Plutonian

Chapter 37

I fidget with the hem of my dress skirt nervously and when the glider stops in front of Lazarus's mansion my feet grow so heavy, I feel like it has fused with the floor.

The door to my side opens and I see Lucian standing there with his hand outstretched for me to take. He is probably the only thing keeping my heart from bursting out of my chest right now. I give him a small grateful smile and take his hand.

The lawn around us is just as large as Lucian's with a vast expanse of plants and flowers. I see large horrible looking dark green flowers looming just outside the entrance, their mouths wide open ready to swallow anything that passes by.

There is a tall Plutonian attendant waiting for us by the doorway and I put as much distance between the flowers and myself as we join him.

"Welcome Master Lucian. Mistress Aria." He is holding a tray of refreshments which he holds out to us.

We greet him and I can't help but notice that his expression is far from welcoming. In fact, there is an obvious sneer on his face when he offers me a drink.

I cast Lucian a glance and he nods his head indicating that I should take one. I take a tall glass filled with a bright orange liquid and smile at the attendant who is eyeing me from head to toe.

Thankfully he doesn't wait for us to finish our drinks, instead he leads us through Lazarus's large foyer, past numerous artworks and statues similar to Lucian's only the statues here make me more uncomfortable than ever.

There are several statues of large figures holding knives, guns and long swords all punishing smaller figures that look like animals, creatures I don't recognize and even humans. I come across a towering statue of a warrior who's foot sits on top of a face. That face belongs to such a small body, I can't help but think of a child.

The eeriness of these figures greatly contrast with the large jewels and gold ornaments that adorn them as if glorifying their horrific nature.

Out of instinct, I huddle closer to Lucian as we walk to one of the corridors behind the excessive foyer. The attendant leads us down two poorly lit corridors where large paintings of images similar to the statues outside flood the walls.

The dim lighting scatters slivers of light across these menacing figures while shadows swallow the rest. If Lazarus has done this to intimidate his visitors, it certainly works.

After walking along these corridors for a few minutes I can't help but feel like the shadows have moved and that someone is lurking behind us. My grip around Lucian's hand tightens and he looks down at me curiously.

"Are there a lot of guests invited?" I ask the attendant who seems startled that I even spoke.

"No, just a small group of Master Lazarus's closest companions," He answers in a clipped tone and marches ahead before I have a chance to reply.

He then takes us up two floors on a glass platform and leads us to a hexagonal shaped dining room with a single table that occupies it. The walls in this room are a dark almost blood red, a stark contrast to the bright gold lined table and chairs. Unlike the corridors outside, the lights here shine brightly on the walls where pictures of generals look down upon us.

I catch Cassandra sitting down on one of the chairs and a surge of relief rushes through me. She catches my eye as we approach and shoots me a cheeky smile when she sees my hand intertwined with Lucian's.

At the same time I feel someone's eyes burning holes into my chest, my gaze shifts and I almost jump back in shock when I see Stela sitting across from Cassandra with a Plutonian by her side. He looks to be in his thirties and I don't recognize him but the badge he wears on the lapel of his suit shows that he is a commander.