Façade [Book 2] (Glamour Series)

18 | Graceless Fate

My feet hit each step carefully, my left hand on the railing, but even then I managed to get so caught up in thought my feet came out from under me.

An achy sting of adrenaline rushed to my feet as the ground was swept away from below. The prickles of surprise latched themselves to the palms of my feet, while my heart and stomach dropped a couple feet in shock.

Even as I fell, going up the stairs, I couldn't get my mind off of what Joe had told me.

My aura was tainted? I was turning evil?

Could it be a lie? Is he lying to me?

My body wanted so much of that statement to be true but, it also knew better than to recognize itself as nothing more than a façade.

I gasped as my body started to lean backwards down the stairs; my luck was already starting to run thin today. My breathe got caught in my throat, my eyes closing, and I barely had enough time to enchant myself away.

It didn't work.

The shock of both my falling and not being able to cast the easiest spell in my books eluded me. My brows came together, my stomach clenching, and I knew that I needed to brace myself for a long painful fall back to floor one.

As soon as I was ready to hit the first steps behind me, something warm invaded my back side and wrapped it's arms around my stomach- putting my fall to a halt.

"Eris." If his voice hadn't sent me shivers, then it was the after-shock with a dose of surprise. "Careful."

I looked over my left shoulder to get a glance at my savior, words fumbled in my trembling lips as I stared at his olive skin and bright green eyes. His nose was warm against my temple and I feared his breath would tickle my ear when he spoke. His knees rested between my shoulder blades, holding me from slipping further down the steep stairs. "Laurence." I whisper as best I can, acknowledging his presence, "thank you." I swallow a lump in my throat and try to regain myself- but he held me closer. My heart pounded in my chest, flitting about with untamed pulses. I wasn't sure if it was his lilac scent of my fall that had me in such a daze but thought was shoved out of mind as soon as it appeared.

He laughs slightly: "You're very welcome, although I think it would be better if I were to mention you shouldn't go flying down flights of stairs. It's not safe."

My chest filled with bitter happiness, his light hearted attitude left me in a state of bliss and fuzzy confusion at his new tone.

Casual conversation with the position we were in had my stomach flipping with awkwardness. Though, it made me happy to know he had saved me from a lot of pain and it got him to talk to me again.

His arms situated so my arms were inside of his; driving in his warmth to my bare skin.

I was wanting to get up so my head was above my feet and not the other way around.

Laurence seemed to read my thoughts, and helped me off the slope of stairs. He had made an the executive decision to help me up the rest of the stairs with his fingers lightly hovering on the small of my back. I didn't mind, however, when we reached the top of the steps I sigh and press myself against the railing looking out into the lobby area.

"What's wrong?" Laurence asks.

I shrug and glance his way at the corners of my eyes. "If I asked you a question will you answer me honestly?"

Laurence huffs playfully and closes his eyes to a small laugh that dances sweetly from his lips. "That depends, Eris Meyer, what is it you would like to ask me?"

I swallow my spit, turning away from him and looking out to the front doors where a couple of people stride in and to the check-in area: it's like this mansion was a hotel. "Where did you go?"

Laurence doesn't reply right away, but in his silence he steps up to my right side and looks out at the scenery with his arms crossed over the cold wood railing. His eyes flicker about, back an forth, and he breathes in softly. "I was with a friend."

My lips press to a thin line and my face sinks downward for a moment in thought. "Why did you leave?"

"I was doing my research."

"Research?" I glance once at him, noting his somber eyes and playful smirk. What was he thinking?

"We were tracking locations for your father." Laurence's eyes light up for a moment, as if a lightbulb just went off in his head and blew up in a million pieces. "What are they doing here?" He whispers to himself.

"I see. And did you find him?"

My question was left unanswered because he gives a glance at me and a sigh. "I'm going to have to pause this conversation for another time, Eris, I apologize. I have other important matters to attend to as of now." Laurence's gaze rushes down to the front doors of the mansion, his body rushes behind me and down the staircase: leaving behind a small draft of stirred air.

I followed his body till he opened the front door, which had previously been banged senseless.

My heart jumped into my throat, tears threatened the edges of my vision, and I no longer could hold myself up.

What was standing in the doorway of the Dead King's mansion was non-other than my own mother and my husband to-be.