Florian’s mind drifted in and out of its senses as he held onto the rope with the last remnants of his strength.
At last, he felt two strong hands pulling him from the water. He cried out at the pain searing through his shoulder, but soon enough he was falling over the edge of the boat to lie in a motionless heap. He knew nothing but a pair of silver eyes before he allowed himself to sink deep into dark, dark waters.
Yvette
Grimlocke House was flanked in a row of well mannered townhouses for those who could boast at least a modest fortune. Craftsmanship and elegance had been put into every detail from the carving of the gables to the arching windows. Each was unique, though all appeared stately and comfortable… all but one. Yvette hesitated as the house came into view, even as the others continued toward the door unfazed.
It was as if the building itself had developed a sickness, like a mangy animal. Undoubtedly, it was due in part to neglect, peeling paint and invading ivy notwithstanding. But there was more to it than that, a sinister slant to the windows perhaps or the trimmings painted in a deep red that resembled dried blood. In any case, as the other homes on the avenue might welcome one inside, Grimlocke dared its occupants to venture within.
Yvette remained transfixed, trying to surmise the nature of her misgivings, to pinpoint the malignant element at work. Her gaze finally shifted as Florian turned over his shoulder, searching for her. He was leaning heavily on Knox, his arm tucked against him in a makeshift sling. His clothes clung to his body, as soaking wet like the rest of them. A bout of nausea threatened to come over her as she thought about their chaotic voyage. Her legs still wobbled against imaginary waves.
The dinghy had seemed amply large until they reached the open waters of the channel that rocked with careless violence.She could still perfectly hear the sickening crunch as Knox had set Florian’s shoulder, still see Gareth bandaging his own side even as his leg bled, staining the water in the bottom of their boat red. At some point, Yvette had settled Florian’s head in her lap to keep it elevated and relatively dry. Even though he’d been thoroughly unconscious until they reached shore, holding onto him had been the only thing that made her feel somewhat steady as the waves threatened to capsize their tiny vessel.
As impossible as it seemed, they had made it, abandoning their stolen vessel and making the tired march back to Grimlocke. Ahead of her, Rhea was carrying Keira up the front steps of the house, her thick locks of hair still dripping seawater. Gareth was bleeding through his hastily done bandages, though he didn’t seem fazed by the pain. When he’d caught her worrying over his wounds, he’d merely grunted that he’d had worse.
Yvette quickened her pace, bringing up the rear as Rhea knocked on the door with three sharp kicks. It was only a second later that Lilith’s head poked through.
Her grey blue eyes widened as she took them all in.
“You found her!” Lilith almost sounded tearful in relief, a contrast to her usual knife’s edge manner. “You’re back, you’re all back.”
“It’s going to take more than that to take me away from you,” Rhea said, leaning down and kissing Lilith long and hard. A difficult feat, seeing as she was still holding Keira in her arms.
Gareth coughed, drawing their attention to the rest of them who were currently dripping seawater and blood into the street.
Lilith broke away, looking down at Keira. “Fucking bastards,” she swore. “Bring her inside. We can lay her down in the library. All her stuff is still there and…”
Yvette was hardly listening as Lilith led the way inside, discussing further arrangements with Rhea. As she passed through the door, the knocker caught her eye. Not because it wasbeautiful, but in fact the opposite. It had been carved intricately with obvious care and craftsmanship, but still the end result was hideous, round bugging eyes and impish horns. Maybe it was worse because its ugliness had been intentional. The knocker itself was held in a pair of bat like claws, though it had no wings, only a set of mismatched teeth.
Without thinking, Yvette raised a hand to see if the teeth really were as sharp as they looked. It wasn’t until a firm grip closed around her wrist that she came to her senses.
Her attention snapped to Knox, who was eyeing the doorknocker with cool disdain.
“Julius, behave yourself,” he growled.
Yvette recoiled as Knox released her, sure that she’d heard the knocker snarl back at him.
“I nearly lost a finger to that infernal knocker,” Florian murmured conspiratorially.
“Do not trust this house,” Knox imparted before he led Florian further in.
Yvette followed them, the last to enter as she tried to puzzle out such an odd warning. Unnervingly enough, as soon as she had passed the threshold of the house, the door closed behind her.
Inside was the single strangest home she had ever seen…
On one side of the entryway, where one might expect to see a drawing room or parlor, Yvette caught a glimpse of a tidy bedroom, complete with a weapons rack and armor stand. However, Gareth shut the drawing doors behind him before she could get a proper look.
“That would be Gareth’s domain,” Florian offered helpfully. “He’s not terribly fond of guests.”
Yvette nodded and followed them out into the massive foyer. The walls were decorated with a deep crimson brocade. She couldn’t help but notice the damage to the paper, clearlycaused by repeated encounters with throwing knives and arrowheads, some of which were still embedded in the wall itself. The hardwood floors were scratched unforgivingly, more than simple furniture scuffs. Some of the deeper marks even appeared to have been left by troubling large claws. Overhead was a massive chandelier, which was beautifully crafted from silver. All manner of objects were caught within its swirling branches. Yvette was able to discern a woman’s slipper, a broken wine glass, and a purple scarf. The crow, Keira’s familiar, came to settle there as well, shaking the water from its wings.
On the other side of the foyer were two doors leading deeper into the house. Against the wall to the right, a grand carved staircase stacked over itself as it carried up to the floors above.
“Through there’s the dining room,” Florian said, gesturing with his free hand as Knox helped him up the stairs. Apparently, he felt no need to comment on the unorthodox state of things.
Yvette looked through the door at the dim dining room. As if it could feel her watching, the candles within lit at once, illuminating the handsome table and chairs. She turned away abruptly, not keen on the idea that this house was somehow aware of her actions… and apparently not to be trusted. As she climbed the stairs, she ventured a glance back to see that the room was again dark.
On the second floor was another large landing flanked on either side by massive double doors. Yvette saw a glimpse of Rhea and Lilith inside what must have been the library. They were speaking to each other with grim expressions. Yvette swallowed as she considered joining them, seeing if there was anything she could do… That is before she saw Lilith collapse into Rhea’s arms. From the shuddering of her frame, it was clear that she was sobbing.
