The inside of the chateau looked like a rich person's house that had been left out in the rain for twenty years.
Aria stepped over the threshold and paused, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light.
The foyer was massive. A sweeping stone staircase curved up toward the second floor, and a crystal chandelier hung from the vaulted ceiling. But half the crystals were missing, and the ones that remained were furry with dust. The silk wallpaper was a faded, water-stained green, peeling at the seams like old sunburn. Someone had taped a row of crayon drawings over the worst of the damage. Stick-figure families. Lopsided suns. A purple horse with six legs.
In the corner, a plastic bucket sat on the marble floor, collecting a slow, steady drip from the ceiling.
Plink.
Plink.
Plink.
'Broke,' Aria thought, her chest tightening. 'Jade wasn't exaggerating. They're actually broke.'
The house smelled like woodsmoke, fresh bread, and damp stone.
