“No, really,” I said. “I can take care of myself.” Poor Mariel looked as if one more task might make her collapse.
“I wasn’t asking.”
Before I could argue, Boaz was across the wooden-floored foyer with his hand on another doorknob. “I will return soon. Mariel, feed her whatever she desires.”
She jerked at the sound of her name, and then Boaz was gone.
I waited for her to say something, but she continued to stare at the ground. Her right hand was shaking. “Don’t worry about dinner. I’m really not hungry. Could you just show me to my room, please?”
“Boaz said to feed you,” she murmured.
“I know what he said, but I’m not hungry. It’s been a long day, and I just want to lie down.” My tone was sharper than I intended, probably a side-affect from using magic.
Mariel wrung her hands together and bit her lip.
I placed my hand on her shoulder but removed it when she flinched. “It will be all right. I will tell Boaz I didn’t need you. Really, don’t worry. But I would love your help tomorrow, if that’s all right with you?”
For the first time, she looked at me, her gray eyes vibrating within her sockets. I tried not to stare, but the constant shifting of her beady eyes was something I had never seen before.
Mariel nodded slightly. “Right this way.”
I waited a second before following after her. Maybe she was overworked. Having servants wasn’t common, but for families high up in the supernatural world, it was expected. And many times, as I had seen with my parents, those servants weren’t always treated the best. If this was the case with Mariel, then I needed to get out of here as soon as possible. I didn’t want to substitute one bad for another.
Upstairs, more paintings of night landscapes hung on the walls. Some were cities lit up by the moon, others were forests painted in the night sky, and a few were black and white photographs. There weren’t any day scenes and not a single one was of a person. This unsettled me, but I still wasn’t sure why.
Mariel stopped in front of a wooden door at the end of the hall. She hesitated before opening it, revealing a room slightly smaller than mine at home, but decorated much nicer. The one item I focused on the most was a built-in bookshelf that took up most of one wall. It must’ve held hundreds of books.
I turned to comment on how nice this was to Mariel, but she had already slipped out the door. I sighed and surprised myself by wishing Boaz was here. At least he was someone to talk to. I flopped to the bed, groaning and tightening my jaw. He had made me use magic, more than I ever had before. It was to save your life, I reminded myself. Was that so bad?
Turning my head on the pillow, I noticed a door on the other side of the bookcase. Because of the bookcase’s immense size, it would’ve been hidden from me as I walked into the room, but from the bed’s angle, I couldn’t miss it. I stood up to investigate.
Inside was a closet, more like a room with how big it was, filled with some of the nicest clothing I’d ever seen. I walked among them, my fingers trailing their soft fabrics. At the back of the room, an open doorway led to a marbled bathroom. In the center, four black columns surrounded a massive tub.
I walked over and turned it on; water shot out of a gold, snake-shaped faucet. While the tub filled, I returned to the closet to admire a row of designer dresses. I couldn’t help but wonder who they were for. Boaz probably had one, if not several girlfriends, and most likely the dresses were for them. I grimaced, thinking of the kind of women Boaz associated with. They were probably women just like my mother—cold and calculated.
A red dress with a line of diamonds around the waist caught my eye. I bravely pulled it off the rod and held it against my body. It looked like it would just barely fit. The material felt like silk but much softer, almost like cashmere. I smiled and returned it. After my bath, I would try it on—just for a minute.
The warm water, the clothing, and a room full of books were a welcome distraction from the fact my parents had tried to kill me. But I had survived, and now I was free from their wrath. I sunk farther into the bathtub until my head was covered by water. Soon I would be starting a new life all on my own. I surfaced and smoothed back my wet hair with a smile on my face.
I could’ve stayed in the tub all night if it hadn’t been for the red dress, which lured me out prematurely. I dried off completely, including my hair, before I slipped it over my head. Its soft material was like warm breath all over my skin. I twirled into the bedroom and stopped in front of a mirror, gasping in surprise. I looked regal and confident, two things I’d never felt before.
Is this what freedom felt like?
A knock at the door had me frantically glancing around, trying to decide if I had time to change. “One minute!”