Page 85 of The Diamond Thief

“Yes!” she squeals, and grabs my hand. “Let’s look!”

We follow the butler inside. The front hall is massive, with a great stone fireplace and groupings of chairs throughout. Lamps line the walls and chandeliers hang low in an attempt to banish the dark.

“It’s like a movie!” Crystal says. She looks around, and then her eyes rest on the fireplace. “Oh! They did it!”

I follow her gaze.

Then freeze.

“You didn’t,” I say.

“I did!”

I walk up to the stone wall. Above the enormous hearth are seven swords arranged in an artful semi-circle.

“Is that really them?” I ask.

“It is!”

The stones gleam from the hilts.

“The blades are replicas, of course,” she says. “And easy to remove so as not to affect the value of the original hilts.” She clutches my arm. “Do you like them?”

I laugh. “I love them. I can’t believe you never sold them. They are worth more than the castle!”

“True!”

I pick her up and turn her in a circle. “Happy?” I ask her.

“So happy.”

I set her down. “First kiss in the new house?” I ask.

“I hope there’s more than that,” she says. She glances around for the butler, and upon realizing he has made himself scarce, whispers, “I also had the dungeon set up.”

“Oh, did you?

“I did. I want you to shackle me naked to the cold stone wall.”

I brush her hair away from her face. “Your wish is my command.”

“I’m sort of hoping you’ll command me a little bit.”

“Oh, I will.” I lean in to kiss her, savoring this moment, the new home, and the time I’ll have to learn every little thing there is to know about her. We can train here, plan here, or just be.

We’re interrupted by a sharp rapping on the door, the sound of metal striking metal.

“Who could that be?” Crystal asks. We creep slowly toward the entrance.

The butler appears from nowhere, but I wave him away.

I stand to one side of the door and Crystal moves to the opposite one. She glances around, then picks up a heavy iron vase and dumps the fresh flowers on the floor in a cascade of water.

I fling open the door.

Then pause.

It’s my brother.