Page 57 of A House of Gold
I flip through,scanning names. Most I don’t recognize. A few are famous—politicians, artists, business magnates. People who made deals for power, for glory, for gold. People whose success came at the cost of their souls.
I find my grandmother on page 300.
Name: Meredith Anne Vesper
Date of Contract: 15 March 2022
Terms: Ability to research knowledge of the first falling. Access to restricted texts regarding the Morningstar’s division.
Payment: Seven years of service, split between the Seven Houses. Upon completion or death, soul belongs to the House of Gold.
Duration: Seven years (two served before termination)
Status: DECEASED - Contract transferred to heir (Raven Vesper)
I read it three times. Four. Five.
Knowledge of the first falling.
The Morningstar’s division.
My grandmother wasn’t here to break contracts or learn magic or gain power. She was researching something specific. Something about Lucifer and about how he fell.
She was researching the angels themselves.
“Find something interesting?”
I slam the ledger shut, spin around. Croesus is standing behind me, hands clasped behind his back, with an unreadable expression on his perfect face. How long has he been there? How much did he see?
“Just curious,” I say, trying to sound casual. “I wanted to know more about my grandmother’s deal since I’m bearing the cost of it now.”
“And now you do.” He moves closer, and I resist the urge to back away. “She wanted knowledge. I gave it to her. She served two years. Then she died. Her debt passed to you. Simpletransaction.” His gold eyes fix on mine. “Unless you think there’s something more complicated happening here?”
It’s a test. I can feel it. He’s waiting to see if I’ll lie, if I’ll pretend ignorance, if I’ll try to hide what I’m actually looking for.
But Nat said I’m not a liar, said I carry my secrets openly, honestly. He wasn’t wrong.
So I meet Croesus’s gaze and tell him the truth.
“I think my grandmother found something. Something dangerous enough that she died for it.” I tap the closed ledger. “And I think whatever she was researching? I’m going to finish it.”
Silence. Long enough that I worry I’ve overplayed my hand.
Then Croesus smiles. It’s not a kind smile. It’s the smile of a predator who’s just realized his prey is more interesting than he thought.
“Good,” he says. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
He turns and walks away, leaving me alone with the ledger and a thousand questions I don’t have answers to.
I open the book again and stare at my grandmother’s entry. Knowledge of the first falling.
What did you find, Gramms? What was worth seven years of your life? Worth your death? Worth passing this burden to me?
I pull out my phone and take a picture of the entry. Evidence. Something to refer to when the house’s shifting reality makes me doubt my memory.
Then I close the ledger, return it to the shelf, and walk out of the library with my heart pounding and my mind racing.
Nat is waiting in the corridor outside. He doesn’t ask whether I found anything. Just looks at me with those truth-seeing eyes and nods once, like he already knows.
