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“If you say so... do you want to swing by your room to pick up your things?”

I shook my head.

“Alright, I will text Theo to arrange sending everything over later.”

I just wanted to be out of here as soon as possible. Matthias had to see it in my eyes because he walked briskly towards where the garage was. The car he led me towards looked solid but quite thoroughly used. It was obvious Matthias put functionality over grand posturing via shiny coats of paint, but I had a suspicion the sleek black car next to the battered Dodge belonged to Tristan.

Soon, I found myself on the road and watched in the mirror as the Sunset Manor of the Cornello Mafia vanished behind me. Only when the building wasn’t visible anymore did I let myself relax. The relief slammed into me and I practically melted into the seat.

“It will take a few hours to get home. Rest,” Matthias said.

And there it was. That word again. Home. As if it wasn’t only Tristan’s, or Matthias’, or Theo’s home but mine as well.

I couldn’t be that lucky.

The steady rhythm of the road and the quiet music from the radio mixed with my emotional exhaustion and I fell asleep.

I awoke to Matthias opening the door on my side.

“We are here,” he said, presenting the view with a dramatic hand gesture. “Welcome to the Russet Manor.”

My eyes followed his hand and my eyes widened at the building in front of me.

Scrambling out, suddenly excited at the sight, I took everything in. Maybe subconsciously I had expected to see a black castle with dark clouds gathering around the towers and thunder striking in the distance, but that vision couldn’t be farther from the truth. The vampire mansion looked bright, the cream and white tones giving it a cheerful lightness. The effect was only compounded as Matthias pushed the beautiful wrought iron door with glass panels open and I saw how the big windows let in sunlight, making the interior as warm as the outside facade.

The design inside was streamlined, with geometrical patterns a prominent feature. What was this style called? Art Nouveau? No, this style was decorative in a different way. Ah! Art Deco!

The best thing about it was that it was very distinctive from the Victorian opulence Jonas tried to show in his Mansion only for it to look gaudy.

“Give me a tour!” I whirled on Matthias.

“Don’t you want to eat something first? Sit down?” Matthias asked.

“Nope! Tour! Now!”

Seeing my enthusiasm Matthias laughed and led me through the Mansion, narrating as he went. We went floor by floor and I was fascinated by the little glimpses I got. Then I got to my room.

“It’s yours,” Matthias gestured me inside the big room.

Too big.

It was a whole suite and there was too much space. I could live here but it didn’t speak to me. The room was already furnished, a beautiful four poster bed in the bedroom, art pieces on the walls, a rug with a geometric pattern on the floor... it has been prepared for me. Chosen for me. I would have accepted it any other day but not today.

Today was about me being free.

“Can I choose a different room?”

Matthias startled, his brows shooting up into his hairline.

“I suppose so? Do you want to?”

“Yes,” I said and led us to a smaller room. I peeked inside there a few minutes ago and I was immediately captivated by the beautiful decorative window which was a prominent feature on one of the walls.

There, depicted in the bold lines of stained glass, was a rising sun, its rays shooting in an angular pattern. The yellow of the sun was bold but the artist chose to keep the sunlight as mostly see-through white with a few bold lines of yellow shooting through.

I loved it.

“I want to stay here,” I said quietly, not knowing if I was talking only about the room, or this new home as a whole.