire. Something glinted across their backs, and I squinted for a better look. Translucent scales ran the length of theirspines.
Veering left, the horses pulled the carriage down a cobblestone road, their heads high, as if proud to return home—and they ought to have been after escaping a near-deathencounter.
Ahead, the castle appeared to reach the clouds. Moonlight shone against the ancient castle drenched in snow. Walls stood silent, gray stone towers with cone-shaped turrets flanked the building, unapologetically reminding me of protectors of the realm. Flags fluttered from the roof. Mullioned windows reflected darkness, as if no one washome.
The place had to be larger than the entire town of Terra, and how many hundreds of people did it take to maintain such a place and the grounds? Imagine coming home to this every day? It was like a fairytale!
Snow claimed everything in sight. The only time I hadn’t seen snow caps on the White Peak Mountains from back home had been during summer. I supposed one had to wear a thick fur coat permanently to live this high up in therealm.
The horses came to an abrupt halt in front of half a dozen steps. At the top waited double doors black as the night. A contrast to the palewalls.
Jumping down, I rubbed my hands together for warmth and hurried to the rear of the carriage to collect my bag, but the horses galloped onward, my bag intow.
“Hey, wait up. I need my belongings.” I waved to no avail and felt stupid standing there as they careened around the side of the castle. This was their home, so they had to know where they were going,right?
I spun on the spot, taking in the enormous terrain, snow sparkling beneath the moonlight. The edges of the land vanished into the dark, as if the castle floated in the sky. Aside from the whistling wind, everything else remained silent. Too quiet perhaps. No sounds of bear shifters grunting and pounding the ground to reach me, and that alone had me breathing easier for achange.
I imagined the place as manicured in the summer months, with animal-shaped shrubs, and riddled with fountains while pompous bear shifters strutted around in frilly outfits. I laughed to myself. Sure, they might not have worn those clothes, but I preferred to picture them thatway.
I hightailed it up the front steps and used the bronze door-knocker shaped like a bear’sclaw.
Thump. Thump.The sound rang loud, and when no response came, I triedagain.
Behind me, the gale swirled, pulling me backward by my clothes. Night swallowed everythingelse.
With no one answering my knocks, I pushed open the door. My plan was simple: get the job done quickly and by morning they’d escort me back to the tavern. Then I’d never return to White Peak Mountains—ever! No matter how many gold coins Ellianapromised.
“Hello?” I stuck my head inside and entered a dimly-lit hall, shutting the door from the cold outside. Uneasiness flooded me, making me feel like anintruder.
Okay,hallwas an understatement because this chamber was a mansion and larger than my whole house. A golden marble floor rushed toward wide stairs that swept upward, splitting in two directions to an upper landing. Ornate handrails, the color of cherry wood, were carved with roses and thorns along the beams. At the base of the steps were two statues of a young maiden in a flowing gown holding a candelabra with lit candles. Opulent bronze chandeliers in the shape of flowers hung overhead, dotted with a handful more candles, yet cobwebs also dangled from thearms.
“Anyone home?” Where was everyone? I approached the stairs, glancing up, and grasped the railing. Going upstairs didn’t feel right, so I pulled my hand back, noting it was covered in dust. I wiped it down mypants.
“Hello!” I called out, my voice echoing. “I’m your hired help. Raze picked me up at the tavern.” Well, technically, he’d kidnapped me.Goddess, please let him besafe.
I waited, expecting a thundering of footfalls to answer my call. Except there was nothing. Was this placeempty?
I whirled, my boots tapping the marble floor. If anyone was upstairs, they wouldn’t hear me, considering the size of thisplace.
Paintings littered the pale blue walls. In one, an older man embraced a beautiful woman. They carried warmth in their gazes, and both stood in a rose garden. The lady wore a golden gown, blonde hair falling over her shoulders, while the man had silver streaking the hair above histemples.
I rubbed the chill from my arms and studied the five young children in the next painting, four boys and a girl, dressed in white frilly shirts and black pants in the nextpainting.
More family portraits of the kiddies with their parents, posing in gardens. What they all had in common were those contagious smiles. A joyous family. No paintings of the children grown up,though.
Added to that, all the boys had the greenest eyes, bright like freshly-cut lawn, identical to theirmother’s.
“This place sure could do with a dusting,” said a male’s light voice from behind me, and I spunaround.
A man in his early twenties leaned an arm against the railing, studying me as a smirk pulled his lips upward. Dressed in black pants covered in dust, no shoes, and a midnight-blue top with sleeves pushed up to his elbows, he must have been used to the cold. Yet my gaze fell to the rose ink stretching out from under his sleeves, crawling around hisforearms.
Centered amidst his trimmed hair and short, dark beard, his stunning green eyes called to me. Scorching hot, and definitely a warrior by his size alone. Flawless from his high-bridged nose to his captivating sharp lips. And the three distinct healed gashes down the side of his neck had me cringing that these poor bear shifters faced off with a wild animal at the age of ten. Talk about barbaricpractices.
Now, place him and me in a different situation with no creepy castle or blood-starved bears, and I’d be all over those muscles. Scarlet’s words played in my head, calling me a horny hound dog.Ha. I loved it, I embraced it, but I had too many questions and staying alive was a priority. I lowered my gaze, distracted by his strength. Was it a bear attribute to resemble a god? While I could gawk at this man for an eternity and never get bored, now wasn’t the time or place to focus on him, so I tucked away my meltinglibido.
“I’m here for a job. If you can please advise the owners I’mhere?”
