Page 29 of Bought By the Revenant
He releases a long breath and looks around to see if anyone is listening before he speaks more quietly. “I don’t know them personally. They lingered in Crosshold after the market, asked a lot of questions about your bride.”
“What kind of questions?”
“Who the monster who bought her was. Sorry, no offense. Where you lived.” He lifts one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “No one knew, of course. They asked me, too, but it’s not like I have this sort of information.”
The way he says it tells me he would have sold that information for the right price, and anger builds in my chest. I notice my fingers crushing the corner of his ledger and force myself to let go.
“Anything else? The smallest detail could help me find her.”
The auctioneer rubs his chin while he thinks. “They were asking about portal access, seemed in a hurry to leave Crosshold once they realized you’d taken her beyond their reach.”
“Is there a portal in Crosshold?”
“Not a public one. But Lord Everett Blackwell has a private portal in his mansion. Rumor has it he allows access for a significant fee.”
“Where does Lord Blackwell live?”
The auctioneer points toward a hill that rises above the town. “The house on the hill. You can’t miss it. It’s the biggest one.”
I pull out a handful of coins and drop them on his ledger. “Thank you.”
“Good luck finding your bride,” he calls after me as I walk back to the carriage. His voice sounds too cheerful for someone who just learned about a kidnapping, but he’s already busy counting the coins I gave him.
I climb back into the carriage and pull my cloak around my shoulders.
“The house on the hill,” I tell Olaf. “Quickly.”
The horses strain as they pull us up the steep road that winds toward Blackwell’s mansion. The house comes into view slowly, revealing itself to be a massive building made of stone and glass, with perfect gardens spreading out on all sides. The wealth on display makes the struggling town below look even poorer by comparison. The moment our carriage stops moving, I throw myself out the door and run up the front steps. I pound on the fancy carved door with my fist while every second that passes feels too long.
A thin servant with a sour expression finally opens the door. His eyes go wide when he sees me.
“The master is not receiving visitors,” he says and immediately starts to close the door.
I shove my foot into the shrinking gap. “I must speak with Lord Blackwell immediately. It’s a matter of life and death.”
“Remove yourself from this property, creature, or I’ll call the guards.” His mouth twists when he says the word creature, and he looks at me the way someone might look at rotting meat.
“My wife has been kidnapped. Please…”
“Step away from the door!” He pushes harder against the door, trying to crush my foot.
I think about breaking the door off its hinges, because I could do it without much effort, but forcing my way inside would only slow me down when I need to move fast.
“What is the meaning of this commotion?” A voice comes from somewhere inside the house.
The servant stops pushing and bows his head slightly. “Forgive me, my lord. This... individual is causing a disturbance. I was attempting to remove him.”
A large man walks down the grand staircase while tying a silk robe around his round stomach. This must be Lord Blackwell. His hair grows thin on top, but he’s arranged it carefully to hide the balding spots. The loose skin under his chin wobbles when he speaks.
“Do you have any idea what time it is?” he demands, but then he sees me properly and stops walking. “Good heavens, what are you?”
I bow my head even though rage burns in my throat and I want to grab him and shake him. “Lord Blackwell, I apologize for the intrusion. I am Riven of Luminea. My wife was kidnapped last night, and I have reason to believe her captors may have used your portal.”
Blackwell stares at me while one nostril twitches with disgust. “Your... wife?”
“Yes,” I say, though I want to wrap my hands around his fat neck and squeeze until his eyes bulge. “Three men took her from Aura Glade. I tracked them here to Crosshold.”
Blackwell looks at his servant and then back at me. “There were indeed three men who requested use of my portal around midnight. They had a woman with them they claimed was their sister.”
