Heir of Shadows (The Shadowborne Legacy Book 1)

by Emma Harley

  “Raina I’m so glad you made it,” he said gripping her hand firmly, “I’m Kalen Blanchard, I’m so happy to have you stay with us.” His deep, authoritative voice firmly marked his place as the head of the household, but his cerulean eyes had a youthful sparkle to them. “This is my younger brother Logan and you have already met Elias.” He gestured to Logan as Raina smiled at him in greeting. He smiled gently and nodded back at her.

  Raina hoped the brothers didn’t hear the sharp intake of breath as her eyes locked on Logan’s. They were the mesmerising colour of burnt gold, reminding her of the deep colour of honey in autumn. While the three of them were all handsome, they looked nothing alike. Elias was the shortest of the three with an athletic build that practically shouted he was in a sports team; Logan was a few inches taller with the cheekbones of a Greek god and his height was on par with Kalen; however the older brothers weren’t built quite as sturdy as their younger brother.

  Still, Logan was wearing a black button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows and Raina was using an inordinate amount of willpower to maintain eye contact and keep her saliva in her mouth. At some point she would have to sneak a picture to send to her girlfriends back home. Terrified that she had been gazing into the eyes of this complete stranger for too long, she looked to Kalen to distract herself.

  “So when exactly would you like me to start?” she asked, an octave too high. Kalen looked her over with a mix of amusement and curiosity.

  “You have almost a month before Vincent returns to school, and the tutoring won’t be required until then. I hope this will give you sufficient time to learn the area and get yourself established here. Of course I will explain everything after you have settled,” he explained, guiding her through into a cosy sitting room.

  On a mahogany table sat a tiered glass cake tray was laden with delicious looking pastries and biscuits and a white teapot that was steaming out the spout. Kalen settled into a wing-backed armchair and gestured for Raina to sit while Elias sprawled himself along the sofa opposite her. Logan strode over and slapped his foot down.

  “Sit decently while we have company,” he chided, sitting down beside him and crossing his legs. Elias scowled at him before sitting upright. Kalen coughed lightly as warning to them both to behave themselves then turned to Raina.

  “Well Raina, seeing as we’re going to be living together for some time, I’d love to get to know you a little better and help you settle in to your new home.” He leaned forward to pour her a cup of tea. She thanked him and stirred in some milk and sugar as Logan poured himself a cup.

  “Ask me anything you like, but I don’t have any particularly juicy stories,” she giggled, sipping her tea and trying not to pull a face. Even with the sugar, it tasted quite bitter. Logan was staring at her intensely, Raina smiled at him to hide her grimace and added some more sugar. Kalen smirked and reached for a jam tart.

  “You were saying on the phone you would be starting at the university in September, what are you planning to study?” he enquired. His face looked genuinely interested, unlike the bored expressions Raina had often seen on the faces of anyone who got trapped in her excited ramblings about her studies. Surprise flashed over her face.

  “Oh um... Well I’m studying cultural history and mythology,” she stammered, her face flushing with embarrassment. Raina waited for the usual demeaning comments about how useless the subjects were, but they never came.

  “Cultural history and mythology you say? Then I guess you and Logan will be in a class together this year,” said Kalen. Raina looked at Logan and could have sworn her surprise was mirrored in his expression but quickly vanished. He was examining her with a penetrating stare that made Raina feel like she was getting an x-ray. Kalen cleared his throat and she turned back to him.

  “I wouldn’t say that is a particularly common course, I assume that’s why you moved so far?” he quizzed. Raina nodded and sipped her somehow-still-bitter tea. She set it down, hoping she did not come across as ungrateful.

  “Yes, I didn’t think anywhere would run a course like that so I jumped at the chance. I was going to apply to live on campus but it was so expensive. I had no luck with jobs until you contacted me Kalen, and offering a job and boarding was absolutely perfect for me,” she explained before trying and failing to stifle a yawn. Kalen glanced at his watch.

  “Forgive me Raina, it was inconsiderate of me to start quizzing you as soon as you arrived. It’s late and you’ve had a long journey. Why don’t we show you to your room so you can rest,” he said softly, “tomorrow I have taken a few hours off work so I can give you a tour, go over your duties etcetera.”

  Raina nodded and stood up, stretching her arms above her head and yawning. Logan got to his feet and tipped his head to the door.

  “I’ll show you to your room Raina. Kal, there’s a bunch of messages in my office I need you to go through before the morning, I’ll meet you there shortly,” he said, Kalen nodded and gave Raina a beaming smile.

  “Goodnight Raina, hope you sleep well,” he added, standing to shake her hand again. Elias gave a lazy wave as Logan led her out of the sitting room and up to the first floor.

  She was still awestruck by the splendour of the décor and the sheer size of the manor. I’m never going to accept this place is not a palace, she thought to herself. It would be too easy to get lost in this place. Logan strode down a long hallway and stopped at the last door at the end. He opened it to reveal a small, sky blue reception room smelling of fresh paint and a variety of grey furniture wrapped in plastic. Logan noticed her confused look and tilted his head.

  “We didn’t have much reason to furnish every bedroom, and when Kalen hired you he wanted to be sure you would have some furniture at least. It only arrived this morning I haven’t had much time to get it all ready for you,” he explained, picking at the plastic covering on a puffy footstool “I got it decorated so you weren’t living in the 1800’s but you’re free to do your own thing with it. Just don’t paint it black.” He raked a hand through glossy hair that reminded her of rich, dark chocolate and led her through the cute reception room to her new bedroom.

  The walls were pasted with soft cream wallpaper, sprinkled with delicate lilacs and deep azure irises. A computer desk was nestled snugly into a softly lit alcove, holding what looked like a brand new computer with a black leather chair laying partially constructed in front of it. Two glass doors covered by silvery-white voile curtains led onto a darkened balcony. Raina couldn’t hold in her gasp at the four-poster wooden canopy bed, draped with white mesh curtains and woven with gentle touches of silver. Raina ran her finger down the drapery, jaw still slightly open in astonishment. She turned to Logan who was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.

  “You picked out all this stuff by yourself?” she asked softly, gazing around the room. He nodded, looking around at his handiwork.

  “You sound surprised. Men can have good taste you know.” He looked slightly offended, sending a wave of panic through Raina that she had just offended one of her new employers.

  “Oh no I didn’t mean that at all, sorry,” she babbled, “it’s just not very often I come across a man with enough interest in decorating a woman’s bedroom that he actually does a good job.” He raised an eyebrow. Raina glanced away, suddenly very interested in the throw pillows. She mentally prayed he had the same sense of humour as his brother.

  “My father owns a large chain of homeware and hardware stores, and I personally select stock from suppliers. I wouldn’t be very good at my job if I couldn’t design a little girl’s room,” he teased, his lip curling in a half smirk. Raina’s eyes snapped to his and her nostrils flared in outrage.

  “I am hardly a little girl,” she scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. Logan’s smile only got bigger.

  “Tell you what, I’ll say sorry if you can reach the top bar of that bed.” Raina didn’t have to look up to see that the bar was well beyond her reach without jumping. She
narrowed her eyes at him and took a step closer.

  “Did you and Elias sit at your little plastic table drawing up a list of possible things you could tease me for? Some kind of hazing for the new girl?” she sighed, careful to hide the snap rising in her voice. Logan gave a husky chuckle and put his hands in his pockets.

  “No, but he told me about you meeting him. Thought it might be a good way to break the ice.” He watched her carefully and beckoned her to another door obscured from view by the bed. He pulled the light cord to reveal a grey and white marble tiled bathroom, slightly bigger than the reception out front.

  A claw-foot bathtub with brass taps took pride of place on a marble platform veined with gold leaf. Glass panes stretched along the entire width of the room, encompassing a shower that was easily the size of the entire bathroom in aunt Thea’s house. The floor was made of large, smooth granite pebbles for a natural, outdoor effect. In the corner, medium sized grey boulders had been arranged to create a constant trickling waterfall, while dark wood topped benches winged out along the adjacent walls. An aloe plant sat happily on a corner shelf adding a small burst of colour. Logan saw her staring at the shower in amazement and pushed the sliding door open.

  “This is both a shower and a steam room,” he explained, his voice echoing as he pointed out how to change the settings, “make sure the window is closed before you use the steam though.” Raina nodded wearily; the exhaustion bearing down after such a long day. Logan turned and fixed her with a scrutinising gaze.

  “I’ll leave you to get some rest,” he offered, “I’ll sort out the last of the furniture tomorrow.” Raina thanked him as he swaggered towards the reception room door. He turned to give her a wave and a grin.

  “Sleep well Raina, it was nice meeting you,” he said, as he turned in the doorway.

  “Oh, uh good night, it was nice meeting you too,” she blustered, twisting a lock of hair around her fingers. He inclined his head slightly and threw her a teasing smirk.

  “Well if you feel like redecorating your room, I know somewhere we can get you a little pink stepping stool, might help you reach your top shelf. Goodnight, Shortcake.”

  He winked at her and left, closing the door as she flushed a deep shade of maroon.

  Raina swore heavily under her breath. It wasn’t even her first full day here and already she was the butt of the jokes. She stormed over to her luggage and dug through her suitcase to find pyjamas. She pulled out her charger and plugged her dead phone in to charge on the bedside table. Already heavy with fatigue, she dragged out a pair of satin shorts and a black crop-top and twisted her hair up into a bun after finding a reclusive hair tie at the bottom of her suitcase. She sat her clothes neatly on top of the dressing table and clambered into bed, tossing the cushions to the bottom as she sank back into a cloud of jasmine scented pillows.

  Raina’s thoughts were a swirl of nervousness and excitement; she couldn’t wait to start exploring the city. Her job wouldn’t be starting for another month yet and she had no way of earning money right now, so she had to be careful with her spending.

  Mercifully, Thea had set her up with a savings account when her mother died, and as well as the inheritance she had been left, she had a tidy sum sitting aside for emergencies. Also Thea had insisted Raina put her weekly allowance to savings so she could move away.

  It would have bothered any other teenager being told what to do with their money, but even as a teen Raina had goals to get out of her hometown. She could always restrain herself when it came to spending money on unnecessary things. Luke often tempted her into having a shopping spree when she felt down, and when Raina sat at home emptying various bags she regretted each penny she spent.

  Raina couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer. She rolled on to her side and drifted off into a deep, restorative sleep.

  ∞∞∞

  Raina woke up late the next morning with rays of sunlight burning at her face. The layers of sheets had become tangled around her clammy legs and she struggled to get out of the bed. Her skin was slick with sweat and felt gross. She scrabbled through her suitcase, yanked out a pink, threadbare towel and toiletry bag and padded into the bathroom to take a shower. A pair of white, fluffy towels embroidered with red roses and green ivy hung expectantly over the radiator, leading her to toss the rough old one onto the laundry basket. She stripped off and got into the shower.

  A relaxing spray of water soaked her hair and ran down her body in rivets. She washed quickly and got out to get dressed, wishing she could spend an entire day sitting in the steam room. She blow-dried her hair and gave it a quick run over with a flat iron to smooth out the frizz. As she was pulling on her tired old boots there was a rhythmic knock on her bedroom door.

  Raina opened the door to reveal Logan and an older woman she hadn’t met before, carrying a large, tattered sports bag and standing beside a row of hanging rails, packed with various items of clothing. Logan smiled at her, eyeing her up and down with a glint in his eye.

  “Good morning Raina, mind if we come in? This is Mrs Lederman, Kalen requested she come and get you fitted with some new clothes today,” he clarified, noting the blank expression on her face. She smiled at the woman in greeting; dumbstruck for a moment.

  Did they think that she was some grubby little worm dirtying their palace with her old clothes? Raina was still wondering if she should be offended when Logan spoke up as if to explain himself.

  “It’s nothing personal you know. Kal is pretty strict when it comes to employee’s dress codes. While you’re teaching Vincent, you are expected to wear professional clothing.” He pushed past into the bedroom while Raina stood in the doorway, heart hammering in embarrassment. “Obviously we wouldn’t expect a student to be able to afford all of that so we will provide your uniforms,” he quipped. Pride wounded and her temper spiking, Raina struggled to keep her attitude in check.

  “I can afford to buy my own uniforms, you don’t need to buy them for me” she muttered, all too quietly. Logan raised an eyebrow as he locked glittering eyes on mine.

  “If you could afford a suit, you probably would have replaced those old boots of yours.” Her mouth dropped open in shock. His insolence was astounding. Coming from a spoiled little boy who probably never had to worry about anything before in his life because daddy would solve all his problems with an expensive new present, the attitude should have been expected. Mrs Lederman busied herself with setting up a platform and searching through her bag.

  Raina stepped towards Logan, her hands fidgeting to close into fists.

  “I have more than enough money to buy myself whatever uniforms I need for working here, I simply didn’t know they were required until you came in here to insult me,” she fumed, fighting the urge to move any closer. Squaring up to her boss less than 24 hours after arriving wasn’t going to make a great first impression.

  His cocky smirk only incensed her further but she tried desperately to avoid saying anything offensive that would terminate her employment. Before he could jump in with another insult Raina stepped back and took a breath to settle the rising flame of anger. The poor seamstress, stuck in the middle of an obviously uncomfortable situation, guided her silently to the small stage and began flitting about looking for something. Raina didn’t dare look over at Logan, taking the precious quiet to relax herself. Standing at the bathroom door he caught sight of the ancient towel she had abandoned earlier that morning and Raina seen the judgemental eye roll that came after it.

  “I have been working my ass off since I was sixteen years old to save enough money to put myself through university and make something of myself. I don’t appreciate you talking down to me about my financial status or how my clothes look. I save my money for my education and my future, not for frivolous things like excess shoes and designer clothes,” she said, using the voice she often used for the string of arrogant bosses from previous encounters.

  Logan’s expression was unreadable, but he offered no apology. He sat himself at the dress
ing table as Mrs Lederman silently began to measure her arms. Crossing his legs, he fixed Raina with an examining glare.

  “Didn’t your parent’s put any money aside for you to go to university?” he asked nonchalantly, concentrating his stare on his fingernails instead of her. Of course the little rich boy would assume everyone has parents to do everything for them, she thought to herself.

  “I have no parents.”

  She didn’t dare speak any further. Her anger was pushing dangerously close to breaking, and Raina refused to snap in front of such an obtuse jackass. Mrs Lederman stiffened and paused before quickly busying herself with the clothes on the hanging rail. The silence that fell in the room was almost deafening.

  “What do you mean you have no parents?” he asked, his tone so concerning it was like he had suddenly flipped into a different person. Raina blinked at him, unable to comprehend the sheer ignorance and lack of tact this man had.

  “My mother died when I was 19, my father has never been involved in my life. So I have no parents. Is there any further questions Mr Blanchard?” she asked monotonously, staring him dead in the eyes. By the look on his face he had a lot of questions, but that quickly shifted, only to be replaced with anger.

  “Sorry, I didn’t know,” he muttered, a hint of regret in his voice. She let out a breath of insincere mirth.

  “Because you don’t know me yet you felt the need to insensitively insult me and probe into my private affairs.” Logan’s cheeks flushed a delicate shade of pink. Mrs Lederman looked uncomfortable as she gathered a bundle of clothes in her arms.

  “I’ll be back in a little while,” she muttered, sliding a pen behind her ear and scurrying out of the room. A tense silence settled between Logan and Raina, filled only by the clock ticks from her bedside table.

  Mercifully, Raina’s phone rang from her handbag. She stormed past Logan to get it and seen her friends name pop up on the screen. She perched gingerly on the edge of her bed across from Logan and answered the call.