Rebel Angel: A Sainted Sinners Novel Read Online Free PDF Page B

it,” he said, leading her around the back side toward the leftmost rear apartment.
    “Nice color,” Aurora said.
    “Mere Marie, one presumes.”
    “She must be a witch. Witches love purple,” Aurora mused.
    “I think she’s more of a voodoo priestess, but your generalization is probably close enough. Here we are,” he said, fishing out his wallet.
    They climbed a few cement block stairs and came up to a simple metal door. No window, painted purple to match the rest of the house. To an outsider, it looked like a utility door.
    Ezra knew it was several inches of concrete-reinforced steel, so to him it looked like a safe haven.
    He pulled out a thin plastic card and swiped it at the door. After a moment, there was a quiet electronic beep and the door swung open with a whoosh.
    He stepped back to let Aurora enter first, then followed her and secured the door behind them. There was a gentle moment of freefall as he stepped inside.
    “Wow…” Aurora said as she headed further into the apartment. “A bolt-hole?”
    They’d stepped into a small back hallway, which led into a miniaturized Turkish palace. Large, airy rooms open to the elements. Never too hot, never too cool. They stepped straight in a huge lounge filled with pillows and patterns and heavy leather bound books stacked everywhere.
    “Whoa,” Aurora said as she stared out the open windows. “What a view!”
    Beautiful, rocky desert stretched on and on. Near the horizon, snow-capped mountains rose dramatically against the bright blue sky.
    “Is it always daytime here?” Aurora asked, squinting into the bright sunlight.
    “No, but it’s not synced to our sun cycles. Mere Marie’s doing, I should think,” Ezra said. “I’m not exactly sure where we are, but it’s certainly not boring. There are some beautiful gardens and wading pools outside, we can see those tomorrow. For now, let’s just check out the rest of the house.”
    He ushered her through to a massive kitchen, all fresh white stone and stainless steel. A sleek silver laptop sat on the eat-in kitchen counter. Beyond that, there was a hallway with two well-appointed but impersonal bedrooms and a lavish bathroom between them.
    “What’s downstairs?” Vesper asked, nodding to a set of stairs.
    “A spa, a few vehicles. Laundry and servants’ quarters,” Ezra said. “That’s all I can remember, I’ve only stayed here once.”
    “Interesting. Well… at least the bedrooms are beautiful.”
    When he stuck his head inside, Ezra saw that the bathroom had adjoining doors to both bedrooms. A disaster waiting to happen, if he wasn’t careful…
    Back in the hallway, Aurora finished her inspection with a shrug.
    “Do you care which one is yours?” Aurora asked, nodding to the bedrooms.
    “No,” Ezra shook his head.
    “Okay,” she said. “I’m going to take the one that looks out over the gardens.”
    She unclipped her backpack from her body and slipped out of it. Picking a room, she stepped inside to set the backpack on a chair. She unstrapped her sword and placed it beside her pack, then sat on the edge of the bed with a sigh.
    “There should be towels and some basic clothing in the dresser,” Ezra said, watching her from the doorway.
    “Okay.”
    “I’m going to make contact with the others, then go get groceries,” he said. “Do you need anything specific? Are you hungry?”
    Aurora glanced at him, then shook her head. “I think the adrenaline’s starting to wear off. I might just take a shower and crash. I have a lot of planning to do tomorrow.”
    “Fine.” Ezra paused. “Don’t leave.”
    “Hmm?” she asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.
    “While I’m gone. I won’t lock you in, but I don’t want you to run, either.”
    Her lips flattened. “I bet you don’t.”
    “For your safety, Aurora.”
    “Sure,” she said, waving him off. “Just go. I’m too tired to go anywhere.”
    “Not the first time I’ve heard that tonight,” he pointed out.
    “Yeah,