Anachronistic: Endless Masquerade

15 | A New Name Takes It's Place

- 15 -

Lilith awoke to a continuous pattern of dull thuds; each one slightly out of sync of the next like a rhythm played in ragtime. In the impaired state of mind that came with half-sleep she thought someone must be knocking at the door. As soon as she pushed herself up from the bed, intending to answer, the sound stopped. Only then did she look down to where her head had rested the previous night.

        Pandora's chest rose and fell gently. Lilith turned her head from the sight and cursed herself. How could I? God had meant for her to sleep in the arms of her enemy and she had done it, literally. The hunter's arms were still wrapped around her lower back even now. They fell away as Lilith pulled herself free and slid to sit on the edge of the bed.

        You've won this round, but I know what you're trying to do. I won't let you push me any closer to this woman.

        "What's the matter, couldn't sleep?" Pandora muttered the words slow and deliberate; her voice still drowsy. Lilith stared at the orange light filtering into the room through the porthole, then turned back to Pandora.

        "It's morning."

        Pandora winced against the light, raising her hand to shield her eye. Her other hand reached below the covers. The fabric jumped and danced before she came back with whatever she had been reaching for. As she clicked the lid open, Lilith could see that it was a pocket watch. Pandora examined it for a long time.

        "Fuck."

        The word was muted and drawn out. Every bit as sleepy as her last had been. Then, she shot up to a seated position with surprising speed, a strange contrast to her previous inactivity. Her head hung, hair dangling loose to her lap. She was back to not moving. The only hint she was still alive came from the gentle sway in her chest. Lilith shot her gaze above the woman's head and admonished herself for staring again. At least she's still breathing.

        "Pandora, are you alright?"

        "Just give me a minute to wake up." Pandora's request was punctuated by a long yawn and the rubbing of her good eye. Only then did she drag herself to the edge of the bed.

        "Do you want to go back to sleep?"

        Another yawn. "No. There's only about an hour before they call for breakfast." Pandora stood, then stumbled over to her luggage. "It's going to take most of that time to get you ready."

        "Me?" Lilith pressed a finger to her chest to accent the question. The answer came in the form of a hairbrush landing on the sheets beside her. Worn in, but obviously cared for. A striking pattern adorned the polished silver head, a purple gem at its center. A visible break and subsequent repair shone on the handle like an old scar. Lilith thought it strange that Pandora had bothered to fix it rather than replacing it outright. Surely, someone who could afford to pay full price for a scalped ticket could afford a new hairbrush, even one as ornate as this.

        "Your hair is tangled to hell. Better brush it before it mats any worse. It takes forever to grow hair to that length, it'd be a waste if you had to cut it short just to get the knots out."

        Lilith pulled the hairbrush over and rested it against her chest. "They wouldn't actually have to cut it all off would they?"

        "Only if you let it get really bad so start brushing it out while I fix my makeup."