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Frederick took a step back, bumping into me. Steadying myself, I moved out of his way.
“He’s from Salvius, lass.”
My eyes widened. “The human kingdom?” I asked, uncertain if I had heard right. Human-born witches, or in his case warlocks, weren’t common. There had been only one since me.
Frederick climbed back inside, and Viktor gave me one last amused look. Everything about him reminded me of the night, from his midnight-colored suit to his thick, dark waves. He fit in perfectly among the shadows of the carriage. “That would be the one.” He smirked. “You know, you still haven’t told me your name.”
“Oh. Great. I mean, that’s interesting.” My brain faltered for a moment. I wanted to say I was a human-born witch too.
Edmund suppressed a smirk. “Her name’s Elle.”
“Elle.” Viktor rolled my name on his tongue. “I hope I’ll be seeing you around.”
Frederick gave us both a nod, then closed the door. The carriage growled over the gravel, pulled through the gates, and down into blackness. My eyes bulged, and I turned toward Edmund, placing my hand on my hip. “Her name’s Elle?” I repeated, then pushed my fingers along my forehead, smoothing the line that had formed.
“You looked like you were struggling.” He half-chuckled, quickly stopping himself.
“I was shocked. That was all.”
“Sure.”
“He’s human-born. I was just surprised to see someone like me.”
“All right, fair enough.” He curled his lips inward, and I supposed I could appreciate he was at the least trying not to laugh. “Let’s get inside. It’s getting cold.”
He took the ring in his hands, closing his fist around it. I couldn’t help but eye it greedily. The item could pass me through the arches and into Salvius, and it was only feet from my grasp. I looked away. Even if I could get my hands on it, I wouldn’t risk it. Not when the last time I’d tried to help my sister went so horribly wrong.
Chapter Two
The day started far too brightly for me to want to get out of bed, but Naomi was coming over, and I missed my best friend. Between her coven and her father, she didn’t have much time to hang out anymore. I shielded my eyes from the harsh light, the sun catching on the silver band around my wrist.
I gazed out at the sprawling gardens and rolling hills, statues, and fountains. The mansion stood in a semicircle in front of the pale-blue horizon. The blue shutters on the windows creaked in the light breeze. Naomi waved from behind the iron gate. Tight black curls coiled around her heart-shaped face, matching the deep brown of her eyes.
“Nai,” I called.
Her full lips pulled up into a wide smile as I pressed the button to let her in. “Good morning, sunshine. I’m happy to see you awake this early!” she exclaimed as she strutted up the drive.
I looked at my watch. She was right. It was seven in the morning, and last night’s 1:00 a.m. trip still burned the back of my eyes. “Only for you.”
She grinned. “So where’s the pompous ass today? Didn’t come to greet me?”
“Maddox is inside.” I wrapped my arms around her, breathing in the fresh, peachy smell from her shampoo. “I’ve made coffee if you want one.” I motioned my head, gesturing us into the mansion.
I looked around the cluttered kitchen with wood shelves covering the yellow walls, filled with jars of dried fruits and herbs. Naomi walked to the kitchen table and sat on one of the six wooden chairs. I poured two cups, breathing in the deep, rich scent. There was no smell better than coffee in the morning.
“I have news.” Naomi’s eyes gleamed as I sat across from her. She hit her hands against the table, leaning forward. “There’s a new guy.”
My heart skipped a beat. “I know.”
Her eyebrows pinched together. “He’s just come into town, like last night. There’s no way you could know.”
“He came by here first.”
“Why?”
“We needed to get the ring back from Frederick, who bought him here.”
She leaned back. “Oh, yeah. That makes sense. Well, anyway, isn’t he attractive?”
