Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54388 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 272(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54388 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 272(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
With Cheeky out of the way, Brax was able to pry open the compartment. Inside, he found a wide, flat box about as big as his two hands put together. It was made of some kind of fragrant wood that gave off a sweet, resinous smell. No wonder Cheeky had been trying to get to it—the wood probably smelled like a sweet treat to him, Brax thought.
“Look at this,” he said to Serenai, who was still busy cuddling Cheeky. “Do you think your mother hid it here?”
“I don’t know. Take it out and let’s see what’s in the box.” She looked over his shoulder in interest as Brax brought the flat, rectangular box out. The sweet wood it was made of was painted with black lacquer and polished to a high gloss—he could see his face in it when he pulled it out and wiped the thin layer of dust off.
“Let’s bring it out in the light to open it,” he suggested. At the moment, they were still crouched down in a pile of shoes with racks of clothes hanging over their heads.
“Okay.” Serenai nodded and they extricated themselves from the closet and went to sit on the bed in her mother’s old bedroom.
As soon as they were settled, Brax pried open the lid and let out a low gasp.
Inside the box, lying on black velvet, was a golden necklace set with hundreds of precious stones. At first he thought they were some kind of rubies but he couldn’t be sure—they were such a deep red they were almost black and they seemed to shine in a strange way that was almost hypnotic.
“Oh my…it’s beautiful!” he heard Serenai murmur. “I can’t seem to stop looking at the stones.”
“Same here,” Brax told her. “I thought they were rubies at first but now…I’m not sure.”
He reached out to touch the necklace but Serenai put a hand on his arm.
“Don’t!” she said urgently. “I have a bad feeling about it.”
“A bad feeling about wha—?” he started to ask, but just then Cheeky—who had been sitting on Serenia’s shoulder—started a high-pitched chittering that sounded almost like an alarm.
“What the fuck?” Brax exclaimed, startled. “What is it, boy? What’s wrong?” he demanded, looking at the little creature, who was standing up on his hind legs and chittering at the top of his lungs.
“Oh no—look!” Serenai’s voice sounded so frightened that Brax immediately looked where she was pointing.
In the darkest corner of the room he saw it again—the thing with the red eyes. This time he could see more of its body—if it could be called that. It seemed to be made of shadows that flowed in and out of shapes. Before his eyes could quite settle on what it was, it became something else.
“You fucker!” he growled and, shoving the box off his lap, he started up from the bed. But before he could get anywhere near the thing, the glowing eyes vanished.
“Come on—let’s get out of this room!” Serenai was already up and tugging at his arm.
Brax scooped the box with the necklace off the bed and they hurried out of her mother’s room, slamming the door behind them.
“It’s haunted in there—it must be!” Serenai exclaimed. Her eyes were wide with fright and her arms were pebbled with chill-bumps, Brax saw.
“I should go back and look for it,” he said, frowning. “I need to make it stop and leave you alone.”
“No, please!” Serenai’s eyes were pleading. “What if it comes after you, too? What if it hurts you? I couldn’t live with myself if that happened!”
Brax was touched at her concern for him.
“But you bought me to protect you from that thing,” he pointed out. “Don’t you want me to get rid of it?”
“We don’t even know if it can be gotten rid of!” she exclaimed. “Please, let’s just get far away from my mother’s room!”
They retreated back to the food prep area, where Robbi was still doing dishes. It was the brightest place in the penthouse and it felt like the safest, too. At least to Brax, it did.
“All right,” he said, putting the box with the necklace on it on the table. “Do you feel better now?”
“Only a little.” Serenai shivered and rubbed her hands up and down her arms as though she was cold.
“Come here.” Brax reached for her and she came to him eagerly. He put his arms around her and held her close, rubbing her trembling shoulders and back until she stopped shaking. “It’s all right,” he murmured, stroking her hair. “Everything is going to be all right, little one.”
“Do you really think so?” Serenai looked up at him, her eyes wide and haunted. “I’ve never seen anything like that…that thing,” she whispered. “It looked like it was made of shadows.”
“It was pretty fucking strange,” Brax admitted. “But I swear to you, little Mistress, it’s not going to hurt you. I won’t let it.”