Page 78 of House of Malice
Alecto nodded and smiled. “I know. It is quite relaxing and therapeutic.”
With a smile, Jolene returned to her canvas. She was adding little sunset orange dots all over.
Alecto mixed a little bit of blueish grey on her pallet with a dash of blood red. She loved the deep red color; it made her feel alive.
They had so much fun during their art lesson that Alecto almost didn’t want it to end. When the teacher finally announced that their time was up, Alecto sighed and put down the palette and the brush.
“Write down your names on the corner of the canvas,” the teacher told the class. “They will be dry and ready for you to pick up by the end of the week, if you’re interested in keeping what you have painted here today.”
“I’m so keeping this,” Jolene said.
“Me too,” Alecto said with a laugh. “I also kind of want to come back for another lesson.”
Jolene nodded. “I’m with you, girl. We might as well do that once we deal with the nasty business we have on our hands.”
Alecto could only wish.
Once they tidied up their areas, it was time for action. They said their goodbyes to the handsome silver fox and left the little studio.
“Okay, let’s walk around for a bit around the gallery,” Jolene said. “And let’s see which one of the art dealers looks the friendliest and most trustworthy to talk to.”
Alecto nodded. “Great plan.”
From the shelf on the wall, Alecto grabbed one of the art catalogs. As they walked around the gallery, looking at various paintings displayed on the walls, Alecto flipped through the pages.
She didn’t bother reading; it was more for the show. There were no art dealers in sight, just the two of them in the whole gallery.
“Well, this is not going well,” Jolene murmured, looking around. “Let me go up to the desk and see if anyone might appear.”
Alecto nodded and looked up at the painting on the wall. She was bored, so she flipped through the catalog until she found the matching painting in it. Despite not caring about it, she read the description about the artist and the painting.
What surprised her was that it was a painting by one of Venefica’s graduates. Someone from the House of Dragons.
“Huh.” Alecto looked up from the page to inspect the painting again.
It was a painting of a white sandy beach and its dunes. The colors and tones were soft and muted, except for the stormy sea on the horizon, which was painted in dark tones of blue and green.
“This one is a fascinating contrast, isn’t it?” said a voice from behind Alecto. She felt a presence close to her back. “The beach looks so peaceful and calm, yet the ocean in the distance is anything but that.”
The silver fox appeared next to Alecto. His posture was relaxed, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his old blue jeans. He was barefoot, as if the gallery were his home.
“It is beautiful,” Alecto said. “Are you a dealer here?”
The silver fox turned his gaze from the painting to Alecto and offered her a gentle smile. “I own the gallery, actually. And I teach the abstract painting class here when I’m in the mood.”
“Fascinating,” Alecto said, turning to face him. “Have you owned the gallery since the opening, or are you a new owner? I don’t remember seeing you much around town.”
His smile was charming as Hel, and he had dimples. “I have owned this place since the beginning of time, it feels. Once I graduated from Venefica and finished my career as an artist, I retired here and opened the gallery to showcase the work of great artists who attend Venefica, amongst other things, of course. You can find works from local artists as well, not only students. I’m guessing you are a student at Venefica?”
Alecto wasn’t sure if she wanted to tell him the truth or not. But he was a local, so he might know if she lied about working at one of the local coffee shops or something.
“I don’t go to Venefica,” Alecto said. “But I do work there, at the library.”
“Ah, a librarian with an interest in art,” the silver fox said. “That makes sense, doesn’t it?”
Alecto smiled. “I’m not sure. Until today, I never considered myself much of a creative person.”
“Well, you should definitely explore that side of yourself more,” the silver fox said. “I found your painting extremely fascinating.”
