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Before I even realize it, I’m halfway back to my room. With his gift held tight to my chest, I move through the halls as fast as I can.
I bathe as thoroughly and quickly as I can before carefully stepping into the new dress.
I was wrong. This dress isn’t made of silk, but a material I’m completely unfamiliar with. The fabric hugs my body, falling elegantly to my ankles as it moves not altogether dissimilarly to the shadows that cling to Death.
I glance at myself in the mirrored wall, stunned by how lovely the dress is. It almost feels as if I’m wearing nothing, fitting so well that I have to run my hands over to remind myself that I am, in fact, wearing anything at all.
Of course, this means that I’m shivering within minutes. The dress, as lovely as it is, offers little warmth, and I have to reach for my cloak before I freeze to … Well, before I freeze.
Sinking into the warmth of the cloak, I smile as I reach for the flower on my bed and tuck it into my cloak before leaving my room to make my way downstairs.
Death paces anxiously at the bottom of the sweeping staircase, only stopping only when he looks up to see me.
“Hazel,” he says softly, his eyes meet mine as they nearly steal my breath away.
He’s dressed in a form-fitting outfit today, the black fabric similar to my own as it accentuates the ungodly perfection of his build. Even his mask seems to fit more snuggly, his hair allowed to fall in loose waves around it, as he watches me descend the stairs.
He truly is beautiful, even with his face entirely hidden from me.
Reaching the bottom steps, he holds out a gloved and toward me.
I hesitate for a moment, staring up at him before taking his hand as I close the remaining distance between us.
His hand swallows mine as he wastes no time pulling me closer, tucking me into his side as his other hand moves to wrap around my waist.
“Thank you,” I say, his touch nearly making me forget my manners, “for the dress and the flower. I adore them both.”
Death makes a small sound of acceptance, but stiffens slightly at my gratitude.
“I would like to share something with you,” he says softly, the shadows dancing excitedly around him as he leads me through the halls of the palace.
It feels so intimate to be this close to him, pressed against the cold muscle of his body. Never have I been this close to another and felt so pleasantly content.
As we walk, I bite my cheek to keep myself from asking him where he’s taking me. If he wanted me to know, he would have told me, and I refuse to allow myself to spoil the surprise for either of us.
Still, I can’t help stealing glances up at his masked face as we walk. Finally, we come to stand before a set of deep black doors that I’ve never seen before. I frown slightly as he shifts away from me to push open the heavy doors with both hands.
I peer past him into the world beyond where a set of stairs seems to disappear as it leads down into the ocean of mist that I’ve come to know all too well.
“You will not need your cloak where we are going, little one,” he says. “You may take it off and leave it here.”
“Okay,” I say after a moment’s hesitation, a chill already working its way through me at the thought.
I start to raise my hand to do as he’s asked, but he stops me as he steps closer to undo the clasp for me instead. My eyes don’t leave his face as he lets the cloak slip from my shoulders to pool at my feet.
A sharp intake of air his reaction to seeing me in the dress he gave me. His eyes shift lower as they take me in, the way he looks at me with such appreciation, causing warmth to flood my cheeks.
Until his eyes suddenly harden.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, taking a step back just as he reaches out to stop me.
His other hand lifts to brush back the hair that’s fallen over my shoulder to reveal the scar from Payne’s ring.
“Who did this to you?”
“It’s nothing—”
“I asked, who did this to you?”
