Something was definitely afoot at Château Nocturne. Magic was stirring. Evil forces too.
And forces for good,the back of my mind whispered.
Like a certain tiger who’d fought fiercely — not to save his own skin, but to protect me. For the tenth time, I thanked my lucky stars he was all right.
I shivered, then slipped into bed, pulling the blankets over my head. I’d never spent a night in the château without a family member around before this weekend. Now, I was on my own with three strangers. A laid-back lion, a snippy vampire, and a testy tiger.
I closed my eyes and tried to clear my mind, but those strangers kept revisiting me.
One, especially.
* * *
I awoke at sunrise, bleary-eyed and cranky. Then I did a double take at the clock. Eight-twenty already?
Pulling on a robe, I rushed to the drawing room, but all I found was a blanket on the floor and ashes in the fireplace. I glanced out the window as I folded the blanket. When had Henrik left? How were Roux’s wounds? Where was Bene?
The clatter of dishes drew me downstairs, where I pulled up short at the sight of Bene clearing away breakfast.
“Where’s Claudette?” I asked.
“Good morning to you too,” he said cheerily, though the dark lines around his eyes suggested he hadn’t gotten much sleep.
“Good morning. All healed up?” I looked at his arm.
“Pretty much.” He pulled up his sleeve to show off his biceps then went back to clearing platters. “Claudette didn’t show up, so I helped myself. You want some?”
He held out the last of the bacon.
I took a crispy strip and munched, thinking about last night. Roux. Henrik. Shadow-weaving. Had that really been me, or had I dreamed that part?
“I see you slept in,” he observed, moving to the kitchen.
I followed, grumbling, “It doesn’t count as sleeping in if you had a shitty night.”
“Call me next time.” He grinned and put the plates in the sink.
I rolled my eyes. “I’ve sworn off men. Also, you’re not my type.” When he cocked his head, I went on. “You’re too nice. On the other hand, you would make for a disastrous relationship, which I seem to specialize in.”
“Nah. You just haven’t found the right guy yet,” he said, more like a brother than a flirty bachelor for a change.
I sighed. “Maybe I need a new strategy. Using the process of elimination hasn’t proven all too efficient.”
He laughed. “Ever think of going after guys you have no interest in?”
I snorted. “You mean like you — or Henrik?”
He chuckled. “I was thinking Roux.”
I went perfectly still.
“The guy is too principled to break hearts,” Bene continued as he moved around the kitchen. “But you’d have to put up with the world’s most annoying tiger and endure a lifetime of boredom.”
I pursed my lips. Principled, yes. Annoying…sometimes. But boring? Every time I looked into his eyes, I saw a universe of longing and mystery.
“I guess he’s still in bed?” I asked as casually as I could.
Bene snorted. “Are you kidding? He still lives by five a.m. reverie.” He jerked an elbow toward the side of the building. “He’s out in the stables, sneaking in a little work before work.”
