warning(s): mentions of death/memory of a death
"I'll try to be gentle."
Cassandra swallowed thickly before moving her face to the crook of my neck, my heart skipping a beat when she took a deep breath and groaned. I shuddered when her tongue dragged from my collar to my jaw, a soft whimper leaving me when she nipped at my skin. Her lips found my pulse immediately. Gloved hands gripped my waist and pulled me onto her lap, managing to pull a gasp out of me in the process.
Her fangs pierced my skin with — surprisingly — very little pain. I relaxed into her when her thumb began rubbing circles on my lower back, distracting me from the feeling of her fangs retracting so she could drink. Four. Five. Six gulps before she pulled back, a low groan escaping her as she licked at the wounds until they stopped bleeding.
I bit the inside of my cheek until she stopped, a wave of heat being sent to my core at the sounds she made. When she pulled away from my neck again, she leaned back and rubbed circles on my thighs. I let my arms snake around her neck, taking deep breaths while waiting for everything to settle down. Cassandra sent me a concerned glance when I remained silent, making me clear my throat and send her a warm smile.
"I'm okay," I whispered and rested my forehead against hers. "I was just dizzy for a second. I think I'll take you up on the food offer now."
Cassandra laughed before moving me off of her lap. "I'll be back then. Oh and uhm... Have you had any luck getting in contact with them? Dani..."
"No luck yet," I sighed and let my gaze drop. "It's been so long... I don't know what happened — the others won't tell me."
"Try reaching out to them while I make you food? She just needs closure."
"I'll try."
Once Cassandra was gone, I let out a low sigh and stood up, making my way to the bathroom. I shut the door and put the flames of the candles out. With a deep breath, I stared into the space the mirror was, watching as flames began to appear in the space. As the image became clearer, I let a smile pull at my lips, making sure my brother saw my smile before we had this conversation.
"Yo!" Zagreus laughed once he saw me. "What can I do for my little sister?"
"Not 'baby sis' anymore? You wound me, brother," I pouted, biting back a giggle when he panicked.
"I-I mean technically you're s-still my baby s-sister! Justnotthebabyofthefamilyanymore."
"What was that last part?"
"Huh?! Nothing!"
I frowned for a moment before letting a giggle leave me. "Anyway! I just wanted to ask about Isa..."
Zagreus frowned — suddenly serious — before a sigh escaped him. "They chose rebirth 21 years ago. We lost contact with them after the age of four. Sources say they're in Romania with a daughter of Hekate. And yes, their name is Isa. Some things never change."
"That's why... Thank you, I'll keep an eye out. F-for their soul."
"Appearance hasn't changed either. Come to think of it, the only thing that's changed is they've fought in wars. They're heavily scarred and traumatized. Go easy on them."
"I'll make sure the ladies — especially lady Daniela — know. Are they on their way here?"
"We're not sure. We just know they're in the area."
His eyes shifted to the left before the image disappeared, pulling a frustrated sigh out of me. I left the bathroom and returned to the bed, sending Cassandra a smile when she entered the bedroom. She returned the smile shyly, clearing her throat when she sat next to me and handed me the food. I let my head rest on Cassandra's shoulder as I ate, letting my mind wander back to memories with Isa.
"Yo!" Isa's voice called from the top of the castle, pulling my gaze up.
My heart stopped at the sight. Blood covered their face — yet their smile never left — and a large hand was wrapped around their throat. "I-Isa?!"
"Live for me, sis. Tell Dani that I—."
"Hey, everything okay?" Cassandra's voice pulled me from the memory, her gloved hand wiping away my tears. "What's on your mind?"
"...Isa," I whispered and buried my face in Cassandra's neck when she pulled me closer. "When they..."
"It's okay... I'll hold you until this passes."
"Th-thank you."
We stayed like that for a few minutes, her hands rubbing circles on my back until I managed to calm down. I stared at the wall in silence for a few extra minutes, my grip on her dress tightening ever so slightly. Her arms tightened around me before I felt her plant a kiss on my head, pulling a smile onto my face.
A knock at the door caused us to separate, however, when she muttered that it was her mother at the door. Ever since Isa's passing, lady Dimitrescu made a rule that no maid would date any of her daughters. I didn't mind it at first — Cassandra and I were just friends, after all — but the last few weeks had been different. She tried spending more time with me — even going as far as to have a fly following me from room to room if she couldn't be with me the entire time.
"Yes, mother?" She called and stood from the bed.
"Mother Miranda said she found some new maids for us," Lady Dimitrescu called back, causing Cassandra to swarm to the door. "They'll be here tonight. So, [Y/N], prepare some rooms?"
"O-of course, m-my lady!" I squeaked out, ignoring the heat that coated my cheeks at her chuckle.
I waited until the sound of her heels faded before standing from the bed, sending Cassandra a warm smile as I left. Once in the hallway, flies surrounded me — Daniela's giggles mixed with the overwhelming sound. With a smile on my face, I continued my path to the servant's quarters and opened the door of one of the empty ones.
"Any luck?" The softness of her voice made my chest ache yet again.
"They chose rebirth," I whispered as I removed the sheets from the bed. "Around the time I lost contact with them."
"Why weren't you informed?"
"They lost track of their soul for a while. Then they lost it again for a very long time. It was only recently spotted — as was their new body."
"How different do they look?"
I stopped and sighed, sending her an apologetic smile. "They apparently look exactly the same as before. But, since they chose rebirth, they won't remember any of us. They've also fought in wars, so they're traumatized and more scarred than you remember."
"Do you think...?"
"I hope. You two were so happy together... It'll take time, but it won't hurt to try."
Lady Daniela nodded and swarmed over to me, engulfing me in a hug. "Thank you for telling me... It hurt not knowing."
"I know," I muttered and returned the hug, holding her tight. "It hurt me too."
When we separated from the hug, Daniela left me to clean on my own after that. Hours passed of dusting, scrubbing, sweeping, and mopping rooms. By the time I had every room cleaned and new sheets on the beds, the family voice of lady Bela reached my ears. I sent a smile to her and the small group as they entered the room, bowing to them while Bela introduced me.
"This is [Y/N], she's the head maid and—," A sharp inhale from one member of the group made my head snap up, my eyes locking with oh-so-familiar hazel eyes. "Is everything alright, Isa?"
"U-uhm... Yeah, s-sorry, my lady... I just thought she... Looked familiar. Please, continue."
'Did their soul recognize me?'