Of Witches and Warlocks: The Complete Series

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

I allowed myself to lie in bed for hours after the time to get up passed. There was no reason to rush into this new day. I certainly did not want to spend any of my time visiting with Damien. My stomach was growling viciously, however, and I was beginning to feel sick from lack of food.

Glancing at the door, it appeared my magical lock had held, since no breakfast tray arrived with Darcy this morning. Of course, the downside to that had left me very hungry now.

Going to the door, I remove my reinforcement spell and opened it, striding into the hallway, in my nightgown, with my tangled messy hair. The sight that greeted me caught me unaware, and I had to purposely stop my chin from dropping in amazement.

I was standing in the second story of an opulently designed penthouse. Cool marble floors were beneath my feet, but I barely noticed them due to the large rotunda above my head made entirely of stained glass. It accented the giant wood and wrought iron staircase that curved down to the floor beneath.

Walls were covered in thick moldings and large paintings, depicted many scenes of magic and mayhem throughout several periods of time, and I stepped closer to study them before turning to gape at the gigantic crystal chandelier. Hanging from the center of the ceiling, the layered crystals dripped down to a point into the circle of the winding staircase.

Another set of carved double doors were just down the curved hall from mine and wondered if it led to Damien's room. I shivered at the thought of him sleeping so close to my quarters, but I certainly wasn't going to go exploring there to find out if I was correct.

Placing a hand on the smooth, thick railing, I quietly tiptoed down to the first floor, my bare feet not making a sound against the cool stone as I moved along.

Reaching the bottom of the staircase revealed a plush sitting room to my right, which was decorated with many antiques that piqued my interest and briefly wondered if I might get the chance to explore them better. A large dining room was adjacent to the sitting room, with a table that could probably seat twenty,.

Assuming the door beyond it must lead to the kitchen, I moved in that direction. The swinging door flapped noiselessly behind me as I entered the immaculate kitchen that was fully equipped with the latest appliances and luxuries. Any chef would have truly been proud to work in this space.

It was then I noticed Damien sitting at a small table in the kitchen nook with a newspaper in hand. A glass filled with blood sat on the surface in front of him.

He glanced up casually as I entered. "Ah! You finally decided to grace us with your presence this morning. How delightful!" He eyed my bedraggled appearance, shaking out a wrinkle in the paper as he spoke.

Pretending he didn't exist, I went to the refrigerator and opened it.

"I have good news," he continued, ignoring my attempt at rudeness. "Vance left Rocky Point this morning and is on his way back to Sedona."

This did perk my interest, but I was determined not to let him bait me, so I kept my mouth shut. From the corner of my eye, I noticed as Damien folded the paper and placed it back on the table in front of him while he continued to watch me. I kept peering through the fridge, trying not to notice the heat of his stare.

"Yes, my little spies say he's quite frantic right now," he went on. "Apparently, there's been a lot of arguing between him and your father over how to properly handle the situation."

I struggled not to show any emotions, actually biting the side of my mouth a little to keep from speaking out. Locating a pitcher of orange juice, I set it on the granite island, before searching for a glass.