The Devil's Student Mate

NINE | ■ LILITH ■|

NINE | ■ LILITH ■|

Sometimes what the eyes see and what the ears hear is not what is really there.

I ascended the flight of stairs with the intention of freshening up in the bathroom and the entire way I was musing over what I had heard. Of course, only such uncanny, unexplained things happen to me, of course I had to be the one to overhear that disturbing, cryptic yet not cryptic conversation. What did mrs Mauve mean by souls? Was she talking about the souls I know, as souls, s- o- u- l- s or "forty nine souls" was just a codename for some amount or anything that could take the form of collateral damage?  Life in Millennia is strange, rarely conforms to the norm, I definitely know better than to make presumptions and come up with unfounded conjectures about what I heard or anything else for that matter, in Millennia you do not assume because nothing is ever as it seems in these exurbs. Only the wealthiest people in South Ardic City, the capital city of Orson have enough worth and high standards to afford residence in Millennia, but even my neighbours who are drowning in money and lead very opulent lifestyles have something to hide.

I feel like my parents also have something major to hide. When I was a kid, up until I was fourteen and mature enough to grasp the concept of an arranged marriage, my parents wanted me to believe that and live like I already have some guy who is going to marry me when I come of age! Imagine, how twisted is that! Thankfully that mystery man who I still up to this day do not believe actually existed beyond my parents' imagination just disappeared, stopped sending me gifts and letters when I was close to fourteen years and has since been out of the picture.

When I sauntered down the hallway, I was surprised how eerily silent it was upstairs. The passage was not narrow and it was lit brilliantly by a sumptuous looking gold chandelier with multiple little bulbs, but the atmosphere it held was that of a haunted house to me. It could be just me, I really do not like being alone, that makes me feel like an easy target.

I have been to the Mauve mansion multiple times so I know my way around. Like I usually do, I slipped inside the guest bedroom, it was never locked and in the eyes of someone of middleclass, it would appeal as a bedroom fit for a king, that's how lavish it is. Everything about this house screams deluxe, the Mauves are far more wealthy than my parents and I wonder how they came about their fortune. I discarded my purse on the bed and made it to the large, connected bathroom and I took about twenty minutes just staring at my reflection when not doing little touch ups to my minimum makeup. I was very anxious about going back there, my hunch told me that I will not like what awaits me and I was trying to avoid bumping into sir Steed at all costs. The unruffled atmosphere, the quietitude of the room was chilling and incited this chaffing fear from within me, but I knew that I would much rather hide out here than to have meaningless, tedious, unexciting talk with strangers. I was going to waste time in here, watch it dwindle until the gathering is over and people disperse to their homes.

I sat on the stand extension next to the fancy tub and I had only settled for a small fraction of a minute when I realised that I needed my phone and I had left it inside the purse. I rose to my feet and took some groggy steps without any haste, feeling ridiculously sluggish, but just when I was about to reach for the door handle, a very sharp blast racked the slient night and I was so terrified by the sudden, horror inducing sound, it felt like my insides had shifted. I jolted up, my heartbeat accelerating in a second and without much thought, I hurriedly slipped out of the bathroom and ran to close the main bedroom door. Before I could rush to the bed to get my phone, I heard guns go off about thirty times in succession and the ear-tearing noise blended with the sharp cries and screams of panicking, petrified people.

Shit!

Shit!

People are dying downstairs, oh my god what am I going to do?! I am too young to die, this can't be the night I die and leave this world and all its abundant, unexplored pleasures for good! My bottom lip quivering and my thoughts all jumbled, I had a flight response, I ran for my purse and then made a dash for the spacious walk in closet. I was so immeasurably, inexplicably scared, that I struggled with the door handle for some two seconds because of my trembling hands and diminishing strength. f**k, I forgot to turn on the lights and I am scared of the dark, can things possibly get any worse without me having to die?! I have never had any fortitude, I am not brave in the light of horror, and I have always preferred to run than to face something head on, but now I do not have anywhere to run to.

It went quiet again, no gun shots, no screams and as I backed myself into the wall of the dark closet, I wondered if the gunmen had killed everyone downstairs and the realization that I might not make it out of this alive struck me like a vicious bolt of lightening. I knew that I should have been quiet so I go undetected by those murderers, but I could not stop the plaintive, mournful sounds from leaving my mouth. I was whimpering in a nearly sobbing manner in the darkness and only praying that there was no one upstairs and that the killers had fled from the crime scene already.

Tears spilled from my eyes and skidded down my cold cheeks as I fumbled around for a weapon but in my blind search, my hands kept meeting pairs of shoes or handbags then a shirt and dress pants on a mannequin. I did not give up, I crouched down and searched lower and on the floor, until…. Wait… that was not a mannequin… that did not feel like a mannequin…

Oh f**k!

Fuck!

What the f**k!!

There is someone with m-

More gun shots ripped through the air, about ten or more, followed by screams,  but I only managed a small squall after the first shot sounded before a large hand covered my mouth and muffled my screams. My heart nearly sprinted free from its connective tissues,  instinct instantly took over and I thrawed my body, twisting and turning vigorously, but my struggles were to no avail, were in vain, the man was too strong and fear did not fuel me enough to counter the disadvantage in physical strength. His grip tightened and he swiftly wrapped an arm around my shoulder and roughly drew me to him. My back was slammed into his front and so effortlessly, he had me grounded to him.

So many dreary, negative thoughts flooded my mind in torrents, I have never been so scared my entire life.

I am going to get raped-

I am going to get killed, strangled and slaughtered like a sacrificial animal!

I am going to die, my parents are going lose their only child and my mom is going to be so crushed and never-

My chain of thoughts was raptured by a stream of warm air which was emitted onto the side of my face by the man before his deep, very familiar voice slithered into my ears as he calmly hushed me. "Shhhhh… relax, love, it is just me, nothing is going to happen to you." I immediately recognized that domineering, deep yet creamy, beautifully matured, refined voice.

"Sir Steed!" I screamed into his palm, finally finding the spirit to move my hands to his wrist and pull his hand away from my mouth. I made the terrible mistake of turning to my back and facing him. The first thing I caught, the only thing that was visible to my eyes were blood red glowing pairs of eyes. I gasped in shock, taking a few steps back before my back hit a mounted shoe rack or some wooden open shoe cases. Those chilling, luminescent eyes seemingly floating on their own neared me and I endeavored the hardest not to scream and alarm the gunmen the lower floor that there is life up here.

But what the f**k is going on?!

What is Lucius Steed doing in here?!

Can you believe my luck! I just had to choose the same hiding space as the man I have been trying to avoid the entire day now didn't I?!

"Hmm.." He hummed deeply and my stomach churned as his shoes brushed into my naked toes. "So you have been avoiding me, you are not supposed do that, love, I came to this wretched mortal land just for you, only for you.."

Wait… how- how did he know that?! Did he just read my mind?! Is this really happening?!

"Wretched mortal land" what is that? Just for me? What is he saying? And why is he still calling me "love"!

Wait… I am dreaming… I must be dreaming..  is this a dream?! I hate how I do not know what is real anymore, urgghhhh!!

"I d-d-do not know what you are talking about, sir." I stammered nervously when he inched closer and the fabric of his pants rubbed against my exposed thighs. He is so close, I can't breathe, his presence is an occlusion on my windpipe. Then there are those eyes, those fear inducing, unnatural red eyes I just can't ignore. "W-why are your eyes red and- and glowing?" How is that possible?! Is this man a vampire or something?!

"No, I am not a vampire," he chuckled lightly, his laugh was very beautiful but my mind still went numb for all the wrong reasons regardless, "my eyes are red because I am the Devil, sweetheart," he cupped my face so suddenly and pulled it close to his, all I could do was gasp, before he uttered this above my lips, "and you are my mate."