Chapter 24
Nova moved fast and picked up the journals she’d marked with any mention of men being taken. She looked down at the number of them. How was she getting them up the ladder? Someday she needed to look into how to build stairs.
Reaching the ladder, she looked around. She’d never actually used the one that was in the closet. There were three ladders installed, for fire escape purposes she always imagined. There was also a tunnel to the old system that ran under the streets. She’d never done more than shone a light there. After looking in it, she decided there was no scenario she could imagine that could happen that she’d ever purposely take that route.
Dropping the journals into a small wicker basket, that was probably three times her age, she awkwardly went up the ladder.
Hurrying out of the upstairs bedroom, she went down the hall to see Bastian sitting at the table she’d left him standing at. The very table that lifted from the floor and revealed the level she lived in. “These are the ones that have mention of men being taken.”
He looked at the basket as she set it on the table. “Did the women observing see the dark ones doing it?”
Sitting down, she picked up her tea and held it between her hands, hoping to hide her nervousness. “I can’t be sure. No one wrote about it as plainly as I have, but the wording or their feelings lead me to believe they may have.”
He leaned over and took out the first journal. He ran his fingers over the name and birthdate on it, a faraway look in his eyes as if he were remembering that time. His eyes flicked back to look at her. “It’s strange. Putting names to faces that I searched for.” Clearing his throat, he opened it and flipped to the first page she’d marked. “How did you find these?”
She sipped her tea, debating on how much to reveal. “Memories, that weren’t mine.”
“You gathered them up and brought them here?” He looked around.
She shook her head. “They were all here.”
“The souls’ memories are that clear? That they’ve brought each woman to this place?”
She nodded.
“And the one before you, what do you know of her?”
“Only what she wrote—and the flashes I have of things that fit close to this time period.”
He read a bit and then looked at her again. “How long between? You and the last.”
Nova took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I can’t be sure, but when I found this place, the layer of dust and cobwebs had to be at least thirty years’ worth.” She cringed, remembering the tedious task of cleaning it.
“How old were you?” He picked up another journal and touched the name on the cover.”
“Twenty.”
“Mmm, that’s intriguing, rebirth is almost immediate, yet your soul was waiting for something.”
She knew she was giving him a wide-eyed look now. “That can happen?”
Bastian nodded without looking up from the words on the page. “Rarely, but it can.”
Nova watched him read, the silence was unnerving. He tapped his finger on the journal a few times, a look of cynicism on his face. “It makes sense to you?”
It was a moment before he looked up at her. “In ways that bubble elation through my body.” Leaning back, he studied her for a moment. “There is something that doesn’t make sense to me.”
“What’s that?” If she could clarify things that would help him shed more light and answer her pages of questions, she would be so relieved.
“Why this house is staged to look like you live here, yet there’s no food or dishes, and your archaic refrigerator isn’t even plugged in.” He leaned back. “You keep the journals here because they have always been, and you’d want to maintain that consistency in your soul’s memories on the chance—Gods forbid — you passed on.”
Every muscle in her body tensed.
“Where do you really live, Nova? Are there hidden places scattered about the city?”
Outright lying to him felt very wrong, deep inside, she wasn’t sure why. She chose not to try to. “Each ‘keeper’—” She made quotes in the air as she said it. “—added to this souls’ estate. There are places all over in and out of the city.”
“Investments and holdings?”
She nodded.
“Which explains how you are living completely off the radar and have no traces of your existence online or in any database, other than being born.”
She looked at her hands surrounding the cup to avoid his dissection of her existence.
“Is Nova Gaines your real name?”
Nodding, she finally looked back at him.
“But you have fake ID you use.”
It wasn’t a question, so she just nodded again.
“You are a glorious puzzle, one I plan to solve.” Picking up the next journal, he opened it and started reading the first page, his finger skimming along as he went. He chuckled. “They make me sound very wicked.”
Still reeling from his promise of unraveling her, she spoke without thought. “Aren’t you?”
Moving just his eyes, he looked at her. “I could never harm you, or any of the others in the past. If one of you had of just slowed down and asked, I could have explained.” His grin was slow. “But truth be told, I’m very pleased it was you.” His brows creased. Sitting back, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and then answered it. “King Troy.” His look hardened. “I see. Do you think you can get more details?” He nodded. “I appreciate it.” His smirk was quick as he looked at her. “I dipped on round two of the banquets. Some things are worth the repercussions.” He gave her a heated look and her insides felt like they were simmering. “I’ll be getting an update from the princess later today.” He hung up the phone and looked back over at her. “I need you to stay in for the foreseeable future.”
Her heart accelerated. “What’s going on?”
Closing the journal, he patted it, “I do need to read all these. All of them, later.” Inhaling slowly, he turned back to her. “The two men that we took into custody are sharing information and whoever they are working with is very determined to get their hands on you…”
“I have no intention of going anywhere.”
Bastian looked around and then back to her, tilting his head to the side.
Clearing her throat, she motioned to the bedroom. “I have supplies.”
His gaze flicked to the hall and then back to her. “If you need anything, call, and I will deliver it.”
She was about to remind him that he was a prince and had many more important things to do when her proximity alarm started chiming. Getting up, she rushed over to the door and looked out the peephole. If she were downstairs, she could have just looked at the screen. Relief filled her, she turned to see Bastian right behind her. “It’s your guard.”
He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently moved her aside. Her eyes rounded when he pulled out his own device like the one Tor had and then opened the door. What was that thing?
“We’re clear?”
She didn’t hear if Tor spoke and from her position, she couldn’t see anything but Bastian’s back.
“We need to go see Troy; he had some information for us.”
“Don’t dally,” Tor said loud enough for her to hear. “I don’t want to chance being seen here at her doorstep.”
Bastian closed the door and turned to see her. “You can stay here for a while?”
She nodded. Forever, if need be, she thought.
He took a deep breath, then touched the side of her face gently. “Stay here, set your alarm, and I will call you later—hopefully with news of what’s going on.”
She couldn’t speak, could barely breathe with his warm hand against her. The tingling was there again from the contact, but there was more this time. It took her breath away. She hadn’t been touched in a personal way in—she couldn’t remember how long.
“So lovely,” he whispered, “inside and out.” He winked at her and then yanked open the door and left.
Nova locked the door and then leaned again it. She honestly thought he was going to kiss her. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she might like that. Placing her hand over her forehead, she willed her mind to slow down. She’d found out more this morning than in all of the last seven years.
Spinning around, she set the alarm and moved over to the table. She stood there, debating if she was taking the journals back down or leaving them in case he returned. Gathering them up, she put them in the basket, it was too ingrained in everything she did to make sure things were all together—just in case.
Her heart was still racing. “He’s a very dangerous man,” she murmured as she flipped the table up. “To me especially.”
Hurrying down the ladder, she flipped the lever and looked up to watch it move back into place. The click of the lock sounded louder than usual, only making her think she had just safely locked the outside world away.
Checking the alarm, she hurried to the library and looked at the monitor. There was no one outside her door, she clicked through the other cameras, checking every location. Bastian was gone.
Her breath hitched in her throat. Then she shook her head. She was not allowed to feel bereft over a man she barely knew. Turning she surveyed the mess of journals, books, and papers all over the desk. Now that she had some answers, she needed to clear some of this mess up.
He’d said later. How long was that? She didn’t know, but she hoped it was enough time to decide if she was seeing him again. “Very dangerous man.” She turned and looked at the fish tank like the aquatic creatures were going to back her up. “You are not helpful, guys.”