Page 41 of Secrets and Ruin

“We’re not here to visit. You, Landon, and I need to talk, then we need to get on the move.”

“Tomorrow. We’ll talk tonight before lights out,” Ansel said simply, nodding like he wasn’t trying to argue, but he and I didn’t mean the same things. “It’s all accounted for, Miss Leon.”

“Depending on the length of our talk, Landon and I will be gone before dinner or shortly after it,” I said, frowning as I approached him, grabbing my backpack from the other human because I needed it. Landon had his as well, leaving the poor footman empty-handed and confused.

“Um…” Ansel looked far out of his depth now, shaking his head slowly. “No one enters the woods after dark, Miss Leon. Niko’s rules are firm about that. Only he does. He’s made it clear that his family shouldn’t either. I know you’re his sister, but this is his territory, and—”

“Why?” I demanded, closing the distance as Ansel spoke. Now I was right in front of him, and he was only a few inches taller than me.

“It’s dangerous. Surely you noticed.”

“We felt something, but clearly, we don’t know what’s going on, so if you can hurry up and start telling us more than vague warnings, I would appreciate it. My mate is missing, and I’m getting crankier by the second,” Landon said, his words devolving into a frustrated growl at the end. “I’m being as patient as I can be.”

Ansel looked at Millie and the unintroduced footman before looking back to Landon and me.

“Come with me. Both of you can take the rest of the evening off. Millie, a room has also been prepared for you, the same one from your last visit. Have a nice evening.” Ansel waved for Landon and me to follow him before turning on his heel and heading for a door.

We followed silently, studying everything we could see. Paintings decorated the walls, old-looking ones of people I didn’t recognize. I could distinctly tell when we left the modern portion of the building and entered the original castle’s or keep’s halls. Ansel stopped in front of a wood and iron door, taking out a large key to unlock it. He went in first, holding the door for us, then locked it behind us. We were in a drawing room or library; I couldn’t tell which.

“This is the most secure room on the estate,” Ansel said, moving to pull linens off a few armchairs. Landon helped him move them to a fireplace, and I watched as Ansel lit it. “Since you wish to speak immediately and want to know as much as I can tell you, there is information the staff can’t hear. This is also the room with the only documents that might shed more light and provide evidence of what I’m about to say.”

“Foreboding,” I muttered.

Landon nodded, agreeing, but his eyes were locked on Ansel.

“I will start with the most important thing. The Black Forest is the only place on Earth that remains where our reality and the fae realms overlap into a single instance of a single location. As far as we know, at least.”

I swayed under the implications.

“Excuse me?” I croaked.

“Fuck…” Landon leaned on the back of the closet armchair.

Ansel stood in front of the fireplace and waved at the chairs he had moved. “You’ll want to sit down. There is more. This is a complicated situation, and I’m the only member of staff who can tell you enough to give you close to a full picture of how complicated.” Ansel seated himself and waited.

I found a seat, picking the one in the middle. Rubbing my face, I tried to get beyond the small, horrified voice in my head that told me I should just leave.

“Nikolaus told me when I was being briefed that he never understood why, but the Black Forest Pack once protected this place and protected others from what could potentially come out of it. The Black Forest Pack was eradicated some eight hundred years ago during a war between werecats and werewolves.”

“His pack,” I said softly.

“We don’t go out after dark because it would be too easy to lose the paths and find ourselves the prey of something vicious from the fae realms. Everyone on the staff knows about this, and we lock down the estate once night falls. There’s a lot of iron in the structure to protect us, and there’re iron tracks buried under the earth to make a circle around the estate. It drives off weaker fae if they come around, while the amount of iron in the building wards off the more dangerous ones. The original structure of this home, where we are now, is still under ancient protections I don’t understand, but I know Nikolaus maintains them. Those extend to the rest of the building as well, but they can’t be updated.”

“That would explain the architectural choices,” I said, trying to make light of the horrifying reality of Niko’s territory and his home. I wondered how ancient those protections were and where they came from. Were they done by Subira to help Niko, or were they something his biological family had created long before his birth?

“So, if you want to leave after dark, you must understand the dangers involved. We will not let you back in until dawn. If you leave the building now, the doors will lock behind you, and they will stay locked.” Ansel looked around, standing again to go to a bookshelf across the room. “There are some interesting things here to read, based on their titles alone. I don’t come into this place without cause or read these myself, so I couldn’t tell you what they might say. This is Nikolaus’s private library and sitting room. He entertains the family here, so I felt right to bring you here.”

“Does Niko leave anything to help people who might be going into the forest to find him or a way out?” I asked, frowning as I considered the strange life of my brother.

“I have only seen Nikolaus entertain one member of your family since I took over the position I hold today, and he made it clear that he’s never explained to anyone in the family what he lives with. Also, Dirk was educated enough to keep himself safe but doesn’t know the entire situation. He never tested his luck when Niko explained the danger was magical in origin.”

“Can you give Landon and me a few minutes?” I asked, letting everything sink in as I stood and moved closer to the fire. “I think we need to talk over what you’ve explained so far, and I need a moment to… figure out what questions I still need to ask.”

Landon nodded at me when I was done explaining, and Ansel gave us a professional bow.

“I can come back with dinner and, perhaps, answer more questions if you think of any.” Ansel went to the door, looking around the room as he stood in the doorframe. “I’ll be back shortly.”

The moment the door closed, I leaned against the mantle of the fireplace, letting the warmth engulf me.

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