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In front of the shelves sat an ornate desk, painted with soft cream, gold, and silver. The combination made the artist’s strokes look like threads woven into fabric. The top of the desk was sparse, a single notebook and writing utensil the only evidence the piece was more than decoration.
To my left was a comfortable-looking sitting area with a couch and two chairs, covered in fabric with the same color patterns from the desk. Luxurious, steel-colored rugs covered the chilled stone floor. Tiny glints of gold caught the light as I walked over top of each one.
In the corner was a small dark-stained bar with a half-dozen liquor options and several unopened bottles of wine. Atop the bar was a small glass bowl of fruit–oranges, limes, lemons.
No. I am not thinking aboutlemonsright now.
The four-poster bed was enormous. Thick, dark grey curtains hung along the bed’s canopy, held open by heavy velvet ropes of the same color. The plush blue-grey bedding was inviting and I looked forward to sleeping through the night for the first time in …
Gods, half a year? Longer?
I pressed my fingernails into my palms to hide the tremble. It would pass. I’d rest, recuperate, and plot my next steps. The princely bed was the perfect place to do such a thing.
“Just wait until you see the bathroom. It’s a dream. Better than mine which is a little annoying.”
I opened the bathroom door and flipped the light switch. “Holy Hecate,” I whispered in awe.
“I know, right?”
To the left were double vanity sinks set inside white quartz countertops. Various lotions and grooming supplies were laid out neatly around one of the sinks. The other was practically bare, with only a holder containing a single toothbrush and a soap pump.
The far right corner of the room was covered in pebbled tile, looking more like a creek bed than a wall. Water ran down the rocks into a long, rectangular pool, already filled. The bubbling brook set a soothing tune while steam rose invitingly off the surface of the water.
“Is that a pool?” I asked.
“Allegedly it’s a tub, but I bet you could fit twenty Shadows in there if you tried. The shower is nearly as big.”
It, too, had pebbled tile, but no flowing water. There was also no glass enclosure, just open space that took up the opposite corner from the tub. Four different shower heads sprouted from different heights, the largest hung directly above from the ceiling.
Between the two bathing areas was a door. Curious, I walked across to inspect it. The back of my hand came in contact with a spell and I yanked my arm away.
“What happened?” Lyric hurried over.
“I’m not hurt, just startled. I didn’t expect to feel a witch’s spell.” Lifting my palm, I located the barrier. “There’s a spell around the shower. Probably to keep the water from escaping and making a mess.”
“Or the sound from escaping,” Lyric offered conspiratorially.
“Why would—” I stopped myself. “Nevermind.”
“Sorry. I shouldn’t be spilling Cas’s business.”
My arm fell to my side. “Hisbusiness?”
“Um …” Lyric grimaced.
“These are Casimir’s living quarters?”
“Mmmhmm. Oh, look! It’s the closet! Such a nice closet. That we should look at and admire. Immediately. Yes, right away!” Lyric exclaimed with false enthusiasm, spinning me towards my original destination and dragging me into the walkin.
With my thoughts spinning, it took a minute to realize the closet was nearly as big as the bathroom, with two distinct sides. The right side was masculine, containing racks of fighting leathers, denim, dress slacks, and collared shirts. Beyond the hanging racks were shelves of folded shirts, sorted by color, then cubbies of shoes sorted by theme, moving from dingy boots at the bottom to dressy leather slip-ons at the top.
Someone has an organization fetish.
The left wall had the same setup, only the items were decidedly feminine and not Casimir’s—unless the male also wore dresses and shoes too small for his feet.
I walked the length of the closet, fingers trailing across the variety of fabrics. No one needed a wardrobe of this size. A pair of satiny slippers caught my eye and I spun away from the collection.
A substantial black-lacquered island with drawers on both sides separated the his-and-her spaces. Curiosity demanded I investigate. Inching open the top drawer, I peeked inside. My teeth clicked.
