Death's Dragon Box Set

Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Our greeter gave us a bright smile that stretched across his pale face. He had short dirty blond hair and wore a long, elegant jacket over a frilled white blouse. His trousers were the dark color of his coat, and his black shoes were so shiny they reflected my surprised face. He stood about my height and inspected us with a look of his own surprise and curiosity.

When he spoke, it was with a slight accent that I recognized as French. “Good evening, Duncan. I see you’ve brought quite the surprise for me.”

Duncan nodded. “We have a new guest among us. Adi, this is Julien Beaumont.”

Julien bowed his head to me. “A pleasure to meet you, mademoiselle, but I am still very confused.” His gaze lingered a moment on my left eye before he returned his attention to Duncan. “How did she come to be here?”

“A wolf led her astray and she chanced to eat a berry from the realm,” Duncan explained.

Julien’s face fell and a look of pity replaced the confusion. “I see. My sincerest condolences. Have you informed Mordra of what happened?”

Duncan pursed his lips. “I have, and her instructions are to have Adi remain with us.”

Julien’s slim eyebrows shot up. “Truly? What a pleasant surprise.”

Duncan nodded at me. “What’s even more surprising is her eye. She informed me it wasn’t that color before she arrived.”

Julien smiled at me. “Nor were mine, though I had such a light shade of blue that one could hardly tell I had color. But where are my manners?” He stepped aside and swept one arm into the lofty entrance hall. “Please do come in.”

Duncan and I slipped into the large but cozy hall. The interior was as ornate as the outside, with a sparkling chandelier over our heads and walls filled with tapestries and portraits with gilded borders. Slim, delicate wood furniture with glistening white paint stood against the walls, and on their tops were vases of the same delicacy. Doorways on either side led into the depths of the home, and ahead of us stood a double-sided curved stair that led up to the higher floors. The marble floor shone like his polished boots and the candlelight in the chandelier made everything shine with a flickering, haunting glow.

Julien gestured to the left side where I could make out a salon that featured furniture with clawed feet. “This way, if you would.”

Our host led us into the parlor and seated me on a small couch while Duncan took a high-backed salon chair. A fireplace stood in the wall that divided the salon from the rest of the wing, and a cheerful fire burned in its hearth.

Julien himself took up a seat on a chair exactly like that which Duncan occupied. He leaned back and crossed one leg over the other as he draped his slim limbs over the sides of the arms. His focus lay on me. “So, you have come to ask me about my eyes, have you not?”

My hands fidgeted together in my lap. “Y-yes. I mean, does it mean something?”

He looked me up and down. “Does it hurt?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“How?”

I lifted up one hand and brushed my fingers over my left eye. “Like cold ice.”

“So cold it is painful?”

The voice had come from just beside me, and I nearly jumped out of my skin when a rodent the size of a small lizard leapt onto the cushion beside me. What I did do was let out a yelp and leap to my feet.

The rat sat back on its haunches and twitched its whiskers at me. Then it spoke. “You are very nervous, are you not?”

I gawked at the rodent. “You… it…” I whipped my head up to gape at the men and pointed a finger at the rodent. “Did that rat just talk?”

The rat slammed his tiny foot on the cushion. “Of course, I spoke! Why can I not?”

A chuckle came from our host. “You must forgive Fantome. He often forgets that his kind cannot communicate outside of this land.”

Fantome lifted his long nose. “Perhaps my kind chooses not to communicate with such riffraff as this woman.”

I noticed Duncan tensed slightly. Julien’s eyes flickered over to him, as well, before they returned to his vermin friend. “You forget yourself, Fantome. These are our guests, and you were rude to startle her.”

Fantome turned his back to me and crossed his arms over his chest. “I suppose that is true…”

“Then you owe her an apology,” Julien insisted.

Fantome twitched his tail and his whiskers. “I suppose I am apologetic for my behavior.” He sprang off the couch and bounced across the floor to disappear into the next room.

Julien sighed. “My sincerest apologies. He is too often in such a foul mood.”

I eased myself back onto the couch. “I guess I am a little jumpy.”

Julien offered me a smile as he clasped his hands together in front of him. “You have nothing to apologize for, mademoiselle. One always has quite a shock upon entering the Land of Shadows. Sometimes literally for those unfortunate enough to pass under the guidance of a lightning strike.” A low chuckle escaped him at his dark joke.

“Your eyes, Julien,” Duncan spoke up.

Julien shook himself of his glee and inclined his head to me. “My sincerest apologies, mademoiselle. I can assure you the pain will subside. The agony of death never lasts very long.”

My heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?”

He tapped one finger against his temple close to his own left white eye. “Through this eye you witnessed your own death. In seeing that end your eye retained some of the wondrous terror which death brings to its victims.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, and I couldn’t help but throw a look at Duncan. “So, it just changed its color?”

He smiled and shook his head. “No, mademoiselle. In time you will see what cannot be seen by others.” He leaned forward and his wide eyes caught mine in their haunting gaze. “You will see the dead.”

My heart skipped a beat and the fingers on both my hands tightly gripped the front edge of the couch cushion. “Like… ghosts?”

He nodded. “Ghosts. Phantoms. Apparitions. They will all come to you when your power has grown strong enough.”

Duncan furrowed his brow at his friend. “Are you sure?”

Julien leaned back and shook his head. “To speak the truth, old friend, I cannot be sure. I can only speak from my own experience.” He paused and studied me again. “In my many long years I have not met another like me. Perhaps she will not see as I see, and you know as well as the others what a blessing that would be for her.”

Duncan stood and nodded. “I know.” He turned to me and offered me his hand. “We should go.”

Confusion reigned in my mind, but I accepted his hand, and he helped me up. Julien followed us to the entrance hall. “I am sorry I could not be of more help, mademoiselle, but Death still keeps her secrets, even from those who are tasked in keeping some of those secrets.”

I shook my head. “No. I’m glad you told me.”

Julien opened one of the doors and bowed his head. “You are kind, mademoiselle. I hope I will see more of you soon.”

I managed a small smile for him. “I’d like that, and I’d like to see more of your home.”

A bittersweet smile slipped onto his thin lips as he swept his eyes over the entrance hall. “Yes. Mordra was kind enough to provide many of us with exact replicas of our homes as they were when we were alive.”

I turned to our host as Duncan moved a couple of steps ahead of us before stopping. “Why did she pick you to be here?”

Julien shook his head. “She works in mysterious ways, mademoiselle, but I do have this gift” He used a hand to gesture to his eyes, “and I have my intellect. Perhaps she values both in the struggle against these fiends.”

I lifted an eyebrow as I saw my opening. “What do the fiends want?”

Julien looked past me at Duncan, and after a knowing glance he shook his head. “Not yet, mademoiselle. Perhaps another time.” He bowed his head before he stepped back inside and closed the door.

I turned to Duncan with irritation in my eyes. “If we get to your house, you’ll tell me what you guys are protecting?”

He nodded. “I will.”

I stomped toward him, snatched his hand in mine, and tugged him down the ruined cobblestone road. “Then let’s get going.”