Page 6 of Love & Monsters
I could hear a bustling kitchen in this part of the home, but we merely walked past that door and kept going. The layout here told me this was like a servant’s quarter. Out of the way and out of sight. It wasn’t until we arrived at a narrow door that the demon slowed.
The moment the door opened, she pushed me into a shadowy room. I grunted from the force, surprised at her strength. She put her hands on me, clawing at my clothes before I had any time to react.
“Wait. No. Wait! I can undress myself!” She grimaced but didn’t stop handling me until she stripped me bare. I tried covering myself with my hands. I had to admit to myself that it felt good to have the stiff and muddy athletic clothes off.
However, I didn’t like how I was being stared at now.
“So, you are female,” she mused. “I thought you were.” And she said nothing else as she shoved me into a large copper tub.
The water was already warm. My head broke the surface, and I sputtered for air at the same time the ebony demon grabbed my arm and began scrubbing me. She wasn’t gentle about it. No matter how much I tried to protest that I could wash myself, she didn’t stop until I was clean.
It was horrible to have a stranger see you naked, and worse when they put their hands on you. Being an adult and having a demon bathe you is absolutely mortifying. Even if I was glad to be clean, I was embarrassed and scared.
Once dry and standing naked in the middle of the dimly lit bathing room, the servant pulled out jars from a nearby dresser. She turned with one jar in her hand, noting all the minor injuries covering my body.
“Here, this will help your wounds heal.” She handed over the jar. For a moment, I paused, unsure if I should take it. But the white substance looked like lotion and my skin needed it.
“Thank you.” My voice was hardly more than a whisper. She didn’t acknowledge the gratitude, instead turning back to the dresser and pulling out black dresses that looked like hers.
“You’re female, so you can wear one of these for now.” After I rubbed in all the pine and citrus scented cream, I accepted the black dress from her.
The sleeves were long and covered my arms; the collar stopped at the base of my neck and the hem was nearly touching the floor. As banged up as I looked, I was glad for the coverage now. Though it wasn’t something I ever would have worn back home. That wasn’t something I could think about now.
There was nothing else I could do with my short blonde hair except let it air dry. I knew slight waves would form as it did. I’m sure there were dark circles under my forest green eyes, but I didn’t know if healing monster cream would help with those.
The demon servant peeked out of the door, looking both ways down the hall before slipping back in. “The Lord should be finishing his meal now. I will take you back to Baron Knox, who will take you to him. Good luck.”
“Thanks?” I didn’t know what else to say to that. But now I think I had the name of the pale demon with silver hair. He was obviously important here. I wondered if Baron was his title. Maybe he serves the Lord in some way.
She guided me back through the manor. We were maybe halfway through the hallways I recognized when we heard an intense commotion around the corner. Shouting as something clattered to the floor. We both froze, and I was glad to think this wasn’t common.
“Something’s wrong.” She stepped to move into the busy hallway but didn’t make it before the pale demon, Baron Knox, barreled around the corner.
His ice-blue eyes flew open when he saw me, as if he forgot I was here and seeing me reminded him of something. More deep bellowing followed, and my instinct was to take a step back. To run away and hide.
“Change of plans,” he breathed, turning his eyes on the ebony demon. “There’s been an insurgency in the south and the Lord is leaving to handle it. I’ve distracted him for as long as I can, but he found out, and he’s on a warpath.”
“Oh, no.” The servant covered her mouth, taking in this information that I didn’t understand. Something really was wrong based on the new tension I could feel through the manor.
Those icy eyes snapped back to me, and I almost thought I caught the corner of his mouth twitch down into a brief frown. “You, little human, will have to go to the dungeon for now.”
“Buthe’sin the dungeon,” the ebony demon whispered back. They shared a glance, and Baron Knox shook his head.
“It can’t be helped. We only have the one dungeon, and we can’t leave her to roam free right now. It’ll be fine.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy exhale. “Alright, let’s go. I have shit to do.”
I was too stunned to argue. I was too afraid to fight back. There was nothing I could do as Baron snatched up my arm and dragged me back through the manor in the opposite direction of all the commotion.
Leaving one problem and going toward another.
Five
The dungeon was deep in the manor. Through a cellar door that led underground, down a roughly carved tunnel. Everything was damp, and I heard a soft dripping echoing ahead. The air grew colder, making me shiver. I was thankful for the sleeves on the servant’s dress I wore.
Baron Knox walked behind me, ensuring I went with him down the steep steps. After what felt like an eternally long walk under the small wall sconces lighting the way, I finally saw the iron gate leading to the entrance of the dungeon. One door in and out beneath the manor. Who could escape this?
“Alright, in you go.” Baron Knox opened the door of iron bars with a key from underneath his maroon robes. The metal groaned in protest as it opened.
I stood there frozen as a wave of cold air washed over my face. It smelled like a wet cave and all I could see were thin columns and darkness in the massive underground space.
