“Breathe with me, Cara.”
His voice was so low, she wasn’t sure he’d spoken the words aloud. He was forcing her to listen so closely, it shifted her focus from anger to heated desire. How does he always manage to do that?
“Your parents thought they would have more time.”
He was right. They’d always talked about traveling again once Paris was out of the house. They’d laughed about how many suitcases it would take to bring home Christmas gifts for all their future grandchildren—of course, they’d thought there would be more time.
“I want you to let go of the anger, Asia. Negative emotions do not hold any healing energy. Tell me what you’ve gained from the burning anger I feel simmering deep in your soul.” With her eyes covered, Asia had nowhere to look but inside her own heart. Sadly, she wasn’t happy with what she saw.
“It hasn’t given me anything but more anger. It’s so easy to see without my sight.” She huffed in frustration. “Goddess, now I don’t even make any sense.”
“Oh, Cara, it makes perfect sense.” His fingers traced a line over her cheek, the tenderness, and intimacy of the caress, making her lean into his touch.
She sensed he wanted to say more, but something was holding the words back. It was as though he was waiting for… something. Asia was surprised when her mind registered that they were once again moving. It felt as if they’d walked through a wall of air so frigid, it stole her breath. She might be blindfolded, but she hadn’t felt surrounded by darkness until now. The air around her was suddenly dank—cold, yet stale. The only other time she’d felt anything like it was when her family explored a series of caverns and caves during a road trip through southern Missouri. After the first cave, Asia refused to enter any of the others—feeling as if the walls were closing around her had been terrifying. Even now, walking into a room without windows was enough to make her feel like she was being smothered.
“Talk to me, Asia. Describe what you’re feeling.” Taking a deep breath, Asia pushed back the urge to rip the blindfold from her eyes so she could get her bearings—anything to distract her from the creeping sense of dread she could feel slowly closing in around her.
“It’s incredibly dark—in both the physical and metaphysical senses. There is a deep cavern under this portion of the house, a forbidding space no one has dared enter for many decades. The entrance is directly beneath my feet, but there are multiple exits. Many of the gold coins have been stolen from the chambers, but not all.” Taking several deep breaths, Asia tried to narrow her mental vision like she did when she needed to focus her tired eyes after reading for hours on end.
“The last Templar guard was killed by a young wizard, using dark magic he’d been forbidden to practice. He was executed for the crime when he was unable to reverse the spell. The rogue wizard had planned to return, move the gold, and keep it for himself.”
“But he couldn’t counter his own magic?” Franklin’s question felt more like confirmation than seeking information.
“Right. Many have tried—most using methods no reputable magical would consider.” Franklin tried to stem the flow of what he’d learned, but the quick tensing of her muscles let him know he’d failed.
“Holy shit. Animals and children should never be… well, they should never be used as pawns.” Asia felt her eyes fill with unshed tears—it was time to change directions.
“Are you seeing, hearing, or sensing?”
“An odd mix of the three. What I see reminds me of the old flip-books—a series of still pictures moving slow enough, I can see them sliding past. I hear people speaking, but they aren’t talking to me. Someone is sharing the story with me, but I don’t know who she is.”
“You are doing wonderfully, Cara. The woman is likely the young wizard’s mother. She was a white witch who’d married a dark wizard many considered a direct descendent of the Fallen Angel, Lucifer. It’s a sordid tale, one I’d like to keep you as far from as possible.” When Franklin pulled the blindfold from her eyes, breaking her connection with the past, Asia sucked in a deep breath as her eyes adjusted to the unfamiliar, brightly lit room.
“I don’t remember seeing this room when Cat and I explored the mansion.” Looking around, Asia shook her head at the odd sensation of the walls moving closer. The furnishings were different from every other room in the enormous home. This room was stark in its simplicity, reminding her of the descriptions she’d read in a book about monasteries. Looking around the room, she had trouble grasping this sudden inconsistency. When she finally shifted her gaze to where Franklin stood watching her intently, she could see awareness reflected in his eyes.
“In the United States, appearances are important to the super-wealthy, but you have nothing on the European elite.”
“Wait. What do you mean by appearances?”
He smiled as he seemed to be thinking about how to explain.
“I believe the American slang is putting on airs.”
She couldn’t hold back her chuckle. Maybe fifty years ago.
“Okay, if they were all about putting on some sort of front for their snobby friends, why have a room so simply decorated, it looks like a cloister?”
Taking her hand, Franklin gently pulled her from the room. Tucking her hand into the bend of his elbow, Asia smiled in appreciation. Franklin Cordesi might be sexually dominant to the depths of his soul, but he was also a gentleman from another era.
“I’m going to take that as a compliment, Cara, and I assure you my mother will be very pleased to hear I’m treating you well.” Asia shook her head at the polished accent he’d so effortlessly fallen into.
“One of these days, we need to have a long conversation about your childhood.”
Franklin smiled to himself as he escorted Asia back to the main part of the mansion. Damn, she had been coming at this topic from every direction for a couple of months—determined to find out his real age. The more she pushed, the quicker he sidestepped. Eventually, it had become a game of cat and mouse. As fun as it was, ultimately, he was going to be forced to answer her persistent questions. Tenacious woman.
“The more I learn about Vienna’s grandparents, the more I dislike them.” Franklin knew Asia was being remarkably diplomatic, considering her level of disdain for the couple who’d treated their only grandchild with such contempt. Unfortunately, what he was about to share was not going to do anything to improve her opinion. “Let me guess, that room was for a member of their staff. I swear I have never understood why people treat their employees so poorly… it defies logic. The people whose sole purpose in your employ is to make your life easier should be cherished and treated as the valuable assets they are.”
“And when they are privy to the most intimate details of your life, they should be feared.” He chuckled because he’d had this same argument with too many friends to count. The Cordesi family had always treated their staff with the utmost respect—their long-serving household employees were considered a part of the family and treated as such.
“No, Cara, the room wasn’t for any of their employees, although their quarters at the back of the estate aren’t much better. The room over the tunnel entrance housed a much darker side of the Quans. You saw one room of a small suite occupied by a young woman who was the Quans’ best-kept secret until her passing a couple years ago.” Asia stopped so abruptly, Franklin nearly pulled her off her feet. Shaking his head, he gave her gentle tug before continuing. “Vienna’s father didn’t know about his sister until shortly before his death. I suspect the discovery was why he made the trip to see his own daughter and the woman he’d always sworn he would one day marry.”