Page 17 of Silverproof Damsel

Winnie nodded in confirmation as she turned, peering through the entrance. After a moment, she guided me to a grand room with a fireplace built into the back wall. A matching set of rollback Chesterfield sofas faced one another, with a quaint table placed between them. Both sat before the fireplace, studying the flames, kissing like lovers over the wood.

Inhaling deeply, I drank in the scent of a wood fire and clary sage perfuming the chamber. Not waiting for an invitation, I seated myself near the fireplace on one of the sofas. The moment my rear end touched the softness of it, I sank into the comfort it offered.

“So?” Winchester asked, choosing the seat across from me. “What do you think?”

“It’s lovely,” I admitted as exhaustion threatened to slur my words.

“It’s the same as the one I own in Paris.” My eyes rounded before I did a slow double-take of the extravagant furnishings around the chamber.

“The same?” How many times had I wondered what life would’ve been like had she taken me with her when she’d fled our home?

Never in my wildest dreams had I thought she’d live in such a splendorous place. Not when I’d lived in a small cell-like chamber. A room built with silver and concrete.

“Other than a few things, yes. The one in France houses both silver and gold throughout the interior.” Nodding her head, she gazed around as if she were seeing it through my eyes for the first time. “You look tired.”

“Is that a nice way of saying I look like shit?” I countered as the heat from the fireplace warmed my flesh.

Winchester let out a snort before her icy-blue stare clashed with mine. “It is. Do you want me to show you to your chambers?”

“In a moment,” I conceded. Turning toward the flames, I observed them sway over the logs. “The fire is nice.”

“I sent word ahead for the fire to be lit inside your chambers. Considering everything you told me over the phone, I figured you’d be exhausted. Plus, I need to talk defenses with the others. Unfortunately, that means I need your ears to be elsewhere until we can figure out what all being asilverto the Van Helsing entails,” she said with poise and a hint of worry sharpening her tone.

Offering a tight lipped smile in reply, I peeled my exhausted bones from the plush Chesterfield and waited for her to lead the way to my chambers.

“None of us enjoys knowing he has a legal immortal claim to you, Remi. I have people scouring the libraries of immortals for anything about what it means to be another’s silver.”

“I’m not mad or hurt. Honestly, I’m just exhausted.” My shoulders sank in defeat as I stopped putting on the façade of being fine.

Exhaustion bled into my bones and soul. Smothering a yawn in my palm, I struggled to keep my eyes open. My entire body ached from the ceiling crashing down on me.

I wasn’t healing as quickly as I should’ve been, either. It had become more apparent after I’d left Rhys’ house and moved into the new place. What benefits I’d received from immortality, whatever they were. They’d diminished since I’d begun growing another person.

“You’re braver than you think you are, sweetie.”

Tears pricked my eyes as I nodded in agreement. A lot of good being brave did for me. I could be bulletproof, and it wouldn’t change the fact that I was slowly crumbling from within. The only time I’d felt whole since leaving Rhys’ side was when he’d saved me.

Without him near, I felt hollow, as if he fit in the hole growing inside of my soul. That thought terrified me more than being alone. I wasn’t afraid of being alone at all. I was afraid that whatever connected me to Rhys was slowly killing me without him around to ease the ache.

I’d be damned if I admitted it aloud, or to anyone else. It was a weakness I didn’t need, nor want, to have. Without knowing what it meant to be his silver, I was going through this blind and alone.

“You’ve had quite the night, darling. Let’s get you settled into to your new room so you can rest and regain strength.” A warm smile played over her mouth as she held her arm out, indicating I should follow her.

“Thank you, Winnie.” I didn’t need to thank her for what she’d done, but I did need her to know I appreciated her and everything she was doing for me.

I followed Winchester down two long, winding hallways before we entered a lavishly decorated chamber. The moment I enteredthe spacious room, I was soothed by the gentle scent of lavender and sage flooding my senses, savoring them.

The bedroom was painted a soft cream color, accentuated with jade-green embellishments. A bed with a high, padded headboard was pushed against the wall. The fabric of the headboard matched the walls, while the plush pillows and blankets were the same jade-color as the furnishings.

A chaise lounge chair matching the bedding was situated in front of the large, embellished fireplace. Gravitating toward the fire, I sank into the chair and stared sightlessly into the dancing flames.

“There’s a bathroom through the door farthest from the bed. I took the liberty of ordering you an entire wardrobe. Unfortunately, I forgot to consider your precarious situation. Hopefully, you can make do with what is in there. The Van Helsings have cut us off from town, as well as the outside world.”

“I figured as much,” I admitted. Walking closer to where I sat, Winnie clasped her hands together in front of her as she stared at me with worry.

“Look, I don’t pretend to know how you feel. I do know it cannot be easy not knowing what to expect. Just know that you’re loved. No matter what happens, we’ll deal with it head-on.”

“Thank you,” I mumbled, unable to tear my attention away from the flames.

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