Stealthily the young woman approached the opened door. She felt like Indiana Jones, sneaking into some forbidden place for treasure. Her breath remained trapped in her lungs as she leaned in to peek through the narrow gap.
What she saw, wasn't what she had expected. No monsters jumped out from shadows and this was no secret torture room either. She had stumbled upon a library.
Talking about disappointment....
This was a house that belonged to a powerful demon, a creature that shouldn't even exist and the best thing she could find was some old library!? Really!?
Her shoulders slumped, all hope for finding anything worth of interest, gone. Nonetheless, she was banished from the elite meeting and she had nothing to do. She was not about sit by the door and wait for her master like a lost puppy.
The door cracked open, inviting the woman into the dimly lit library. Row after row of neatly lined up books with their spines facing outward were placed on floor-to-ceiling shelves. There wasn't a single speck of dust anywhere. This place was well cared for. It owned a certain smell of an aged paper and leather. Most of the books there were old with yellowed pages and smears between the chapters.
"Cool..." Catherine approached one of the shelves, running her fingers along the thick covers. Her gaze stopped on a certain book. Bible.
Ironic....Bible in devil's home.
She bit her lip, fingers itching to pull the book from it's designated place. Maybe some of the answers she had were hiding there.
"So it's true."
Catherine nearly jumped when a male voice came from somewhere behind her. She whipped around, startled, expecting to see Layton or worse - his dad. But no one was there. Her eyes landed on red leather couches positioned in middle of the library.
"Excuse me?" Slowly, she approached the red couches.
"I was surprised at first, but it's true. My brother has taken in a human toy." The same boyish voice came from behind the couch. Catherine glanced over the cushioned back. A man with platinum blonde hair was laying horizontally across one of the couches, his eyes closed and earbuds blasting music.
"First, I am no ones toy, I'm a person! And second, don't you know it's bad to give people a fucking heart attack!?"
The man opened his eyes, an eerie shade of pale grey. "And don't you know that it's bad to snoop around?" He retorted.
"I wasn't snooping around. I was just trying to pass some time. They kicked me out from their fancy family gathering."
"Sounds about right...." The man sat up, his eyes narrowed as if the poor lightening was burning his colorless eyes. "Father will be angry," He murmured to himself.
"Let me guess, you're Sloth." Catherine noted, observing the sleepy man.
He didn't grace her with an answer, not that it was not needed. His appearance spoke for itself. Everybody in this family were devilishly good looking and terrible. The teenage boy on the couch was no exception to this observation.
Maybe except that Gluttony guy, he was just terrible.
"You're bothering me." The man grumbled.
"That's your problem, not mine."
"Leave."
Catherine folded her arms, "No."
"I was here first."
"I don't care."
The sin groaned, "You're so annoying." Brushing back his platinum blonde hair, he slowly stood up. "I am starting to understand...why my brother keeps you around." He looked over at the persistent woman. "It's not because he likes you."
Catherine felt prickling pain in her chest. She knew Layton possessed no feelings for her and yet hearing that hurt. "Yea? Then why do you think he keeps me around?" She kept her stance.
Sloth slowly approached. He wasn't taller than her, and was rather scrawny by built. Aside from his creepy eye color, there was nothing in him that could intimidate her. He was just a teenager.
"Your soul." The man grinned, now standing inches from her. Catherine took a step back, bumping into the back of the couch. "It smells good...I'm pretty certain you're the reason they're holding that meeting in the first place." Sloth closed the distance between them again, trapping her between him and the couch. He inhaled deeply, smirking. "I could just take it for myself-"
"I thought I told you not to wander off."
Catherine turned her head to the side, leaning as far as she could from the blonde sin. Layton stood in the doorway. Judging by the taut tone of his voice and sharp look in his eyes, he was moderately pissed.
"Finally...came to pick up your toy? I was getting annoyed by her." Sloth stepped back, his expression changing to one of boredom.
"I said, I'm not a fucking toy! What's wrong with you people!" The woman bit back angrily. This 'toy' thing was seriously starting to paw at her nerves.
Layton advanced towards her, giving her a cold look. " What part of 'stay by the door', you didn't understand?"
"I was bored. You can't just leave me and expect me to act like an obedient slave!"
The man sighed, giving up on the fight. "At least you're not hurt." He murmured, his eyes softening somewhat.
"You were worried?" Her eyebrows raised with curiosity, voice dropping to a teasing purr.
Layton scoffed. "Don't be foolish. If something happened to you, it would be a nuisance I would have to deal with, that's all." He didn't look her in the eyes as he spoke.
Cute.
The young woman grinned, seeing straight through his lie. "Just admit it, you were worried." She bumped his side with her elbow, earning herself a warning look from the hunky sin.
"You should keep a better eye on your toys, brother. Or you might lose them." Sloth spoke, lazily sauntering back to the couch.
That guy, I swear!
"Ignore him." Layton took a hold of Catherine's arm, leading her away before she had the chance to roll up her sleeves and punch out the blonde's teeth.
He took her to a sumptuous bedroom. Like everything else in the mansion, it looked like it belonged in antique store. Large king size bed was placed in middle, ruby red covers neatly tucked around the cloud-like mattress. Curtains hung from poles attached to a detailed wooden frame, giving it a historical vibe. The luxury of this place never failed to impress.
"You're going to stay with me tonight." Layton announced, making himself comfortable in one of the armchairs. He looked like a king sitting in a throne, calmly gazing at the peasant that had come to him.
"No, thanks. This mansion has enough rooms for both of us."
"It wasn't a request, spitfire. It's not safe for you to stay alone, besides, it won't be the first time we share a bed." He looked at her smugly, eyes traveling up and down her body. "You're quite clingy during the night."
Her face flamed. Unfortunately she was not one of those people with talent to hold back a blush. "That's a lie." Catherine huffed stubbornly. "And would it kill you to call me by my name!?"
"No."
Her lips tugged into a scowl. "Fine...whatever." She grumbled, walking up to a glass door that lead out to a balcony. The room offered a beautiful view to thick forest stretching ahead, faint light of sun dipping down caressing the three tops. "What is that auction about?" The question had been on the tip of her tongue for a while now, bugging her.
"It's none of your business." Layton's tone of voice suggested he would not be answering that question, but she was not about to give up either. She had to know.
"Boo hoo. Wrong. Somehow, I get a feeling that it is. I hear about it all the damn time." Catherine turned to look at the devilishly handsome man, her arms crossed in bold refusal to let the question go. She was like a bulldog with a bone, once her teeth had sunken into the topic, there was no letting go. "I am human, but I am not dumb."
Layton stared at her in silence. She refused to budge. His glare no longer had the effect on her.
Finally, he caved in, "Every year my family hosts an auction for sins and powerful demons." He begun to explain, "Our powers require a source to seek strength from. That source are human souls."
Her heart dropped to her stomach. "You sell humans?" She had been suspecting some illegal shit, but not auctioning off humans!
"Their souls." Layton corrected her.
"And that makes it okay!?"
"Keep you voice down." The man reprimanded, his voice a low growl. "This is going on before you or me. My world is different from yours, that's why most humans don't know about it. Sins and demons exist in shadows. Without us your world wouldn't be as it is. Those souls die quickly and painlessly, if that comforts you."
"It does not." Catherine felt a sudden need to sit down. "What about....my soul?" Her chest clenched. Did he plan on selling her off as well?
"What about it?"
"Did you plan on selling it?" Her gaze held his, the air around them thickening with tension.
A moment of silence passed before Layton finally responded, "No."
That's a relief.
Her shoulders slumped, as she relaxed. She couldn't be sure if she could fully trust his words, but something told her that he wasn't lying. Or so she hoped...
Eating human souls. That explained the hungry looks and odd comments she got from other sins. Their, 'you smell good' never failed to give her creeps. Now she knew, they saw her as their daily burger.
"Is there something else I have to know about your world before I hear it from someone else?" Catherine questioned. He certainly wasn't telling her everything.
"No. You already know too much. The more you ask, the more I put your life in danger." Layton stared at her intently, almost as if he cared.
She shook her head. Of course he didn't care. It was just her stupid brain coming up with something she secretly wanted. "I will worry about my own life." Catherine sat down in an armchair across from the raven haired man. "Let's play a game." She suggested, "You tell me what I want to know and in return, I will tell you something you want to know."
He will never agree....Why would he want to know anything about me?
Layton remained silent, his long fingers caressing his sharp jawline in deep thought. The cold blue eyes never left her, observing if her determination would drop. It didn't.
After a very heavy second, he finally answered.
"Deal."