It was ironic, really. For the past year, he’d been subtly pursuing her, and she’d been the one putting distance between them. Now, she was the one moving closer and he was backing off.
His magic still swirled inside her, warm and soothing and completely at odds with his increasingly standoffish behavior. She didn’t know what to think.
Maybe it had been all about the chase for him, and now that she was here, living in his space, he’d lost interest. Or maybe, after spending time with her and getting to know her, he’d realized she wasn’t nearly as interesting as he’d originally thought.
That was one of the reasons she’d asked to move forward with the meeting with Armand. The sooner she knew for sure what she was dealing with, the sooner she could go back to standing on her own two feet. Brandon had gone above and beyond, offering her a place to stay, a stabilizing resonance, and lessons in control. She appreciated that more than she could say, but she was starting to fall for him, andthatwas a problem.
Muriel glanced toward the chair, where the bookremained tucked in her satchel. That was the key to everything. She might not be able to read it, but she could feel its power. Hopefully, Armand would be able to translate enough to tell her what it was and why her mother had kept it hidden.
A knock on the guest room door made her jump.
“Almost ready?” Brandon called.
She took one last look in the mirror, smoothed down her dress, and grabbed her satchel. “Ready.”
He was waiting by the stairs, a vision in dark slacks and a deep blue button down that made his eyes even more striking. His hair was still characteristically messy, but he'd clearly made an effort. Her heart stuttered just looking at him. Brandon Emrys was an incredibly handsome man.
“You look beautiful,” he said, his voice rough.
“Thank you. You clean up pretty well yourself.” She tried for light and teasing, but it came out softer. More sincere.
Something flickered in his eyes—heat? Longing?—before he shuttered it away. “The car's out back.”
The drive startedin companionable silence. Muriel watched Mythic roll past her window, once again struck by how charming the town was. Normal on the surface, thrumming with barely contained supernatural energy beneath.
That was nothing compared to the energy swirling between them in the enclosed space of the car.
“Tell me about Armand,” she said finally, needing to fill the silence. “What's he like?”
Brandon's hands relaxed fractionally on the wheel as if he, too, was glad for a diversion. “Armand? He’s brilliant. On the reclusive side though. He leaves the politics to Vlane.”
At Muriel’s blank look, he explained, “Vlane Masterson is the head vampire around here.
Masterson. The name sounded familiar. “Ana’s husband?”
“Yes, that’s the one.”
“Will I see Ana tonight?” she asked, the thought of seeing a friendly face easing some of her nervousness.
“You might,” Brandon said with a smile. “Ryssa, too. They both live on the estate. You rarely see one without the other.”
They left the main part of town behind, winding up into the forested hills. The road grew narrower, more secluded, until they turned onto a private drive marked by stone pillars and an impressive gate, which opened as they approached.
A huge, lethal-looking male stepped out of the shadows. Muriel’s first thought was,He’d look at home on a Viking longship, complete with carved dragon.
“Brandon.”
“Zarek.”
“Armand is expecting you.”
“Thanks.”
The trees opened up, and Muriel's jaw dropped.
The Masterson estate rose before them like something out of a Gothic novel—all stone and soaring architecture, with leaded glass windows that caught the last rays of the setting sun. The mansion was massive, but there was nothing cold or forbidding about it. Flowering vines climbed the walls, and the grounds were immaculately maintained, with gardens that made her magic hum.
“It's beautiful,” she breathed.