Magnus’s room was right beside Wyatt’s and nowhere near as vain. In fact, it was kind of plain. It had a white and tan color scheme, with a few electronics, and was very neat. Everything seemed to be in its place. Including the open laptop on his desk with an essay or something he was currently working on.
Curious, I peeked down at the screen, but couldn’t understand the language it was written in. Maybe Magnus was taking Latin or something? Whatever. I liked his room better. Wyatt’s was a pigsty. He had clothes all over the floor. All of which I carefully stepped around, given the album I came across.
I stepped out and carefully closed the door before looking over at the two rooms across the hall. It would make sense if one of those were mine, but which one? Neither door stood out. They both had the same clean wooden appearance, with a brass doorknob.
Guess there’s only one way to find out.
I marched over to the one directly across from me and threw it open. My jaw dropped, though I wasn’t sure if it was out of awe or fear?
The bed was one of the biggest I’d ever seen. I definitely could’ve done without the headboard. It was made of metal that had the same dull, almost black, appearance as cast iron. Two large snakes slithered around thorny roses and twisted their heads up to meet in the middle. A shiver ran up spine as I stood on the gray slate-like carpet staring at the onyx gemstone eyes.
Some people didn’t like spiders. Others weren’t a fan of heights. I didn’t like snakes. Their long bodies and beady eyes scared the hell out of me. And in this room, they were everywhere.
There were three holding up the glass tops of two bedside tables. Another one wound around the gray stone of a fireplace set in the opposite wall of the bed. And finally, there were the two climbing a tree painted in the corner of the room.
I followed the thick black trunk up to dark leafy branches that spanned across the roof. This place was my literal nightmare. It wasn’t just because of the snakes. In one corner of the room sat what looked like an old electric chair.
Beside that was a navy and gray mosaic that saidMors Vincit Omnia. Not sure what that meant, but given the ambiance of the place, I doubted it was something motivational likehang in thereorkeep your chin up.
Adding to the creep factor was a curvy bench at the foot of the bed. It was upholstered in a navy hued leather that matched the bedspread. My gaze locked on to two handles, one at the head of the bench and one at the foot.
Big metal loops glinted in the sunlight pouring through the windows. They were closer in appearance to the loops in a dungeon than to the handles of a drawer. Binds that were meant to tie someone down. Given the shape of the bench, they’d be bound in a rather revealing position.
I shrugged off a shiver and glanced over at an accent wall of mirrors behind the headboard. Each piece of reflective glass was dulled at the edges by a fog of black. The only normal thing in this place was a polar bear rug sitting next to the fireplace, and that thing still had its claws and head.
This was one room I was not going to search. I didn’t give a shit if it was mine or not. I’d rather sleep outside.
“I am so out of here, Snowball.” I spun away from the bear’s judgmental gaze and moved to leave.
That’s when the doorknob jiggled, and a masculine voice wafted in.
“I can’t come tonight.”
Shit!
My heart stopped as a freezing spike shot up my spine. Whoever slept in this place was not someone I was in a hurry to meet.
The door creaked open, and I panicked, diving for the first place I could think to hide. Under the bed. In hindsight, it probably wasn’t my best idea—I’d seen enough movies to know that—but in that moment, that dark space under the mattress of torture seemed like my best option.
When a pair of booted feet came into view, I sucked in and held my breath. Each press of those feet into the carpet moved through my chest in cold vibrating spikes.
“You can’t flake out.”
That voice was different from the first and had the slightly distorted tinge of speakers. Whoever came in must’ve been on the phone.
“You had a party yesterday, Reese.”
Gotta say, the tone in that guy’s voice definitely matched this room.
A deep, gravely sound that vibrated through my entire body. Then again, it was highly possible that I was just psyching myself out. I was huddled under a bed in the den of serpents, after all.
“So?” Reese said. “You weren’t complaining when Lexi was sucking your dick. How was she, by the way?”
“Eh.”
Ugh, typical.
I could practically picture the jerk teetering his hand in a so, so manner.
