“I have a sword in my room if you wish to carry it outside to make yourself feel better,” he said, instead of answering her question.
He knew the amount, but it was many. He’d been taking an offering every decade for over a hundred and eighty years. Reia was his nineteenth, and he was beginning to wonder if perhaps she could be the last.
She is not afraid of me anymore. But he didn’t know how to convince her to stay. He could sense it, knew it from her past actions and words, that she was trying to figure out a way to run – just like the others who had been similar to her.
When she was steady on her feet, she swiftly withdrew her hand, but regardless, she’d held it to begin with.
He still refused to allow hope.
“I don’t know how to wield a sword.”
“There is something I must do outside, and it will take me some time to do it. You are welcome to watch me complete this task and explore once it is done, or I can make you a tea and you can sit inside by yourself.”
Her pretty green eyes fell to the window nearest to them next to the fireplace as she began to nibble on the inside of her bottom lip. He’d noticed she did this a lot, and he was growing ever fascinated by the soft, plumpness of her lips that the action allowed him to see.
Orpheus didn’t want to grow attached to her, didn’t want to be given additional pain that losing a human gave him, but it was hard not to lose himself in her beauty.
Her blonde hair was straight and came down to her waist, but it looked like pure streaks of sunlight. He wondered if they would be as warm as they appeared, or glossy against his direct fingertips without his gloves. Her skin was pale, yet he knew it would be remarkably soft, and he wondered how much it would yield under his palms before it pained her.
The gown she was in wasn’t the one she’d chosen to sleep in, but it was white and hugged her curves. He found all humans were squishy, but she seemed softer, like he could squeeze for a lot longer before he crushed her.
She wasn’t thin, wasn’t thick, but was somewhere in the middle. It made the feminine curves that all women seemed to hold more rounded. Her hips pressing against the skirt of her dress showed their width, and her breasts were straining against the material like it was too tight for their larger size.
“I really would like to see outside,” she eventually grumbled, taking his attention when he realised he’d been swallowing her entire body with his gaze – not that she would’ve known since his orbs wouldn’t show this.
“It is decided, then. First, you must bathe to hide your human scent.”
Her face paled, and Orpheus felt the tickle to chuckle in his chest.
After, once again, trying her hardest not move while he washed her with his gloves on, Reia dressed in the gown she’d put on when she got out of bed.
Part of the reason she had wanted to go outside earlier was because she’d truly thought she’d seen sunshine and wanted to know if her eyes were casting illusions. The other reason was because she’d been cuddling into her pillow when she’d awoken and realised, because she’d moved it from pressing against the wall, she had seen marks.
Inspecting them by using her thumb to brush over the carved straight lines, she immediately knew what they were.
Days. They were the carved markings to show how many days someone had been there. That was already ominous, especially since only eight days had been marked, but it was the fact that it appeared as though other people had marked into the same etchings to count their days as well.
Not just one, but a few. The deep gouges of the first three days marked that many didn’t make it that long. Five was next, and it seemed only one had made it to eight.
It was creepy, and she’d felt the urge to flee.
She didn’t get that far, and she didn’t think she actually would have once she got outside and saw the forest, but
she’d wanted to know, needed to fully see the trees pressing her in like bars of a cage. She needed to remind herself that she was in a nightmare and that this cute cottage was nothing but deception and lies.
He’d asked her if she wanted to die, and at first, she’d thought it was a threat. Then, he’d given her the amulet tiara.
Once he explained what it did, an overwhelming amount of relief washed over her. His words had been like a blanket of safety and ease, and it was then that she knew he’d meant if she wanted to die at the hands of Demons.
Many have fled and died. Many have been taken. She’d remembered he’d said those words to her as he was kneeling in front of her while he was fixing it to her head. It finally registered that some of those marks on the walls belonged to those who hadn’t been killed by him.
Your life is precious. I will try to make sure it doesn’t end if I can. He wasn’t intending to hurt her, and the amulet was just further proof of that.
For the first time, she actually felt safe in his presence.
Not just from the world outside, but him as well. Perhaps not truly comfortable, but safe nonetheless.
“I feel ridiculous wearing a wedding dress.” She sighed as she walked down the hallway and greeted him where he was waiting for her in the living room. He was just standing there idly with his arms limp by his sides. “I wish you had something different for me to wear.”
He tilted his head at her, which she was beginning to understand conveyed curiosity or thought.
“If you do not like any of the clothing, you are welcome to change them.”
She pulled on the skirt of the long dress and peered down at it. She was surprised that he didn’t mind, but she knew it wouldn’t matter.
“They’d still be white, though.”
“I have plants that can be used as dyes. They will not be strong, nor do I have many colours, but I’m sure we could find something that will stain them enough to your liking.”
He lifted his hand and covered his snout while tapping it with a forefinger. “No one else has asked to change the colour, but I think I would appreciate the difference.”
“Yes, please!” she nearly squealed, bouncing on the spot as a bright smile spread over her lips.
I want to wear anything but the colour white! To no longer feel like some sacrificial virgin maiden.
