Wolves at the Door - Lidiya Foxglove Page 0,11
gallery? Why carve one thing when you can carve all the things? And few people realized how much Victorians loved intense color palettes, because most houses had been renovated to modern taste, and all the photographs left behind were in black and white.
I felt like I already knew Deveraux Greenwood. While his friend Fiore Capello was a woodland warlock, with a wild garden, Deveraux was a go-big-or-go-home type. He had done nothing to tame the whims of his ancestors, but had let the house get even more ostentatious. The themes of the house were:
1. Chandeliers
2. French style, and not the subtle modern kind
3. A color palette that would make Joanna Gaines cry
And, for good measure:
4. Naked ladies.
I should be glad to let Billie have this beast, but instead I was feeling a great temptation to wrap my arms around one of the columns and declare that I was not leaving. This house was crazy—and I wanted it.
“This is how I wish my childhood home was,” I said. “All these bright windows and colorful walls. Ladyswald is all heavy wood and Medieval artwork.”
“‘Ladyswald’,” Graham repeated, glancing in a gilt mirror to smooth his dark hair back, as if that would fix him after the ghoul fight when his clothes were in tatters. “Now that’s a name. I can imagine just from that.”
“And I’m sure your imagination is dead on.”
Instead, I crouched to inspect the ornate compass-shaped medallion on the floor. The wood fit together snug, but I could see a tiny edge just above the north arrow.
“I think this might be it. Dévolier!” A thin glow appeared all around the compass. “Aw, yeah. Easy peasy. We need to pry this up.” I tried to get my fingers under it. “Damnit… I need my tools.”
“You can’t just use magic?” Graham asked.
“Magic isn’t great at heavy lifting.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. No time for that. I need something…”
“Here, move over.” Graham reached his demon claws around the edge and pulled up the compass. This was no easy task for him, involving a lot of grunting and straining of muscles. It was one big, heavy piece that fit snug in the floor and there was nothing for me to do but watch him drag it out while his already half-destroyed clothes started sliding off him. What punishment.
“That’s an honest days’ work,” he huffed. “Luckily, you were right. There it is.”
Under the medallion was a familiar wrapped shape. The second piece of Pandora’s Box. I grabbed it, hugging it to my chest. “Okay, put that back and let’s run.” I looked at Byron. “Byron…you’ll still be trapped here.”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Do we need to move on to the last house?”
He smiled. He was never able to answer my questions, but his expressions told me plenty when I figured out what to do.
“I’ll take that as a yes. I’ll see you soon. Graham and I will figure it out.”
“I eagerly await the next time I lay eyes on your lively face, angel.”
“Take care,” I said, my cheeks burning as Graham was witness to Byron’s romantic words.
Then I bolted with my bounty, trying not to let my emotions get entangled in the house. I thought I would be walking every room of this house many times, dreaming of how I would transform it, getting to know its quirks. I thought I would get to decide exactly what to change and what to keep. I thought I would be on my hands and knees and atop ladders making Greenwood Manor shine from top to bottom.
Now I could hardly bear to look at the beautiful house. And I had to leave Byron behind with hardly a goodbye, with only the hope that there were no more secrets to discover here.
We reached the car and Graham said, “How do I get into my car? I need to turn back into a human.”
“You just…do it. Use your will.”
He leaned an arm on the roof of the car. “I liked the way you looked at me when you first saw me this way.”
Cheek status: still burning. “Um…well…”
“You said I can only take this form in the magical world.”
“Okay, Graham, well, we don’t have time to explore your demon form,” I snapped, as much as I wanted to. The idea of Graham discovering what his body could do at the same time as I did…that was turning me on more than I wanted to admit. “Just turn back.”
“It’s difficult.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I feel amazing. And I want you so badly