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My brows arched. “Damn, that’s impressive.”
“It is.”
“Where on Earth is this place?” I asked as I stepped off the dais of stone onto the gravel path leading from it to the castle atop the slight hill. Yup, a fucking castle. Kind of cool.
“The Rockies.”
At his claim, I snorted. “Pretty sure the Rockies don’t have a castle like this.” I’d done a project on them in high school as one of nature’s wonders of the world.
“Do you really think it’s visible to just anyone?” he countered. “We are in a valley and not only is there no road accessing this place, but anyone flying overhead sees just a forest.”
“More magic?” I surmised.
“Yes. Not quite as old as the portal. The mirage was created in the nineteen fifties when flying became more common.”
He’d adjusted his long stride to accommodate my shorter one. I tried to absorb everything but found myself a tad overwhelmed, so I asked the most important question. “Do I have to worry about demons here?”
“No. The abundance of tungsten running underneath this valley, along with lead, makes it virtually impossible for them to open a doorway.”
“They could use the one you have in the woods.”
He shook his head. “It needs a talisman attuned to it in order to work.”
“Couldn’t they just climb over the mountain?”
“Our defense system would pulverize them if they tried.”
Take him at his word I’d be safe here, or remain paranoid? I’d decide later.
As we approached the castle, the sheer size of it impressed. The stone was dark gray and rough on the outside even as it appeared to be tightly fitted. “How the hell did your guild of reapers and witches manage to build this if it’s so hard to reach?”
“It wasn’t built here but transported.”
I halted and blinked. “Wait, you mean…?”
“I don’t know the mechanics of it, but using magic the likes of which we can’t even imagine, this castle, which used to reside in Europe, was moved here.”
“Why?”
“I assume you mean, why move it? That’s not clear. Our history for that time is sporadic, but I would assume it had to do with preventing discovery. The same way you can see through my cloak and the demon fog, there were most likely too many people piercing the veil hiding the guild. Given humanity of that time could be superstitious, it was most likely deemed easier to relocate than constantly have to fight those we were trying to protect.”
“And you all live here? Reapers and witches?”
He nodded. “Witches in the East Wing. Reapers in the West.”
“Let me guess. No fraternizing.” I’d done a stint in an all-girls school—my parents’ attempt to get me to do better in school, which failed, by the way. The lengths to which some went to sneak out and meet boys never ceased to amaze.
“Fraternizing is allowed. Couples who choose to partner have their quarters on the fourth floor in the middle section. The other levels are the common areas where we meet for meals, to train, or to learn.”
“This castle acts like your own little town.”
“In a sense.”
“Who runs the place?”
“The witches have the Regina and the reapers a Princep. They ensure the rules are followed and keep order.”
“What kind of rules?”
