Buried Vows

Chapter 1

Estelle's POV

FLASHBACK

"You always need to make the most out of every day, Star. You never know when it'll be your last. Happy 19th, baby."

"Thank you, Mama," I smiled at the aging features of my still-beautiful mother. She had a tradition—a ritual, really—of being the first person I saw and spoke to when I woke up on my birthday and the last person I saw before I slept. It was something I cherished because she was the only real family I had.

"C'mon, blow out the candles and make a wish!"
That's when I noticed the cupcake, a small candle stuck in its center. This was new. Mama had never brought cupcakes to my room, and never allowed any kind of snacks upstairs.
"Wow, Mama. Thank you." I stared into her smiling eyes as she gestured toward the cupcake, the candle glowing with the number 19.

Closing my eyes, I took in a deep breath—
Lord, let this birthday be the start of beautiful things in my life, and please take away everything I've ever overthought. Amen.

I blew out the candle, and Mama reached over, swiping a bit of icing onto her pinky. With a playful grin, she smudged it across my lips and eyes, smiling as I licked it off.

"To the start of more beautiful things," she said softly.
I smiled back, savoring the sweetness of the cupcake and the warmth of her presence.

PRESENT

Lord, let this birthday be the start of beautiful things in my life, and please take away everything I've ever overthought.
You never know when it'll be your last, Star. Happy 19th, baby.
To the start of more beautiful things.

Oh, Mama... there's nothing beautiful about this place.

Waking up without seeing Mama next to my bed, wishing me a happy 20th birthday, felt like a punch to the gut. I know I'd asked God to take away all that I overthought, but surely not Mama. Not the only person who made this world bearable.

"Estelle, you need to come out. We've got cleaning duties, and you've overslept by 30 minutes. I am not planning on meeting him today," Ivy, one of the other brides, whisper-shouted from outside my door. I could hear the frustration in her voice, a stark contrast to the muffled knocking she'd been doing. "I've managed to avoid him for a year, and I'm not going to get his attention all of a sudden because of you."

I dragged myself out of bed, splashing my face with water and catching my reflection. My eyes were empty, haunted by this strange place, but I couldn't afford to dwell on it. Stepping outside, I met Ivy's glare. If we hadn't become allies over the last year, I would've been more hurt by it.

"Took you long enough," she grumbled.
"I'm sorry, I—"
"Never mind. Let's just go clean his chambers. We're already late."

I nodded and followed her. We passed the other brides, their eyes sharp and judging, as though Ivy and I were stains on the perfection they all strived for. But we weren't any different—every one of us had been killed. None of our captors cared about our age or whether we wanted to be here. We were taken, slaughtered, and brought to this place.

There were nine of us, each perfectly molded in beauty and grace. I assume the royal family had specific tastes because every woman here looked like they had stepped out of a painting.

Most of them had made it their mission to gain favor with him, to do whatever it took to remain on his good side. Perhaps that's why they looked at Ivy and me with such disdain. We refused to bow to his whims. Or maybe it was because we were the youngest—I had just turned 20, and Ivy was 25. Either way, the division was clear.

We walked past the group and through the corridors, passing guards and other inhabitants. Yes, other people. We weren't the only ones in this afterlife.