Only You by Tmonique Stephens

Author:Tmonique Stephens [Stephens, Tmonique]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B075J453FR
Published: 2017-11-20T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Forget Dinner. There wasn’t a single soul within five miles of the dilapidated structure, never mind a restaurant. Amaya nibbled on a granola bar as the lot of them gazed at the dark house in the small clearing. Romanesque in design, the two front columns had collapsed onto the overrun porch, along with part of the roof. She strained her senses to catch any hint of danger—a scent, a sound, anything—and came up dry. A quick glance at everyone confirmed she wasn’t alone in her assessment. No one clutched their weapons.

A cold wind blew through the trees causing a shiver to race down her spine. “We’re in June, right?” she asked no one in particular.

Riél shrugged. “Global warming?”

“A balmy day in Siberia.” Malphas took the lead.

“Russia’s a big country. How sure are you about this being the place?” she whispered, certain Malphas heard.

He flipped the coin at her. She caught it on the fly as he said, “The date.”

“Can’t read Cyrillic, so spill. What about it?” She rubbed the surface of the coin, impressed with its pristine condition. The coin could’ve been minted yesterday.

“1801. From my private collection. Which was in that house, last time I checked.” He jabbed an angry finger at the house.

“Your house?” Amaya asked, remembering Bane had said the UnHallowed had checked all of Malphas’s homes.

He nodded. “I left the house and the coins with a caretaker. Someone I trusted.”

“Someone other than Taige or Aiden?” she asked. “Someone you trusted more than Taige or Aiden… A female?” She pressed when he didn’t answer. Tight lipped, Malphas moved on. The rest followed over the brittle, stunted grass.

Malphas kicked open the front double doors and the seven entered the grand foyer. Inside, the beauty of the place had survived decades of neglect. Marble floors and pillars, twin marble and wrought iron staircase, crystal chandeliers, and mosaics that rivaled the beauty of the Sistine Chapel were depicted on the vaulted ceilings. Cleaned of the dust and debris blown in from a broken window, the mansion would be a stunning showpiece.

Amaya kept her opinion to herself and followed Malphas to the staircase. “There are three floors, twenty-five rooms to search, plus an attic and a basement. We split up and leave no stone unturned. Search with your senses, not your eyes,” Malphas ordered.

A few grumbled, but the UnHallowed paired off and obeyed. Everyone except Bane.

She hitched a thumb in Malphas’s direction. “I’m with him. We don’t need you to tag along.” She didn’t wait for Bane’s reply. The Demoni Lord moved to a two-story room lined with bare, dusty shelves reaching to the ceiling. It wasn’t hard to imagine books filling every nook and cranny and a chair close to a cheery fire burning brightly in the stone fireplace. Malphas stood in the center of the room, preternaturally still, while the air around him vibrated in successive waves.

What are you doing? She was tempted to ask but didn’t want to distract.

“He’s testing the air.”

Daghony’s voice so close to her ear surprised her.

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