Skulls and Bones

Chapter six

I decided to try what Rick instructed me to do. I had a restless sleep and felt terrible in the morning but the thought of my mother being alive in the palace filled me with a new happiness. The state she was in wasn't any better but at least she was breathing and I would be at her side. I didn't understand why Rick wanted me to get along with Marc but he wouldn't speak on the way back. He didn't increase security around me but I wasn't going to leave without my mother. And I wasn't going to leave with her in limbo. She was going to get better, I just had to find a way how.

I took a hot, long shower and washed all off the dirt on me before putting on clean clothes and towel drying my hair. I didn't know what I was suppose to be doing this morning but the one thing I was sure of was that I was seeing her today. I just wanted to confirm what he said. I had to do it.

When I opened the door, I saw Marc standing there with his hand about to knock. When he saw me, he smiled sheepishly. I ignore the feeling of hatred toward him and tried to pretend that I was always in this room, always around him and that my mother was always in limbo. But I still couldn't smile.

"Amelia," he said after a few moments of staring at me. I tried to remain still, but I figdeted under his gaze. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything."

"Yeah. Me walking out of the door," I said before I realized that I should be more polite. I didn't understand why I was listening to Rick but I wanted to. "I'm sorry."

He tried to hide his hurt expression with a smile. "No need to apologize. I completely understand. I was coming to get you for breakfast. It occurred to me that you haven't eaten yet."

So Rick didn't tell him about our little adventure. I wondered why but I wasn't going to bring it up. Marc was completely opposite of him. I could tell he was nicer and more caring.

"I'm starving." I really was. A slice of pizza wasn't enough for a person who hasn't eaten in what I assume was two days but it could have been more.

Marc smiled and his green eyes lit up. He really was attractive. "That's great. Well not great but-" He chuckled and shook his head. I continued to stare but I could feel a smile playing on my lips. It was kind of adorable.

What was I thinking?

"I think we can fix your hunger if you follow me," he said and stepped aside so I could walk out the room. I noticed there weren't any guards outside the door.

"What do you even eat here?" I asked curiously as I walked beside him.

Marc chuckled. "We eat everything mortals eat," he explained with a smile. "Just because we're in a different place doesn't mean we eat different food. I think you'll find it's more like the mortal world then you realize."

"I find that highly unlikely."

"Give it time," he said and opened a large door. "You'll be surprised."

Inside looked like a restaurant. It had the same red and black feeling as the rest of the place but there were small round tables around the room and some people speaking lightly. There weren't any waiters around so I guessed that you got your own food. That wasn't really a problem for me. I could see a chef behind clear double doors and a staff working around the kitchen.

"Told you," he sang and I rolled my eyes. Marc led me to a table that was away from everybody else. "How are you dealing?"

"Fine," I lied. "Everything's fine. I'm just fine."

"You're a horrible liar," Marc sighed. He looked sad. "I'm so sorry Amelia. I truly am."

"Can we just not talk about it?" I pleaded.