Serpent's Gate by Jade Astor

Author:Jade Astor [Astor, Jade]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-12-22T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

“Leo must have left his post for some reason,” Malcolm said while they waited in front of the closed gates. Istharios’s ugly maw, glistening with rain, leered at them through the windshield. “I should have called ahead. Guess I’ll have to do it myself.”

“I can help you,” Stephen offered, reaching for the door handle. Malcolm held up a hand to stop him.

“No, don’t bother. It will only take a moment.”

Malcolm stepped into the rain, which had thankfully slowed to a drizzle, and wrestled with the iron bars until they parted far enough to allow the car through. He struggled a bit, reminding Stephen how impressive Leo’s physical strength must be. Malcolm returned with is raincoat spattered with water and dirt. He examined his smudged and grimy palms with distaste and wiped them on a tissue from the center console.

“Why don’t they install an automatic opener?” Stephen asked as he eased the car through without bothering to close it up after them.

“My cousin Owen preferred things this way. He found it sort of medieval and quaint, like the old walled cities of Europe. Roark may change it one day, but guarding it gives Leo something to do when they don’t want him hanging around at the house. Not that he’s doing a very good job of that today.”

They proceeded slowly up the driveway, the tires thumping in and out of the deep puddles pitting the gravel. “The rain’s leveled off, but the ground’s plenty wet. I’ll drop you as close as I can and turn around. I need to go my office for a while. I can clean the mud off my shoes there and escape Mrs. Mulgrave’s wrath.”

“Thank you,” Stephen said, getting out next to one of the gigantic stone planters bordering the garden. The walkway lay partially underwater, forcing him to move from one raised brick to the other in a sort of skipping motion. He was so intent on not letting his feet submerge that he didn’t notice anyone following him until he heard the splash of heavy footsteps behind him.

He stopped and turned. Leo stood staring at him with a shovel in his hands. Mud streaked his yellow slicker and saturated his boots and pant legs. His face barely showed under the hood, and his posture seemed vaguely threatening.

“Oh, there you are, Leo.” Secretly unnerved, Stephen forced himself to sound cheerful. “We waited for you by the gate. Malcolm had to leave it open. Sorry about that.”

Leo paused for a moment, as though turning the words over in his mind to make sense of them. Then he tapped the edge of his shovel on the bricks.

“My mother was worried about the flowerbeds. Have to make sure they can drain right. I got too busy to go back to the gatehouse.”

“Oh. Well, that makes sense. Too much water can’t be healthy for the roots.”

“They’ll drown if I don’t keep an eye on them.” Leo’s dark, empty eyes bored into Stephen’s. “Did you have a good trip into town?”

“Yes, fine.

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