Page 5 of On Edge

But as the wind lifts, that’s when I see it, in front of the main entrance, carved onto the old stone fountain, barely visible through the ivy growing over it. A stone swan with its wings spread, head bowed, floating on a sludge of black water.

I swear, for a moment, it looks like it’s bleeding.

Now, I am too nervous to leave the porch, so I keep knocking, banging my knuckles until they hurt. But no one’s home, or I’m not hitting hard enough. There’s no doorbell, so I’m at a loss as to what to do next.

My throat feels tight, and my hands are shaking so much that I have to hold them to stop. No one is there behind me, I tellmyself. There’s no ghoul out there slinking in the darkness. No demon with blood all over his face. A damn owl hoots again.

And then…

A groan.

I jerk back as a smaller side door to the left of the main door, almost lost beneath the tangle of ivy, shudders open. A white-haired, elegant-looking lady opens the door and peers out, frowning.

“Who is it?” Then her eyes lock on me. “Who are you? How did you get here?” Her voice is sharp, quickfire and hostile.

“I’m…” I hesitate, breathless. What do I say? The backup fiancée? The other sister? I grit my teeth. “Sage Lovett. You’re supposed to be expecting me.”

“Oh, you’re the Lovett girl?” The woman narrows her eyes, looking me up and down, frowning, probably because of how rude I’ve been. Nell would be proud. “Mr. Severin didn’t tell me you’d be arriving so late. Actually, he didn’t tell me at all.”

“No one told me either.”

She gives me a long, unconvinced look and then looks out into the darkness as if Troy Severin is going to materialize over my shoulder. When he doesn’t, and I don’t slink away like a stray, she sighs and steps aside, opening the door wider. “Fine. Come in, but do it quickly!”

Now, I hesitate.

Was running to the main house a good idea? What if it’s worse in there? It’s where Severin lives, after all.

Unimpressed, the lady rolls her eyes. “In now, you’re letting the heat out.” She shoos me inside. Then she bolts the door dead behind us.

One lock, two locks, and then another.

Three locks? On an island?

I wring my hands and glance around at the neat, polished stone-gray kitchen under the warm glow of a single lamp. It seems homely. No murderers lurking here.

“Where are your belongings?”

I turn and stare at the petite, older woman, not much taller or heavier than me, dressed in a wrap dress with tights tucked into leather boots, trying and failing to reconcile what she just said.

“I…” My hands feel light. I glance down. My heart drops.Shoot. “I think I left my case and vanity on the driveway.” Actually, I know I did. I didn’t bring much as my father gave me zero time to grab anything, but I had the essentials.

“I see. I’ll get Mr. Mundel to retrieve them for you. But please know, Miss Lovett, I dislike things out of turn. You should have called ahead,” she interrupts.

I grit my teeth again. “I would have, but I didn’t know. My father just told me someone would meet me at the dock, but there was no one there.”

“Of course there wasn’t.” She sniffs. “Since I wasn’t informed, a room isn’t prepared.”

“I’ll sleep anywhere. I don’t mind.”

She gives me a look of disgust. “Why would you do that? Are you a cat? No, you’re a young lady who needs a bed. I’ll have to make one up, but it’s very late.”

If it’s so late, why is she still fully dressed? I go to look at my phone to check the time and see how late it really is, but then I remember it’s in my handbag, which is currently outside on the driveway getting soaked.

When I don’t say anything, she rolls her eyes and sighs. “I suppose, if you would sleep anywhere, you can sleep in the master suite.”

I blink at her, my mind is whirling. I assumed I would at least get my own room until the wedding. “You mean share a room with Mr. Severin—” I almost choke.

“Master Troy isn’t here.”