AllFreeNovel
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I'd half expected to come across him in the halls or to share our meals together, but no. As far as I can tell, I'm utterly alone in this cavernous place.
My meals are quiet affairs as I eat next to the fire in the kitchen, the one room I've felt drawn to over the past couple days. Though, I suppose that's in part because it's the only room with anything for me to do.
I fill my time with chopping, mixing, and tasting, the countertops now laden with cakes, breads, and various dishes. It's exciting having so many ingredients to work with, many of which I've only ever read about, but with each new dish, my heart aches a little more.
After all, what's the point when there's no one to share them with?
Time seems to stretch and pull at me as the hours slip past. I try my best to busy myself, to distract my mind from this strange reality I've found myself in, but there is little else to do but wait.
On the morning of the third day, I wake with a start. Frowning up at the dark ceiling of my room, I take a deep breath as I try to calm my racing heart.
A chill creeps over my skin as I realize something must have woke me, and then I feel it.
Or rather,him.
Sitting up, it takes less than a minute for my eyes to search him out in the far corner of my room. Standing, nearly entirely shrouded in swirling shadows aside from his bone mask, stands Death.
"Ah, you are awake," he says, his eyes brightening behind the mask.
"Of course, I'm awake," I say, "You frightened me half to ..."
I trail off, realizing what I was about to say.
"To what?" he asks, the darkness curling up around him as he cocks his head to one side.
I pause, my cheeks flushing before I answer quietly, "Death."
There's a quiet moment of silence before a deep laugh spills from him to fill the room. He blinks, and I can't help but smile at how his eyes widen at the sound, or the way his laugh felt wrapping around me.
Clearing his throat, Death takes a moment to compose himself before he steps closer.
"Come, I have something to show you, now that you are awake."
He strides over to the door, as I extract myself from the nest of pillows and blankets that I've made on the floor by the fire. My back to him, I'm careful to wrap one of the sheets around me, the thin chemise I've been sleeping hardly enough to hide my modesty.
I glance over my shoulder to realize he's still watching, as he holds open the door for me.
"I-I need to dress," I say, my cheeks burning even hotter.
His eyes drop to take me in before he quickly drags them away, his posture stiffening as if he's just realized what he's done.
"Of course," he says quickly. "I will wait for you in the hall."
The moment the door closes behind him, I scurry to pull on my dress. It's clean, though still a little damp from washing it the day before.
I grimace as the dampness of the fabric deepens the chill of this place, and pray he won't notice the untidiness of the now-wrinkled fabric. Finished dressing, I step out into the hall where Death motions for me to follow him.
We walk in silence, his shadows swirling excitedly around my ankles, occasionally drifting high enough to brush frostily over my skin. I glance up at Death just as his eyes flicker away from me. Watching him more closely, I get the sense that there's a question on his mind that he's trying to decide how to ask.
"Is something wrong?" I ask, worried that he'll never ask if I don't say something first.
"The bed," he says, as if relieved I've asked. "Is it not to your liking?"
My cheeks burn yet again at his question, and I struggle to find the words to answer him.
"Why did I find you asleep on the floor, little one?" he presses. "If the bed is unsatisfactory, I can find a new one for you. All you must do is ask."
"It's not the bed," I say, my voice quiet as I train my eyes on marble floor.
