Keystone (Crossbreed #1)(15)
And by soaked I mean I spent hours in that claw-foot tub, periodically draining the water and then turning it back on for more heat.
It was glorious, and I luxuriated in the exotic oils that were lined up on a small ledge in the wall.
Eventually I draped over the rim, resting my head in my arms. Maybe I’d wake up and this would have all been a dream. Or a setup. But for now it felt like heaven. Despite the balking I’d done earlier about sleep, I nodded off right inside that bathtub.
Clean. Warm. Safe.
And slightly mystified as to how I’d become so fortunate. Not that it would last.
Nothing good in my life ever lasted.
Chapter 5
When I opened my eyes, two things disturbed me. One, I had no idea where I was. And two, I was completely naked.
Disoriented, I looked about the dimly lit room, the candles burning low. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and rain drizzled onto the floor from an open window. I sat up and tried to recall how I’d gotten here. Sleeping hard will do that to anyone—especially when you’re exhausted and wake up in a strange place.
Ah, yes. Viktor. It was all coming back.
I remembered the bath and touched my hair, the tousled strands now dry.
Had I really slept all day? A damp towel covered my pillow, and I rubbed my face, unable to remember even getting out of the tub. What if someone had carried me to the bed?
Perish the thought.
For all I knew, Viktor could have been a trader on the black market and—like the Pied Piper—this was how he lured people to his den of iniquity.
Hmm. No telephone.
I yanked on my black hoodie and a pair of jeans. Without central heating, an uncomfortable chill hung in the air, so I closed the window and spread a towel over the wet spot on the floor.
Staying cooped up was never my thing. Time to do a little exploring. I peered into the hallway, looking in both directions to figure out which way to go. The windows straight ahead overlooked the courtyard, but it was too dark to see anything. Every other lantern on the wall had a candle flickering inside, providing enough light to reflect off the glass and soak into the stone architecture.
Since it was raining, I opted against going in the direction we’d come, fearing I might lock myself outside on the balcony. I swung to the right instead, following the hall until it curved left. When the windows ended, I realized the house was bigger than I’d first thought and not at all shaped like a perfect rectangle. I passed a grand room on the right with tapestries spun from gold and exquisite furniture. That room had electricity, so I scurried past the opening in case someone was in there.
The stone floor chilled my bare feet, making me quicken my step until I found a staircase that led down. Remembering all the rooms, turns, and hallways seemed impossible.
I tugged on the drawstrings hanging from the collar of my hood, skulking in the shadows and searching for signs of life. The first floor was brightly lit, which led me to believe that people were down there.
A burst of laughter echoed from the end of a hall, and I quietly moved toward the sound of chatter. I entered a room through an archway and noticed a wall dividing that room from another. There were booths like you’d see at a restaurant, tucked against a series of arches on the short divider wall. Through the open arches, all I could make out in the dark room was a crackling fireplace.
As I turned left, I stopped dead in my tracks. Several people rose from a long wooden dining table filled with food.
I took a step back when one of them palmed a steak knife.
One man was a giant, and his upper and lower canines punched out in an aggressive display. His Chitah eyes were bright gold, and his predatory gaze made me flinch. It was like looking directly at a lion about to devour you for dinner. Aside from Christian, his was the only Breed I recognized.
I broke the silence. “I’m not sure if one of you was in my room earlier, but if anyone comes into my domain without explicit permission, I’m going to impale you in a way that will give you the very best idea of what it feels like to be a corn dog.”
A violet-haired young woman bubbled with laughter and then covered her mouth when the others gave her scornful glances.
Viktor rose from the head of the table and closed the distance between us. “This is our newest inductee, Raven Black.” He blocked my view and lowered his voice. “Come with me. You can’t be in here.”
“Can’t I?”
He seized my upper arm and led me out. “You’re not official yet. Until you’ve gone through our tests, you can’t sit with us. Those are the rules.”
The talking resumed in the dining room, and I wriggled out of his grasp. “What’s with all the candles?”
“Immortals rely on modern conveniences far too much. I find them to be a distraction. I don’t allow televisions, radios, or electricity in most rooms. This is a large house, and I’m a frugal man. I do not wish to pay thousands of dollars a month so you can leave a lamp on all night. I place electricity where it’s needed.”
We headed down a dark, narrow staircase, and he opened a door to an enormous gym filled with exercise equipment on one side and open space on the other. Unlike the rest of the mansion, there were overhead lights.
“Stay here while I get Niko.”
“Who’s Niko?”
But he was already gone. There were elliptical machines, treadmills, weights, and workout equipment I didn’t recognize. A long rope hung from the ceiling, and I even spotted jump ropes. One section of the wall displayed various weapons and target boards.