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The guard’s expression was stoic, but his jaws clenched as he stepped back to give her space to enter the foyer.
“I’ll show you to her office.”
Unease curdled in Peri’s stomach as she stepped over the threshold. It wasn’t just the sensation that she was being swallowed by the looming castle, it was the whisper of power that seemed to brush over her. Like an unseen cobweb. And it didn’t help that the male hadn’t hesitated to allow her into the house.
She would have been less suspicious if he’d pulled a gun and started shooting, she silently acknowledged. To be given unchallenged access to enter the grounds—and now, to be escorted to Tia as if the older woman was a bank loan manager, not one of the most powerful mages in the world—it meant that this was not only a trap, but that they were confident it was a trap Peri couldn’t escape.
If she was a person with the smallest amount of sense, she would flee in terror; instead, Peri calmly glanced around the foyer. She caught a glimpse of dark paneling and a sweeping staircase that led to the upper floors along with…oh my God, was that a real suit of armor standing in a shallow alcove? Before she could inspect the shiny metal man, the guard used his bulk to herd her down a long hallway lined with exquisite tapestries that held the musky scent of age. Peri peered closer at the images stitched on the faded fabric. They seemed to portray ancient battles with angels looking down from the heavens. Had the tapestries been imported from an ancient castle? Or stolen from a museum? Either way, the castle was a goth lover’s dream.
They at last halted in front of the door at the end of the hallway, and the guard turned to eye her with a grim expression as he stretched out his arm.
“Hand over the satchel.”
“Excuse me?”
“The satchel.” The guard snapped his thick fingers. “Give it to me.”
Peri arched a brow. She might be impulsive, but she wasn’t stupid. There was no way in hell she was giving up her potions.
“I don’t think so.”
“It wasn’t a request.” The guard lunged forward as if intending to grab the satchel.
Peri slapped the beefy hand away, her jade bracelet suddenly glowing. “Touch me and you’ll be very, very sorry,” she warned.
The guard jutted out his square chin. “No one sees the Mistress with weapons.”
“Mistress?” Peri snorted. “Are you speaking literally or—”
“Give me the damned bag.” The guard lunged again, and with a whispered word Peri released a protective spell. Her bracelet flared and the power flowed through her to smack into the male with more force than she’d intended. No doubt the adrenaline pumping through her added an extra oomph. Whatever the reason, the guard slammed against the wall, the expensive tapestry ripping at the force of his impact. “Argh,” the male rasped in fury, battling against the invisible bonds.
“I did warn you,” Peri reminded the infuriated guard.
“You bitch.” Spittle formed at the edge of the male’s mouth, the veins in his thick neck bulging to a size that was alarming. “When I get out of this I’ll kill you.”
There was a soft whisper as the door behind Peri was pulled open. “You can release him.” The female voice was low, but with a razor’s edge that made the guard flinch in alarm.
Peri wasn’t so easily intimidated. She did, however, release the spell before slowly turning to face the older woman.
“Hello, Tia.” Peri pasted a meaningless smile to her lips as she allowed her gaze to sweep over the woman, who was wearing a black, floor-length caftan with gold trim. Her silver hair was smoothed back from her face and twisted into a bun at her nape, emphasizing the stark beauty of her face. “Long time no see.”
The dark gaze never wavered from Peri’s defiant expression. “You can go, Lynch,” she told the guard. “I can handle our guest.”
Peri sent the male a finger wave. “Bye-bye, Lurch.”
The guard snarled something about “bitches” and “teaching her a lesson” as he stormed away, his boots slapping against the floor with the force of a jackhammer. Once he’d disappeared, Peri slowly turned to meet Tia’s unnervingly steady gaze.
“Are you always so rude to servants?” the older woman chided, stepping back to allow Peri space to enter her office.
“Only to the ones who try to maul me. Not to mention taking several shots at me last night. It tends to make me cranky.”
“Protecting me is Lynch’s number one duty. He was just doing his job.” Peri ignored the chastisement, turning in a slow circle. The whole gothic theme carried into this room, with large arched windows framed with velvet curtains. The walls were hidden behind bookshelves loaded with leather-bound volumes and the floor was covered by a handwoven rug. Overhead a purple-tinted chandelier dangled from one of the heavy beams. Venetian glass, Peri silently decided. And worth a fortune.
“Then I should be rude to you?” Peri drawled, pretending she wasn’t impressed by her surroundings. Even if she was certain the writing desk with its scrolled legs and delicate drawers was an original from the fourteenth century. “No problem.”
“Don’t make me regret my good manners.”
Her words were once again edged with that ominous tone. It wasn’t anger. One glance in the dark eyes assured Peri that Tia was as cold as a snake beneath the perfect façade. But she was a woman who expected unhesitating obedience.
