Chapter 37

The days pass slowly. My plans for freedom seem to move further and further out of sight. The mornings I spend with Cole we spend in silence. Hunter always just feet away, ready to pounce if I make one wrong move. Our conversations are carried out in our mind, which I hate and feel violated by. With each new day, I feel even lonelier. I miss Misty and her bubbly personality. How I wish I could snuggle up with Clara and watch television. Clara and David were my foster parents. I loved them dearly. That is until my grandmother turned up out of the blue and threw me into this crazy life of magic, witches, and angels.
At least I have the hell hound for company. We’ve become quite accustomed to one another. Yeah, right, as if. I give the beast a wide birth. That thing hates me. Every time I go anywhere near it, its teeth are out, and its growl makes the hairs on my arms stand up.
The castle’s been packed with people for days now, all measuring and planning for my upcoming death sentence. Sorry, I mean wedding. Well, from my point of view it might as well be a death sentence. I will be locked up in this creepy castle with an evil king. With no sunlight or happiness. Just sadness and death and for what? Eternity? Three slaves have met their end. The king enjoys telling me about the gory details of their death. I am walking close to death's door just by being here.
Soon I will be married into this life. I will have no escape.
Tonight is my engagement party. I’m to meet the rest of the ugly demonic creatures that will be present to watch my life being stripped away from me. Truth be told, my life was taken the day I was attacked in the bookshop by the dark one. Hulk as I call him. From then on it has been a whirlwind of crazy events.
"Time to shower, Miss Grace." Lillian's quiet voice penetrates my mind. She comes out of nowhere; her footsteps are as silent as a ghost.
I look at the hellhound sprawled out on the floor at the foot of my bed and sigh. I have no choice but to walk past it to get to the bathroom. The hound is sly sometimes and makes no movement or aggressive behavior towards me. Then at other times it growls and snaps its jaw, and my heart usually jumps into my throat. I should be used to its unexpected and unprovoked behavior, but I am not.
I recently asked Cole what the hellhounds ate, out of curiosity and to fuel my fear, his answer gave me the chills. “Human flesh, raw flesh,” he had said. Not that it was easy to sleep before, but now I am even more scared and paranoid.
"Lillian, how did you end up here?" I ask, not really expecting an answer.
She walks into the bathroom. Minutes later I can hear the shower running. I follow, not knowing what else to do. All I want to do is run as fast as I can away from this life. Away from the magic and evil that walks the night.
I stay in the shower for a long time. I let the water wash over me while the tidal wave of questions run freely around my mind.
I finish and wrap myself in a soft black towel and step back into my bedroom where Lillian awaits me. How I wish for my pink room. Well, to be honest, right now any color will do. The never-ending lack of life and color is slowly driving me insane.
I sit at my dressing table and stare in the mirror. Lillian dries my hair, and when she finishes, she places the hair dryer on the dressing table and brushes out my long curls. “I was ten years old,” she says. “I was sold on the black market after my parents were murdered by vampires. “She has a faraway look in her dull brown eyes. Her ever-present dirty blond hair is tied up in a messy bun at the top of her head. I stay still, afraid to move in case she stops.
"The vampires that killed my parents took me to the market where I was to be sold, bought by the highest bidder. I was sold to a dark one." She puts the brush down and starts to braid my hair. "I worked for the dark one for many years. I lured women to him for bread and water. The woman would come, and they would drain them of their life force. I think they were sent to a psychiatric place once they were done with them because the women became empty shells. When I got too old, I was sent here to become the king's servant. I have been here ever since."
"That's terrible. There must be a way out for us." If I had the power, I would free all the servants that are forced to live in this nightmare everyday.
"No, there is no way out. If you try to run, bad things happen." Her eyes widen with terror. I look at her pale complexion and the shadows under her eyes and feel guilty for the extra work I bring her.
"Have you ever tried to run?"
She nods her head furiously but says no more.
"What happened?" If I’m to get out of here, I need all the information I can get.
“Bad things. You must marry the prince and make no talk of escaping. If you wish to survive, then do as the king demands. “She walks away and pulls out a red dress from the wardrobe. I sigh, thinking about my comfy jeans and t-shirts.
The hell hound stands and starts to pace the room. Saliva drips from its mouth, and its eyes seem to glow. Lillian orders him to lie down, but the houndsnaps at her and bares its teeth. She sighs and tosses it something out of her apron.
I stagger back as I get a quick glance of the object. My hand shoots to my mouth, and I feel physically sick.
“Henry was caught stealing food out of the kitchen. The king removed most of his fingers,” Lillian says casually like it was nothing.
“So, you fed it to that thing?” I ask, pointing at the hell hound crunching the bone in its mouth. My stomach swims with nausea at the sound.
“All the servants’ body parts are fed to the hounds eventually. It is just a matter of time.” She shrugs, and I wish she was as quiet as she usually is. Death means nothing to these people.
Marrying the prince is as much a death sentence as dying would be. And I’d prefer to die than watch my soul slowly being eaten by the evil and darkness surrounding me.
We walk to the grand hall together. Outside the doors, I take a deep breath and pull my back straight, ready to face the sort of demons that should only exist in nightmares.