Doomed Desires

Chapter Five - The Forbidden

Maia was sweeping the carpet in the parlour room. It was a red, cream and orange coloured patterned carpet and was worn in many places. The room was as big as the castle kitchen with the top half of the walls painted burgundy red and the bottom half panelled with rich brown oak. Maia stopped sweeping and stretched her back.

In the centre of the room was a heavy wood dining table with six matching chairs that the Masters and Mistresses used when they weren't entertaining other highborn demons in the middle of the table were three delicate carnations set in a glass vase. To the left of the dining table was the biggest fireplace Maia had ever seen. The flames leapt about excitedly; surrounding the fire were two red high back chairs the seats had sunk slightly from use. Two large book cases were pressed against the corner of the far wall filled with thick volumes. Against the opposite wall was a TV; a strange contraption from the human world that Maia didn't fully understand, in front of the TV was a small rich brown coffee table and two twin red couches.

Slightly to the right of the dining table pushed against the panelling was the drink cabinet it was filled with liquors that Maia had never heard of. When Maia was twelve her aunt and cousin, who had been spiffy with red wine, had thought it was a good idea for Maia to have her first alcoholic beverage and had gotten her quite drunk and very ill. The housekeeper had not been impressed with her sorry state and had made her work a double shift the next day. Angled against the right wall was a magnificent chess table complete with small figurines that were used for chess.

Maia turned around to face the wall behind her standing apart from the rest of the furniture was the Mistress' easel with a half completed stretch of a woman in an elegant dress. Maia looked down at her maid uniform wondering if she would look as pretty in the dress as the lady in the picture. Never. She thought. She swept her eyes over the painting and the cupboard where all of her mistress' supplies were and then rested on the pointed arch double door which stood open to Maia's dismay her Mistress stood in the frame.

"Ah Maia, I was just about to summon you." Kade clapped happily.

"Ma'am." Maia politely curtseyed.

"Sonette's room is off limits to anyone except her, Cole, Sebastian and myself until further notice. Am I understood?"

"Yes ma'am." Maia said looking at the floor.

"I will inform the housekeeper as well."

"Yes ma'am."

"And for the love of Pete stop calling me ma'am. It makes me feel old and stop looking at the floor!" Kade stressed. Maia frowned at the floor who was this Pete that the strange human kept referring to.

"Yes ma'am...I mean Mistress." Maia said looking through her lashes at Kade. She was a very odd woman, none of the other highborn demons or Royals that Maia had served had complained about how she addressed them and they had certainly not scolded her for looking at the floor when they spoke to her. After all it was expected of her and it had been branded in to her mind since she was an infant.

Maia glanced at the broom in her hand anxious to get back to work. She hoped that the Mistress would not punish her from running from the room without being dismissed yesterday and that she wouldn't press her about the death of Arabeth. Unfortunately, Kade did remember. "I was also hoping to talk to you about Arabeth." Maia tensed her grip on the broom tightening, making her hands hurt. Kade sigh. "It's ok Maia; I'm not going to punish you for what happened. You're scared about something. You know why the girls die, don't you?" Kade paused waiting for Maia to reply but Maia continued looking at the floor shaking with fear. If she told them what she knew they would kill her for treason. Kade walked towards Maia who shrunk back. The strange human took Maia by the arms and pulled her to the red sofa. She took the broom and propped it against the coffee table then pushed Maia's shoulders down so she was forced to sit. Kade sat on the adjacent sofa and looked at her. "Maia if you don't tell me, I can't help and I don't want you to suffer the same fate as the other girls did. You need to tell me."

"I can't tell you ma'am. I don't want to die ma'am. I won't do it." Maia said looking at Kade's feet. She was wearing flat shoes that she called pumps. It was another human word.

"Can't tell me what, Maia?" Kade pressed.

"I can't tell you ma'am," Maia looked at the woman directly in the eyes for the first time, "I'll be dead before the red sun rises." Releasing she was looking at the human Maia quickly dipped her head back to look at the floor.

"Killed? By who?" Kade frowned at the young servant girl.

"I... I, ma'am..." Maia stuttered.

"Maia, you have to tell me!" Kade stated. "I promise on Royal blood that you will not be killed by telling me how those girls died." It was a blood oath, Maia frowned at the woman. Maia would not die if she told her mistress. She would not die for her treason.

Maia hesitated and really searched the human woman's face for any sign of deceit. She saw nothing but fierce concern. "T-they go crazy. They get ...obsessed with him. Possessive. So crazy with love that they can't ... they can't live without him." Maia looked at the floor. "Cole does this to them, ma'am. He kills them."