I walked through several vast hallways with the two females on each side of me. They were silent and only replied to a few of my questions either with a nod or a head shake.
"So, where is everyone?" I asked, they both glanced at each other briefly before the one to my right answered, "Only the Prince lives here. The other Princes and Princesses stay in their own castles." Said Yaelina, or was it Hanniel?
"So, Rey has siblings, but they all have a place of their own?" They both stilled just for a brief second, probably baffled by the fact that I called him Rey.
"Just...Rey."
I remembered him saying. I felt my face warm when his husky, low voice ran through my mind. He had been so close to me earlier, so close that I could still smell his sweet, musky scent. I could still feel his faint breath brushing my heated skin, and hear the cruel amusement in his deep chuckle. Suddenly, the Prince was all I could think of. I wanted to see more of him, to hear his voice, hear him call my name. I wanted to see his face colored with pleasure.
I could picture him pressing his body into mine, his gleaming skin shining beneath the dimly lit room. His long, raven hair gracefully falling to each side of his face whilst his eyes poured into mine while he lied on top o-
I had to stop myself before I went too far. Sometimes I surprised even myself.
I was silent for a while before we reached a large set of red, carpeted stairs and the two women waited for me to take the first step, then they followed me. Eventually, I found myself facing a large, polished double-door entrance.
"We're here." I heard the woman to my left state,
"You will be staying here." Now it was the one to my right. This was so annoyingly confusing!
"Thank you." I said, nonetheless.
I pushed the heavy door open and found myself standing in the most luxurious room I'd ever stepped foot in. Seriously, it was double the size of my own home! Astonishing wallpaper and stunning hanging pictures adorned the walls. A king-sized bed stayed in the middle of the room, with four tall posters at each corner with a sheer white fabric draped across them.
Two dresses lay on either side of the four-poster bed, each with a decorative lamp standing against the wooden surface.
I was so lost in the beauty of my accommodation that I failed to notice one of the two females walking-almost floating- out of the connected bathroom.
"Your bath is ready." She said.
"Thank you?" Suddenly I was self-conscious, did I look or perhaps smell like I was in desperate need of a bath? I appreciated the gesture, nevertheless.
The two females had excused themselves, telling me to simply just call for them if I needed anything. I slipped out of my jeans and sweater, took off my underwear, and walked, with a white towel wrapped around me, into the bathroom, which was as magnificent as the room itself.
I stepped into the water with a loud sigh. Luckily, it was the perfect temperature, not too hot and definitely not too cold. I slid my body deeper beneath the water, closed my eyes, rested my head against the porcelain bathtub, and felt my whole body almost melting with the warmth of the lavender-scented water.
When the water got too cool for my liking, I decided that it was enough. I toweled off and walked back to the room. I was drying my hair when I noticed something lying against the bed. I raised a brow.
"It's your dress for the evening."
I screamed. I turned around and Yaelina was standing right there.
"Do you people seriously not know how to knock!" I quickly grabbed the towel I had dropped, covering my wet, naked body.
She tilted her head in confusion, "The Prince, he picked this dress." She stated as if nothing had just happened.
"Okay, okay, I'll wear the damned dress! just give me a little privacy, please?" The shadows around Yaelina- or was it Hanniel? I honestly had no idea - wrapped around her, engulfing her in a dark mist before she disappeared completely.
I grabbed the dress, deep crimson silk that subtly reflected the faint, dim light. I put it on and looked at the large mirror facing the bed. The dress left the top of my shoulders visible and fell down into a plunging neckline that all but accentuated my breasts. It was a tight fit that hugged my body and curved tightly, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. Did he pick that dress specifically for me? My cheeks heated.
"Do you like it?" I heard a low voice coming from behind me. I turned around and surely he was there, leaning back in a grey armchair with his legs crossed against a small black wooden table. A huge, sly smile plastered to that pretty face of his.
"Will you ever stop creeping on me? It's getting really annoying." I frowned, but in all honesty, I just wanted to jump off a cliff. How long had he been there? I had been totally naked for god's sake!
"And mess the chance to get to see you all flushed? Never."
I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs! but I ignored him and pretended to study my appearance in the mirror, instead. He was suddenly standing behind me. He moved my hair away, exposing my neck, all without touching an inch of my skin. I found myself disappointed, I was yearning for his touch, a touch that would light my whole body on fire.
He was still in his dark, greyish armour. The cape, however, was nowhere to be found.
"You look beautiful." He spoke, his lips mere inches away from my pulsating veins, "So beautiful." He breathed against my skin. I was about to lose my mind.
I turned around, becoming face-to-face with the devilishly gorgeous angel.
"Why am I here?" I was genuinely confused. I did not belong there. I had school to attend, I had family, friends... I had a life.
"Do you not like it here?" He sounded hurt.
"It's the most magnificent place I've ever seen and I doubt I'll ever see anything like it ever again," I admitted, "I just want to know what I'm doing here, why bring me here. It is obviously not allowed." I was so confused, nothing really made sense.
He looked at me, his silver eyes carefully studying my heated face. I breathed heavily, my chest rising and falling in the tight deep-red colored dress. I glanced up at the angel of death, he seemed lost...torn. I could see a hint of an unfamiliar emotion lurking behind those luminous orbs; regret, sorrow, and deep sadness that was as old as the gods themselves.
"I don't even know anymore." I sighed, turning my gaze away from his.
"There's a lot you do not know about, Avalyn." The way he had said my name, there was something about it that brought comfort to my racing heart. I felt as if I had been drowning deeper into darkness and finally found my light. I looked at him again, his eyes softened and a faint ghost of a smile spread across his face.
"Come, there is someone I want you to meet." He looked as if he was about to reach for me and take my hand, but he stopped midway. I recalled the agonising pain that his touch sent through my body and I frowned. This was torture. Not the pain, but his forbidden touch.
.
.
.
We walked through even more vast hallways with Rey leading the way. I kept stealing glances in his direction.
"Say it." he spoke, with not even a look in my direction.
"What?"
"You look like you have something on your mind." he simply stated. He had me through a huge wooden door that looked about several tons heavy.
"Where's your father?" There. I asked.
He turned his gaze towards me, "you're asking me where Death is?" he mused.
"I was just wondering where he was." I shrugged, toying with a black strand of hair.
"He is everywhere at once and nowhere at all. He is Death, he is always around you."
"He's got his eyes set on you and he's got his hands clasped around your neck and at any given time, his cruel grip will slowly push the air out of your lung, and rip the soul of your body... and it is only him to decide when to choke the life out of you. He is Death, Avalyn, and he also happens to be my Father."