AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes.” Maxim paused as bursts of riotous laughter came out of the tavern’s open windows. “The Ancients don’t live alone. Their own personal hirelings reside with them.”
Hattie looked up at Maxim. “Do you live at Cain’s Keep, then?”
“Yes. I’m one of his aides. He has several.” Maxim gave each of them a pointed look. “As I said before, you must never attempt to walk into a Keep unless you’re invited. The baileys outside them, however, are open to everyone.”
“Okay,” said Delilah. “So, we’ve met Cain. What are the other Ancients like?”
Maxim hesitated. “Azazel is like Cain in some ways—hard, commanding, a predator in every respect. He is not quite as serious, though. Azazel smirks often, as if he knows something you don’t … but if you look close enough, you will see that he’s not as entertained as he is removed.
“I’ve never met Inanna—she went to sleep three hundred years ago. I’ve heard she is as beautiful as Ishtar, who does not seem to be the most tolerant of people from what I have so far observed. Lilith is equally beautiful and surprisingly not vain about it.
“Dantalion—who, as with Azazel, mythology mistakenly claims is a demon—is more solitary than the other Ancients and seems to prefer his own company.
“Last but not least is Seth, Cain’s younger brother. He is softer than the others. Smiles and laughs more.”
Pausing, Maxim pointed to a castle not so far away. “That’s Cain’s Keep.” He told them a little about it but quickly rounded up the conversation when he stopped outside a charming cottage that boasted angular lattice windows, a thatched roof, a heavy wooden door, and looked like some kind of magical retreat. “Here’s your new home.”
Wynter felt a smile build inside her. Oh, this would do her just nicely. It wasgorgeous.
“If Grouch does grant you a position, Wynter, you won’t be far from your place of work,” said Maxim. “His blacksmith’s shop is located in Cain’s bailey.”
So the cottage was both fantastical and conveniently located. Fabulous.
Once they’d headed up the path, Wynter used her new key to unlock the front door. It scraped the floor as she pushed it open. Walking inside the living area, she found herself charmed all over again. Curved walls. Wooden beams. Arched, brick fireplace. Columns that were in fact tree trunks. After everyone placed their luggage on the floor near the front door, they began exploring.
Delilah oohed and aahed in the living area while Hattie shuffled into the country-style kitchen to check it out. Xavier and Anabel raced upstairs, wanting first dibs on the bedrooms.
Maxim assured Wynter he’d return her car keys to her soon, wished her a goodnight, and then left.
Delilah turned to her, beaming. “How amazing is this place? Can you believe we live here? I mean, I would have been good with any home—I’m tired of sleeping in our car or motels. But … we actually livehere.”
Hattie padded back into the living room, the frail-old-woman act firmly gone. “That kitchen is mine, girls. Let it be known that I will cut a bitch up if anyone uses that room without cleaning up after themselves.”
Delilah snickered, saluting her. “We hear you, Gangster Granny.”
Hattie sniffed. “Now someone needs to get the tins of soup out of my bag before my stomach eats itself.”
After they’d eaten a light dinner, they wandered around the cottage, exploring every nook and cranny. The place was a lot bigger than it looked from the outside, mostly due to the extension at the rear of the property. Hattie claimed the downstairs bedroom, saying her ‘bad back’ couldn’t handle the stairs. Anabel called dibs on the attic, so the three main bedrooms were left to Wynter, Delilah, and Xavier.
Wynter’s room overlooked the cozy backyard. Like the other bedrooms, it was pretty basic, but it was also bright and clean. A simple lamp sat on the nightstand that was the same cherrywood as the drawers and triple wardrobe. Bare shelves lined the cream walls. Bulky square pillows were perched on the upholstered corner chair. The double bed had a simple white coverlet and pillow cases, and it called her namebig time.
There was also an adjoined bathroom, but as there were no towels she’d have to skip the shower. She was way too tired to unpack, so Wynter only pulled three things from her duffel before plonking it on the floor—a tank top, a pair of shorts, and the sword that was tucked comfortably in its sheath. Once in her pjs, she carefully placed the sword in the closet … which was roundabout the time Delilah came into the room with a burning bundle of herbs.
“I won’t be able to sleep until the entire cottage has been cleansed,” said Delilah, gently waving smoke into the air. “I want all the negative energy gone.”
Wynter said nothing as the woman did her thing. She knew that Delilah would cleanse every room, every corner, every cupboard, every closet door. “I’d offer to bless the thresholds of the house, but I’m guessing you beat me to it.”
“You guessed right. Hattie swept away all the cobwebs, dust, and leaves. I tell ya, that woman has more brooms than she does clothes.” A few minutes later, Delilah announced that she was done, adding, “Sweet dreams, Priestess.”
Wynter sighed. “Is there no way at all to make you stop?”
“None whatsoever.” Delilah shot her a bright smile and breezed out of the room.
Wynter simply shook her head. Though her crew drove her nuts at times, she couldn’t imagine not having them in her life. It was crazy to think that if she hadn’t been caught by a specific group of bounty hunters, she probably would never have met her crew.
Wynter switched off the light and then slid under the thick coverlet, her mind going back to the day the aforementioned hunters had nabbed her …
*
