Elysium [Army of Lucifer #1]

Chapter Four

© Stephanie Anne and Dee Atkins

Chapter Four

By midnight everyone had left. The attack was enough to scare most people off. Only those who were staying in the manor stayed. Eleanor could hardly remember the events of the attack. One moment she'd been fighting off demons and the next they were gone, and Will was standing in front of her, cupping her face in his hand and asking if she was alright, if she was hurt, over and over. All she'd been able to do was nod before Lucien had whisked her fiancé away and she was left alone.

Afterwards, she was in a daze, walking from one room to another. She had gone to her chamber's a little after one in the morning, somewhat glad she had been left alone to think. It was then that the wine had begun to settle in her stomach, and she couldn't remember much after getting her dress off and falling asleep.

But her dreams were restless. She dreamed of Will, of him beheading demons and fighting like a graceful dancer. She dreamed of Lucien and of the engagement party. She dreamed of terrible things. People screaming, blood everywhere, chaos. She dreamed of an army of darkness, beings forged from the shadows coming out to massacre them all. She didn't sleep long, and woke in a cold sweat, heart pounding, her arm stinging from a cut she didn't remember receiving.

She sat up stiffly and stared at the cut. The blood had dried, leaving a crusty line at the wounds opening. The blood had dried on her sheets and pillows, which had crumpled around her. She picked at the wound, pulling away the dried crimson blood from her pale arm, staring dully at the gash.

Gulping, she rose, quickly making her way into the bathing room that joined onto her room. Her mind whirled as she tried to remember all the events of the attack clearly. How could she not remember being wounded? No matter how hard she tried to remember she simply couldn't. Maybe she'd just had way too much wine. Shaking her head she moved towards the basin and washed her arm, cleansing the slash as best she could by herself.

It throbbed, even as a servant girl made her way into the room with clean sheets and a bandage. Eleanor thanked her, bandaging the wound quickly before changing into her breakfast attire. The elegant blue silk dress fell like a waterfall down her body, as soft as a petal of a rose, and as beautiful as her engagement gown. The bodice was of a simple make, ribbons and lace intertwining, flaring out at her hips into ruffles and silk.

The girl looked herself over in the mirror briefly, noticing the dark bags beneath her eyes, refusing when the servant girl offered to mask them with powder. Eleanor sat still while the servant curled her dark hair and styled it to perfection. When she was done half her hair was pinned up, the rest curling at her shoulders and cascading down her back in dark chocolate waves. Eleanor gulped as she looked at herself. So this is what an engaged woman looks like, she thought morbidly as she gazed down at her ring again.

The gem of the ring glinted in the early morning light, almost glowing as Eleanor gazed down at it. It reflected a sort of power, to Eleanor, one that had her speechless, until the servant girl reminded her about breakfast.

Eleanor gulped and rose, making her way out of her room and down the hall. But halfway there a figure rounded the corner, almost colliding with her and she gasped, startled as she jumped. Will righted her at the last second, hand on her waist, his eyes wide as he gazed at her. Her heart pounded in her chest as the shock slowly wore off. Once it did her heart refused to slow back to its normal pace, though, and she didn't know whether it was because of Will looking at her with a startled, dazed look in his eyes, or whether it was something completely different. However, he soon shook out of it, his eyes trailing up her body, making her shiver against her will, and when he smirked she almost wanted to smack him. She must've had quite too much wine if she thought he'd be a gentleman like he'd been last night, before they parted ways.