The Lady

Moments ago, I just experienced teleportation. Something that only Doctor Strange could do. But I experienced it! I was not really trained in physics but I was pretty sure it had something to do with quantum… what was it again that Iron Man said?

Anyway, after I got back to the mansion, Tony sat me on the sofa that I once sat before. He teleported again to call his “brothers” –yes, I used two of my fingers to quote the word –to the living room. Then Tony teleported again to in front of me while ringing a bell which summoned a maid whose skin was entirely blue. I gawked at the maid, but considering what has been happening these past few days… I eventually shrugged and averted my gaze. Plus, I did not want to be rude and staring intently at her.

Tony asked for some tea and refreshments which the maid nodded to. A few seconds later, I heard the sound of the wind being whipped. When I looked up, I saw Michael flying down from the third floor. The man was shirtless, revealing packs of abs that I did not know humans could make. His brown skin glistened underneath the orange glow of the chandelier above them. And his wings sparkled like silver. He descended gracefully next to Tony. And in a blink of an eye, Renald had appeared on the other side of Tony.

And then there were three supernatural men looking at her.

“Hello, Miss!” said Renald joyfully. I smiled at him. But when I looked at Michael, the man only looked at me coldly.

They all sat down. Tony sat on the same sofa with Renald, while Michael sat on a personal leather sofa. After a while, the maid came back with a tray of a teapot and several small cups, also some snacks. The blue-skinned maid poured the tea on my cup and I smiled at her. She attempted a smile too, at least I thought she did because all I could see when she widened her mouth was sharp teeth. Surely that did not mean she would like to eat me, right?

The maid quickly left once she was done serving us. An awkward silence brewed between us.

“They are not poisoned,” Tony said, “If that’s what you are worried about.”

I blinked.

I just did not feel like drinking tea and snacking when I have experienced so much shit. But apparently, I was making the home-owners disappointed. So, I grabbed the tea and sipped a little. The tea was surprisingly really delicious. But before I got caught up in the delicacy of the food they offered me, I refocused my mind.

I still needed answers from them.

“So… what made you change your mind?” asked Renald. He was wearing a comfortable T-shirt with shorts. His hair was not gelled to perfection as the first time I met him but he still had that boyish aura.

“A little demon tried to scare her off in the hospital,” Tony answered Renald’s question, “I scared the demon off and she liked my charm so–“

“I don’t want anyone around me to get hurt,” I cut Tony off. He was rambling bullshit, thinking that saving me had put him in my good graces despite we were still basically strangers.

Michael arched one eyebrow up. “I thought you are a loner, Arianna Adler.” His tone was deep. It sent chills to my spine because of how true those words were. I had always been alone after my mother’s passing. When I was Alexander’s sugar baby, despite I had him to take care of my needs, I was pretty much living alone. No friends, no families. It was only when I quit that I… found Mateo. It was weird actually, how we clicked. Yet I considered him close to me. Perhaps because we had the same shit to go through in our lives. Perhaps because I saw my old self inside him…

“There’s this boy,” Tony answered Michael again when he saw that I was lost in my thought.

*How is a demon so considerate?*

“He is a clinical trial patient in Arianna’s hospital. The demon almost harmed the boy and I guess…” he shrugged looking at me.

“Yes. The boy is important to me,” I finally said, “But truthfully I have not decided to stay here completely.”

Tony’s eyes widened. “But you said–“

“I know what I said,” I stared at the handsome demon down, “But I need some answers first. I can’t just suddenly change my whole life because three strangers insist that I do.”

Michael opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off. “I know what you’re going to say. You are only going to give me answers when I have decided to stay. But that will not be how it works.”

All three men arched their brows. I guess I sounded much more confident and strong-willed than I thought I did. In truth, I was sweating hard. I mean, look at them. Three supernatural men with superpowers. And me? Tch. I was just a human girl, who was a sugar baby. How was I supposed to fight them all if they would not have it my way?

Come to think of it… this whole supernatural debauchery happened right after I quit… was it a coincidence?

“You will tell me this instant what I need to know. Then,” I raised my voice at the end, “I will decide whether to really stay or not.”

I gulped hard after stating those words. Without me knowing, I had stood up in front of them. And I intended to keep my stance.

Michael scoffed. “Where would you go anyway? You said you don’t want to hurt others. So–“

“Michael! Let’s just tell Miss Arianna the truth. She deserves it,” Renald cried out. “I’m so tired of keeping this secret. Things would have been better if she knows. She would cooperate more.”

“Uh… that remains to be discussed,” I responded to Renald.

“She doesn’t have anywhere to go to anyway,” Michael raised his voice to Renald, “If she wants protection–“

“Enough!” Tony had stood up and bellowed to the two men. He gave them each a stern look. Michael squinted his eyes in response while Renald slightly crouched himself on the couch.

Interesting, I thought. Tony seemed more dominant than Renald. Perhaps Tony was older?

Then Tony looked at me straight in the eye. “Sit down. We’ll tell you.”

I sat down, not cutting my eyesight off of him. Somehow, I trusted this demon.

Tony sighed heavily. He brushed his hair in frustration before he said, “It’s a long story. One that defies time and fate.”

That sounded dramatic and I held myself back from rolling my eyes. I stayed quiet so that Tony would continue.

“Arianna, you are the Lady. There was a prophecy from thousands of years ago, even before the one you called Christ was born. Our Father was the bearer of that prophecy. In short, the prophecy said that the Lady would be born and four princes of Father’s choosing would vie for her love.”

*Love?* I almost rolled my eyes again if I did not see how serious their faces were.

“The Lady would crown one among the princes as the Dark Lord. Which means he would have the power of darkness and is the rightful ruler of the Underworld.”

I reminded myself to breathe normally. Breathe in. Breathe out. Then I repeated the command. If not, I did not think I could breathe with Tony telling me the whole story.

“The Lady lives in a time constraint. If she does not crown the Dark Lord when the time’s up, her life would repeat in another cycle. Until she finally crowns one.”

I blinked.

*What. The. Hell?*

“Time constraint?” I did not realize that I muttered the word out loud.

Tony nodded. “Your illness… it’s how nature lets us know that your cycle has a deadline.”

My heart was being erratic. I clenched my fists so hard. All I could think of was that word: Time constraint.

“So… this illness of mine is… is part of your game? The deadline to your contest in acquiring a throne?” I raised my voice again. My life seemed like a game. It sounded ridiculous! How nature played with someone’s life and made it a game for others. It was barbaric!

“And what will happen when my illness gets the better of me before I crown a Dark Lord?”

“You’ll die,” another voice had joined their conversation. It came from the huge half spiraling stairs on my right, the stairs leading to the second floor. I stood frozen… because I knew the voice.

How could I not? I had spent months with the voice. And when I thought I had gotten away from him… it seemed that he found me again.

I turned my face slowly while feeling that my blood had been drained out of me. Then our eyes met and I was struck cold again.

There he was in a grey tuxedo, looking as handsome as always. With his dark hair, sharp eyes, and strong jaws. His built was the same as I last met him too, one would think he was doing gym work diligently.

He stared at me coldly, pinning me to the ground. It was as if he still held a contract over me, still having that invisible noose wrapping over my neck. That he still had control over me when I had ended things with him.

“And then the cycle will repeat again,” said Alexander. “But Underworlders are getting anxious with time. With each repeated cycle they are getting more brazen and divided. And so, a Dark Lord must be crown in this cycle.”

Behind Alexander, stood an old man that Arianna knew so well. It was Xavier, the butler that had always looked down on Arianna. He tucked his hands on his stomach and looked to the ground, as he always did whenever he was around Alexander.

“Alexander?” I was still blinking my eyes. Thinking that there was no way my former sugar daddy was a supernatural being too. I would have known. “What are you doing here?” I managed a nervous laugh.

“This is my mansion,” he said, “And I am their Father.” He pointed to the three men sitting across me.

*What???*

I forced my laughter harder. “That can’t be true…”

“I’m not joking, Ann,” he said while descending the stairs.

“But… but that would mean… you knew about me all along when I… I was your…”

“I knew from the beginning I laid my eyes on you,” Alexander said, “And I was the one who marked you.”

“What?”