We traced our steps back to the staircase, and I followed him up, trying not to look through the open gaps between steps as I did.
On the second floor, I followed him down a hallway that looked out over the driveway. At the end of the passage, he stopped to push open a set of double doors before leading me inside.
“These are your rooms,” he said, leading me through a vestibule.
My gaze flicked to a secondary hall leading off the entryway. “What’s down there?”
“That leads to your bathroom, closets, and office or workshop—whatever you want to do with it.” He told me, briskly, as he kept walking straight ahead, through another oversized door.
The bedroom was formed by two concrete walls in an L-shape and two other walls made of glass.
As I entered, I reached out to touch the grooved cement wall to my left before gazing out at the ocean glimmering in the distance.
A large pillow filled bed sat against the same wall as the door, looking out past a sitting area of two love seats to the once again spectacular view.
“Wow! This is mine?” I asked.
Evgeni tapped my arm. “Let me show you something. Give me your phone.”
I handed it over.
I watched as he pulled up the house app. “Look, this controls the locks on the door, security blinds, and the glass.”
He pressed a button, and light began to shine through the wall to our right as metal blinds lifted into the ceiling.
I reached over and pressed another button for the other side. A whirl from a hidden motor started, and the thick glass wall began to slide away, opening up onto a deck that wrapped seamlessly around the two glass sides of the room.
“All right.” He said, examining my Balaur t-shirt I wore with pursed lips. “I think Katie bought you some clothes and stuff. Everything should be in your closet.” Gazing around one last time, he met my eye. “Are you good?”
I nodded.
“Okay, I have to get back to work. I work mostly from my home office, which is on the lower level. Feel free to come by anytime—as long as the door is open. If the door is closed, that means I’m busy.”
“Okay,” I told him, nodding as I turned to gaze out at the view.
The click of the doors closing on his way out made me jump.
Sliding my shoes off, I bounded up onto the large bed and settled into the pillows.
This was a lovely spot. The concrete wall blocked the rest of the house and other balconies, and the opposite was a cliff covered with green vines and other vegetation. It was my own little oasis.
Curious, I walked out onto the covered balcony and looked over the edge at the pool below. A cool breeze came from the cliffside of the room and beckoned me to check it out. Following the balcony past the back wall of my bedroom, there was a bathroom. But there was no door.
Checking the app, I tapped the wall, and the glass began to slide away. It was like having an outdoor bathroom.
I wasn’t prone to squealing, but I did just then before dancing around and laughing like a lunatic.
I found a Japanese toilet in its own little Fung Shui room, complete with water feature and additional sink. The closet alone was larger than any bedroom I’d ever had, and inside it were my boxes and suitcase on a marble-topped island.
Beyond the bathroom and closet was the hallway I’d noticed before. I crossed it and peered into another room. There was a desk and… I strode over to the paneled wall and pulled. Something unclasped, and I backed up, pulling the hidden bed down from its perch.
A murphy bed, huh.
Coming full circle, through the hall and back to my bedroom, I flopped onto the bed and stared up at the slowly rotating ceiling fan above.
Aww yeah, I could get very comfortable here. I told Aaraeth.
You should be safe here, she told me.
Safer than the Academy? I asked. Nah. The Academy is in the middle of nowhere. Besides, I think everyone is just a little paranoid.
I laughed and sat up, grabbing my messenger bag and pulling Stuff-tee out before placing him propped up against the pillows. The wadded up letter tumbled out and landed by my thigh.
I palmed it and made my way back to the toilet room, closing and locking the door behind me.
Once inside, I smoothed the wad out.
I groaned at it’s rough, torn edges. Half of the envelope had been shredded.
“Taya! I thought you said you saved it!” I whispered to myself.
I chewed my bottom lip, my insides feeling fluttery.
“Oh, shoot! I need a pencil and a paper!” Leaving the toilet, I strode back into the room.
Climbing up onto the bed, I grabbed my messenger bag and pulled out a notebook and pencil. Making myself comfortable in a cross-legged position, I found an empty page and began writing out the alphabet to decode it.
Aren’t you observed here? Aaraeth asked.
I bit the end of my pencil and ran my hand over the torn letter. I think it’s okay.
I groaned as I read what I decoded: Do not try to meet up with me… you… C escaped… Dborn set to punish… I did not. Celine is a-l-i…
“Celine is what?” I breathed, chewing on my thumbnail. “Shit, George!”
I double-checked the rest of the sheet, but it was unsalvageable.
I continued to decode and read his message.
…in Celine’s grave. Evgeni has... “Crud! Do you see this, Aaraeth? It’s ruined! …for your good... all items together and... Lori…”
I moaned, “This is ridiculous!”
Pulling Stuff-tee from his spot squished between the pillows, I squeezed him to my chest before laying him down next to me. The rip in his seam leaked the usual white fluffing, and it gave me an idea.
Loading everything, including the lamb, into my messenger bag, I strode back to the toilet.
I ripped the cipher from my notebook, crinkled the pages, and set my lighter to it. The little ball lit then began to burn. I flipped on the switch of the bathroom fan to pull the smoke away.
Then the letter.
“I’m sorry, Stuff-tee,” I told my button-eyed companion as I pulled two fistfuls of padding from his lumpy body.
Folding George’s letter up as tightly as I could, I wound a black elastic hair tie around the thing to keep it together. Then I took the stuffing and wrapped it around the paper wad before pushing it back into the lamb.
“You okay, buddy?” I asked him before making him nod at me.
My notebook paper had turned to black ash in the sink. Turning the water on, I washed it down the drain.
Going back to my room, I climbed onto my bed with Stuff-Tee and a sewing kit from one of the hotels George and I had stayed at.
As I sat there on my bed, stitching up my lamb, I took stock of what I knew.
Celine was doing research.
Her things were here—or nearby.
George wanted something.
Something was in Celine’s grave—besides a body.
And last, but certainly not least—Celine might be alive… or a liar.
22
Trying to distract myself from all the unsettling thoughts George had now planted in my head, I began to explore the house.
Starting from the top and working my way down, I’d found a rooftop garden, complete with pergola and helipad. The house was shaped like a U, with a wide arm on the left and a thin arm on the right.
My bedroom was on the thin arm, second floor, up against the curve of the hillside. The other arm held a massive master bedroom, complete with two bathrooms, a sitting room, a room I was pretty sure was a hair salon, and two closets, each larger than my New York Apartment.
The main floor was actually the middle of three levels. I’d already explored the open concept kitchen and living room, divided by an open fireplace that could easily cook a whole pig inside it.
Next, I found what must’ve been Evgeni’s office because what else could a closed door being guarded by Lev be? Then, next to that w
as a gym with an attached spa. I turned on the steam room before turning it back off. Another room looked like a shower next to the steam room, but I wasn’t sure of its purpose.
After exploring a little of the main level, I was cornered by the babushkas. They herded me into the kitchen and onto one of the stools at the breakfast bar. A watery bowl of soup was thrust in front of me, along with a hunk of crusty brown bread smeared with enough butter to give me a heart attack.
Without even reaching out, I could tell Babushka #1 was a Prime. She seemed to have a glow about her. I barely finished the soup when she refilled it and gave me another slab of bread.
Groaning, I shook my head. I would do a lot for these two women, but my stomach could not.
Pulling up the translator app on my phone, I spoke into it, “No more soup. Thank you.”
It played my words in Russian, but instead of listening, the two women laughed, babbling so quickly that the app didn’t have a chance.
“No,” I told them, then I tried saying it in Russian, “Net. Seriously, I can’t eat anymore.”
They chortled at the translated words, and #2 pinched my cheek so hard, I was sure I’d have a bruise. Sighing, I showed #1 the app and handed it to her.
When she gave it back, I read: You’re too thin. You need to eat more. How will you give birth to fat babies when you are so small?
I covered my face with a groan before typing in my reply.
I’m almost 17. I’m not having any babies for a long time. I’m full! I’ll get sick if I eat more. But it was delicious. Thank you.
Babushka #2 read my translated words then typed her reply in Russian.
The translation read: I had my first baby at 15. It is no big deal.
Me: Girls don’t have babies that young anymore. I’m going to college first, and I want to travel.
They laughed at that, and #1 replied: This is why Primes are dying out. There is no one willing to give birth to the next generation.
I raised an eyebrow at them and shrugged.
This spawned more amusement and chatter between the two.
When I wasn’t paying attention, the old Prime pinched my cheek (again!) and prattled something in her own language.
I rubbed my sore face, rolled my eyes, and carried the bowl and plate to the sink.
With a food baby in my belly, I wandered off.
Katie lay on the other side of the outdoor bar around the corner, playing on an iPad.
“Hey,” I said as a way of greeting. She flipped over and sat on the edge of her padded deck chair, large sunglasses covering her eyes.
“Hi,” she replied breathily. Her red wyvern tattoo shifted to look at me from her chest. “I heard you inside with the old hags. Be careful. They can get pretty pushy when they don’t get what they want.”
“Uh, thanks.” I sat down on my own deck chair and spotted a large green leaf floating in the pool.
Reaching toward me, Katie brushed a blond strand out of my eyes and examined a lock of my hair. “Who does your dye job? I love this color! You know, with some make-up and a boob job, you could be really pretty.”
I forced a smile, not sure how to respond to her backhanded compliment. “Uh… I’m good, thanks.”
She eyed me some more before pulling out a jar of suckers, unwrapping one, and popping it into her mouth. Shaking it in front of me, she asked, “Want one? They’ll help you lose weight. Help keep you slim.”
I’d been reaching into the jar when her words penetrated my brain.
I wanted to pull away, but figured that would be rude, so I opted to take the pop. Good grief! I was going to get either a body complex or an eating disorder living here.
The sucker scared me, and I held it in my hand like a grenade. I wasn’t sure I wanted anything that could ‘make me lose weight.’
“I heard you’re an actress. Have you been in anything I’ve seen?” I asked, trying to make conversation.
“Yeah, I just had a starring role in a drug commercial. Evgeni says I’m an up and comer.” She smiled, turning her head, and spoke in a carefully staged voice. “And you too can live free and clear like me! Have you seen it? The commercial?”
“Uh… no. But, I’ve been at boarding school and don’t really have a lot of time to watch TV.”
Katie pouted, her duck lips sticking out like a shelf. “Oh, too bad. I have it on my phone, just let me know, and I’ll show it to you.”
“Oh, sure,” I told her, noncommittally, standing to escape. “Well… uh… I’m exhausted from the flight. I’m gonna go lie down.”
She plucked the sucker from where I’d left it on the lounge and held it up. “Don’t forget this! You’ll need it to combat the hags.”
Reluctantly, I took it from her before darting away.
Once inside, I carefully avoided the kitchen with the two babushkas by rounding the fireplace’s opposite side. That side was out of bounds unless I wanted to be stuck refusing food in the kitchen again.
Quietly, I followed the floating staircase down into the lower level. Another lounge took up the main space with a fully stocked wet bar and a lower deck view.
I hadn’t noticed this before, but the main pool had a glass bottom, and when the sun passed through the water, it created a dreamlike atmosphere below.
My search was cut short when I ran into Ponytail. He’d just come from another door in the lower level and gave me a hard stare.
“What are you looking for?” He asked me in a deep Russian accent.
“I… yeah. Um… I was looking for the…” I bit my lip.
“No matter. What you want is not here.” He frowned and motioned to the steps, waiting for me to lead the way before following behind.
That night, Evgeni and I stood on the helipad looking out over the city. He freed his dragon. Nammos didn’t even take two steps on the roof before his sinewy muscles bunched and exploded in a leap that sent him soaring into the sky. I watched as he circled above us, calling down to Aaraeth.
“Are you sure? What if someone sees them?” I asked.
Evgeni’s blond hair ruffled in the breeze, his face relaxed as he connected with his dragon. “No one reacts to anything here. Besides, the dragons know better than to attract attention.”
I tried to catch a glimpse of his large Harrow dragon above us, but the beast melded perfectly into the night.
I freed Aaraeth and watched as she strode around the helipad, her snout in the air, scenting our new surroundings.
She gazed up at Nammos, who bugled down to her, no doubt calling her to join him.
Her response was an earsplitting screech. Then she crouched and dove off the edge of the house, flapping her wings before gaining altitude to meet up with the other dragon.
Was he her sire like Evgeni was mine? I wondered.
“Where’s Katie? And the Babushkas?” I asked Evgeni.
His white dress shirt sleeves were rolled to the elbow, and below his fitted trousers, his feet were bare.
“Katie’s wyvern doesn’t like to leave the grounds around the house. And the older dragons usually stay in their own realm unless absolutely necessary.”
“What is the dragon realm? Is it like a different world?”
I watched Evgeni’s profile. He narrowed his eyes at my question and pressed his lips together.
“I’ve asked this question in different ways to different people, but everyone is vague or says they don’t know. Is this what Celine was looking into? Was this what got her into trouble?” My voice ended in a whisper.
My bio-dad seemed to mull my words over in his mind. “Sydney, I want to be honest with you, but I have to be careful. We don’t know each other yet,” he held up a hand, “I want to know you, but trust needs to be earned. I don’t give it out for free—even to you.”
“I get it,” I said, frowning—my lip trembling until I sucked it between my teeth.
Evgeni turned to me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “I’m not trying to upset you.”
&nbs
p; I shook my head, “I know. I know, and I understand. It’s just…”
“Yeah, come here,” he whispered before pulling me into a gentle hug. My head lay against his chest, and he stroked my hair.
In my mind, this should’ve been strange, but it wasn’t. It was natural and comforting.
He pulled away and motioned for us to sit at the table under the pergola.
Steepling his fingers in front of his face, he said, “There was a rumor that Celine was pregnant, but I didn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe that she wouldn’t tell me something so important. That she’d leave me in the dark.” He cleared his throat and looked out across LA. “I could have searched for you, like your grandparents, but I didn’t. And that’s a regret that will haunt me for the rest of my life. Because I assure you—had I known you were out there, you would’ve grown up with me. Unlike them, I would’ve found you.” He ended by tapping his finger on the table to mark his words.
“I believe you,” I breathed.
He nodded, “We get used to knowing who is lying and who is telling the truth, don’t we?”
His comment made a smile break across my lips.
“But it’s not so fun when it comes to relationships, is it?”
I shrugged at his comment.
“Every woman will always pale compared to Celine. And Katie knows that.”
“But, she stays with you?”
He shrugged. “We have an understanding. I give her what she needs. She gives me what I need. It’s not so bad, but it’s not what I want for you.”
“What do you want for me?”
“For you and Ashe to be together, be happy. Not get weighed down by the Council or your grandfather.”
“Apparently, that’s a lot to ask for,” I whispered.
One corner of his mouth lifted in an arrogant smirk, “Not for me. I always find a way to make things go my way.”
The glimmer of confidence in his gray eyes scared me a little.
23
After eating soup for breakfast, the second day in a row, and being thwarted from exploring the house’s mysterious lower level, I was bored.
Over Easy Page 20
