Page 97 of The Shade of Things
Now I had my doubts. This run-down hotel was so like its owner it hurt. A disaster on the outside and a shining beautiful jewel inside. Had Laurent left the exterior like this because he believed it was hopeless? Boarded up and falling apart?
Was he honestly unable to see the strong foundation and good bones? Its worth was so obvious to anyone who bothered to look. The wrought-iron railings were made with a precise and timeless craftsmanship, requiring only some rust remover, while the black chevron pattern that ran horizontally between each of the three stories added an affable charm to the sleek, sharp edges.
Laurent put all his time and energy and love into restoring the interior, then fiercely guarded who he let see it. Except, I’d seen glimpses of the exterior that matched the passion that burned inside him. The man he’d been before something had happened to distort the reflection of who he now saw in the mirror.
Boo scampered past me as I walked toward the side entrance, slipping through the ajar door. The gray kitten was no longer the tiny ball of fluff I’d first met. Larger and sleeker, she was a rambunctious teenager, and like her human counterparts, she was testing her boundaries, pouncing on a sneaker and batting it between her claws.
Piano music floated on the breeze, a dreamy classical piece that I recognized as Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp Minor.
I rapped on the door and called out his name, but he didn’t answer. Even if he was in the back, he’d be able to hear and smell me with his… I dropped my hand. He didn’t have his shifter magic back yet. I debated whether to stay or go, but my desire to finally clear the air between us won out. I walked into the foyer and stopped at the sight of him at the piano, shirtless, his back muscles flexing as he poured his soul into the music.
Closing my eyes, I let the rapid notes flow over me like water. Shivers skated over my body at the chords crashing down like the pounding of waves, the melody easing to a gentle swell, his touch light and dreamy.
My breath caught on a lingering note, then the tempo picked up, and I opened my eyes. Laurent swayed, hunched over the keys, the music growing and growing to a crescendo that spun back out like sugar for the final notes, dusting the room with the same gold as the afternoon light.
My eyes were damp when he finished, my throat thick.
He danced his fingers over a couple of keys. “I haven’t played for anyone in a long time.”
“A shame.”
He spun around on the bench, his eyes flaring hot and bright as he drank me in. “I’m glad you came.”
“Uh, good. Can I sit down?” At his nod, I slid off my heels and crossed the checkerboard parquet to his huge sofa near the fireplace.
He remained where he was, scooping a wriggling Boo into his lap.
I pointed at his regenerated shadow. “Your magic’s back?”
“I believe so.” He held up a hand. “I only tested my claws.”
“Hopefully all is well.” Weighing my next words carefully, positive Zev would sense if I broke my promise, I moved aside his shirt that was tossed carelessly over the back of the sofa, resisting the urge to press it to my nose. “Tell me what you know.”
Laurent scratched Boo’s ear. “You have to be more specific.”
“I can’t.” I smoothed out my skirt. “I promised Zev.”
“Ah. That.” He bowed his head, his attention on the cat, but when she bit his finger and jumped off, Laurent gave me a wry smile. “Guess that’s my cue.”
I bunched my fists into my skirt material. “Yes.”
He frowned, looking off, as if slotting his words into the correct order. “The day you ran out of Tatiana’s with that ridiculous excuse about shoes, I couldn’t understand why you were so flustered, so insistent on knowing when my aunt’s car accident had happened.” He shook his head. “Only that you freaked out when you heard ‘Mack the Knife.’”
“Did you piece together the whole story?” I raised stricken eyes to him, torn between relief and regret. How would this change things between us?
Laurent joined me on the sofa. “It was a guess at first. Tatiana’s favorite song plus your interest in her accident, specifically the timeline that fit your parents’ murders. They were part of this somehow.”
He reached for his shirt and shrugged into it, doing up the buttons with strong, elegant fingers. It should have looked silly paired with the loose board shorts he wore, but Laurent could throw anything on and make a person look twice in admiration. It was his combination of utter indifference and incredible grace.
“That got me wondering about your uncle’s letter and our visit to Poe and the Casino,” he said. “This Ascendant is at the heart of Tatiana’s car crash, isn’t it?”
I hugged a pillow to my chest. “Did you ask her?”
Laurent’s eyes softened. “No. I haven’t said a word to my aunt. I asked Emmett if you’d mentioned the letter to him. That’s when he told me about the prophecy.” He paused. “What does the Ascendant do?”
“It opens a door to Gehenna,” I said. “Like the one we found on the Grouse Grind.”
“Merde! That’s how the Consortium had dybbuks.” He rubbed his chin, his expression softening from angry to thoughtful. “If there was more than one amplifier there wouldn’t be the same urgency to find it, so the tear on the mountain must have either been a natural weak spot or a residual effect of the Ascendant’s existence.”
