CH.30

Emmeline turned right down the elegantly appointed hallway and strode towards the door Yuna had indicated.

She paused to take a fortifying breath before rapping her knuckles against the thick wood. "Mr. Blackthorn? It's Emmeline...I hope I'm not disturbing you..."

"Come in!" his deep voice beckoned from within.

Emmeline hesitated briefly before pushing open the door and stepping into the impeccably appointed study.

It was a space utterly befitting of its owner - a cold, masculine space lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves overflowing with thick, leather-bound tomes. The air was perfumed with the rich, complex scents of aged wood, paper, and smoke.

A pair of supple burgundy leather armchairs sat facing each other before an impressive stone fireplace, beckoning one to sink into their buttery soft embrace and lose themselves in the printed word for hours on end.

Zavian stood with his back to her before the towering windows. One hand was in his pants pocket as he gazed out over the lus