Dark Horse (A Demon's Guide to the Afterlife Book 1) by Kel Carpenter & Aurelia Jane

Dark Horse (A Demon's Guide to the Afterlife Book 1) by Kel Carpenter & Aurelia Jane

Author:Kel Carpenter & Aurelia Jane [Carpenter, Kel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-02-03T16:00:00+00:00


22

We reappeared in a garden that could have rivaled Versailles.

The marble fountain of baby cupids and sirens shot water fifteen feet in the air to land in the crystal-clear pool that was easily twenty feet in diameter. Rose bushes and other flowered plants lined the walkways. I took it in as I bent at the waist, hands on my knees, breathing hard.

“Are you all right?”

“Dizzy,” I grumbled, turning to look off to the right. The garden just went on and on, as far as I could see. And while my sight wasn’t as impressive as my strength, I’d had 20/20 vision when I was alive—before my shithead ex punched me too hard and damaged the cornea. Thankfully, in death they’d reverted to pre-asshole quality.

“Interesting,” Dorian murmured. “You can’t sift?”

I could tell he was digging. That was obvious. I’d expected it, and fortunately he was unlikely to ever find the answer, even with me telling him the truth.

“No,” I grunted. “I also get motion sick easily, so I’d prefer to stick to my own two feet as much as we can.” I stood up, looking in the other directions. It was much of the same–winding paths in a garden of flowers—apart from the mansion.

It stood extravagant and proud. Colonial style, despite the clear updating on the outside to make it look less like, well, a plantation.

“Not what I expected.”

Dorian lifted an eyebrow. “Oh? And what did you expect?”

Sweat was forming on my brow, and I swiped at it with the back of my hand and pinched the front of my shirt to fan myself. “Less Anne of Green Gables meets The Secret Garden set in Hell, and more—” I broke off, twisting my lips as I considered. “Castle on a cliff. Somewhere it’s always gloomy. And cold. Like you.”

His lips twitched as he lifted his eyebrows. I could tell he was amused, even though he hid it. I’d guessed right, of course. Then again, I did read in the file he lived on an island off the coast of Scotland. In a castle on a cliff. Very doom and gloom.

“Well, you’re right about one thing,” he said, then started walking. I had to jog to keep up, making the sweating issue worse. “This place is Hell.” He got to the door first, but instead of entering like I expected, he pulled it open and sidestepped, waiting for me somewhat impatiently.

“Then why do you live here?” I asked, knowing he didn’t but needing to play the game. I walked inside and sighed in bliss as the air conditioner hit me. I almost didn’t hear his answer because I was so wrapped up in the cool feeling on my skin.

“I don’t.”

“This isn’t your house?” I asked without looking.

“It’s an estate I have to stay in during the summit. That’s it. Texas wasn’t my first choice for neutral ground. I wanted Quebec, but neither Ezra nor the wolf alpha at the time went for that. I was overruled.”

“Overruled,” I mused. “Does that happen often?”

“No.”

Simple. Straightforward.



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