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He gave a knowing smirk, not bothering to explain.
“Hi!” A high-pitched voice popped in, and I jumped at the sound.
It was a woman, maybe a few years older than me, standing on the other side of Ace. Had she been here the whole time?
Her smile beamed at me. She was tall, like Ace, and had the same blonde hair as him. In fact, she had the same striking green eyes, golden skin, and soft facial features as him as well. My eyes caught the shimmer of a gold necklace resting below her collarbones, with the letters M. A. dangling in the middle.
“My name is Melanie-Aurora, but that’s a mouthful. Just call me Mel.” She passed Ace and wrapped her arms around me, giving me a tight hug. Even though I was still confused and definitely caught off guard, I returned the gesture and gently hugged her back.
Ace slowly stepped to the door. “I’ll leave you to it,” he nodded, then started to close the door behind him.
“To what?” I asked, but he clicked the door shut.
Mel turned to me, the wide smile still spread on her face.
“Are you ready?” she asked playfully. There was clearly more to this setup than I expected.
“For…”
“For tonight.”
Without waiting for a reply, Mel took my hand and led me to a door that was on the other side of the room.
She pushed it open, and I gasped at the sight.
The flames of more candles flickered as we stepped inside this master bathroom. To the left, there was a white porcelain countertop with a sink in the middle and a circular mirror above it. Green vines hung along the wall, accenting the glass and wrapping its way down the side of the cabinetry. To the right was a walk-in shower, one that looked large enough to belong in its own room. There were multiple showerheads along the walls and a waterfall nozzle on the ceiling. More plants lined the inside of the shower, creating a natural and organic intensity. Next to the clear shower doors, fresh, clean towels sat in a basket, and a black robe hung on a hook above it.
But then, as my vision moved forward, I found the most beautiful part of the bathroom.
A large, white, clawfoot tub rested on the farthest side of the bathroom. Next to it was a floor-to-ceiling window, one that arched at the top with an intricate Victorian design. There were black steel beams that ran from top to bottom, elongating the appearance of the glass. Rain pattered the window, as it always does here, but it brought a soft, soothing ambiance to the room that couldn’t be matched.
A piece of me was begging for Mel to tell me to soak in the tub, Caius and ghosts be damned.
But she didn’t.
“Celeste?” she asked, snapping me out of my stare.
“Sorry,” I shook my head. “It’s just… I think this is the nicest bathroom I’ve ever been in.”
Mel nodded. “Same here. It’s nicer than mine down the hall. I’m surprised Cai let us use it for the night.”
My head snapped to the side, my eyes wide with shock. “What? This ishisbathroom?”
Mel nodded with a subtle grin on her lips, but it wasn’t subtle enough to hide what she wasreallythinking.
He was letting me in, ineveryaspect of this place. Including his personal space.
But why?
“Do you live here?” I asked Mel.
She nodded. “On the other side of the stairs.”
My eyebrows pinched together. While it’s evident that Mel and Ace are related to each other, I don’t think they are related to Caius, since all of Caius’ features are dark, and all of Mel and Ace’s features are light. They were opposites in every sense. I found myself wondering why she livedhere,instead of… not here.
“Should we get started?” Mel exhaled, bringing me out of my thoughts as she moved to her bag that was placed behind the bathroom door. She pulled out a curling iron, hair clips, and a few other hair products. I could hear the clatter of makeup pallets falling against each other in her bag as she continued to dig around.
I stood with my hands at my side, unsure what to do with myself. “I’m going to be honest with you here, Mel. I have no idea what tonight is.”
