Creatures in Depth | ❚❚

Chapter Nine: Tea times and spills

To say that I was horrified would be an understatement. This place was the epitome of horror and gore. I stared at him, contemplating whether I was right on the sorcery part.

A root beer incense wafted, burning its life away for the goodness of the air. The place was dimly lit with dark drapes cloaking over the sunlight from the window, pooling over the floor. Few lit candelabras served as the only source of light, even though a few dark corners were left behind.

A dark thrill went through me when I saw shrunken skulls, human limbs, and various slimy, gooey substances contained in different glass jars. Varying concoctions almost of every colour in a rainbow were arranged on a shelf above the rows of sofas and billiard tables. The skylark of knives gave out a feeling that enraptures the unwary.

Herbs; dried and raw, strings; red and black, and wine bottles were also placed around with some other mishappen bottles. Every nook and cranny hollering 'sorcerer' in my ears in a rather dull lullaby.

I gulped.

"So you guys work for the devil?" I asked trying to sound humourous, but my voice betrayed allowing it to creep some fear, toning down my voice to a mere rat squeak.

A bemused expression laced Caspian as he crunched his brows, he adorned a slight grin pocking out a dimple.

Hope bloomed in my chest like dandelion seeds. Whatever sorcery they have, I had a feeling that might come to my aid. I just had to play my cards the right way.

That reminded me, I suck at card games. But if this works, then I might cure myself of it. At the same I have to be guarded and circumspect to make sure they won't out me, these people seem to dispense a surreptitious, cloak-and-dagger notion. As I was sailing too close the wind here, that I might drown even before I got a tussle.

"Fret not, this is my brother's evil liar, he doesn't cook smurfs or imps." A different voice spoke this time.

A middle-aged man with a kind face, broad shoulders and a deep set of hazel eyes walked out of a room sheltering god knows what.

"Asher, Asher Berkshire." Asher sent a wink my way before hooking an arm around Caspian. "I thought you died."

"Sadly, not yet brother." Caspian spoke with a dim-witted smile.

"What should I call you, Smurf?" He cocked a brow.

"Everett Winslow." Caspian frowned, confused, whipping his head to meet mine before a lamp went out in my head and I corrected myself. "I meant Eva, Eva Winslow."

"Eva, nice to make your acquaintance." Asher shook my hand. "Hope my brother hasn't scared you off yet. As the best one among us, I bore all the handsomeness leaving my brother with little to nothing to fend himself." He leaned my way, whispering in my ear. "Don't mention it to him. He's very sensitive about it."

"I think I enjoyed his company more." I spoke to Caspian who blushed at my compliment while Asher heartily laughed.

"I'll prepare some tea to smooth your heart a bit. Not that I think it would help." He passed a small jab before skipping out of the room.

"Do you want to meet her?" Caspian asked me right after Asher left.

"Yeah, if that's alright."

"She's resting and doing fine, but hasn't gained consciousness. Can I know her name?"

I thought about lying at first, but that would not be too safe considering that if she were to gain consciousness and I wasn't around. I need to keep these guys closer.

"Diane. Her name is Daine."

He nodded, a different emotion etched across his face, "Were you attacked? By someone or something?" He tempted, his hands tightly clasped together in front of him as he stared at me, gaze unmoving.

"Yes." Another lie. I might have to write it all down some where if this is going to keep up, but that won't be clever, won't it?

Caspian turned on his heel, leading himself to one of the long sofas. He then motioned me to sit in one. I followed suit despite my need to meet Daine.

"What were you attacked by." He was taking sharp breaths, controlled and guarded. Looking ready to pounce me in case I were to slip away. What in the seaweed is wrong?

I shook my head, feigning ignorance, "I don't know what it was."

Caspian's kind gaze made me want to squirm in my seat. The lying seemed to eat me away from the inside. "Did it have shiny eyes? Like blue stars in the dark?

I was baffled at his explanation, his hands trying to form shapes for my understanding. How did he know? The thought lunged itself at me. He knew. Oh my goodness, he knew!

What did he have to pay? Did his brother know too? Is that why they have these devilish arrangements? Goosebumps erupted all around my skin. What were they?

My gaze hardened, "No, I don't remember." Whether they know or not, I can not comply with them. It was a rule among the Fallen. We should never let out the fact that we were bearers of this scandalous secret.

He nodded. His eyes darkened a bit, like a loose cannon. For a moment, his warm eyes seemed to dissipate in thin air. Replaced with something outwardly threatening. I felt like I was sailing close to the wind.

"Oh let the sea forbid, don't lie to me." I stood up abruptly. While he rubbed his face distressed. His voice was begging, begging for me to spill the truth.

"Caspian." It was Asher. He stood in the doorway, his eyes were wary while he stiffly shook his head at his brother as if he had some telepathic connection with him.

"What's wrong with him?" I probed to Asher. I was panicking, these people are not normal. I walked up to Asher in a questioning manner.

He ignored my query, "Tea. Soothe yourself Eva." Asher literally pushed the tray to me, almost spilling the contents in the cup. My eyes fell to the tea. There was no way I was going to drink it. Especially after what had conspired.

I nodded. Taking the cup in hands. My hands were shivering visibly, the hot tea spilling over my skin, burning it. I bit down on my lips.

"Where's Daine?" I asked suspicious. What if they didn't have Diane? They could have been lying. Why did I even trust man with ocean blue eyes like that? As fas as the saying going, A man of ocean eyes are like the ocean, as oceans are the most deceptive, especially what lies underneath hidden, the creatures in depths.