Page 3 of Marked (Wicked Heirs #1)

My mother’s heels clicked on the pavement as she approached the mansion at a quick pace. How had I not noticed the change in her? Her clothing was expensive and finely tailored, and her heels—the telltale gold-painted soles glowed in the dullness of the strange light that filtered through the clouds that covered the sky above us. Expensive. Like nothing I had ever seen her wear before.

How long had it been since she and Lucian Romano had been engaged?

Several months?

But how long had it really been?

I hurried to keep up with her, but she outpaced me easily. The massive double doors that led into the mansion swung open, and my mother walked through without hesitation and disappeared into the house.

I swallowed hard and paused on the landing.

Nothing about this felt right, but I forced myself to walk across the threshold and into the lavish interior.

Inside, the mansion was even more grandiose than it appeared from outside. The building emitted an aura of ancient grandeur, but even I knew that a dark history tainted its past. A history had been carefully hidden under luxurious carpets and concealed behind elegant curtains.

As I stood in the foyer, unease slithered up my spine. I couldn’t shake off the sensation that each portrait hanging on the wall was watching me, their painted eyes following my every move. Each step I took echoed ominously, as if to mock my futile hope of finding comfort in this house.

I didn’t belong here.

“Mom?”

My voice echoed plaintively in the gloom and cold washed over me as my fingers flexed at my sides.

“Miss Velez—”

I let out a small yelp as I turned around and embarrassment washed over me as a woman of about my mother’s age stepped out of the shadows. Her clothing had a severe style, but the dark woolen gown she wore was well made and fit her like a second skin.

“Yes?”

I couldn’t keep the waver out of my voice.

“If you’ll follow me.”

Her expression was an unreadable mask, and I nodded dumbly as she walked toward the grand staircase at a quick pace.

I hurried to keep up with her and almost tripped up the stairs as I followed behind.

The nameless woman led me up the stairs and down a sweeping corridor, past a set of heavy double doors painted black. Gilded doorknobs and hand-painted flowers added the only embellishment and I wondered what was behind them—my mother’s room? I was afraid to ask.

She led me down another long hallway that ended at another dark door. “This will be your room,” she said as she opened the door and gestured for me to enter.

I hesitated for as long as I could before I forced myself to mutter a thank you and then stepped inside.

My new room was like a prison, suffocating and oppressive, and I bit back a gasp of horror. Shadows veiled the tall stained glass windows and blocked out any hint of sunlight. A looming four-poster bed stood in the center, its dark maroon velvet curtains made it seem like a sacrificial altar. The air was heavy with the scent of incense, overpowering any trace of jasmine from the vines that climbed over the outside of the house.

Unseen eyes watched me from every corner. I could feel them roaming over my body.

This was a haunted chamber straight out of my nightmares.

An opulent cage.

“Your belongings are in the closets,” the woman informed me, gesturing to the ornate doors lining one wall. “Your bathroom is through that door.”

An entire suite to myself. My belongings—I had packed nothing from school. Had someone sent it all here without my knowledge? I had too many questions, and I didn’t want to ask any of them.

“I hope you’ll find everything to your liking,” she said with an air of finality.

“Thank you,” I choked out.

Without waiting for me to say anything else, the woman turned and swept out of the room, leaving me alone in the cavernous room.

I set my backpack down on the floor and moved tentatively around the room. Heavy, dark, and expensive—that was the only way to describe the furnishings and fabrics that adorned the space. The dark wooden furniture was embellished with expensive golden hardware and the plush velvet and intricate brocade patterns gave the room a sense of luxury, yet it was all so stifling.

I approached the tall windows and pushed back the heavy, velvet curtains to allow myself a peek at the world outside.

Beyond the panes of glass was an uninterrupted vista of the city.

Messana sprawled in all its chaotic glory, undulating like a tempestuous sea.

After what seemed like ages passing in silence, I finally mustered up enough courage to explore my new room. The plush carpet underfoot muffled each step I took. I opened the closets and discovered that they were filled with expensive clothes—rich gowns with plunging necklines, delicate blouses, and tailored jackets—none of which resembled anything I would purchase for myself.

I stumbled back from the closet, suddenly overcome with dizziness.

My mouth was dry, and I crossed the room to the bathroom and, after a moment’s hesitation, I pushed the door open and peered inside. I didn’t know what I was expecting to find, and I bit back a gasp as I looked around the room.

A luxurious bathtub, hewn from a single piece of dark rock, dominated the space with its grandeur. The earthy scent of damp stone filled the room, accompanied by the soft glow of light emanating from shell-shaped frosted glass lamps. An enormous shower, with sleek, dark marble tiles lining its walls, immediately caught my attention as I entered the bathroom. Curiosity getting the better of me, I reached out and tugged at the hardware, only to be met with a surprise as a powerful waterfall erupted from the smooth surface of the stone wall, and sent droplets flying as water cascaded over every inch of the richly adorned tiles. My mouth dropped open in awe as I watched this display of opulence unfold before me .

Impossible luxury.

Things I’d never imagined I would get to experience.

And yet, all I felt was dread.

I turned off the shower and returned to the bedroom, not knowing what I was looking for—or what to do with myself. If I’d been back at the academy, I’d be getting ready for dinner and looking forward to catching up with my roommate and my other friends.

Would I ever see them again?

I crossed the room toward the four-poster bed and my hand trembled slightly as I pulled back the dark velvet curtain to peek inside. It was as deceptively inviting as a predator’s lair, with its soft dark sheets and a mountain of plush pillows.

Decadent. Intoxicating.

Poison.

How would I ever be comfortable here? How could I settle into this life?

A part of me wanted to run, to flee this place and never look back. But where would I go?

With a sigh of resignation, I turned away from the bed and made my way to one of the tall windows once again, looking out at the city beyond. From here, it looked tranquil... safe.

I leaned against the windowsill and stared out over the gray-shrouded gardens and the twinkling lights of the city below.

How had night fallen so quickly?

I had to talk to my mother… but did I really want to know the answers to the questions that swirled through my mind?

A silent servant in a dark uniform brought dinner to my room that night, but even though I hadn’t eaten all day, I couldn’t force myself to do anything but pick at the elegant food on the plate. I thought my mother would have sent for me—or wanted me to join her for supper… anything.

There was no clock in my room, and I was only able to guess at the lateness of the hour by the shifting moonlight that tracked across the dark garden.

When it became clear that I would not see my mother again that night, I finally forced myself to take a shower in the opulent bathroom, but even though the water was hot and the towels were soft and luxuriously fluffy, I couldn’t avoid the sense that I was being watched.

The sensation of strange eyes roving over my naked body as soap bubbles ran down over my legs and down the drain set my teeth on edge, and I hurried to dry myself off and wrapped myself in the massive towels before going in search of a bathrobe and a nightgown.

If I hadn’t seen the closets filled with clothes that didn’t belong to me, the drawers of undergarments and lingerie would have been even more shocking.

Beautifully embroidered silk, satin, and lace thongs that matched gauzy bras adorned with flowers and leaf patterns that hugged the cups and twined up the straps. Undergarments and camisoles that left almost nothing to the imagination…

Nothing I would have ever dreamed of purchasing for myself.

But what unsettled me the most was the fact that everything was in my size.

Exactly my size.

I tried to swallow the lump that had formed in my throat, while I ran my fingers over the delicate lace detailing of a bra. The realization hit me like a punch in the gut. These clothes, this room, everything… it was all meant for me.

Had my mother bought these beautiful things and kept it a secret from me?

She’d said that her engagement to Lucian had happened months ago—had she been preparing for my arrival all this time?

But then why would she be so cold toward me?

I was being silly .

This was—incredible, and I wanted to thank her for all of it.

I quickly picked out the least revealing nightgown I could find, unwound the towels I’d wrapped myself in, and pulled it on over my head.

It was still more revealing than anything I would wear back at school, but compared to everything else in the drawers, it was the most modest choice.

The smooth silk clung to my body, every touch whispered against my skin, and I swallowed hard as I caught my reflection in the mirror. The dark teal silk made my skin glow, and the undulating pattern of black flowers that crept up over my hips added the illusion of more shape and more curve.

Just as I turned away from the mirror, a dark shadow flitted across it.

My breath caught, and I moved closer to the mirror.

Was I seeing things?

I stared into the silvered glass, but the shadow had disappeared.

I studied my reflection, looking for a hint of any movement, but there was nothing except my own pale face staring back at me.

“Pull yourself together,” I muttered.

Suddenly exhausted, I made my way to the monstrous bed and, with a resigned sigh, crawled under the dark covers. The sheets were cool against my skin and as I lay in the dark and my mind buzzed with a thousand thoughts and unanswered questions.

The moonlight shifted across the room, casting long shadows that danced on the carved ceiling above. The silence of the night was almost deafening and as much as I tried to shut out my racing thoughts and fall asleep, they kept pulling me back into a whirlpool of uncertainty .

With a soft sigh, I turned onto my side and shut my eyes tight. But sleep remained elusive.

Outside, the roar of motorcycles filled the air, and I clutched the covers tightly and pulled them up to my chin as the sound echoed in my ears.

I waited for the noise to fade away, for the silence to return. But it didn’t. The sound grew louder, vibrating through the walls around me.

I climbed out of the bed and padded across the room toward the tall window once again.

My attention was immediately drawn to a group of motorcycles near the entrance of Withermarsh. A knot of anxiety formed in my gut as I looked at them. Three black bikes, and three broad-shouldered riders in dark leather that blended into the darkness.

They were the ones who had chased the car that had brought my mother and me to the mansion… but who were they?

As my eyes adjusted to the gloom, I squinted, trying to make out their features. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, they remained concealed within the shadows. Were they some of Lucian’s associates? Bodyguards?

A profound sense of unease washed over me as I watched the figures mount their bikes. Something wasn’t right... there was an intensity in their gestures that left a queasy sensation in my stomach. I gripped the edge of the windowsill as the wrought-iron gate slid open and the bikes roared away into the thickness of the night.

I stayed at the window, staring down at Messana’s lights for far too long.

How could I sleep in this place?

How could I ever feel safe ever again?