To Hell and Back by L.B. Gilbert
Chapter Nine
Valeria walked through the threshold of the massive log mansion and tripped. Wow. This guy livedhere?
The multistory building was a modern take on a Frank Lloyd Wright, built entirely out of big redwood logs. The entranceway was a long but narrow foyer with a few tables and rows of hooks bolted into the wall on either side. An array of coats and hats hung on them. Just beyond this reception area, the space opened into a living area nearly two stories tall with a doorless threshold made from huge wooden beams.
Feeling as if she’d stepped into a dream, she followed Rhys inside. Spinning on her heel, she darted her gaze everywhere, trying to take it all in.
Valeria was with a dragon who could, in fact, be the Terminator—he was certainly built like one—but he had a damn fine house.
Sunshine poured in through massive glass windows on three sides of the concert hall-sized room. The result was a space that glowed with light, the better to showcase the handmade furniture and precious object scattered over every flat surface.
In the center of the room, the tables gave way to curved couches that formed a ring of concentric circles, with space in between so people could walk to the center, which featured a raised circular fire pit. A sparkly white stone that might have been quartz ringed the pit. But it wasn’t pure white. It had veins of gold worked through it. Above it, a huge brass hood came down from the ceiling like the proverbial hand of God.
However, it wasn’t the most prominent feature in the room. That honor went to the grand staircase against the far wall. Made of oversized boards cut into thick rectangular blocks, the individual steps were suspended from light metal beams that blended into the background. The effect was startling. It looked almost as if each polished step was levitating in the open air before they split, sweeping to opposite ends of the room and disappearing with a twist into the second story of the house.
Rhys pointed out that doors that led to the kitchens and what he called the ‘crash rooms,’ extra bedrooms that were available to the various clan members to use whenever they wished.
“The second floor mostly consists of spare bedchambers as well as a theater and a library in addition to a few multipurpose rooms—conference rooms, parlors, and a salon. There is also a cellar with a gymnasium as well as wine and ale caves below to supplement this drinking wall,” he said, pointing to a section of the wall just beyond the couches. The semicircular mahogany bar had shelves of expensive alcohol bottles that stretched almost to the ceiling.
“That’s it?” She laughed. “No swimming pool? No stables for your stallions?”
“Oh. No.” Rhys appeared dismayed. “Unfortunately, those creatures don’t tolerate my kind very well. They tend to panic in our presence. Do you enjoy the company of those beasts?
She shook her head. “No. I’ve never been around horses. I was joking.”
“Ah, I see.” Rhys scratched his chin. “Well, there aren’t stables, but there is a conservatory attached to the kitchens. It houses several vegetable patches and fruit trees. The cook enjoys spending her free time in there in winter.”
“You have a cook?”
“Yes. Aggie is the only other permanent resident of this home. She also functions as my majordomo.”
“And she’s also a dragon?”
“No. She’s Fae. A brownie.”
“Oh.” And I thought I was dizzy before. At least the man appeared open to interacting with other species. She’d gotten a different impression from Thomas.
“My chambers and private study are on the third floor,” Rhys continued.
“There’s another floor?” she squeaked in disbelief. That, in addition to the basement that made four stories and he lived here alone with just a cook-slash-majordomo? Valeria assumed that was dragon speak for a butler.
“Yes,” Rhys said in a matter-of-fact tone, completely oblivious to her stunned amazement. “There is a sun deck on the top floor. I believe there is enough room for a pool.”
She blinked. “Do you swim?”
“Yes. But I use the lake at the bottom of the mountain.” He paused, frowning. “It would be too cold for a human at this time of the year. I will inquire with my people about getting you a pool.”
“Wait…” She held up her hands. “That’s not necessary. I was just joking, remember?”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “It would be no trouble. We can add it to the deck. The structure is sufficiently strong enough to bear the extra weight.”
Was he serious? Yes. Yes, he was.
“Okay, dragon dude—listen up,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “You need to slow your roll. I don’t even know why I’m here or how long I’ll be staying. And I wasn’t asking for a pool. I was making a sarcastic comment on your huge stonking mansion. Which is lovely by the way.”
That last was said with a snappish edge, which might have negated the compliment she was trying to make, but Valeria was stressed out. She had been since waking up on an asbestos mattress.
One of Rhys’ dark brows reached for the sky. A trace of a smirk flitted across his face, but it was gone before she could call him on it.
“I see. I’m glad you appreciate the house. I have put a lot of work into it over the years. As for the reason you’re here, I did promise to show you once we arrived. Please accompany me to my study.”
He turned his back, gesturing for her to follow him up the floating staircase. A little annoyed at the weird mix of generosity and highhandedness, Valeria trailed after him.
By the time they reached the third floor, she was panting lightly, covered in a light sheen of sweat. The winding steps had ended at the midpoint of a wide corridor. At each end was a giant wooden door. Rhys moved to the one on the left.
Valeria hesitated at the threshold. The door was so thick that it had to weigh a ton. Clearly, dragons had super-strength. She didn’t think the brownie would have sufficient muscle power to open it.
Rhys turned back when she didn’t immediately step inside after him. “The answer lies within,” he said, beckoning.
Valeria stayed put, suddenly very aware of the man’s appeal. Rhys’ features were strong but handsome in a rough granite-hewn sort of way. His tall body was densely corded with muscle with big hands and feet in proportion with his frame.
Taken altogether, Rhys was too masculine to be a normal man.
She gave herself a little shake. “Don’t do that.”
His expression clouded. “Do what?”
“Stop looking like that,” she said, gesturing to encompass his whole body. “As if you’re trying to lure me into the back of your van with candy.”
Rhys stared for a moment before sighing quietly. He stepped away from the threshold.
Aware that the last dig may have been one step too far, Valeria finally entered the room.
The first thing she saw was the big mirror from the antique shop. Freezing to the spot, she weighed how far she’d get if she bolted.
Rhys must have noticed her expression of dismay. “Please be at ease. This is not a trap.”
“Really?” she asked skeptically. “Because it looks like one.”
He took a step toward her, but he checked his progress when she backed away.
“Let me explain,” he said, putting his hands behind his back. “As you’ve probably realized, we like to maintain our anonymity here. We monitor certain communities for threats preemptively. One of our contacts was approached by the antique shop owner. He was reaching out to all the dragon shifter communities in an attempt to sell the information.”
The fact that there was more than one dragon community in the world was lost in the face of the other news. Blood draining from her face, she leaned against the doorjamb. “He sold what exactly?”
“There was a security camera covering the interior of Charmed Antiques. Your interaction with this object was captured on it,” he said gesturing to the mirror.
Her heart sank. “So how many people know about it?” she asked weakly.
Unlike so many other things that sailed over his head, Rhys immediately understood she was concerned about being recognized. “The Fae male said we were the only ones to pursue the information, but the original inquiry included a screenshot of the back of your head.”
“Oh.” She slumped against the wall in relief.
“I don’t believe you’re in any more danger than you already were. Very few people would recognize you from behind, especially in a grainy image. The shopkeeper assures us no one else approached him for more information.”
“No one besides you?” she said with a wry twist of her lips.
“That is correct,” he said with a nod. “And I don’t think he would lie. That would be…unwise.”
“I bet,” she murmured, eyeing the muscles of his exposed arms. The veins stood out like someone had carved them out with a chisel.
Rhys gave her a long, considering look. “Even if the people who were searching for you somehow came across the information and positively identified you, I sincerely doubt they would breach our borders to come after you. The Draconai Imperia has a certain reputation…”
That was all well and good, but Valeria couldn’t help but point out the obvious. “Except for the fact you like to remain anonymous.”
Rhys smiled slowly. “Those unwise enough to enter a dragon’s lair without doing their due diligence soon see the error of their ways. It’s a lesson we enjoy teaching.”
All right then.“Well, I guess you have to get your kicks in somehow,” she murmured.
“It passes the time,” he said.
Valeria eyed him suspiciously. There was not so much a blink or twinkle to indicate he was joking.
They stood there staring at each other for a moment.
“We secured the mirror a few days ago, but have not yet discovered the meaning behind it or the vision you saw.”
“And this mystery is why I’m here?” she asked, not expecting an answer. But of course, he gave her one—a rather philosophical one at that.
Rhys turned to the mirror. “There are fewer mysteries in life than one would think. I would like to solve this one. Given your current circumstances of being hunted, I would like to offer you sanctuary so we can explore this little puzzle.”
She pursed her lips, pretending to think about it. In reality, there was no choice. “Okay. Sounds like a plan.”
“Would you like to look into it again?” he said, inviting her with a sweep of his arm.
“No, thank you,” she said with a shake of her head.
For the first time, the dragon appeared taken aback. “It won’t hurt you,” he assured her.
“I’m not a child. I know it won’t hurt.” She crossed her arms in exasperation. “But the last time I looked into that thing a fire-breathing dragon showed up and disintegrated three people. Who knows what I’ll see if I look into that thing again? Maybe a ninja were-mongoose will show up to sell me car insurance.”
His thick lashes fluttered. “A were-mongoose?”
She threw up her hands. “I couldn’t think of anything bigger and scarier than a dragon, so I went the other way.”
“I see,” he said. Valeria couldn’t tell if he was amused or not.
“What happens if you look into it?” she asked after he was quiet too long.
“Nothing.” He shrugged his big shoulders. “It must be keyed to your species.”
They both stared at the mirror, frustrated with it for different reasons.
“I don’t suppose you’ll reconsider,” he said in what she assumed was a tone meant to coax.
In Valeria’s mind, the mirror began to glow a radioactive green. “Is your offer of sanctuary contingent on me looking in the mirror?”
“Of course not.”
She gave the mirror a narrow-eyed glance. “Then maybe later,” she muttered, aware she was being difficult.
If this offer of sanctuary, as Rhys called it, was genuine, jeopardizing it was self-defeating. On the other hand, getting anywhere near that magical artifact on purpose seemed incredibly stupid, and her mama hadn’t raised a fool.
After an awkward pause, Rhys shrugged off the spoke she’d thrown in his wheel.
“Just so you are sure,” he began, “this offer of sanctuary has no conditions. You are welcome to stay for as long as you like. I will not require your blood or strands of your hair at any time. Depending on how long you stay, you will be asked to contribute in some way. It is a point of pride that every member of the clan is productive, but this takes many forms. We have people in fields as diverse as engineering to full-time artists. Rest assured I will never ask you to perform any task that makes you uncomfortable.”
“So, I won’t be working in your diamond mine,” she said, trying to sound enthusiastic. “Cool.”
“Unless you would like to,” he informed. Again, he didn’t appear to be joking.
The realization sank in. “You own a diamond mine, don’t you?”
He shrugged. “More than one. They belong to the clan. But our employees don’t have very many complaints. We have very strict safety regulations and pay well.”
She stared at him. “Uh-huh.”
He moved closer to her. This time, she stood her ground. “I believe you are fatigued. Why don’t I show you to your rooms?”
“That sounds like a good idea,” she murmured, following him back down to the second floor.
He walked her to a door at the end of the long hall. “This is where you will stay,” he said, gesturing to the door. “Rest. Be secure in the knowledge no enemy has ever breached the walls of a stronghold held by the Draconai Imperia.”
With that, he left her alone.