Chapter 17

SEVENTEEN

Eventually,after staying mostly quiet for the rest of dinner—and eating every last drop of food off of my plate—Bradley came to ‘retrieve' me.

"Good night, Demi," Conrad said sheepishly, looking at me with hopefulness. I felt a bit guilty for being crass with him. He was, after all, one of the only normal people in this house that I had met.

"Good night, Conrad. Thank you for your kindness. See you later." I smiled.

His face completely shifted and broke into a huge grin that had me smiling even bigger. "See you later, Princess Ariel." He winked at me before Bradley cleared his throat.

"Shall we, Miss Rao?" He bent his arm, and I assumed he wanted me to take it.

"I'm not holding your hand, creep." I shook my head and stood as Bradley's jaw tightened from amusement he was trying to suppress.

"You must say goodnight to Dr. and Mrs. Ivory before you meet with Misha by the peony garden." Bradley nodded where the couple was sitting.

I held my breath for a moment, acknowledging the fact that my job hadn't even begun and I already dreaded interacting with Dr. Ivory. How was Mrs. Ivory married to such a… well, a man with an ego that would probably make his head burst any second?

"Smile," Bradley hissed. "You look like you're paying your respects at a funeral." He nudged me as we stopped in front of them.

"Shall I curtsy while I'm at it?" I rolled my eyes at him.

"Darling Demi, how was your dinner? Did you eat enough?" Mrs. Ivory asked me with genuine concern.

Her voice was so soft and smooth, the way a mother's voice should be—the way I had always wished my mother would have been. But for my mother, I had a price tag on my head. That's all I was for her, a means to an end.

"I did. Thank you so much, Dr. and Mrs. Ivory, for this lovely dinner and the job. I look forward to beginning tomorrow." I clasped my hands together. I really meant what I was saying; I couldn't believe that I had a real job.

"You're welcome, dear," Dr. Ivory said, throwing me the biggest surprise of the evening.

"Get a good nights' rest, and let Bradley know if you need anything. Off you both go. I'm sure Misha is eager to help you get ready for your new role." Mrs. Ivory wafted us away.

I followed Bradley out of the stunning dining room, taking the exquisite, rich, and colorful space in one last time before going back into the blindingly white house. The doors opened for us, and when I looked at the women holding the door, the uneasiness came right back. I took in their short blonde hair, white sheath dresses, hollowed cheekbones, and how their eyes stayed on the floor as we exited.

Looking over my shoulder as we walked ahead, one of the women who had to be no more than twenty rolled her eyes upward without moving her head and mouthed something at me.

Scrunching my face, I shook my head. I couldn't make out what she was trying to tell me.

So, she did it again and this time, there was no missing it.

Her thin, pale lips breathed out, "Run."

My heart dropped, my hands grew cold, and I flung back around, catching up to Bradley.

"Bradley, I'm safe here… right?" I asked with sheer desperation and froze in my spot.

"Don't stop walking, Demi," he mumbled as he continued to walk hastily, cutting into sharp turns at the end of each hallway.

Picking up my pace, I followed until we got to a wall of nothing but glass. Outside it was pitch-black, but I could see specks of shimmering stars in the sky. I couldn't even see a door, but one tap later, and a part of the seamless glass opened.

Bradley turned toward me and sighed. "You're safe as long as you don't go looking for the answer to that question. Misha is waiting for you. She has a flight to catch tonight to go back home, so don't waste time. You need to get to bed on time as well. Tomorrow is a busy day and an early start. They've been eager to have someone new clean The Ossis area of the estate."

"The Ossis area?"

"That's what you were hired for, Demi—to clean the most private area of The Ivory House. That's what Misha's job was. Didn't you read the contract properly? Didn't Conrad explain that?" Bradley furrowed his brows and rambled so quickly that my heart began pattering.

"No?" I felt foolish for sitting there like some high school girl with a crush when I was supposed to be paying attention to details of my new employment. How reckless could I have been?

"Demi, we don't have time right now. Just go meet Misha. Walk outside, make a left, and you'll see the peony garden. If you don't see it, you'll definitely smell it. Misha will be waiting for you on the swing… She loves the swing." He pointed into the darkness as if I knew what he was talking about.

"I'll come back to pick you up and take you to your room in approximately twenty-one minutes." Bradley patted my shoulder as I walked through the door and into the slight chill of the night air. I couldn't see the moon; I couldn't see anything beyond the stars. Rubbing my arms, I turned back over my shoulder to ask Bradley if he'd walk me to the garden, but he was already gone, leaving nothing but a dark, empty hallway behind me.

"Hell," I groaned and begrudgingly dragged my feet in the strange platform shoes. I began sniffing the air like I was a dog. I couldn't see any flowers. I didn't even know what a peony smelled like. But as soon as I grew more irritated, I did smell something.

Something beautiful, sweet and comforting. A small gate no higher than my waist was engraved, ‘The Peony Garden.' Unlatching the small lock, I strolled through and inhaled the incredible aroma. Small fairy lights were strung up all over and provided enough light to see the stunning blush-pink and white flowers. It was like an absolute dream. A kind of place you'd want to get married in.

Cutting through, I could see a picturesque, intricately carved swing, and I heard a light creaking echo through the fragrant air.

"Misha?" I called out. I could see her silhouette on the bench swing and looking into the distance.

"Hi…" I took a seat beside her, almost falling since she didn't stop swinging. Her head was pressed against the bar of the swing, and she didn't even look at me.

"Misha, thank you for meeting with me…" I started again and planted my feet on the ground as hers dragged. Stopping the swing, her body suddenly folded in half.

"Misha!" I screamed and quickly pulled her back up. I looked at her in the darkness and I noticed all the blood dripping down her neck, soaking into her silk gown. "Oh my god!" I shook her shoulders as my entire body tensed and I couldn't breathe. The scent of peonies choked me as I repeated her name over and over.

Grabbing her hand, a knife clattered to the ground and I lifted it up.

"No, no… Why, Misha? Help! We need help!" I shrieked as I pressed my fingers against her wrist, praying I'd feel a pulse. Nothing. She was lifeless. I grabbed her body, holding it against mine, and began to cry as her blood splattered across my flesh.

Stomach acid teased my esophagus as the scene felt all too familiar. It felt haunting. Reminiscent of times I'd tried endlessly to suppress in an altered state of my conscious.

"Demi?" My body shook violently as I laid Misha onto the swing and turned.

Dr. and Mrs. Ivory stood there in a matching all-white scrub set and looked at the knife I had clutched in my hands.

"Oh, darling Demi, what have you done?" Mrs. Ivory slowly walked over to me as I aggressively shook my head.

"What? No, I didn't… Please, you don't understand." I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move. My vision grew fuzzy and suddenly, it was all too much. My body and mind were in overdrive.

Mrs. Ivory lifted a small needle and tapped it. "It'll be okay, darling Demi. We will protect you. We will protect you because now, it's your turn to be the favorite girl."

"I didn't…" I coughed and choked on my saliva as panic had a hold around my neck.

And with a trifling sinister smile, she pressed the needle into my arm, and the all-white world around me turned black.