“Go right ahead. I’ll wait here.” I smiled, reassuring him I wasn’t going to sneak off.
I went back to people watching and wondered where Maggie had gone off to. The Ball was crowded though it wasn’t hard to lose sight of someone. I was about to take a sip of my punch when a flash of amber eyes behind a mask caught my attention. My stomach dipped. I watched the man laugh and reach out for a woman in a red dress. His black hair was thinning and I reminded myself there would be plenty of men here with amber-colored eyes.
Chase came back and led me to the dance floor. We swirled and laughed for several songs, bumping into Maggie dancing with someone else our age though with the mask I wasn’t able to recognize who.
The punch finally caught up to me and I told Chase I’d need to use the ladies room. As usual, there was a long line waiting for the bathroom and I heard one of the women passing say something about there being another restroom upstairs.
I ascended the grand staircase and into the dark landing, taking the time to turn and look out over the patrons enjoying themselves. I’d lost track of Chase but could still spot Maggie laughing on the dancefloor. I could be mistaken but from my place it appeared her dance partner was staring back at me. Shaking it off, I started down the dark hall behind me in search of the bathroom.
Chapter Five
I’d found a bathroom halfway down the hall and was on my way back toward the stairs when I heard a thud in a room to my right. At first glance nothing seemed out of order. Not wanting to be intrusive, I turned back toward the party. However, a hand clapped over my mouth, stopping me dead in my tracks. My grandfather stepped out of the shadows of the room.
“Come with us quietly and no one will get hurt.” Stephen’s eyes flared even brighter in warning.
“You wouldn’t,” I started to argue muffled by the hand behind me but knew I’d lost that argument the moment my voice cracked.
Rylan’s warm breath was in my ear and I couldn’t quite pinpoint which emotion it elicited. “Don’t give me any reasons to hurt him,” he whispered, and I knew without a doubt he meant Chase.
Part of me knew I should fight, that no one downstairs would want me to surrender no matter the cost … but another part, a much larger part, still felt the need to protect Chase. I’ll also admit that some of that was selfishness, too. I knew leaving with them could put myself in jeopardy but the possibility of having some of my questions answered was too tempting. I really didn’t believe my grandfather would hurt me. Rylan, however, I was undecided about. He seemed perfectly fine with shredding my soul apart once before. There still had to be traces of the old Rylan though, right? The boy from my dreams. Could I talk sense into him?
I nodded in understanding and followed Stephen to the back of a closet in the room. Pushing on a corner, a hidden door sprang open before him.
“Not a sound,” he said in final warning before disappearing into the blackness. Rylan removed his hand, pressed me forward then paused to close the panel behind him.
We had to have stumbled along the passage for at least ten minutes before the stale air became less thick. In the growing distance, voices called out and I clenched my jaw, imagining Chase’s panic as he searched relentlessly for me. A hint of night air tickled my nose. My strong affinity for nature was calling me as if it knew I needed help.
Rylan squeezed my shoulder in warning, clearly sensing my tension. Stephen stopped in front of me and held up his hand.
“There’s an exit right around this corner,” he whispered. “It would do you well, granddaughter, to remember our agreement.”
“I already agreed,” I replied, shaking my head in irritation. They had to have known they had me. I would never intentionally put Chase in harm’s way.
Stephen rounded the corner quickly and Rylan pushed forward. Another panel led directly into the starless night. The clouds blotted out the moon, leaving the chilly night in complete darkness. My disappearance was already creating havoc. Shouts were coming from all around as party-goers bumped into each other, stumbling through the grounds; either in search of me or fleeing in panic.
My breath caught in my throat as Rylan’s arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me close. “Not far,” he whispered close to my ear, too close, sending a ripple of goosebumps cascading over my body.
Rylan pushed me into a sedan while Stephen slid behind the wheel. His calm demeanor annoyed me. Rylan was dressed in suit as if he’d attended the Ball himself and I realized he was the mystery guy dancing with Maggie.
“Rylan, it may be best if she doesn’t see where we’re headed.”
“But she’s cooperating—”
“We don’t know what kind of connection she has with that boy!” Stephen boomed as his eyes flared brighter red in the rearview mirror.
Rylan stiffened next to me at the mention of Chase. Pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket, Stephen tossed it into the back and Rylan snatched it out of the air. I rolled my eyes but tilted my head for Rylan to tie around me eyes.
The blindfold threw off my sense of time and I had no real way of knowing how long or what direction we bumped along the road for. My mind wandered all over the place. What did my grandfather hope to accomplish? I wondered what Chase was doing in that moment. No doubt he was blaming himself and devising a plan. That was just Chase. His parents were probably doing everything they could to calm him down.
The guilt overcame me for a moment before I remembered where I was and who sat next to me. I couldn’t let my guard down. I couldn’t afford to be caught vulnerable. Choking back the lump forming in my throat, I sat up a little straighter.
“Do you need some water?” I felt Rylan bump me.
I just shook my head stiffly.
“We’ll be there soon,” Stephen called from the front seat.
“Where is she going to sleep?” Rylan asked.
“I believe Tessa is preparing a room on the third floor.”
“Oh.” I could’ve been mistaken but I thought I detected disappointment.
Time ticked by even more slowly in anticipation of our destination. I had just started to doze off with my head propped against the window when I felt the car roll to a stop. I could hear Stephen shift the car into park.
“Can I take the blindfold off?” I asked to anyone listening.
“Not yet,” Stephen answered.
Rylan spoke up next to me. “But you have a Glamour on it, why—”
“Exactly why she doesn’t need to see it. It’s just a façade.”
Rylan grumbled to himself and then grabbed my arm, pulling lightly to lead me out of his side of the car. It surprised me how different he seemed in the car versus in the Ball. Whereas he had felt rough and threatening back at the Ball, now he seemed almost to be considerate and gentle.
My Senses took over as soon as I was out of the car. A balmy breeze toyed with my hair and blasted me with salty ocean air. I just caught the crashing of waves on a beach when my arm was yanked and pulled away from the car.
“Get her upstairs,” Stephen grumbled before I Sensed he had probably stepped into our destination.
“Third floor?” I asked Rylan.
“Yeah, this place is huge.”
“Will I always be blindfolded?”
“Nah. He’s only worried about the others being able to figure out where we are.” He paused. “I don’t think seeing the inside of the manor is going to give anything away.”
“Manor?”
“I told you, this place is—”
“Huge,” I finished.
Rylan let out a breath that sounded suspiciously close to a laugh.
“All right, let’s get you in before Stephen gets any grumpier.”
His hand was on my elbow as he led me inside. Once we were in the door I felt his hand go to the back of my head and the blindfold released. The manor was outdated but still beautiful. The crystal chandelier that hung in the foyer must’ve once been stunning but was now covered in a layer of dust … probably multiple laye
rs. Furniture sat in corners covered in sheets and I wondered how long they’d been staying there.
“Let’s head upstairs and get you in your room. It’s been a long night,” Rylan said.
The stairs creaked under our weight. A couple passed by us and gawked at me. They looked older than Rylan and I but not by much.
“How many people are here?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I’m not sure of an exact number. People are always coming and going but I’d say around twenty.”
“Wow.” I had no idea my grandfather had that many people working with him. I thought back to all the times I felt watched or had my dorm broken into. A girl met us at the top of the stairs.
“She’s in the room right after Kali.” She never took her white eyes off Rylan.
“Thanks, Tessa,” Rylan answered.
She let out a hmph and headed back the way we’d just come from. My room was the second on the left but the hall seemed to go on for quite a while.
Rylan opened the door and motioned for me to go in. Red and gold floral wallpaper made the room appear much smaller and closed in than it actually was. Much like my dorm room at MAC, it had a bed, desk, and dresser.
I sat on the bed and looked at Rylan expectantly.
“Um, just try to get some rest and I’ll be back, or someone will anyway, to bring you breakfast.”
Breakfast? How had I not realized the sun was already up?
The exhaustion kicked in and I laid my head on the surprisingly comfortable pillow. I slept the majority of the day away. By the time I opened my eyes again the sun had gone down. Taking in the room in detail for the first time, I jumped when I realized Rylan sat in a corner of the room watching me.
“Because that’s not creepy at all.”
He smiled. “You were sleeping so sound I didn’t want to wake you.”
“Okay …” I said, sitting up on the edge of the bed.
He sat up straighter. “Are you hungry?”
I hadn’t eaten since the Ball. “Yeah, I’m starving actually.”
Pulling his phone out, he texted someone. “I’ll have something up here in just a few minutes.” He put the phone back in his pocket and turned his black eyes back on me.
“That easy, huh?”
“What?”
“For people to do what you say?”
“Eh. Well, being your grandfather’s right hand has its perks.”
“So, you’re like second in command then?”
“Kind of. There’s more like a group of us that work directly with him and then we kind of move down the chain.”
“So you’ve been with him from the beginning?”
“No. I wouldn’t say that. I mean, he’s been around a while obviously and only in the last couple of years started recruiting. I wasn’t the first by any means but I’ve earned his trust.”
“You say that like it’s a good thing.”
“You obviously don’t think so,” he said with a smile. His dimples were as vivid in life as they had been in my dreams. His auburn hair perfectly tousled.
“Yeah, I don’t like to make a habit of trusting people who kidnap me.”
“No? That’s a shame.” His smile was even bigger and without the black eyes he would’ve been very attractive. Whereas Chase’s jaw was squared, Rylan’s was more chiseled. You could make out muscles when they twitched or like now when he clenched his jaw.
Someone knocked and Rylan jumped from his spot. He poked his head out and I could hear a second person but only a muffled voice on the other side of the door. Rylan returned with a tray of food. I eyed it skeptically but it was only a sandwich, an apple, and what looked like grape juice.
Grabbing the apple, I perched myself on the edge of the bed, my ball gown biting into my waist uncomfortably.
Around bites of apple, I asked, “So I won’t be allowed out of my room, will I?”
“Not without me.”
“Oh.” I don’t know what I expected. Of course I’d be living like a prisoner, I was being held captive!
“You’ll be able to get me out of this room, then?” I’ll need to play nice.
“Occasionally, yes.” He put his hands behind his head and sat back leisurely in the corner chair. “I’ll be leaving shortly, but when I return I can arrange to get you out of here for a while.”
I smiled in return. Rylan was physically a stranger but I’d known him for a while now in my dreams. It just felt weird reconciling the two. It was strange to see him sitting here in real life. I couldn’t trust anyone working with Stephen yet here I was feeling my guard slip with Rylan just a bit.
He stood and stretched abruptly. “I need to get downstairs. I won’t be around until the morning, but let Justin know if you need anything.”
“Justin?”
“He’s the big guy sitting in the hall.”
“My warden?”
He lifted his shoulder in a half shrug. “Kind of.”
“Okay … Will you promise to come for me tomorrow?”
“Of course.”
“Even if we can’t leave the manor?”
“Yes.” He gave me one last look that left me feeling naked and vulnerable. For some reason it felt like Rylan could see through me, straight to my soul.
Chapter Six
Time passed so slowly while I waited for Rylan to return. I lay in bed and thought about how upset Chase had to be and guilt washed over me. I decided to jump up before I let my emotions get the best of me. I was still in my ball gown and there was a fresh change of clothes folded up on top of the desk. Grabbing them, I headed to the door. Justin looked up from his phone and cocked an eyebrow at me.
“Bathroom?” I asked.
He thrust his chin at a door two down from where he sat in his chair. I stepped into the hall and shuffled the best I could in my gown. Leaning against the bathroom door after closing myself inside, I flipped on the light and inspected my surroundings. Thankfully, there were towels in a basket next to the shower.
I stole a glance in the mirror while I stripped down. My hair disheveled and makeup smeared, I was only a flicker of the elegance I’d felt only hours ago. I started pulling bobby pins out while I waited for the water to heat up.
Once I was in the shower I let the warmth wash over me. It was comforting and I stayed in for a lot longer than I should have. It had me feeling a little more myself, though, and I wrapped my hair up rather than Glamouring it so that I could hold onto the feeling a little longer.
After gathering up my gown, I headed back to my room. Justin didn’t bother looking up from his phone this time, and I closed my door behind me.
Fighting off the creepy feeling of having someone sitting outside my door, I decided I’d need something to do in this little room or I’d go crazy just from sheer boredom. The whole evening crept slowly and since I’d slept most of the day away all I could do was lie in bed, stare at the ceiling, and think. Oh how that could be a dangerous thing.
As soon as the sun started peeking and birds began singing I was jumping out of bed. Upon inspection I found clean clothes tucked in the dresser and a few things hanging in the closet. Nothing special, just plain tanks and T-shirts and shorts. Khakis and jean shorts mostly but thankfully someone had planned ahead and there were new undergarments still in packaging. I snuck out for another shower. Mainly just for something to do and was surprised to see someone different sitting in Justin’s chair. Not any friendlier, this girl only nodded in acknowledgment and went back to her crossword puzzle. She was quite a bit older than anyone else I’d seen so far. Her yellow, cat-like eyes reminded me of Max and I shivered. I was jealous of one thing though—she at least had something to occupy her time.
By the time I’d finished showering and changing for the day, breakfast was waiting. Plain oatmeal with a banana and apple juice. I rolled my eyes; at least when I left this place I knew I wouldn’t miss the food.
I’d only been back to pacing for a few minutes when a knock startled me. I was thrilled to
find Rylan on the other side of the door. He looked nervous but smiled in response to my own excitement to have a distraction. His amber eyes sparkled as bright as his smile.
“You ready?” he asked knowingly.
“Oh my gosh I was going to pass out from boredom!” I practically jumped into the hall, swinging the door shut behind me.
He tipped his head to the woman in the hall and we walked the long corridor taking a back way outside passing through a kitchen. Once out of the manor I was happy to see the sun shining. The sky was blue with the exception of a few scattered fluffy, white clouds.
At first we walked in silence, simply enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. Then Rylan started asking little questions about me. Things he would know if we weren’t strangers. He asked what my Gran had been like, how I’d liked MAC, about my current classes at UNH, he even asked about Iris.
“I have a question,” I started. “Your eyes … I noticed they flicker from amber to black.”
“The black is my real eye color now.” He lowered his head, which almost seemed as if he were ashamed, but when he pulled his head back up he was smiling at me. His eyes had gone completely black and I shifted my gaze away uncomfortably. They were so hard to look at. “This is me.” He held his arms out.
“So this is what you chose to walk away from me for?” I couldn’t keep the contempt out of my voice.
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them the beautiful amber color I’d come to know shone bright. “You prefer this?”
“Yes.”
“Fine.” He shook his head. “I figured as much. I can hold this for quite a while. I’ve been practicing it actually.”
“For me?”
“Not necessarily.” He grinned and I felt my cheeks flush. “It’s just easier to blend in this way.”
“So you venture out?”
Rylan snorted. “You sound surprised.”
“I just thought you’d be trying to lay low, you know?”
“We do. I mean, as long as we’re not drawing attention to ourselves … it’s not like it’s a compound.”
I laughed. “Isn’t it though? Stephen is your crazed leader, brainwashing you all into—”
Exposed (The Broken Soul Series Book 3) Page 5
