Courting Death | Book 3

T W E N T Y - T W O

T W E N T Y - T W O
All Forgotten

I WAS NOT at all ready for the trip looming ahead of us but honestly, did I have a choice? No one is ever ready for the bigger events in life. There could always be a way - some tragic way - in which the operation could be jeopardized. Yet, I knew that I still had to do what I do best these days-pluck up my courage and face my problems like it is my last day alive.

Then again, if this fails, it just might be considering that the third day was about to come to an end in a few very short hours.

My room in the castle of Hell had never seemed as gloomy as of this instant. The curtains that draped limply over the glass windows seemed to hold ghouls in its fabric while the patterned wallpaper that lined the four walls of my room seemed to hold secrets. Not a single corner of my room seemed as welcoming as throughout my stay here and I couldn't help but allow my eyes to wander over to where Minnie's room was.

The wooden door to her room was just a few steps away from where I currently was, definitely near enough for me to walk over and knock. However, I knew for a fact that she must still be preparing herself for the trip, just like how I was supposed to be.

A knock came from the door that connected my room to the hallways, signaling that someone else must be outside waiting. Taking in a deep breath, I pushed the weight of my body off of the silk sheets used to line my bed, taking quick steps to the door in an attempt to reach it at a faster pace. I craved company at the moment and every second alone felt like a dread. That was because with Lucifer in charge of the angels now, any moment could truly be my last.

When I pulled open the door, I was surprised to see a distantly familiar face, one in which I had not seen since my death. A petite young girl with translucent skin stood at the door, her arms placed carefully in front of her skirt. When she noticed that the door was opened, she gave a quick curtsy before a brilliant smile lit up on her freckled face.

"May I come in, Miss?" Tilly asked, her seemingly blue eyes shining like crystals.

"Oh," I said, shocked that it was her at the door and in fact not someone that I had truly expected. "Of course."

With that approval, the young girl was scurrying into my room, buzzing about the space to clean the room up with speed. The second she drew the curtains up and allowed whatever was left of today's sunlight to spill into the room, I couldn't help but wince slightly at the sudden brightness.

Tilly had been a young helper that was assigned to me during my earlier stays at the castle. The last time in which I had seen her was the night of the ball, the same one in which Lucius had brought me to Heaven as captive. Ever since then, I had not seen her around the castle and naturally assumed that she had met an ill fate during the war.

"If you don't mind me asking, Tilly, where have you been all this while?" I asked carefully, closing the door of my room before walking back towards the bed that she had made with clear efficiency.

"Well, after the war, Miss, many of the servants had left the castle under the Kings' approval to take care of their families. I was one of them. My brother had fought in the war and very fortunately survived. I was back at home taking care of him until he recovered." She answered, barely even turning around to glance at me for she was too busy rearranging the furniture of the room.

"No wonder the castle felt so deserted," I commented idly.

"Yes. It was very kind of the Kings to allow us time back home. My family was fortunate to have lost no one. Some of the servants have members of their family..."

"Dead?" I supplied.

"No, Miss. Not just as simple as 'dead'. We are all dead here. They are just erased from existence, never to be seen or reborn again." Tilly paused for a moment, a hint of sadness in her eyes before she bounced back up to continue her work.