Chapter 16: Secrets.
Mordecai stared intently at the raven butler as he spoke. "She wants to kill her."
Cassie's heart raced in her chest upon hearing those words. She knew Clarissa wasn't very fond of her, however she was not aware that the woman actually wanted her dead. She didn't understand why, though. She never did anything wrong, so why?
"Why would she want to kill the daughter of her beloved elder sister?" Sebastian asked, his brows knitting together.
It was that that made the young girl's heart skip a beat. "Daughter of her beloved elder sister?" She repeated under her breath.
Did this mean Clarissa was her aunt? More so, does this mean Sebastian knows who her mother is?
Tears burned behind the bluenette's eyes as she took a step forward, standing at the very top of the staircase as she stared down at the two men. "You know who my mother is?"
Sebastian's eyes widened as he gazed up at the shaking girl. "Young Mistress, I-"
"Do you know who my mother is?" She repeated, trying her hardest to hold back the tears.
He lowered his gaze as he nodded lightly. "Yes."
She furrowed her brows as she clutched the bottom of her nightshirt. "And you didn't tell me? I've been wanting to know who my mother was my entire life!"
The demon took a step forward, sympathetic eyes gazing into sad sapphire ones from a distance. "I only kept it secret from you for your own safety."
She tilted her head as her nails now dug into the fabric of her nightshirt, piercing through the pale skin underneath. "For my own safety? How could knowing the name of my own mother put me in any harm? I just want to know who she is! That's all I ever wanted! I wouldn't go search for her and ask for her to take me back! She got rid of me for a reason, right? I don't want to make her life any worse than I already have! All I want is to know her name and see what she looks like... That's it..."
The reason why she's only ever wanted to know who her mother is rather than her father, is because she already had a photograph of her father that she received when she was in the orphanage. She didn't know his name, but she was just fine with at least knowing what he looked like.
"Your mother's name is Judith Sullivan." Mordecai spoke up, "I have a photograph of her, if you would like to have it."
The girl took a deep breath, trying to calm down so she could actually speak. "Hold on to it..." She spoke with a scratchy voice. It was obvious that she was merely seconds from breaking down.
She turned around and walked down the hallway. Walking turned into jogging, and jogging turn into running until she finally made it to her room. She shut the door behind her and locked it, leaning against it as she then sunk to the floor.
Her heart was beating so fast, it felt as though it could burst at any given moment. Transparent tears spilled out of cerulean eyes as she hugged her legs close to her body.
Why? Why would he keep that from her? She thought there weren't any secrets between them, but to no avail, she was wrong. What other secrets could he possibly be hiding?
Just the thought of him lying to her caused her heartache to increase by tenfold.
She sobbed silently into her knees as she tried to think of why he would keep that from her.
He said it was for her own safety... but how exactly could knowing the identity of her mother put her into any danger? She wouldn't dare tell a soul about her mother if that was the issue. She would be happy with just seeing her face, even if it was just in an old photograph. She wouldn't ask for anything more than that.
"Young Mistress?" Sebastian called out, knocking lightly on the door.
"Go away." She whispered, not daring to raise her voice for she feared he would hear her crying.
"I'm sorry." He spoke quietly, dread in his tone. His hand rested against the door as he spoke to the girl. "It's rather late, though. If you'd allow me to, I can tuck you into bed."
The bluenette stood up and hesitantly unlocked the door. Her hand lingered on the doorknob as she then let out a sigh, opening the door.
Sebastian smiled sadly as he took a step forward, placing his hand against the girl's pallid cheek so he could brush away the fallen tears with his thumb. He leaned forward and gently placed a kiss on her forehead. His lips lingered there as he whispered, "I love you."
This only made more tears flow down her face as she looked away. "You're an idiot..." She mumbled as she climbed into the bed.
He chuckled softly as he placed the large feather-stuffed blankets over her delicate frame. "Would you like me to tell you a story?"
She pulled the covers over her face as she turned her back to where the raven butler was standing. "I don't care."
Lie.
She loved hearing his stories. In fact, it was exactly what she needed at times like these.
He sat at the edge of the bed as he spoke. "This is the story of my last contractee." A sad smile pulled at his lips as he began the story. "Her hair was an ocean of gold. Her eyes were blue skies filled with galaxies of stars. Her skin was delicate porcelain, painted with the most beautiful rose color across her cheeks. Her soul was seasoned with the one thing besides hate that demons craved. It is a spice that demons constantly hunger for, because it is a feeling we are always empty of. Her soul overflowed with love; the way she moved across the dance floor warmed her from the inside out, her feet exploring the ground beneath her in such a sequence it could take even a demon's breath away. However... when they say 'all good things must come to an end,' this rule was not forgiven, even for her. An accident that stole her legs from her, replaced the everlasting love in her heart with the emptiness of loss."
His crimson eyes narrowed softly into the distance as all signs of emotion vanished from his expression. "She called upon me to grant one simple wish. She was willing to give her eternal happiness, if her feet could grace the dance floor once more. I had done what she'd asked of me, reviving her legs for one last song. Although this dance with a demon brought her demise, the love returned to her heart and spilled into her soul. I could see it overflowing, as if light were pouring through her skin, her smile brighter than the sun above us."
A sigh escaped his pale lips as he closed his eyes in an exhausted manner. "The passion... the desire within her... the galaxies of stars that once lay in her eyes... all of it was lost. A third-party demon had come into the picture and swept her away from me. Needless to say, she died and although neither of us had taken her soul, it was no longer attached to her body. What had happened to her still remains a mystery to this very day."
"I don't like this story." The bluenette spoke silently, hugging the blankets closer to her body.
The demon stood up from the bed and made his way to the door as he spoke. "Her name was Judith." With that, he left the room.
Hearing those words only made a feeling of heartache wash over the young girl's entire being.
"I suppose you've made your point..." She muttered under her breath, tears slowly flowing down her face and onto the pillow beneath her head. "...Perhaps it was for the best that you didn't tell me about her."