Anathema (Causal Enchantment, #1) (4 page)

A throat cleared. I turned to find the car door
wide open and a white–haired man in a three–piece suit patiently
waiting, his hand outstretched.

“
Sorry!” I scurried across the seat
to accept his hand. My feet landed on cobblestones as I slid
out.

“
Good evening, Miss Evangeline,” the
man said in a rich British accent as he executed a formal bow. “I
am Leonardo, the butler. Please inform me if you require anything
at all during your stay.”

I nodded dumbly, awed as much by him as I was
by my surroundings. It was warm in here—balmy, compared to the
frigid temperature outside. I took a few steps forward and knelt to
touch a velvety rose petal. “I didn’t think roses could bloom this
late.”

“
They don’t, normally. Look up,”
Sofie said. “See the dome?”

I tipped my head back and squinted at the dark
night sky above us, finally noticing the web of black lines holding
the glass panes between them in an intricate pattern. The giant
courtyard was an atrium.

“
Feel free to tour the gardens,”
Leonardo offered, smiling encouragement.

I hesitated only a second before returning the
smile and taking off down one of the paths like a child
investigating a secret garden. Until tonight, a place like this had
only existed in fairytales filled with royal palaces and
princesses. Now, as I strolled along the cobblestone path, inhaling
the heady scents of lavender and mint, it was real. And I was
living in it.

Something white in the center of the atrium
caught my eye. Drawn to it, I stopped before a large statue—a
sculpture of a woman in a flowing gown, arms reaching toward the
sky, hands awkwardly clasped together as if offering up a gift to
the heavens.

“
Spectacular, isn’t she? Truly one
of a kind,” a male voice called in an unusual accent. I jumped,
startled, as an attractive blonde man of about thirty in a
pinstriped suit approached along the path. “The smoothest white
marble imaginable. Go on, touch it!” he said in a commanding
tone.

I obliged almost mechanically, leaning forward
to slide my fingertips along the statue’s toes. They were icy cold.
“Very smooth,” I agreed, straightening. Blood instantly rushed to
my head. The ground began to sway. I closed my eyes, vaguely aware
of a strong hand grabbing my arm and moving me.

When the dizziness disappeared, I found myself
sitting at a bistro table near the statue. Sofie, Leonardo, and the
blonde man stood around me, concerned expressions on their faces.
What’s wrong with me lately?
I felt my cheeks grow hot.
“Must be the flight. Or the wine. I’m sorry.” I smiled sheepishly.
When Sofie’s distressed expression didn’t fade, I added, “This
atrium is spectacular,” hoping to redirect their
attention.

The blonde man’s sparkling cobalt–blue eyes
roamed over the gardens, a proud smile stretching his lips. “Isn’t
it, though? I hate the long, cold winters but I love this city too
much to move to a warmer climate. This atrium is the perfect
compromise.”

“
Yes, the gas company agrees
whole–heartedly. The fool keeps them in business, heating this
place,” a man muttered darkly behind me in a thick French accent. I
turned to see a tall, broad–shouldered man with chestnut brown hair
and black eyes marching toward us. He was dressed as sharply as the
blonde.

“
You ridicule, yet you have no
trouble taking full advantage,” the blonde retorted with a deep
scowl, pointing toward the bistro table. When his attention fell
back to me, his face lit up again. “Welcome to our home,
Evangeline! I’m Sofie’s friend, Viggo. That grouch there is
Mortimer.” Viggo draped his arm casually around my shoulder as if
he were a long–time friend. My shoulders tensed in response,
unaccustomed to the closeness. Luckily, if he noticed, he didn’t
seem bothered.

This entire place is theirs?
Wide–eyed, I scanned the multitude of balconies again. “Thank you
for letting me stay here.”

“
Oh, Sofie warned us that you were a
darling, with such manners,” Viggo said, smiling. “I hope it didn’t
take too much convincing to get you here.”

Mortimer chuckled deeply. “Sofie could convince
a troll to abandon his bridge if she set her mind to
it.”

Viggo threw an unimpressed glare at Mortimer
before turning back to me. “But you are far from a troll, my
beautiful Evangeline.” He laughed, his eyes twinkling as he pulled
me out of my chair and squeezed me in a fatherly
side–hug.

It was how I had always imagined my father
would embrace me, if I had known him. My dad had never been in the
picture, deciding fatherhood was too daunting the second he learned
of his seventeen–year–old girlfriend’s pregnancy. Oddly enough, he
had no concerns about scaling treacherous cliffs. It was a freak
mountain climbing accident—not the cries of a little girl—that had
killed him.

My face flared with heat at Viggo’s brazen
compliment. “Give her room to breathe, Viggo,” Sofie warned. “She’s
been two seconds away from a mild coronary the entire trip
here.”

Viggo chuckled. “Come. Let’s show you to your
room. You must be exhausted. This way.”

I turned to follow him. And gasped.

Four beasts stood in a row ten feet away from
me, their unsettling, beady yellow eyes studying me with suspicion.
I call them beasts because they were simply too large to be
anything else. Their cropped, pointy ears were level with my
shoulders—and at five foot nine, I was by no means considered
short. Their muscular bodies, covered in glossy black fur, were
easily triple my weight.

One of them sauntered forward, its talon–like
claws clicking against the cobblestones with each step. It halted
in front of Mortimer for a sniff and a pat, its gaze never leaving
mine.

“
Evangeline, meet Maximus,
Sebastian, Charleston, and Remington. My fiercely loyal and
protective guard dogs.” Mortimer gave the dog a playful shove
before pulling its head affectionately into his chest.

“
What kind of dogs are they?” I
asked warily, edging back to stand behind Viggo.

“
Oh, they’re … a unique strain. No
others exist in the world.”

“
Because their mother was a horse?”
I mumbled under my breath.

Mortimer’s laughter reverberated throughout the
atrium. It was deep and menacing and left me unsettled. “I agree,
they are much larger than we had expected—and they consume the
equivalent of a horse.”

My hand flew to my mouth.

“
Don’t be worried about offending
us, dear Evangeline,” Viggo said, patting my back,
chuckling.

“
You don’t like my dogs?” Mortimer’s
eyes narrowed.

“
Oh, no! I’m just … shocked by their
size.” I stepped forward and reached up to stiffly pat the top of a
head. I didn’t know whose. They all looked the same.

Mortimer laughed again, obviously aware of my
discomfort. “You will learn to appreciate their companionship, I
promise,” he called over his shoulder as he walked down the path
toward a set of double red doors embedded in one of the
walls.

I peered at the four pairs of eyes gazing back
at me, unconvinced.

I received the grand tour of their home, or
parts of it, because a full tour would have lasted into the wee
hours of the night. Viggo explained the extensive renovations while
we wove through the countless rooms and marbled hallways, including
the construction of an atrium where one had never
existed.

“
We could have built an identical
home from the ground up for one–eighth of the cost,” Mortimer
complained. “But Viggo had to have
this
location and what
Viggo wants, Viggo gets.”

Viggo only winked in response.

So they lived together. That meant they were
more than platonic friends—although, listening to their
interaction, I never in a million years would have guessed
it.

We ended the tour on the top floor. Viggo
pushed open a set of double doors, and threw his arms wide. “Your
suite, mademoiselle.”

To the left of me was a king–sized four–poster
bed, dressed in layers of feathery pillows and opulent bedding, all
in a mixture of white and silvery gray. Circular glass tables on
either side of the bed held crystal lamps and fresh bouquets of
ivory calla lilies, and a crystal chandelier sparkled above it all.
To my right, a white velvet chaise waited beside an oversized
fireplace. A watercolor of a young girl picking wild flowers hung
over the marble mantel. The softly–hued image stirred familiarity
within me, though I couldn’t place it.

“
Leonardo stocked your room with
clothing, toiletries, and the like,” Viggo said, placing a firm
hand on my back to prod me toward a door in the opposite wall. With
the turn of a knob and the flick of a switch, I found myself
standing in a walk–in closet filled with a department store–worth
of clothing and shoes. “Everything your little heart may require
for your stay,” he added with a smile.

My jaw dropped.
All for me?

“
Yes, it’s for you. It should fit
perfectly. All new and—” His eyes narrowed as something caught his
attention. He walked over and reached into a basket to pull out a
lacy pink thong. “Oh, you old devil, Leonardo.” He
grinned.

If there was a competition over whose face
turned a harsher shade of red—Leonardo’s or mine—I couldn’t say who
would win.

Leonardo gruffly cleared his throat. “Martha
was in charge of those … items,” he answered curtly. Spinning on
his heels, he marched out of the room.

“
I should be more careful or I’ll
give the old man a heart attack,” Viggo murmured, casually tossing
the frilly thing back into the basket and walking out.

I followed, still shocked by their generosity.
At least that solves my underwear issue
…

“
It’s late. You likely need your
rest,” Mortimer exclaimed after releasing an obviously phony
yawn.

“
Please help yourself to anything in
the kitchen, should you get hungry. Our staff made sure the fridge
was fully stocked,” Viggo added, patting my back.

They all turned to leave.

I panicked. “Wait!” Three sets of piercing eyes
turned to regard me curiously. “What if I get lost?”

Viggo threw his head back and howled with
laughter. “Oh, you are precious, aren’t you!” He pinched my
cheek.

“
Maximus will guide you,” Mortimer
answered, trying to keep his amusement from showing.

I turned to find that the massive animal had
crept in behind me. I eyed the beast skeptically.

“
Don’t worry, he knows this place
well.” Viggo chuckled.

Maximus stared at me with oddly perceptive eyes
for a moment and then, letting out an unimpressed groan, he flopped
down beside the fireplace.

Sofie was the last to leave. She gave me a
small, apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. Those two can be …
overwhelming.”

I shook my head, giggling “They’re nice. And
extremely generous.”

Sofie bit her bottom lip, suddenly pensive.
“I’m just down the hall if you need me.”

“
No worries. I have a tour guide,
remember?”

Sofie glanced over at the big beast, her eyes
narrowing to slits. “Well, if you need anything, I’m
there.”

“
You’re kidding, right? What more
could I possibly need?” I waved to the luxurious suite. “I could
die a happy girl here, tonight.”

Sofie’s face contorted in horror for a second
before she schooled it to her normally reserved expression. “Well,
good night then.” With another icy gaze at the giant mass of canine
muscle, she was gone, walking briskly down the hall.

“
Well, I guess it’s just you and me,
Maximus. Max.”

Max groaned and stood. He walked over to stand
beside the bed and lifted one paw to the mattress, patting it
several times as if instructing me to get in.

I laughed, my fear of him melting away. He
didn’t look so threatening after all. “Are you trying to tell me
something?” I glanced at the bedside clock. A quarter to midnight,
and I was wired. There was no way I’d get any sleep tonight.
But I may as well get comfortable,
I decided, heading to
the closet to find some pajamas.