Graveyard Watchman (Book 1)

Chapter 75

I must have finally fallen asleep because I'm slowly pulled out of a fog when I hear distant footsteps shuffling around. Gradually, the sounds become louder as I lay, bundled up, trying to fight the urge to let my mind slip away again. I'm beyond exhausted due to the fact that I spent hours letting my thoughts wander about some chick Dominic might or might not have had a thing with. Hopefully, I'll get some answers from him today.

Without warning, the thick curtains flash apart, as daylight floods the entire room and I open my eyes, immediately spotting a young woman. Her petite hands are loaded with items I can't quite make out yet as her tiny frame darts from one side of the room to another, like she's in a huge hurry.

"Excuse me." I whisper, my voice still groggy. "Who are you?"

Instantly, the woman whips around as if I've startled her or caught her in the act of stealing.

"Oh! You're awake!" she yelps, bending into a full bow as I awkwardly sit up, gathering the covers to my chest.

"Good morning your Majesty." Her amazing blue eyes look up at me and she smiles.

Holy crap, it's her. The same woman I saw outside my door when Dominic left—and she's even more gorgeous close up.

"My name is Victoria." Her delicate, beautifully shaped brows push together, "Did Dominic not tell you I have been assigned your Follower?"

I barely hear the words coming out of her mouth and when she stops talking, I'm instantly scrambling for my own words. "Y—yeah, he—he told me." I get out, shading my eyes because the room is so bright. "It's—it's nice to meet you."

She rises up from the bow and I watch her long, wavy blonde hair fall off her shoulder, like I'm watching some kind of Vogue fashion shoot. She's unbelievably stunning and I'm jealous of her all over again.

"The pleasure is all mine, your highness." Her face brightens up. "I am here to prepare you for your meeting with the Seraph Council." She opens the double doors to the armoire, now fully stocked with shimmering jewelry, strands of pearls, breathtaking jewel toned gowns, brilliant tiaras dripping in diamonds and an assortment of thick, high-collar, fur capes.

I have no idea my mouth is slightly open until I swallow the dry lump in my throat.

"Come on," she motions to me with her hand, "We do not have much time."

I have no words as I obey without thought, throwing my legs over the side of the bed and stumbling a little when I walk towards her.

"You are still weak from saving the Dem—I mean, your Uncle." She corrects herself.

My eyes flash over to her but before I can ask, she interrupts me, "It is my duty to know everything about your life, your family and your demeanor."

She smiles and chuckles a little and I have no doubt my expression is the cause. I'm stunned and barely awake and now some stranger has just admitted she knows everything there is to know about my life.

What the...

"I have chosen this one," she holds up a gorgeous beaded burgundy gown, "for your meeting with the council."

She drapes it over the bed and immediately begins pulling off my nightgown as I shyly fold my arms over my chest. I only have my underwear on at this point and without warning, her arms come up from behind me, "Lift please," she instructs and I do while she wraps something around my waist that reaches all the way over my breasts. Then, her hand cups one of my shoulders and she starts to gather what look like strings as she yanks them tightly.

"Ouch!" I yell, not meaning to raise my voice as much as I did. "What are you doing?"

"It's called a corset, silly," she jokes. "And you will need to get used to them."

I don't know her well enough to know if she's being funny or sarcastic but I figure I better set the tone of our relationship now instead of later.

"Loosen up the strings." I say over my shoulder with more authority than I feel. "I'll need to be able to breath if I have to talk to a group of strangers."

Her hands instantly stop and begin tugging away at the tight strings and almost immediately, I can take a deep breath.

"Thank you." I say, exhaling as she walks past me and picks up the grown.

"Lift again, please." She says, only this time she doesn't have a smile on her face.

Good. Let's not forget who I am, sister.