The Devil's Mate

Chapter 11

For the past hour, since I was dragged out of my sleep state due to my growling stomach I've been lying still on the bed in hope to fall back asleep. No luck there, I determine irritably when a particularly strong rumble is heard from underneath the blanket. Time to look for food.  The bedroom is cold and dark, what little light present comes from the dying embers in the hearth opposite our bed.

Going into the attached bathroom to the left of the fireplace, I murmur a short string of words in Latin as I wave my hand to light the candles inside something Dominic taught me last night when he brought me in there to wash up for bed. Latin is still a fond language amongst the angels and demons though it's rarely spoken in conversations it is used in a lot of their spellwork.

I can't help but yawn widely as I plug the sink to fill it with warm water to wash my face. As I wait, I notice the mirror floating in front of me and I can't help but be curious as to how I look. The last time I looked in a mirror was two days ago so I shouldn't be as shocked as I am when I see that the girl staring back at me in the mirror is almost unrecognisable.

Instead of my usual anaemic complexion, I have a light pink flush to my cheeks which is enhanced by my hair that settles wildly around my face just barely touching my shoulders. My lips that were once pink and soft are now a deeper red and rounded making them look fuller than they were before. The gold flecks in my eyes are now more pronounced resulting in the brown of my eyes looking more oak brown than plain brown.

My eyes drift lower to gaze at the little red marks along my neck that disappears into the collar of my nightshirt which has the print of little white bunnies. Curiously, I trace the little marks finding them to be quite sensitive to the lightest of touches as a shiver runs down my spine just from touching the one.

Another pronounced growl from my stomach snaps me out of my wayward thoughts, urging me to finish my morning routine quickly so that sustenance can be found sooner. I can't help but agree with my stomach. Once I've made myself halfway decent enough to be seen by the fae and dolls in the mansion, I tiptoe out of the bedroom and head towards the kitchens.

"Good morning, Mistress," A fae I recognise to be Arima greets me as she flies around the mansion. "I hope you slept well last night. The beasts in the South were making a huge ruckus."

"I slept alright," I murmur up to her, watching her fly around my head. "Why were they so active last night?"

"The beasts fall in a subcategory of the fae," she explains, settling to sit on my shoulder as I walk. "As the head of the fae in Helmsley Mansion, it was my duty to inform them of your arrival. A home without a mistress means that as fae we cannot rest easy but now that you are here we will celebrate your arrival for a human month."

"Why can't you rest easy?" I ask her curiously.

"A Master without a mate is very sad," she informs me, nodding her head gravely. "Everyone, from the dolls to the beasts, was worried Master would be all alone. So many he's brought here and so many have also been sent to the hellfire. Their intentions have never been pure, unlike Mistress."

Humming in response to her statement, my smile is bright when she excuses herself exasperatedly when we both hear a roar echo through the hallways. How I didn't hear much less feel the noise Arima mentioned that last night is a wonder to me since the very floor under my feet trembles just from the loudness.

"Mistress!" Masha greets me enthusiastically, hopping over to where I stand at the door to the kitchens, looking around the bustling hive of activity. "Does Mistress want Master and Mistress's breakfasts? Masha will bring to Master and Mistress's bedroom if Mistress wishes."

"I can do it, Masha," I offer graciously only to get waved off my the little doll who starts hopping her way back to the stovetop where two other dolls are working on two very different sets of breakfasts. "It looks like you have your work cut out for you this morning."