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

admit this place is weird, this situation is strange, but what you're trying to convince me of is... it's just ridiculous.”
    Standing tall, he cracked his neck loudly. The crunching pops made me flinch. “It's time you saw. Come, Miss Blooms.”
    I had the oddest thought that he expected me to take his hand. He, instead, began wandering down the dim hall to our right. “Where are we going?”
    “You wanted to see the house.”
    “I—I wanted to understand what you meant when you said Tessa was a witch.”
    He nodded, leading us through a long, high hall. “You want facts. This will explain both things.”
    As we walked, I gazed upwards at the ceiling. It was good to be in such a big place (he and I could walk side by side) but I was left wondering, again, why it was so dark. “Why are there no lights on in here?”
    “It was Tessa's job to do that.”
    “You can't turn on a light?” I scoffed, folding my arms into a tight knot. “It doesn't take much.”
    Grault slowed, and in the shadows, I almost bumped into him. We were close enough to touch, his charcoal eyes fixed down on me like I'd said something entirely stupid. “Normally, you'd be correct. However, that isn't the case here.”
    Squirming under his cold gaze, I hugged myself tighter. “Why is that?”
    He tilted his head, returning to guiding us towards the end of the hall. It felt like we'd walked for some time, when I thought about it. “The house only ever listened to Tessa. Without her, there's been no way to get the lights back on.”
    I saw him getting further away, realized I'd stopped walking entirely. He noticed, too, pausing to eye me with clear exasperation.
    But I didn't care.
    “I'm sorry,” I said, my lips dry no matter how I licked them. “Did you just say the house listened ?”
    “I did, yes.”
    “ The house? ”
    Grault shut his eyes, white lashes almost vanishing on his pallid cheeks. “The house. Miss Blooms, if I have to keep stopping to explain every little thing it will be quite draining.”
    “How am I supposed to react when 'every little thing' sounds completely insane!” I blurted, wincing at how my voice echoed around us.
    He moved his arms, gesturing around himself towards the exit. Beyond him, I could vaguely see greenish light. “I'm doing my best to explain things to you. Come along so you can grasp it better.”
    Is he mocking me? I couldn't tell, he was always so flat. Or angry. Around me, I had the oddest sensation that the halls were shifting. It was easy to blame on my fear of small spaces, though the feeling that the walls were somehow breathing in and out was not. Tensing my jaw, I scurried forward as calmly as possible. When Grault and I exited the hallway, my nerves reluctantly settled.
    We stood in a wide room, stairs extending upwards from all directions around us. It reminded me of being in the center of a compass. “What is all of this?”
    “This is the main room,” he said, waving over his head. “The tenants stay in rooms above here, up these stairs.”
    “Are we going to meet them now?”
    Grault peered down at me, seeming to consider the option. “Not yet. I want you to see something else first.”
    There was another hallway across from the last one. I followed him down it, amazed by how people could choose to stay in a place so dark and quiet. Musty, too. It smells like dirt, I hope there isn't deadly mold hiding around here.
    We didn't go far before Grault stopped. To our left was a door, basic in every sense. I thought he was getting his bearings, until he reached out to touch the brass knob. Grunting, he gave it a hard twist.
    Nothing happened.
    “Is it stuck? Do you need a key?” I asked, expecting him to look embarrassed. Instead, he tipped his head at me and gestured at the door.
    “Miss Blooms, after you.”
    My face fell, eyebrows scrunching. “What do you mean 'after me?'”
    “I can't open this door, I need you to do it.” As if to make a point, he gripped the handle with