Chapter 8 THE STUDY OF THE SHADOWS

Zara stood in the middle of the study, frozen as if she had just seen a ghost, as the still eeriness of the room pressed against her chest. Her fingers still tingling from coming in contact with the canvas that carried the image of her and the wolf, and her mind burnt with the image like a brand. Impossible questions layered in her head as her thoughts raced over unsettling realizations. Footsteps approached but she was so consumed as her thought was in chaos, that she didn't even notice it until she was interrupted by a low voice that echoed from the bedroom doorway.

"Are you lost?"

The voice was masculine. Thick, sharp, and smooth like a blade graced in velvet, making Zara turn abruptly as her heart skipped on seeing Micheal standing beside the doorway. He leaned beside the wall close to the door frame with a faint but casual smile, his eyes, dark, unreadable, and far too calm fixated on her silhouette.

Zara's throat instantly dried as she couldn't muster up the words to speak, but could only manage a half breath. His presence emancipated a stinging and sobering feeling as cold water poured on a wound.

"I...I was in search of my room." She finally said as her voice was barely above a whisper. "I thought this was my designated room." She added.

Micheal's eyes fixated on her face then slowly to the painted canvas beside her. Despite wearing an unwavering smile, something intently flickered in his gaze. With quiet steps, he walked inside the room as the door closed behind him.

"Quite interesting." He said as he walked past her, straight to the desk. "It's common for most people to see a closed door and take it as a boundary."

Zara slightly turned as she watched him move with an ease that sent shivers down her spine. "My apologies, I didn't think this was a personal space, and like I said earlier, I was lost," Zara said, sounding more defensive than she thought she would.

"It is." Micheal bluntly replied and turned to her. "But I suppose, you are not most people." He said with a lighter tone.

Now in between Zara and the canvas, Micheal stood, shielding the canvas subtly, as if he was protecting something dangerous or sacred.

"The paintings.... are from where?" Zara swallowed as she asked.

"I collect art, and if I remember correctly, you are aware." Micheal said as he tilted his head , as if honestly amused by her sudden question.

Zara carefully took a step backward, as her instinct led her, and not out of fear. Something deep in her gut signaled her not to push further.

"Okay, I'd really like to meet the brilliant artist behind this works." Zara blurted out as her voice sounded strained.

"I'd appreciate if you stay out of this one. Your room is the third on the left." He said promptly over his shoulders with a cold voice, as he stepped forward, moving past her gently, and opened the door.

She knew it wasn't a request nor a suggestion, and want a threat even though it did sound like one. After a moment of hesitation, Zara walked out without uttering another word, as he heart thudded I'm her chest. Stepping into the hallway, she looked back briefly, sighting Micheal locked eyes with the canvas. At this point, he didn't hide his gaze. He looked so intently like the canvas meant more to him, more than she could possibly understand.

Zara slowly walked down the hallway as her feet graced the cold marble floor. The mansion intensely quiet, every sound from her feet echoes slightly behind her like she was being chased by her shadow. As her mind was far from reality, her fingers grazed the wall, as she grounded herself into something real and solid. She was supposed to feel at ease, because she was alive, walking and even healing more than she thought she would. But deep inside her, her chest was tight in a knot, full of uncountable questions, each one more shocking than the previous.

"How is is possible that those drawing...my drawings were here, even in a hidden place?" Zara thought to herself as she walked. "I remember vividly tucking them away in my sketch pad, but this is a completed drawing. And even if they were replicas, they looked too original to be fake and Micheal on the other hand, had never seen my drawings." She added.

Her brows drew together as she approached the door of her room, she began to delve deeper into her thought, on how something didn't add up, the house and how the staff's acted around him, how she had been his fiancé for a while now and distant he was, and also how she Barry even knew him. She began to feel as though she is is playing a puzzle that was made of pieces that doesn't belong together.

Stepping into her room, she leaned against the doorframe, while she stared into nothing. Her thought drowning in question, that she doesn't even recognize how beautiful the room was put. Zara subconsciously sat on the bed, as her mind buzzed uncontrollably, as thoughts overlapped like waves crashing against a frail shore. Moments after stepping into the room and sitting on the bed, she lets out a heavy sigh. She knew she had spent the entire day spewing through layers of confusing and suspicious thoughts, as her mind pulled strings that continuously led to a dead end, as it dug into shadows that seized to reveal their sources. She realized that what she needed was to breathe and not to choke on thoughts.

Rising from the bed, she made her way to the bathroom. Under the bathroom door, was a yellow light pouring on the marble floor. As she pushed opened the door, her skin was caresses in utmost glow, as she stood there frozen but in awe. Zara blinked profusely, as this wasn't what she had just seen a while back, everything was arranged neatly, and also delicately. To her surprise, the space was feminine, as a subtle hint of rose water hung in the air. And on a pro stone shelf, a rose-scented body wash, matching lotions and a neat array of lotions. A cute blush-pink , trimmed with lace and was hung beside a huge towel. Also by the mirror sat a tray with hair accessories and a fine hairdryer.

Taking this view in, Zara blinked again. This wasn't so cold, she was already expecting something like what she had seen at Michael's room. She knew someone had gone a great length out of their way to make her feel comfortable and welcomed. This stirred something inside her, a mixture of gratitude and apprehension was stirred inside her. "Was this his way of making me feel at home." She thought to hers, immediately after, she shook her head as if taking tho.

Taking off her clothes, Zara stepped into the shower, and me the water run over her like a silk curtain. The bathroom filled with scent of roses, enveloped by her as her. Since the accident, she hasn't really allowed herself to feel the tension in her muscles and limb. As the water graced her skin, the warmth seeped into her bones, slowly washing away the the heaviness that had followed her since after her accident.

Stepping out finally she was on a plush rob, her wet hair falling slick back, as she caught her reflection through the mirror; there she spotted a new glint in her eyes, something causations and curious. For the first time after entering the room, she realized the room was stunning; lost in the swirl of her thoughts, she didn't realize it was this well made.

The wall painted in a soft cream, as good undertone from the chandelier above reflected. The massive king-sized bed was layered with beautiful linens and warm pillows. The vintage curtains, long and sheer, slightly danced as breeze slipped through the small opened space in the window. Despite everything feeling intentionally calm, and beautifully cloaked with luxury, she still felt uneasy.

This night, Zara had decided to bury such deep thoughts, as she sank beneath the covers and let herself be soaked by the soft pull of the softness. Maybe tomorrow, she's search for more answers but for now she need rest. Closing her eyes, to give a gateway for sleep to shoot it's shot, she was suddenly interrupted by an earth quaking bang, making her jolt up in fear.