I sheepishly smiled at him. “It’s, um, well, I really shouldn’t be that forward with you. I mean, we only just met, and I don’t want you to think I’m easy.”
“I see,” he mused with a crooked smile as he swept his arm toward the wing entrance. “Then allow me to escort you without the arm. The door leading to the rear garden is just down the central hall.”
I reluctantly followed behind him, clutching my arm to my chest. The mirage had returned to normal, but I couldn’t understand what had happened. Marc had told me that only another magic could disturb the effects. Was this man some sort of wizard? Did he understand what had just happened when even I didn’t?
I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief as he guided me through the maze of overly perfumed humanity. Then again, what did I know about the people around me? Perhaps there was a fangrel in their midst. Some of the people definitely had pale faces, and one or two smiled to reveal the sharp teeth of the dravenkin.
True to his word, a central hall led under the second-floor balcony and to the rear of the house. A large stone patio stood outside the pair of doors at the end of the corridor. I was relieved to see the place was crowded with people drinking wine and sharing in their mercantile exploits.
Many of those present raised their glasses to my guide.
“Hello there, Crestmoor!”
“How goes the diving?”
“Find a lost treasure?”
The last question brought laughter to all present. Crestmoor smiled and inclined his head to the crowd. “I believe my luck is changing.”
One of those present nodded at me. “Does it have anything to do with the woman behind you?”
He chuckled. “You know I don’t reveal any of my secrets, not even to the most venerable Warden of the Stars.”
I desperately wanted to know the meaning of the title, but we passed through the crowd and onto the lawn beyond the patio. We left the bright lights behind, and none of the people in their fancy shoes ventured onto the grass.
I was alone with my guide, and I felt a rising tide of unease the farther we traveled from the patio.
Chapter 26
The huge lawn of Worthington Manor covered as much space as the house, and then some. The house sat on a plateau, and the crest of the slope stood thirty yards from the house. The dip rolled down to a grove of trees and a creek that ran through the rear of the large properties. The clear sky cast the light of the twinkling stars on the damp grass and green leaves of the trees.
It was a wondrous sight, but I couldn’t quite enjoy it. My mind was too preoccupied with the man in front of me.
Crestmoor stopped at the edge of the slope and turned to face me. He reached into his coat and drew out a small, slim case made of gold. The lid sprang open and revealed a short row of long cigars.
He held one up to me. “Do you mind if I smoke?”
“Not at all,” I assured him as I glanced over my shoulder.
“You’re quite safe with me, Thorn,” he insisted as he tucked the case away and exchanged it for a lighter. He puffed on the cigar and lit the other end. The tip glowed like coals as he pocketed the fire starter. He blew a ring from his mouth, and the gray cloud floated over to me before it dispersed. “If that is your true name.”
I blinked at him. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
He cocked his head to one side and studied me. “You have something to hide. My ring revealed as much.”
“Your ring?”
He raised his hand and revealed a small ring on his middle finger. The band was of the plainest silver, but a round ruby was set on the top. The stone had the appearance of being partially melted, as it partially folded over the band.
“This was a treasure my divers discovered several years ago,” he revealed as he admired the gemstone. “This ring has the ability to view the inside of any box. It’s particularly useful for locked boxes, which are a common problem in my business.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “That must be a very special ring.”
“The only one that’s ever been discovered, as far as I am aware,” he mused as he flexed his fingers. His sharp eyes fell on me. “There are also certain instances when the magic has revealed hidden secrets of people. You have a secret to tell. The ring knows it. I know it.”
I dropped my eyes to the grass, and my hands fidgeted with one another in front of me. “I, well, I guess I wanted to hide what I really looked like.”
He puffed on his cigar and waited a moment before he replied. “A show of vanity?” He used his cigar to point at the patio where the company continued to party. “You hardly strike me as someone as vain as those who drink through their conversations so they might tolerate their companions.”
