Chapter 59
Yvette
Grimlocke House was flanked in a row of well mannered townhouses for those who could boast at least a modest fortune.
Craftsmanship and elegance had been put into every detail from the carving of the gables to the arching windows.
Each was unique, though all appeared stately and comfortable…
all but one. Yvette hesitated as the house came into view, even as the others continued toward the door unfazed.
It was as if the building itself had developed a sickness, like a mangy animal.
Undoubtedly, it was due in part to neglect, peeling paint and invading ivy notwithstanding.
But there was more to it than that, a sinister slant to the windows perhaps or the trimmings painted in a deep red that resembled dried blood.
In any case, as the other homes on the avenue might welcome one inside, Grimlocke dared its occupants to venture within.
Yvette remained transfixed, trying to surmise the nature of her misgivings, to pinpoint the malignant element at work.
Her gaze finally shifted as Florian turned over his shoulder, searching for her.
He was leaning heavily on Knox, his arm tucked against him in a makeshift sling.
His clothes clung to his body, as soaking wet like the rest of them.
A bout of nausea threatened to come over her as she thought about their chaotic voyage.
Her legs still wobbled against imaginary waves.
The dinghy had seemed amply large until they reached the open waters of the channel that rocked with careless violence.
She could still perfectly hear the sickening crunch as Knox had set Florian’s shoulder, still see Gareth bandaging his own side even as his leg bled, staining the water in the bottom of their boat red.
At some point, Yvette had settled Florian’s head in her lap to keep it elevated and relatively dry.
Even though he’d been thoroughly unconscious until they reached shore, holding onto him had been the only thing that made her feel somewhat steady as the waves threatened to capsize their tiny vessel.
As impossible as it seemed, they had made it, abandoning their stolen vessel and making the tired march back to Grimlocke.
Ahead of her, Rhea was carrying Keira up the front steps of the house, her thick locks of hair still dripping seawater.
Gareth was bleeding through his hastily done bandages, though he didn’t seem fazed by the pain.
When he’d caught her worrying over his wounds, he’d merely grunted that he’d had worse.
Yvette quickened her pace, bringing up the rear as Rhea knocked on the door with three sharp kicks. It was only a second later that Lilith’s head poked through.
Her grey blue eyes widened as she took them all in.
“You found her!” Lilith almost sounded tearful in relief, a contrast to her usual knife’s edge manner. “You’re back, you’re all back.”
“It’s going to take more than that to take me away from you,” Rhea said, leaning down and kissing Lilith long and hard. A difficult feat, seeing as she was still holding Keira in her arms.
Gareth coughed, drawing their attention to the rest of them who were currently dripping seawater and blood into the street.
Lilith broke away, looking down at Keira. “Fucking bastards,” she swore. “Bring her inside. We can lay her down in the library. All her stuff is still there and…”
Yvette was hardly listening as Lilith led the way inside, discussing further arrangements with Rhea.
As she passed through the door, the knocker caught her eye.
Not because it was beautiful, but in fact the opposite.
It had been carved intricately with obvious care and craftsmanship, but still the end result was hideous, round bugging eyes and impish horns.
Maybe it was worse because its ugliness had been intentional.
The knocker itself was held in a pair of bat like claws, though it had no wings, only a set of mismatched teeth.
Without thinking, Yvette raised a hand to see if the teeth really were as sharp as they looked. It wasn’t until a firm grip closed around her wrist that she came to her senses.
Her attention snapped to Knox, who was eyeing the doorknocker with cool disdain.
“Julius, behave yourself,” he growled.
Yvette recoiled as Knox released her, sure that she’d heard the knocker snarl back at him.
“I nearly lost a finger to that infernal knocker,” Florian murmured conspiratorially.
“Do not trust this house,” Knox imparted before he led Florian further in.
Yvette followed them, the last to enter as she tried to puzzle out such an odd warning. Unnervingly enough, as soon as she had passed the threshold of the house, the door closed behind her.
Inside was the single strangest home she had ever seen…
On one side of the entryway, where one might expect to see a drawing room or parlor, Yvette caught a glimpse of a tidy bedroom, complete with a weapons rack and armor stand. However, Gareth shut the drawing doors behind him before she could get a proper look.
“That would be Gareth’s domain,” Florian offered helpfully. “He’s not terribly fond of guests.”
Yvette nodded and followed them out into the massive foyer.
The walls were decorated with a deep crimson brocade.
She couldn’t help but notice the damage to the paper, clearly caused by repeated encounters with throwing knives and arrowheads, some of which were still embedded in the wall itself.
The hardwood floors were scratched unforgivingly, more than simple furniture scuffs.
Some of the deeper marks even appeared to have been left by troubling large claws.
Overhead was a massive chandelier, which was beautifully crafted from silver.
All manner of objects were caught within its swirling branches.
Yvette was able to discern a woman’s slipper, a broken wine glass, and a purple scarf.
The crow, Keira’s familiar, came to settle there as well, shaking the water from its wings.
On the other side of the foyer were two doors leading deeper into the house. Against the wall to the right, a grand carved staircase stacked over itself as it carried up to the floors above.
“Through there’s the dining room,” Florian said, gesturing with his free hand as Knox helped him up the stairs. Apparently, he felt no need to comment on the unorthodox state of things.
Yvette looked through the door at the dim dining room.
As if it could feel her watching, the candles within lit at once, illuminating the handsome table and chairs.
She turned away abruptly, not keen on the idea that this house was somehow aware of her actions…
and apparently not to be trusted. As she climbed the stairs, she ventured a glance back to see that the room was again dark.
On the second floor was another large landing flanked on either side by massive double doors.
Yvette saw a glimpse of Rhea and Lilith inside what must have been the library.
They were speaking to each other with grim expressions.
Yvette swallowed as she considered joining them, seeing if there was anything she could do…
That is before she saw Lilith collapse into Rhea’s arms. From the shuddering of her frame, it was clear that she was sobbing.
Yvette averted her gaze, not wanting to be intrusive. She hurried to catch up as Knox continued to climb the stairs. Florian was growing out of breath, leaning heavily on his shoulder for support as they reached the top of the stairs.
“Over there is Rhea and Lilith’s room,” Florian said, nodding to the double doors on the far side. “And this is mine.”
Knox was leading him toward the closer of the two doors evenly spaced across the hall.
“And the other is yours?” Yvette asked, gesturing to the bedroom just beside it.
“No.” Knox didn’t even bother to look over his shoulder as he opened the door to Florian’s room.
Florian gave her an apologetic smile as he followed Knox inside. He looked absolutely exhausted, and in a fair bit of pain. She considered if they meant for her to follow, but the door swung decisively shut.
Alone, fatigue seeped into her as well and with it a strong desire to find a place to rest. Her eyes fell on the nearest door, unclaimed as far as she could tell.
She lingered for a moment longer, waiting to see if Florian or Knox would reappear, or if anyone might come up the stairs.
But once it was clear she was being left to her own devices, Yvette turned for the door.
As she entered, lamps mounted on the wall lit.
Inside the room was uncharacteristically put together, though clearly neglected.
There were a pair of matching narrow beds against either wall as well as a writing desk, a chest, and a doll’s house, all covered in a fair layer of dust. Clearly, this room had been meant for children, but Yvette knew at once that was not the reason it remained unoccupied.
Encompassing the walls was a mural of carousel horses, but true to the spirit of the house, the beasts looked as if they were on the brink of rearing in deranged panic, eyes wide and nostrils flaring.
Yvette took in the sight from the doorway, contemplating if she could possibly rest with those beasts watching her. But her body ached, and her mind was heavy with fatigue. In the end, Yvette pulled back a musty blanket and laid down on one of the beds.
The candles doused the minute she laid her head on the pillow, and she was asleep only a moment later.
She was back in the prison, running down those black spiraling stairs.
They were endless. Her frantic breaths and aching muscles grew worse with every turn, but she couldn’t stop.
Behind her, Victor’s voice was echoing off the walls, pleading apologies and shedding tears, begging her to come back.
What frightened her most was how much she wanted to.
The running was exhausting. Her body and soul ached from it.
How much easier would it be to stop, to let his hands run over her while he whispered his gentle words like kisses against her skin?
Yvette longed for it more than she would let herself admit. Yet the desire was tainted, by his lies, by the long bruise that was still fading along her spine, by the image of Keira after Florian had pulled her out of that awful cell.
The perpetual stairway came to an end with the creaking of a door. One of the prison cells-
No-
Yvette startled upright. The room was dimmer than when she’d fallen asleep. The door opened slowly, spreading a beam of warm candlelight across the floor. Her heart stopped, her dreams bleeding into reality just enough for her to genuinely fear that Victor had somehow found her even here.
Instead, it was Florian’s head that peered inside. Her body relaxed, embarrassment washing in to take the place of her fear.
“Sorry I woke you,” Florian whispered. “I didn’t know this door was so obstinate.”
“It’s fine.” Yvette straightened, fixing her appearance. “I didn’t mean to sleep for so long.”
Florian rubbed his neck with his good arm. “I passed out too.” His eyes flashed up to the manic horses on the wall. “I have to say I’m surprised to find you in here.”
Yvette snorted, following his gaze to the disturbing wallpaper. “It is a touch unsettling for a nursery.”
He scoffed a laugh. “I think Knox and Lilith wound agree.”
“This was their nursery?” She looked at him. Of course he’d told her that Lilith and Knox had been left this house by their aunt, but they’d lived here as children?
Florian sat down, obviously avoiding eye contact with the horses.
“After their parents died, which is its own story, they were taken in by their Aunt Agatha, their mother’s sister.
She married a much older man, Edgar Grimlocke, who was wealthy and lonely and lived in this house.
They didn’t have any children, but I suppose she took a swing at accessing her maternal instincts.
” He glanced at the horrific carousel as evidence of her objective failure.
“No wonder Knox almost bit my head off when I asked if this room was his.”
He sighed. “Don’t take Knox’s trust issues too personally. They are well earned. And once you grow on him, he can be very loyal.”
“He certainly seems to feel loyal to you.”
Florian laughed, almost shyly. “I can assure you he has not always felt that way toward me, toward any of us really, except for Lilith of course.”
“It’s fortunate he has her,” Yvette said. “It’s good to have at least one person you can truly rely on.”
“You say that like you don’t have one,” Florian said, meeting her eye.
“I-”
“But you do.” His hand brushed over hers. “If you want.”
Yvette blushed, about to deny him, but she couldn’t form the words. In truth, having someone she could trust would mean more to her now than ever. But she didn’t have the courage for so much honesty, at least not yet. So instead she asked, “How are you feeling?”
Florian rolled his shoulder with a smile. “Never better.”
Yvette raised a skeptical brow.
“I will be just fine,” he relented. “Gareth is in worse shape, though he’d never admit it.”
“What about her? Is she awake?”
Florian sighed looking down at his hand, still resting on hers. “I don’t think so. It might take some time. I saw how much that place affected you after only a second. I can’t imagine what days there would have done.”
Familiar shame heated uncomfortably beneath her skin.
Florian’s hand tightened around hers, somehow drawing the awareness of her whole being to that central point. “She’d still be there if it weren’t for you,” he said softly.
Part of her, instinct perhaps, or habit, shied from his assurances. Keira wouldn’t have been there at all if not for her. But the other wanted to wrap herself up in his words, to see herself as he did, redeemable.
“What the hell are you two doing in here?” Lilith’s voice cut through Yvette’s reeling thoughts, sharp as one of her knives.
She slid her hand quickly from Florian’s grip.
Lilith shook her head. “Nevermind. I just came to say that it’s your turn to watch Keira. Rhea and I need a break.”
“Of course,” Florian said, standing.
“I’ll wait with you,” Yvette said. Already she was regretting pulling away so hastily. She’d appreciated his gesture, and she really was growing to trust him, to find comfort in that. But given the way Florian could be… She just didn’t want Lilith to get the idea that it was anything more.