Easing the duvet off me, I watched for any sign that he was waking. When he didn’t stir, I slowly slipped out of bed, lowering my feet to the floor. I wrapped my arms around myself. Where was the robe?
Hoping it had been placed back on the lounge, I took careful steps towards where I thought it would. Reaching one hand out in front of me, I felt along the soft suede until my fingers skimmed over silk.
I grabbed it and made a quick, silent dash for the door. Out in the darkened hall, I waited to see if he would wake now.
The pounding of my heart made it hard to hear much of anything. When he didn’t make an appearance after I silently counted to sixty twice, I let myself relax a bit.
I pulled the robe on, tying the sash as I walked down the hallway. The house had returned to its ominously silent state. I could hear the waves crashing in from outside. I wondered what time it was. I didn’t have my phone with me. It may have been back on the nightstand, but I didn’t want to risk going back inside the room. That was the very reason why I remained only in this robe.
I wasn’t entirely sure what I should do now. The room that had all of Meg’s things inside was closed up tight at the other end of the hall. I realized now that this was done intentionally. Alaric had wanted significant space between the two of them.
I wanted to know what happened to her and why she chose to take her life.
I didn’t trust Alaric to tell me the truth. I knew he had the answer, but I also knew in my heart of hearts that he had something to do with it. If I thought the answers were locked away inside her bedroom, I would be in there right now searching it like Nancy Drew.
I’d gone through the majority of her things, though, and there wasn’t anything in there that alluded to her being suicidal. Not unless her spending ridiculous amounts of money was a cry for help. Besides, after everything had transpired so far, it felt intrusive to go back into her room.
I had come to this estate to help square away my sister’s belongings and wound up in this confusing situation with her husband. I wonder if she’d hate me for it. I paused at the top of the steps and listened for any sound coming from below.
The silence continued to linger.
I began to descend, wondering what on earth had happened to Demitri. I hadn’t seen him all day or night.
I looked around the lower level, wrapping my arms around myself. This place was far too big for comfort. I wasn’t sure if I was imagining things or not, but I felt like some of the effects from whatever Alaric gave me hadn’t waned off yet.
I deviated from my path to the great room and entered the kitchen for something to drink that was safe. It was impossible for me to miss that the door going to his basement was wide open. Right away I was hit with a feeling of dread and curiosity.
There was light coming from below, the same cool air I always felt too. Thoughts of getting a drink were replaced by my sudden need to go down the steps. I reached the doorway and stared into the basement.
Goosepimples erupted all across my skin.
I was torn between following this curious urge or pretending to never have seen that he’d left the door open.
Why did he do that?
There was no way it was a mistake. Alaric was far too careful about this door for that to be the case. This is what caused the feeling in the pit of my stomach, the dread. It came from knowing that’s exactly what he wanted. Something was down there I was meant to see. I swallowed audibly and eased a bit closer to the first step.
“Demitri,” I called out quietly.
I hadn’t expected any kind of response, but I’d rather have known if he were down there now than be surprised once I got to the bottom. There was a slight whirring noise, though. It reminded me of a near-silent humidifier.
I checked behind me and then proceeded forward. I would just take a peek and then get back upstairs.
Since there was a light already on, I didn’t bother flipping the main switch. At the bottom of the steps, I found myself struck by a bout of Déjà vu.
I’d been down here before and saw this exact set-up. It was in a dream…I think. Was I doing it again? I don’t know. This felt way too lucid for it not to be real.
The night I’d accused Alaric of having some secret kind of ER attached to his office. It looked just the same as it had then. The scent was even like I remembered. Licking my lips, I took slow steps into the area where one of the fluorescent lights remained on.