Shatter (The Daevas #1)

19 • Trusted

For the past hour, I remained silent, as was the others inside Georgie's Beetle.

The three girls beside me at the back slept peacefully, while Axel followed his brothers' tracks in front of his view down the snowy lane. Gabriel never left his gaze outside his side of the window, contemplating on something very deep. He seemed bleak ever since we left the frivolity of it all, and I was unwitting. Well, I certainly had a feeling that he already had suspicions, no doubt. And in truth, Gabriel and his family had the prerogative to know what was happening all around them. All around me, too. They ought too know that Alexander could enter my mind like I was some open doorway to his thoughts. I did not know why he would do that; I did not know how he could do that. All I knew was that he held a power so strong over me. Something that was dangerous, even to think about.

It was a hindrance that kept me sequestered to Gabriel's thoughts that was most frightening. I would rather he read my mind, than not be read at all by him, for his elder brother, Alexander, could put a sturdy wall through the access of my mind.

Everyone was so silent inside the car, that I couldn't bear it. Despite the silence that lengthened, making me think so clearly and peacefully, I hated it. It was just too moot. This was too much for me. What was happening to me was insurmountable.

I bowed my head low, as I saw Gabriel look at me through the mirror overhead. It wasn't exactly the word looking I was going for. It was just a microsecond peek. Still, I was chagrined, even to just that. I really wanted to pour everything to him -- the things that was happening that they didn't know that seemed like he was the only one who could really understand my situation. But, there was something holding me back, and I loathed and feared the man who could get complete access through my mind, without this blond boy hearing a single thing inside my confused and tedious head.

"You okay?" Axel whispered, startling me.

I looked up at the rare-view mirror, giving him a little nod. "Yeah."

"Right," he acquiesced, taking one last long look at my wearisome and old-looking, thin face. "Well...we're here."

He killed the engine, turned the keys, and held them inside his pocket. The three of us -- Gabriel, Axel, and I -- turned our heads at the front, where we were met with a magnificent, old stone mansion. My eyes widened, awestruck, as they gazed at the castle.

They were wrong when they said that this place was a "cottage." I could feel myself gaping. We were in the middle of the forest in Liluwaye Cone, where a medieval castle was towering over us mightily, planted to the ground firmly over ninety decades ago, up to now. I may have seen this in the mediaeval back-drop set in movies, or Jemma's mediaeval, Renaissance-themed romances, but nothing compared to this. The real thing. I had never thought I would see and be at a place this beautiful and haunting at the same time. Ever.

The two guys didn't seem as amazed and thrilled as I was, though. Of course. They'd been here before. They were used to seeing this gigantic place. Who would have thought this would be here? It was at the very heart of the forest and could not be seen by anyone, however many acres it held. Only a helicopter, an airplane, or a lost person or wanderer would see this in full view. It was too far away from the village or maybe it could be visible to anyone. But people would only get too frightened to go near this castle -- it looked deserted and haunted.

Probably, Matteo D'Onofrio was a man that welcomed privacy very much. I rather thought he embraced it.

He was all the more interesting to meet.

There were four towers concreted to each side of the castle, where four identical brick-red roofs were placed, arching a point on top. Four cobalt blue flags were pinned on the top, swishing uncontrollably from the hard snow and wind. There were also four walls, as I've said, made of heavy-duty stones that mixed off from a dark black to the greyest of greys, where unwanted vines and mosses squeezed their way to any opening possible. Its windows were shaped in the Gothic style, leaving no details behind. Horrid looking gargoyles that looked so ancient sat at the opening of the stained-glass windows. Their eyes made me shiver. But the overall effect of this mediaeval castle was an architectural masterpiece. It was beautiful. I even thought that Matteo had been a king in his time. Maybe.