Protected by Stone (A Paranormal Romance Novel) by Cynthia Brint Read Free Book Online

filtered through the tinted windows. I spotted lamps hanging around, but none were lit.
    Across from the door, amazingly clean looking in shiny dark wood, was a tall desk one would find in a hotel. A wide rug the color of spilled wine muffled my steps towards it. “Hello?” I called out again, glancing sideways at the open archways. Beyond them, it was hard to see anything. “Is anyone—ah!”
    Grault walked from the left hallway, his skin looking greenish in the odd lighting. If he was relieved to see me, his face didn't give any hint. “Miss Blooms, you're finally here. Thank goodness.” For a second, he hunched forward. I thought he was planning to bow. I was relieved when he didn't.
    “Grault, you scared me.” Breathing out loudly, I tried to mull my own joy. It was good to see someone familiar, especially in such a brooding house. “I—wait, finally? I came as fast as I could!”
    “You should have come last night.”
    “In the dark? Really?” Arching an eyebrow, I gripped my hips. “When did you get here?”
    He didn't have the courtesy to blink. “Last night.”
    “Uh huh. How did you manage that?”
    Again, he was deadpan. “I flew.”
    “Mmhm, mmhm. Of course you did. I bet you landed the plane on the roof, too, and...” A flicker of movement on the edge of my vision stopped me. I inspected the shadows of the hallway to my right. “I—did you see that just now?”
    Before I could investigate further, I heard the sound of rustling papers. Glancing back, I could see Grault was dusting off the large book on the desk. “It's just some of the guests, Miss Blooms.”
    “The guests?”
    “I expected they'd want to see you eventually,” he mused, sparing me a look from under his leveled brows. “That it would be so soon surprises me.”
    “Oh, I see.” Smoothing my dress, aware of the specks of dirt clinging to it, I aimed a nervous smile at the doorway. “Ahem. Ah, hello! I'm—well, I'm Farra Blooms.”
    No sound came, no movement.
    My tall companion chuckled. “Miss Blooms, you must forgive them. They're used to Tessa.”
    A twinge of discomfort moved up my spine. I'd never known people to be so shy that they wouldn't even come introduce themselves. It didn't feel right. Nothing here feels quite right, actually. I think I've realized that for a bit.
    He motioned at me, the impatience I'd sensed the first time I'd met him coming through. With another wary glance at the hall, I went to stand beside him. “Now, Miss Blooms, I'd like to go over the paperwork with you.”
    I winced at the word. “Wait, hold on. I want to see this place before I start signing things.”
    “Miss Blooms, this is very important.”
    “You said coming here was important,” I muttered, giving him my best serious squint. “Well, I'm here. You also said when I got here, that you'd answer my questions.”
    “That's hardly the issue at the moment—”
    Lifting my hand, I cut him off with a sharp wag of a finger. “No no. You woke me up at an ungodly hour, threw me on a train alone , and assured me when I came here that you'd tell me what I wanted. I've got questions, which I think is entirely fair!”
    His mouth crinkled like he'd bit into a lemon. Then, with a dramatic sigh, he slumped in front of me. “I'd hoped to ease you in gently to all of this, Miss Blooms. It was clear you knew nothing about Tessa when we first met. That you had little concept of what she did, or why, or anything of it.”
    I remembered his words to me when I'd left the train station. “You told me she was a... a witch.” Just saying the word felt odd. Must be the environment, this place is spooky. “But clearly you meant that in some sort of historical sense, or something else, right?” His quiet, evaluating stare set my blood pumping too fast to my heart. “You can't mean, well, the magical broom sort of person.”
    “She never rode a broom,” he said, considering my words too seriously.
    I didn't like that.
    “Grault, stop. I