A Beautiful Torment

17. Outsider

Sophia brought me to my room shortly after eleven. My mind was still reeling from the information Draper had given me. It was crazy and insane, but I believed, with my whole being, that it was the truth. It explained so much – how I could see things that weren't there, feel things that normal people weren't supposed to feel. I simply wasn't human.

I was a half-breed, a darkling. The child of a human woman and a demon.

"This suite is yours," Sophia said in a soft, lilting voice as she pushed open a plain, white door at the end of the hall. We were in the right wing of the house, whatever that meant, and it took at least two minutes to walk from here to the kitchen.

"Cool."

I stepped inside, twisting the dimmer light switch to medium. The suite was easily the size of the cottage I'd shared with my mother. A California-king sized bed dominated the room. The duvet was black and velvety and so, so sleek, like the drapes. A black, leather sofa stretched across one side of the room, opposite a flat screen television. CD racks and bookshelves lined another wall.

The carpet was a plush white.

"This is your en suite," Sophia explained, gesturing toward another door, by the television. I peeked inside, my brow rising at the sheer opulence of it. White marble and deep, red tiled walls. The shower looked like it could hold ten. The bath tub was like something out of another century – and probably was.

I didn't like it. I felt like Little Orphan Annie. I didn't belong here.

"Sergei took your stuff from your old house," she added, gesturing toward the pile of boxes just inside the door of the suite. There were only three – a pitiful looking stack. I didn't like knowing that my entire life could fit in so little a space.

"Great."

"Breakfast is at seven, to be taken wherever you choose. Sergei will drive you to and from school. Supper is at 8p.m. sharp. Above all, Master Draper dislikes tardiness, so make sure you're on time. His study is off limits unless you have his express permission to enter. Other than that, you may come and go as you please. If you wish to find your own way to school, speak to Sergei."

"Awesome."

I wished she'd take the hint already; I wanted to be alone.

"I'll leave you to it, then," she said.

I inclined my head.

When she left, I unpacked what few clothes Sergei – whoever the hell he was – had brought from the house. There wasn't much, so it didn't surprise me in the least when I opened my walk-in closet and discovered racks upon racks of clothes. I had a feeling I could wear a different outfit every day of the year and not run out.

Sighing, I grabbed a plain black t-shirt from the nearest rack and stripped off my clothes. I slipped the t-shirt on over my head and smoothed it down over the waistband of my boxers. It fit perfectly, but I wasn't surprised.

I fished a packet of Camel's out of my jeans and padded over to the window. When I pulled back the drapes a little, I realized I had a little balcony that overlooked the back of the house. Snow was starting to fall softly outside but I stepped out in my t-shirt and socks anyway. The cold didn't bother me – when I wasn't bleeding to death, that was.

I lit a cigarette and pressed it to my lips, taking a long, much-needed pull.

My brain was starting to calm. I was too wired to consider sleeping. I wondered how long these energy surges were supposed to last, because it hadn't worn off much since Isabel took the edge off.