Numinous: A Dark Paranormal Romance Novel by Victoria Woods

Author:Victoria Woods [Woods, Victoria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-08-22T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

Blossom

“Holy shit!” Brooklyn gaped at the entrance to the mansion. I mimicked her amazement wordlessly at her side. We must have looked like quite the pair with our heads tilted upward, taking in the extravagance before us.

The “restoration efforts,” or rather “building” because the structure looked like it had been fully rebuilt from the ground up, was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The original exterior moldings had been given a facelift while still preserving their vintage appearance. French blue turrets pointed high into the night sky, seemingly illuminated by lights on the roof. Tall windows with white wooden shutters similar to the style of those on buildings on Bourbon Street decorated the front of the house, boasting the numerous rooms it must have contained inside. The front double doors, which were open to allow guests inside, came together to form a single arch when closed.

This wasn’t a mansion; it was a castle.

It made our mansion look like a shack in comparison. I could just picture Mama turning green if she were here.

“Didn’t you say this place had been deserted?” Brooklyn whispered through the side of her mouth.

I nodded with my jaw still on the ground.

“Come on. You guys look like low-budget tourists.” Beau nudged his way between us to the greeter at the front door with his phone in hand and a QR code on his screen. I guessed this was probably how they kept the party exclusive and kept tabs on attendees, just in case anyone decided to cause trouble. I wondered how Beau had attained a code in the first place.

The sharply dressed man, outfitted in a navy-blue fitted suit complete with a rose-pink pocket square and matching mask over his eyes, scanned the code, then handed each of us a mask. “Wear these while you’re on the premises. If you remove them, you’ll be thrown out.” His stern tone was warning enough.

Brooklyn’s black mask with silver beading complemented the red bodycon dress that clung to her toned frame like a second skin. Beau’s was a simple one made of black satin, making him look like the Hamburglar or some kind of cartoony bandit in his white shirt and black pants. Mine was a half mask, just like Brooklyn’s, but in a champagne color and with a plume of beige feathers on one side.

“Wow! Your mask looks amazing with your dress,” Brooklyn pointed out.

“Thanks.” I grinned appreciatively. The color really did coordinate with the coral and tan flowers on my light blue-gray silk halter dress. I felt extra sultry in this number, which I had purchased in New York last summer. It fell just below my knees, but the dress was cut in a way that had fabric wrapping tightly around my hips before falling into a Bardot-style slit that started at the middle of my thigh and opened out wider at the hem above my shin. My blonde bob wig and bronze sling-back heels made me feel like a Hollywood starlet.

Beau led the way through the foyer, indifferent to our presence anymore.

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