Zayne
The mans screams stayed with me as I walked down the long halls of the castle. I'd let him see my satisfied smirk before exiting the torture chamber he was hung up in.
He'd be released tomorrow and sent to the fourth circle of hell where my brother, Gulliver, the prince of greed, ruled. His kingdom wasn't the worst of the nine, but it was still deadlier than mine.
The man, whose name I didn't bother to learn, was caught stealing from one of my servants when they were on there way home. I wasn't a man known for breaking promises so when I promised my protection to all those who worked for me, I meant to keep it. That's what resulted in the capture of the greedy little shit and his tongue being pulled out by a pair of pliers.
The only hope he had for growing it back relied upon finding a witch doctor who'd demand a pricey sum to magically restore it. Even then, the Z I branded below his ear would keep any sane being from assisting him. I poured salt onto the wound to amplify the pain.
Nonetheless, it wouldn't have been needed if the servants lived in the castle. Most, if not all, refused the privilege, opting to own a place of their own. I respected their decisions but I'd be lying if I said it didn't irk me knowing this kind of shit happening on a daily could be avoided.
When the money-grabbing mans life on earth ended, the purgatory gatekeepers must have had multiple decisions to make based on which circle he should wind up in. They obviously chose wrong. He may have committed some kind of fraud in his past life but he wasn't even trying to scam anyone here. The man simply took when he felt like taking, no creative mindset involved. It made torturing him so bland.
I turned down a different hallway just as the moon came out from behind smoldering clouds. It cast a blue hue through the windows to the left of me, generating its glow on the floor.
My eyes were drawn to the figure of a man walking a good distance ahead of me. I could just make out the smooth outline of his military cut and the slight limp in the way he walked.
"What are you still doing here Miles?" I questioned, spooking him as I shifted from an owl form into a human one he knew well.
"I, uh, I took on Rosemary's evening shift because she wasn't feeling well again." My servants stutter had me stopping in my tracks and putting a hand to his chest. He'd been working here long enough to become a close acquaintance of mine, making his sudden sheepishness feel suspicious to say the least.
"That's the seventh time this month." I stated, using my free hand to lift up his chin. His lack of eye contact made mistrust boil in my gut. "Care to tell me why?"
"My Prince, I—." His heartbeat thumped against my palm as he shifted his eyes to met mine. The tears in his eyes became tears in his soul. His body, that'd been forged by his soul, shimmered from the strong emotion he was portraying. I felt my mistrust dissolve in an instant.
"What is it?" I asked calmly while replacing my hands to my side and gesturing for him to walk with me. He did so, wiping at his eyes with the sleeve of his charcoal suit jacket.
"I apologize my prince." Miles said keeping his head down and eyes to the floor. I truly didn't understand how someone like him could whined up in a place like this. He never told me what he did before this life, but I suppose I never asked. "Rosemary is, she's uh, well she's..." Miles swore and scratched at his head. "She's pregnant."
"Pregnant?" I repeated trying to make sure I heard him right. From the way his face paled as I said it I could tell I'd heard correctly. "And it's yours?"
"Yes." Miles nodded along with his words. "It's mine."
"Human pregnancies here are rare." I informed him. Well technically, human pregnancies in hell were a myth.
Humans born on earth couldn't conceive after they died. Which meant that either Miles or Rosemary had to of had a long lost ancestor who was magically gifted somehow, weather that be demonic or angelic properties. The only other way to conceive was by a witch doctor. However, judging my Miles current state to the news, this hadn't been planned. Not to mention that I know his salary, and it was good but it wasn't that good.
"I know. Which is why I thought it wouldn't... that it couldn't... happen." The look Miles gave me was a desperate one. "I don't know what to do."
"Have you had a conversation about this with Rosemary yet?" I asked as we got closer to the back half of the castle. Rosemary's schedule revolved around the kitchen chores, including those that meant carrying in kitchen supplies that the wagons brought around back.
"It's complicated. If we're not ignoring the topic then we're fighting about it. Sometimes we just run out of time in the middle of discussing it and it's ten times harder to bring up the next day." He opened the door for me on our way outside and I nodded my thanks. When he returned to my side he starting rubbing at his temples.
"I'm assuming you've discussed how dangerous it is to have a baby in a world like this?" I pressed.
"Yes. Not only that but the money. Plus the time it'll take to raise it, and to raise it here? She's pissed because I asked if she'd consider abortion. Is it so terrible of me to want to save my baby from the suffering this world will bring?" Miles continued to rub his temples as if it would diffuse the headache he was surely developing.
"You can always live in the castle. I understand why you wouldn't before, because of your pride, but this is your child. If you do have the baby I can't imagine a safer place for it than in this castle. Under yours, Rosemarys, and my own protection." I rendered. If not only for his safety but for my own self benefit. They say once you have mastered the art of being alone, you are ready for the company of others, that doesn't make it easy though.
"I— yeah, actually, yeah, I'll mention that to Rosemary. Thank you. I appreciate it. You've always been good to me." Miles face flushed a slight shade of pink, and I fought the urge to smile. I never knew who'd be watching and waiting to sell whatever information they could to the highest bidder. I didn't want Miles to become a target like others had. Nevertheless, I felt my true self drifting away by keeping everyone at arms length and it was beginning to burden my soul.
"Take the night off. Go home to Rosemary. Talk about it. Come find me when you've figured things out. Alright?" We stopped before the large doors of the building that the supply wagons and other inventories were stored.
"Of course. Thank you Prince." Miles did a hasty bow before turning back the way we came.
Shifting myself into a mere shadow I slide through the doors of the wagon house.
Twenty wagons lay in four-by-five rows, each row indicating different varieties of items inside the wagons. The first row held supplies for the kitchen and diner items being refurbished every other Monday.
"Prince Zander." A blonde haired servant bowed when he noticed my shadowy approach. He kept his eyes lowered until I shifted back into human form.
"Cedric." I commented looking him over from head to toe. He was a newly hired servant who looked to be in his thirties with a good head of curly hair hanging past his ears. In my long line of experience, looks were immensely deceiving in a place were you never truly aged.
"May I ask why—" he started to say when a sudden thud of something heavy hit the floor. I heightened my senses to locate where the noise came from. The servants bustling around us paused as well looking at one another in confusion. They all held something in there hands and not a single one of them had missed the unexpected commotion.
My eyes led me to the second wagon and Cedric gulped. My glaze slide over the horse, that had yet to be put in the stables, to the wagon it hauled.
I could feel more than hear the faint heartbeat sounding beneath the hefty wagon.
No one stopped me as I unhooked the horse, placed both hands on the side of the wagon, and thrust it over like it weighed nothing at all.
The woman whose body lay broken and bruised before me made my heartbeat stumble.
Her very soul bled out onto the rustic tiles.
The rose gold gore of her soul slicking over them at a sickening pace.
I don't know what force drew me nearer.
I only know that my racing heartbeat pulsated the closer I got.
The feral part of me called out to save her.
So I did.