Page 56 of Bitten By the Basilisk

Nerves had her twisting her fingers in her lap. She was about to be an unknown, unexpected face standing next to the banquet’s bachelor host. His parents would be there.

Oh god, why did I agree to come?

You know why, she answered herself. An allegedly double-dicked shifter is doing his damnedest to sweep you off your feet, and you’re too naive for your own good.

She briefly closed her eyes, hoping silently that she got through the next few hours with her heart still in her possession and enough sense to decline another night in his bed.

The grassy lay-by was just big enough for a steady stream of cars to drop off guests at the top of the gate road, where a besuited attendant received them.

On either side of the gate road, potted trees that she recognized to be Japanese maples formed a tunnel—their bright-red leaves softly lit by slim glass lanterns that cast geometric shapes across the aged cobblestone.

The car ahead of them was letting out two human-shaped guests, both wearing long cloaks. The attendant closed the door of their vehicle, which then pulled away to return to town until the banquet ended.

A familiar face stood to one side of the drop-off area, his tall form wrapped in a dark cloak that nearly touched the ground. All she could see of Nic’s attire was an elaborate gold collar and long gold earrings.

A pair of inconspicuously dressed individuals stood sentry nearby, presumably to guard against anyone uninvited. The two bulky males appeared to be human, but the odds were high that they weren’t.

“Nic will escort you from here,” Bruno said as he pulled the car over.

She took a deep breath, feeling a little queasy. “Thanks for getting me here. Will I see you inside?”

He nodded, his smile subdued but sincere. “I’ll be around.”

The attendant opened her door, and Nic’s hand appeared, ready to help her emerge. The arm he’d extended from a slit in his cloak was bare except for a gold cuff on his forearm and a snaked-shaped gold armband above his elbow.

She accepted his assistance, smiling when their eyes met. “Nice to see you again.”

As she stood, Nic swept his gaze over her, his eyebrows raised in admiration, before clearing his throat. “You as well. I see you agreed with Silas’s choice.”

“I did. Thank you for finding me something so beautiful on such short notice.”

As they weren’t far from the water, the breeze was stronger and cooler than in town. She was grateful for the shawl.

“It was no trouble.”

They headed side by side toward the tunnel of red leaves. As they passed in between the two sentries, she confirmed they were actually trolls, one of them rather handsome.

“The dressmaker had a number of gowns already made. I just took some photos, sent them to the boss, and bought the ones he wanted.”

“I’m grateful for the enchantment on it. I normally have trouble finding clothes that fit me.”

Nic nodded. “Also makes shifting less complicated.”

“Mm, that makes sense. Why do you call him ‘Boss,’ by the way? I was under the impression you were childhood friends.”

Nic grinned. “We always knew we would be his lieutenants once he became Basilisk. And we watched way too many yakuza movies.”

“Oh,” she said, laughing. “I’ve always been more partial to samurai films.”

Though the gatehouse ahead was tall, the building beyond it was even taller, its roof partially bowed inward. Light from the courtyard illuminated the once-stately stone facade.

The ghostly figure of a woman gazed out from one of the upper windows, her expression distant and sad. She had to be the castle’s White Lady, though her name escaped Alice. The woman’s ghost was said to ignore the living, but only if visitors were respectful of the ruins.

In the time since Silas had sent her the photo, crimson drapes had been hung across the arch of the gatehouse. The two guests who had arrived before her slipped through, giving her a glimpse of warm lighting, part of a tent, and the briefest flash of a turquoise tail.

“Anything I should know so I don’t embarrass myself?” she asked, her heart picking up speed.

Nic flashed her a sympathetic smile. “As long as you don’t step on or trip over anyone’s tail, you’ll be fine.”