Read Online Dark Heirloom (An Ema Marx Novel Book 1) by J.D. Brown - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: J.D. Brown
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to mean?”
“Jalmari is not the worst person out there. You should learn to defend yourself properly. Our kind can be rather hostile.”
“You don’t say.” My voice dripped with sarcasm. Why Jesu cared about my defensive abilities was a mystery.
He grumbled to himself in Finnish.
“Are you cussing at me in a language I don’t understand?”
He chuckled. “No, I was complaining.”
“About?”
“You. You are so…”
“So what?” I demanded as he trailed off.
“Difficult.”
“Difficult?”
He chuckled. “Yes. I like it though. It’s cute.”
Cute?
A yellow haze appeared at the end of the tunnel and brightened the thin corridor. Fresh air leaked in with the light. Jesu let go of my hand. The hall gave way to what I assumed was the fourth wing of the castle.
In ruins compared to the rest of the castle, the fourth wing was about the size of a small house made of black stone. To my left, four narrow gothic arched windows lined the top of a two-story wall. Stained glass kept most of sunlight out and I could almost see comfortably.
To my right was a small living room and a kitchen. Faded furniture sat in a square around a stone-aged television set. The kitchen contained bare essentials; a mini-fridge, a bar, and two frayed barstools. Between the kitchen and the living room, a spiral staircase led up to a loft. Jesu shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced around.
“Here we are. Upstairs is the recreation room, and your room is over here.” He motioned for me to follow as he turned the corner to the left of the kitchen. Down the hallway stood three doors, one on each side, and one at the end.
“That is my room.” Jesu pointed to the end door. “And this one is yours.” He opened the door to the right and cleared his throat. “I mean it when I say ‘your’ room. You can do anything you like to it. Punch holes in the wall, if you wish. The rooms are soundproof, but the rest of the wing is not. However, we are pretty far out. It is usually difficult to hear the others from here and vice versa.”
“Thanks.” I forced a smile while stepping past Jesu into the room. I wasn’t sure I wanted to stay so close to him. I wondered briefly if I made a mistake agreeing to switch rooms.
I glanced around and had to laugh. A plain twin bed, a nightstand, and a wardrobe with three feet crouched in the corner below a window the size of my head.
“What is so funny?” Jesu crossed his arms while leaning against the door frame, grinning.
“When you said something more comfortable I was thinking something a little more, um…”
“Fancy?” His smile stretched wide. “No, that is Jalmari’s idea of comfort. I think a space where you can relax and not be afraid to dirty the floor is more suitable.”
I chuckled. Jesu and Anthony could’ve been best friends . I couldn’t stop the frown that followed. Anthony. I miss him.
Jesu bit his lip and ran a hand through his black tresses. “You can go back to the first wing, if you prefer. I know my part of the castle is not really fit for a lady.”
“No.” I shook my head. “This is perfect. Thank you.”
He nodded. “I will give you some space.” He turned to leave.
“Wait.”
He paused and faced me. “Yes?”
I tried to find the right words, to make him understand. “You’ve been kind to me, but now I’d like a few answers. Please.”
He nodded and closed the bedroom door. We sat on the twin-sized mattress and he folded his hands in his lap. “What would you like to know?”
Everything, but where to start? I sucked in a deep breath. “Vampires.” That seemed like the best place to attempt to make sense of the situation.
“Vampires,” Jesu repeated.
“How? Just… how?”
Jesu scanned the room for minute, and then he faced me. “How much do you know about evolution?”
I shrugged. “The basics, I guess. I’m a historian, not a scientist.”
Jesu cocked a brow. “So you are familiar with ancient history?”
A small
“Jalmari is not the worst person out there. You should learn to defend yourself properly. Our kind can be rather hostile.”
“You don’t say.” My voice dripped with sarcasm. Why Jesu cared about my defensive abilities was a mystery.
He grumbled to himself in Finnish.
“Are you cussing at me in a language I don’t understand?”
He chuckled. “No, I was complaining.”
“About?”
“You. You are so…”
“So what?” I demanded as he trailed off.
“Difficult.”
“Difficult?”
He chuckled. “Yes. I like it though. It’s cute.”
Cute?
A yellow haze appeared at the end of the tunnel and brightened the thin corridor. Fresh air leaked in with the light. Jesu let go of my hand. The hall gave way to what I assumed was the fourth wing of the castle.
In ruins compared to the rest of the castle, the fourth wing was about the size of a small house made of black stone. To my left, four narrow gothic arched windows lined the top of a two-story wall. Stained glass kept most of sunlight out and I could almost see comfortably.
To my right was a small living room and a kitchen. Faded furniture sat in a square around a stone-aged television set. The kitchen contained bare essentials; a mini-fridge, a bar, and two frayed barstools. Between the kitchen and the living room, a spiral staircase led up to a loft. Jesu shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced around.
“Here we are. Upstairs is the recreation room, and your room is over here.” He motioned for me to follow as he turned the corner to the left of the kitchen. Down the hallway stood three doors, one on each side, and one at the end.
“That is my room.” Jesu pointed to the end door. “And this one is yours.” He opened the door to the right and cleared his throat. “I mean it when I say ‘your’ room. You can do anything you like to it. Punch holes in the wall, if you wish. The rooms are soundproof, but the rest of the wing is not. However, we are pretty far out. It is usually difficult to hear the others from here and vice versa.”
“Thanks.” I forced a smile while stepping past Jesu into the room. I wasn’t sure I wanted to stay so close to him. I wondered briefly if I made a mistake agreeing to switch rooms.
I glanced around and had to laugh. A plain twin bed, a nightstand, and a wardrobe with three feet crouched in the corner below a window the size of my head.
“What is so funny?” Jesu crossed his arms while leaning against the door frame, grinning.
“When you said something more comfortable I was thinking something a little more, um…”
“Fancy?” His smile stretched wide. “No, that is Jalmari’s idea of comfort. I think a space where you can relax and not be afraid to dirty the floor is more suitable.”
I chuckled. Jesu and Anthony could’ve been best friends . I couldn’t stop the frown that followed. Anthony. I miss him.
Jesu bit his lip and ran a hand through his black tresses. “You can go back to the first wing, if you prefer. I know my part of the castle is not really fit for a lady.”
“No.” I shook my head. “This is perfect. Thank you.”
He nodded. “I will give you some space.” He turned to leave.
“Wait.”
He paused and faced me. “Yes?”
I tried to find the right words, to make him understand. “You’ve been kind to me, but now I’d like a few answers. Please.”
He nodded and closed the bedroom door. We sat on the twin-sized mattress and he folded his hands in his lap. “What would you like to know?”
Everything, but where to start? I sucked in a deep breath. “Vampires.” That seemed like the best place to attempt to make sense of the situation.
“Vampires,” Jesu repeated.
“How? Just… how?”
Jesu scanned the room for minute, and then he faced me. “How much do you know about evolution?”
I shrugged. “The basics, I guess. I’m a historian, not a scientist.”
Jesu cocked a brow. “So you are familiar with ancient history?”
A small
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