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“Afore I ferget...” She reached into her pocket, pulling out a cellphone. “Damien had yer number switched o’er tae this fer ye, since ye lost yers. All yer contacts and things hev already been switched o’er.”
She handed me the phone; it was top of the line, much nicer than the one I’d lost. “Oh, my goodness. I know these aren’t cheap. Please, I can’t accept this...”
“Donnae ye fret, child. It’s yers noo. Ye’ll need tae hev a reliable means o’ contact, so it’s a penny worth spendin’. Damien wonnae accept anythin’ of lesser quality fer ye.”
I smiled sheepishly. “Thank you,Mitera.”
She smiled, and I quickly texted Kat to let her know I’d gotten a new phone so she knew she could text me here. I set the phone down on the nightstand. “Damien said your family has served him for many generations?”
“Ah’ve bin in servitude fer nearly 72 years noo. Mah parents served afore I did, and mah grandparents afore them.” She pulled up a chair to sit at the bedside. “There are nae many human families left ‘at serve The Order these days. Many hev bin killed o’er the centuries. Cuid nae ask tae serve a better family tho’. Lord Damien has always looked after us and given us everythin’ we cuid eva’ need.” She chuckled. “I ken he’s the king and all, but he’s become more of a son tae me.”
“I can tell he admires you.” Their relationship was special, and I remembered how Damien had told me his parents passed when he was younger. Thinking back on that, the concept of a younger Damien was strange to think of, now that I knew he was almost a thousand years old. It warmed my heart to know he had someone as special as Ethel.
“I’m gonna go downstairs to see what’s going on.”
“Are ye sure, love?”
I pushed the blanket away from me as I shifted to the edge of the bed. I’d rested long enough and couldn’t stand to stay in bed any longer. “Yes,Mitera.I can’t stand to sit here doing nothing.”
"Ah’ll give ye some privacy so ye can dress, then,” she said as she headed for the door.
I grabbed my phone from the nightstand, seeing a text notification from Kat.
‘Good morning, love! That’s so sweet that he got you a phone! I hope you are settling in and got some sleep last night. I’ve got work right after classes, but if you need anything, let me know. I miss you on campus already. But don’t rush it if you’re not ready to come back yet.’
She sent another text shortly after that.
‘I’m here if you want to talk at all. About anything.’
I smiled, tapping away on my screen to respond.
‘Good morning. I just woke up.’
I neglected to mention how good it felt to sleep in a bed for once, and instead, typed something else.
‘I’m settling in okay. Damien has been very welcoming. He’s making sure I have everything I need.’
My phone dinged as she responded.
‘I’m so glad you have him.’
My chest swelled as I typed again.
‘Me too.’
She texted again.
‘I’ve gotta get to class, but if I can I’ll call after work if it’s not too late.’
‘Ok. Have fun!’
Honestly, she could probably call me at midnight, and I would likely still be awake.
I set my phone down and shoved off the bed before heading for the closet. Damien had sent Ethel out to buy some clothes for me, but I hadn’t been able to see them yet. Fearful that I might miss out on Damien’s meeting entirely, I pulled out the first shirt and pair of jeans I could find and dressed myself. I hurried to the bathroom to tame my hair and crouched to reach for my hidden bottle of medicine deep in the back of the vanity.
I lifted the bottle, the pills rattling as I retrieved them. My skin crawled. I was disgusted with myself for hiding these from him, but I took them quickly before stashing them again and hurried out of the bedroom.
Ethel greeted me at the head of the stairwell, and we walked down together. The rich smell of some sort of sweet smoke, similar to how a cigar smelled, wafted into the entry as we reached the foot of the stairway. That same smell had faintly lingered on Damien since I first met him, mixed with his musky scent of cedar and leather, but I’d never smelled it so strongly as I did now. Voices echoed down the hallway, and the smell and conversations grew stronger as we approached the living room. When I peeked in from the hall, I saw Damien standing near the fireplace.
