Page 150 of Stars in Umbra
Then, she saw him.
Caidan Thrall.
He stood near the central fireplace, dressed in a dark brown waistcoat over a deep green tunic, colors that matched his formal estate crest.
His shoulders were broad, his face aristocratic, with high cheekbones, a square, prominent jaw, and eyes like fractured peridot.
His hair was silver-blond, curled back in stylized waves, and his fingers bore several rings carved from rare Deltan obsidian.
He exuded inherited wealth, predatory control, and dangerous charm.
His eyes scanned the entire room, never missing a face, and as soon as they landed on her, he arched a brow, taking note of her.
She didn’t flinch; she met his gaze, then slid her eyes away, as if disinterested.
She strolled past him, eyes on the hanging canvases in the adjoining gallery: a series of bleak seascapes and volcanic fields.
She stopped in front of one, an abstract in burnt ocher and ash.
Footsteps. Then his voice, rich and slick as amber oil.
She tensed.
‘Do you know who I am?’
Eyes on the artwork, she leaned in closer to examine its paint strokes. ‘Should I?’
He cleared his throat, and she flicked him a glance.
His eyes narrowed.
She almost smirked.Wealthy, influential men like Thrall hated being ignored.
‘I own this pile.’
She arched a brow. ‘Well, good for you.’
Again with the contracting of his eyes, this time accompanied by the flare of his nostrils.
His ego wasn’t coping.
‘And who might you be?’
She tilted her head toward him. ‘Sidoni Malvern,’ she said. ‘An artist from New Rambasa. I was told someone from your estate staff wished me to view the grounds for an upcoming commission.’
Thrall’s eyes narrowed.
She sensed the probe. The neural flicker. A quiet intrusion on her cortex.
‘He’s scanning,’Mirage warned.He’s also possibly searching SysNet to research you.
Seconds stretched.
Tension prickled the back of her neck.
Then his features relaxed. He smiled.
‘Well, Sidoni. I’m glad they found you. I see your work and reviews online are extraordinary. I’m curious to see how you render this place in paint.’
