I grab a scrawny guy in a jumpsuit as he’s walking by, arms loaded with empty paint cans. “Hey, have you seen my aunt, Irene Kelly?”
“Oh,” he says then his eyes widen realizing who I am. “Oh, oh yeah, she was just in a meeting in the kitchen. I will show you the way after I drop these off outside,” he huffs trying to balance them out without dropping one of the cans.
“Thank you, I know the way. Do you need any help?” I ask him out of sheer worry of the damage the excess paint in those cans might do if he drops them.
“Nope, I got this. Thanks.” He nods and makes his way clumsily through the front doors.
“I don’t know how your aunt can manage all of this alone,” Blythe says.
“She had assistants back home, but she’s worked many mansions out on the coast. This isn’t that different, I’m sure. She told me she loves this place. She said she is trying to keep the historical integrity of the house as much as possible. She doesn’t want to modernize it. I guess it’s a really old house.” I shrug.
“Yes, it is. It’s been here basically since Concrete was founded. How is it everyone else knows more about your castle than you?” Fiona shakes her head.
“I’m not from here,” I remind them. I don’t tell them about the many other estates and one museum I inherited. It’s not that strange I wouldn’t know the history of just one estate I inherited of many, all of which are new to me. It’s weird enough knowing I have one giant house and an entire magical family heritage. In California, we lived in Los Angeles in an affluent area. Everyone I went to school with drove sports cars and only shopped at expensive kitsch shops. But that was L.A., this is a small town in the middle of the woods in nowhere Washington. I don’t want to alienate them. I don’t know how they will react if they realize I’m as wealthy as I am. I don’t even know how I feel about it yet.
“And through here you can see we are back in the foyer,” my aunt’s voice breaks through the sounds of workers, drills, and sanders going off. She walks out of the lower east wing, with an intimidating large man behind her. She’s in her favorite blazer. Usually when she comes up here, she’s in old overalls and a paint stained tank top. Now she’s in one of her suits so she must have known someone important would be visiting. The man is tall with wide shoulders. His girth barely hidden under his suit that seems more like something one would wear in winter, not at the height of summer. He must be sweltering in it. He has military style cropped hair and severe eyes. I wonder who he is. I walk up to my aunt as she rolls up some blueprints.
“Oh, you’re here!” Aunt Irene’s eyes literally light up when she sees me. “I’m so glad!” She abandons the man in the suit to put her arm around my shoulder and move me to face the staircases. “I was almost hoping you would wait until we were finished with the renovations, but this is even better! What do you think?”
“I don’t know. It’s pretty much the same as I remember, only cleaner with fresh paint,” I say shrugging.
She frowns. “I don’t know how to take that.”
“We love it!” Blythe offers.
“You’ve done a great job, Aunt Irene. I haven’t seen much of the house yet. We basically just got here.”
She squeezes me next to her cheek to cheek. “That’s great then, I can’t wait to show you everything!”
The man behind us clears his throat politely.
“Please excuse me, I’m so rude.” Irene jumps, flighty as ever.
We turn around and the imposing man holds his hand out to me. “I take it you are the niece who I am told owns this lovely home, Miss Violetta Kai?”
“I am,” I say and take him in. He has a square face. Rough and severe. Thin scars are splattered in a haphazard crisscross pattern all over his jaw in between the clean-cut stubble. His eyes are deep and an extremely dark brown, almost black. I place my hand in his to shake. His hands are unbelievably rough. A strange cold feeling goes up my arm. I let go. I can’t shake that feeling this man seems off. I look to the others, but none of them notice.
“How did you know her name is Violetta? We just call her Violet,” my aunt questions.
“You said it earlier. One of the times you spoke about her,” he says smoothly. For some reason, I don’t believe him. “I am Mr. Abrax. I run an auction house, Abrax Holdings and Antiquities, and we were thoroughly hoping to procure some of your late uncle’s possessions. He has some lovely items that would sell very quickly. Although your aunt has informed me you have no interest in that.” He pulls a black card out of his jacket, handing it to me.
I look to my aunt. I never told her that I have no interest in selling anything, but she’s right. Besides, per my inheritance I legally can’t sell much. That she does know, but maybe she just didn’t know how to explain that. I give him a tight smile and nod. “Yes, that is correct.”
“I must admit I was quite insistent she give me a tour and after it, I have fallen a bit in love with this old house. I do wonder if you’d be willing to part with the entire thing? It would bring a handsome amount.” He stares me down.
I glance once more at Irene uncomfortably before I answer; she gives me the slightest of nods that tells me to go along with her story. “I’m sorry you have wasted your time, Mr. Abrax, the estate and this house are not for sale.”
He nods then laughs lightly to Irene. “Well, I had to try. If you ever happen to change your mind, do let me know.”
“Thank you for your interest, Mr. Abrax.” Irene shakes his hand, all charm. Without him noticing she moves him to the front door. “I will have Violet call you if anything changes.”
Once they are out of earshot, Aaiden sidles up to me. “So, Violetta...”
I groan, my name is an old family name my mother had insisted on. It’s also why I remained a Kai even though my father’s family name is Kelly. Of course, now I realize that probably all factored in to the inheritance my mother knew might come my way someday. Or maybe it was a legal issue too; there were piles upon piles of legal documents to pore through, I honestly don’t know what all I signed. I could have been signing away the names of any future children for all I know. “Don’t repeat that,” I warn him. I don’t need anything else to be made fun of anytime soon. The fact I’m the girl that owns what the townspeople consider a haunted castle is more than enough. Everything else is just icing on the sucky you’ll-never-fit-in cake.
“So, now that that’s done,” Aunt Irene comes back full of pep, “let’s show you around.”
“Wait,” I stop her. “What was with that creepy guy and why didn’t you just tell him I can’t sell the house?”
She shrugs. “He didn’t seem that creepy to me, but he did seem like a man with more money than sense. If he knew there was a contract of any sort stopping you, he would have offered to find a loophole. Laws, contracts, any of that is just a hurdle to men like him. One they feel they can pay their way through. But loving memories you have with your deceased uncle, those you can’t sell. You can’t put a price on human sentiment. At least, not in polite society.” She winks at me. I roll my eyes. “That reminds me, are you all hungry? I was just about to send out the lunch orders for the workers. Ezra told me earlier what he wants, what about you four? Then we can take the tour while we wait.”