Jaden (St. Sebastians Quartet #1) by Heather Elizabeth King Read Free Book Online Page B

expecting, Hayley had dressed simply in a black, sleeveless sheath that came to just above her knees. The only bit of whimsy were her open toe sandals. She wasn't overly dressy, but not casual either. The look was stunning.
    "Wow," Jaden said. "You clean up nice."
    "You're not too bad yourself."
    Jaden had worn the beige dress with spaghetti straps and high-heeled sandals Jaden had picked out for her that afternoon. The dress was shorter than she typically would have worn, but the cut made her look thin. As soon as she'd put it on she'd felt a bit like maybe she did belong in St. Sebastians.
    "Come in. What do you want to drink?"
    "Riesling."
    "Whiskey," Hayley looked at Jaden over her shoulder and grinned. "You're going to have a good time tonight."
    "I don't drink hard liquor." Except after I have nightmares about my ghost and wake up with bruises on my face, she thought.
    "Just one glass. That's all you'll need."
    Hayley paused in the back hall and pointed to the left. "That's the door to my office and my private bathroom. If you have to go, go here."
    Jaden laughed. "Thanks."
    In a few steps they were in the main gallery. Jaden scanned the room quickly and located a bar at the far end of the room. It had been set up for the occasion, but it had been tastefully done. It didn't clash with the art. There was also a register, and a jazz quartet in a corner of the gallery. As galleries went, this one was nice. The walls were stark white, as were the floor and ceiling. It would have seemed sterile if not for the bar and band. Then she saw the art. Jaden crossed the gallery, staring at the paintings. She hadn't known what she'd been expecting, but it wasn't this. This was dark. There was misery in the paintings. Misery and suffering. This was the stuff of nightmares.
    She focused in on one of the paintings as she walked. The reds and blacks played out against the faces of the people on the canvass. Their mouths were open, as though they were screaming. That they were screaming and not singing was obvious. Their eyes were furrowed. Their bodies were bent, as if they were in physical pain. But the most disturbing aspect of the painting was the shadow of a broad figure. A man? The shadow loomed over the people, barely visible, but unmistakable.
    It was like her nightmare of the Red World.
    "Who did this?" Jaden asked.
    Hayley shrugged. "Guess."
    "I can't guess. I don't know anybody here except—this is yours? You're the artist? You did this?" Jaden hadn't meant to sound so accusatory, but she couldn't help it. The paintings were shocking.
    If Hayley had taken offense, she didn't give an indication. She simply smiled and nodded. "What's the fun of owning a gallery if you can't display your own work. This is my first show."
    "But where did the inspiration come from?"
    Hayley tapped a finger against her temple. "It's all up here."
    "I'd never guess this was in your head." Jaden realized how that had sounded. "Not that there's anything wrong with this."
    Hayley nudged the side of the painting with a finger, "I understand. It's very dark. People don't see me that way. But there's darkness in all of us. Don't you think?"
    Jaden pulled her gaze from the painting to stare at the artist. A chill ran down her spine.
    "Well, it's time to open up," Hayley said, and broke the contact. She motioned at someone as she walked away. A moment later, a lady in a lavender dress opened the front doors.
    Only then, when the sound of conversation filled the room and people filled the gallery, was Jaden able to move away from that painting.
    'There's darkness in all of us,' Hayley had said. And what had she meant by that? And how had she painted Jaden's dream in such detail. The screaming, the bent bodies, the agony. She could almost hear their cries.
    Yeah, maybe she would have a whiskey after all. If the rest were like the first, she'd need it. She forced herself to calm down and slowly inhale. It was only one painting and it had been a coincidence.