Remington stopped outside a door. “You may wait here.”
Grey entered first, and I followed, gasping at the sight of the interior.
It was magnificent.
The room filled the entire octagonal tower, each of the eight walls set with a large glass window. The sills were ornately carved stone, and the ceiling steep and peaked, covered with blooming black roses. Outside, lightning lit the sky. The red window glass made the bright flashes appear rosy and somehow soothing.
A dark pool filled the center of the space, crystal clear water revealing the gleaming black stones at the bottom. They were as round and perfect as eggs, and the water steamed delightfully.
Along one wall, an enormous bed covered half the window. Couches and tables lined the other walls, along with bookshelves and an enormous hearth.
The door shut quietly behind us, and I turned to Grey. My head felt slightly fuzzy, but I forgot that as soon as I saw him. “Have you ever been to this room?”
“No.” His voice was low, sending a shiver across my skin.
I loved his voice. Somehow, however, I’d taken it for granted. But now that I was about to lose him, it made me appreciate it all the more. Deep and smooth, with a hint of gravel in opposition to his cultured accent.
His beautiful silver eyes flickered over me, filling with heat as he took me in. Warmth rose inside me, and I traced his form, desperately wanting to touch him.
From the corner of my mind, I vaguely sensed that something was amiss. We’d just entered this room, and Grey hadn’t searched it for bugs like he had the other room.
Instead, he stared at me like I was the last drink of water on earth. And I couldn’t stop looking at him the same way.
I wanted him.
Bad.
I wanted to feel his lips on mine. His skin on mine. His hands.
I strode toward him, my heart thundering. My head grew fuzzier with every moment that passed.
“Carrow.” Grey stepped forward, meeting me. His hands gripped my waist, pulling me to him.
5
Grey
Carrow fit perfectly into my arms. Desire surged through me as I bent to take her lips with mine.
My thoughts blurred even more as she parted her lips, her tongue darting out. I groaned and pulled her closer, careful not to clutch her too hard around the waist. She pressed her form fully against mine and wrapped her arms around my neck, tilting her head to take the kiss deeper.
All thoughts disappeared from my mind as we kissed, making it unnaturally empty.
“Come on,” she whispered against my lips, pulling me toward the bed.
I growled and picked her up, wrapping her legs around my waist as I strode around the pool and toward the bed. I stopped next to it, immensely grateful for its presence.
Silviu had put us in the perfect room.
The memory of him tugged hard at my fuzzy thoughts.
Silviu.
We were in his castle, a place to which I’d vowed never to return.
And we were about to drop our guard and have sex.
That didn't feel…right.
I pulled my lips away from Carrow’s, struggling to bring my mind back to the present.
Why were we here?
Lightning struck outside, glowing rose through the tinted glass. The glow highlighted Carrow’s features in a way that made her look more beautiful than ever, and it was all I could do not to fall back into her kiss.
I shook my head.
What the hell?
The thought was normal, the place was not.
I set her down, and she reached for me. “Grey. Kiss me.”
“No.” I gripped her shoulders and shook her gently. “Try to clear your mind.”
She blinked, her gaze cloudy. “What do you mean?”
“I think we’ve been enchanted.” I could feel it even now, seeping through my head like a mist, turning my thoughts toward Carrow. I could think of nothing but her.
It wasn’t unusual for her to fill my thoughts, but even I had the control not to entirely drop my guard—and my trousers—in the middle of one of my greatest enemy’s castles.
She gasped, then rubbed at her temples hard, as if trying to drive the fog away. I pinched the bridge of my nose, squeezing my eyes shut and trying to focus on our goal.
We were here to see the seer.
Silviu was finding her now.
Or was he?
I looked up at Carrow. “I’m not sure if he’s actually arranging a meeting for us.”
“Maybe not.” She dug into the small pack she’d brought, searching for something. “I think Eve gave me a potion to help combat mental spells.”
“A very useful friend to have.”
“And she’s fun for a night out at the pub.” Carrow fumbled in the bag, shaking her head every now and again, clearly trying to keep her wits about her. She pulled out a tiny vial. “This is it.”
“Is there enough?”
“I think so. Every vial is a double, she said.” Carrow uncorked it and swigged back half, her eyes immediately brightening. Then they widened. “Shit.” She shoved the vial at me. “Drink this.”
I tossed it back, cringing slightly at the bitter taste. Within seconds, my mind had cleared. The stress and tension returned, and a moment later, the room shifted.
I blinked, taking in the new space. There were no more windows, or furniture, or deep, sparkling pools.
The room was still octagonal, but it was just stone walls and a stone floor. Not even a door.
“He tricked us,” I said.
“Meant to keep us busy.” She spun in a circle. “It was an impressive enchantment. Where’s the exit?”
I strode to a wall, pressing my hand against the stone and trying to feel for any sort of magical signature.
There was nothing.
The stone was dead and cold beneath my palm. I walked around the room, searching for anything that might show us where the door had been hidden.
“Is there even a seer here?” Carrow asked. “Or is she long gone?”
“There should be. The seer is bound to this place, to the magic here. But I don’t think Silviu is going to return and take us to a meeting.”
“No, I don’t think so. Is he angry at you for leaving? Is that why he’s locked us up?”
“No doubt he is, but I think he’s imprisoned us because he wants you to find his mate.”
“Bastard. As if I’d help him now.” She shook her head. “No way I’m leading that unsuspecting woman to him if he does stuff like this.”
“I think that’s wise.” I finished my circuit of the room and turned to her. “There’s no door that I can find. There must be one, but it’s concealed.”
She frowned. “Eve’s magic should have revealed it.”
“It may be hidden by another mechanism. Or it possibly disappeared entirely and was replaced with a wall.”
Her face paled. “Or Silviu bricked us in while we were busy kissing.”
“We’ll find a way out.”
She spun around, searching. “Cordelia? Can you come here?”
A moment later, the raccoon appeared in the middle of the room, looking slightly annoyed. I was watching my stories.
I raised my eyebrows at Carrow in query.
“She’s become enamored by American soap operas,” Carrow said, then looked at the raccoon. “I think you can see this is an emergency.”
Cordelia spun around and looked at the room. Well, you’ve gotten yourself into a pickle.
“Yes. Can you go into the rest of the castle and sneak around? See if you can find the entrance, then return and tell us what wall it’s located on?”
Cordelia nodded. Just give me a moment.
She disappeared. While we waited, Carrow dug around in her bag, pulling out two more glass orbs. “Looks like we’ve got two bombs. I don’t know how powerful they are, but I don’t think they’d destroy the entire room.”
I walked to her and held out a hand. She passed me one of the small glass orbs. Magic vibrated against my palm, prickling and sharp. “They’re powerful, but I agree. I don’t think they’ll collapse the roof on us.”
“We just need to know which wall to throw them at.”
Cordelia returned a moment later, then tilted her head, appearing to try to get her bearings. Turning, she scurried to a wall and laid a small paw on it. This one. The door is here. I can see it from the outside but not from the inside. It’s not normal—more like an outline in the stone. No wood or anything.
“No lock?” I asked.
No.
“Weird.” Carrow shrugged. “Shall we try it?”
I looked at the wall, then at Cordelia. “Could you tell how thick it is?”
No. But thick, I think.
I frowned, thinking. “If the bombs are too strong, the explosion will fill this room and kill us. But if they aren’t strong enough to destroy the barrier from the inside, we’ll have used them up pointlessly.”
“What do you suggest?”
I looked at Cordelia. “How far can you throw a ball?”
Cordelia scoffed. Really far.
“Is the hallway long enough that you can stand far away from the door?”
Much longer than this room.
“Okay, good,” I said. “Can you return to the hallway and throw this bomb at the door from the outside?”
Cordelia looked between Carrow and me, her gaze on the two bombs we held. If one is good, two is better.
“Like kebabs?” Carrow asked.
Just like kebabs.
“Okay, then,” I said. “Take both. But stay far enough away to avoid the blast. And if they don’t fully destroy the door, hopefully it will encourage the guards to check on us.”
I can do that. Cordelia held out her little paws for the bombs, and Carrow handed them to her.
She crouched down and met the racoon’s eyes. “Be careful, all right?”
Cordelia nodded. Sure thing.
A moment later, Cordelia disappeared.
“Come on.” I gripped Carrow’s hand and pulled her toward the far wall, away from the door. I moved to shield her, and she shoved at me.