AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I shove my phone back into my bra—where else can I keep it in a dress without pockets?—and focus on our surroundings, trying to memorize everything I can in case this trip proves to be important.
All I spot are…trees. And more trees. And even more trees. At one point, the darkened tapestry of skeletal branches transforms into withered and decayed cornstalks. But that only lasts a few minutes before spindly pines once again dominate our surroundings.
I scoot even closer to Dominic until my thigh is flush against his and he has no choice but to wrap an arm around me or have it become squished between our bodies. I burrow into his heat, seeking comfort, as we drive and drive and drive. We couldn’t have driven more than an hour—and we’re still in Oak Grove, which is a large, rural town—but it feels as if we’ve somehow flown for fifteen hours on a plane and then landed smack-dab in a foreign country. It’s not just because my stomach is in knots and my legs feel abnormally shaky.
No, it’s because we’ve pulled to a stop in front of an immense, sprawling mansion out of place amongst the towering pine trees. I hadn’t seen another building in miles. Just how far in the middle of nowhere are we?
Dom’s hand in mine is punishingly tight as Harvey drives the car up a long, circular driveway surrounding an intricately carved stone fountain. Lights of varying colors—purple, blue, and a dusting of pink, illuminate the waterfall directly above the mermaid statue’s head, giving the entire scene a haunting look.
Harvey puts the car into park near the front entrance but doesn’t turn off the ignition. Instead, he reaches toward the passenger seat and grabs a bag I hadn’t noticed before.
“I had these picked up for you two,” Harvey explains as he tosses back a bundle of fabric and something surprisingly heavy.
It takes me a moment of mindless gaping to recognize the objects.
Two pitch-black robes. Two nondescript white masks.
Fuck.
Dominic swallows heavily before turning to glance at me in dismay. There are a thousand questions emanating from his eyes, but the most prominent one is—what do you want me to do?
There’s a part of me that wants to beg him to overpower Harvey and turn this car around. It’s too dangerous to be here. Way too freaking dangerous.
But…
But haven’t we been searching for answers for the last few weeks? We won’t get another opportunity like this again. If this is what I think it is, then it’s the proverbial gold mine of information.
Combined with the anonymity the masks give us…
Do we even have a choice?
Instead of answering Dom with words, I slip the bulky robe over my head, hating how heavy the fabric feels. How oppressive. I don’t immediately put the mask on, however, as I flick my gaze between Harvey and Dom. The former is already bedecked in his robe and mask, but the latter still appears to be hesitating. He throws me a helpless stare, his eyes shrouded with emotion.
He hates this. Hates putting me in harm’s way. Hates guiding me into the belly of the beast. He doesn’t give a darn about his own safety. Only mine.
Which is why we need to go in together—as a team. I’ll watch his back, because heaven knows, he won’t do it himself.
Everything around us seems to stop and turn silent, as if the world itself is holding its breath. Even Harvey doesn’t make a smartass comment as his masked face turns in the direction of his son.
Waiting.
Seeing what he’ll do.
With a curse, Dominic throws his own robe on, tosses the mask over his face, then pulls his hood up, obscuring his signature white-blond locks.
After only a moment of hesitation—a single breath of air—I secure my own mask into place.
Unlike The Divine One’s elaborate mask crafted out of jewels and gold, this one is plain and nondescript. Forgettable.
I secure the white plastic in place by a strap that wraps around the back of my head. It has eye holes, nose holes, and a tiny sliver where my lips should be.
I immediately feel as if I can’t breathe, as if I’m not getting enough air in my lungs, as if the air I do manage to inhale is made up of tiny, pinkie-sized razor blades.
Dom places a hand on my knee, a silent reassurance that everything will be okay.
The feel of his palm—even muted through layers of fabric—does wonders toward calming the storm building directly underneath my skin.
Dom’s here.
