This chapter is a continuation of the last

Enjoy~

Carmilla Carmine glanced at the large ornate grandfather clock against the wall.

3:01

Muttering in annoyance, she tried to return her focus to the paperwork in front of her. Red eyes scanned the first line of the draft invoice.

Invoices were one of the simplest tasks of her job. It only took minutes to create. Give a list of the products the buyer wanted, a total for each line, and confirmation of the address they wished for it to be delivered. It was so easy that even the stupidest sinner could figure it out.

And yet, she felt herself re-reading the line:

For the fifth time.

The weapons dealer knew all too well what her dilemma was. Though, she hadn't expected it to affect her this badly. In her time in Hell, she'd learned her largest advantage was the ability to keep a level head. And yet, it did nothing to stop the anxiety growing inside her.

Two weeks.

Two weeks passed since Magnus' attempt on her life.

Two weeks since Zestial tended to her wounds, learning of her secret.

Carmilla knew the elder sinner well. The day after she'd awoken in his bed, she could feel the shift in the air between them. There was a new tension. Something that hadn't been there before.

It was apparent to the woman that it could only stem from the revelation of her true nature. After all, why else would Zestial avoid her?

So, in an effort to clear the air (and hopefully erase the awkward, unpleasant tension) she extended an invitation to dinner. It wasn't as if it was uncommon. On the contrary, Zestial spent many nights dining with the Carmines. There were even times that he stayed late into the night; the two sharing drinks and tales, or even simply enjoying each other's company.

Suddenly, the thought struck her.

What if, after she disclosed the truth of her past, things changed between them?

Their friendship spanned over a century. Would she be able to truly accept not having him there? The one person in hell she truly trusted with everything?

She gave another nervous glance at the clock.

3:07

With a frustrated sigh, she stood. It was apparent that her mind refused to focus on the business at hand. Not wanting to sit still any longer (or wanting to dwell on the potential consequences of telling the truth) Carmilla set her sights on the kitchen.

Looks like she'd be cooking instead of ordering out like originally planned.

"I got it!" Clara's voice echoed throughout the Carmine's Mansion.

Carmilla was truly grateful for her youngest's eagerness to greet their guest considering she found herself rooted to the spot at the head of the table. Odette tilted her head, taking note of the unusual stiffening of her mother's shoulders. "Mother?"

"It's nothing, mija."

The missing pair appeared through the entryway only a moment later. Clara entered first, practically dragging the much taller demon behind her. Carmilla should have scolded her daughter for acting in such a way. Let alone with an Overlord. But Zestial, as always, seemed more than amused by her youngest's overexuberant attitude.

Locking eyes with the Spider Demon, Carmilla offered a (hopefully) normal smile. "Zestial. It's nice to see you."

"Enchanted as always, Carmilla." Zestial's haunting voice said softly, a tone he reserved purely for Carmilla and the girls. Leaning forwards, he gave a small bow. "Good evening, Odette."

The elder of the daughters gave a small wave. "Hey Zestial. Glad you could make it."

"'Tis nought that wouldst prevent my sharing of a meal with thou."

"It's a good thing you feel that way. She's been in the kitchen for hours."

"Oh?"

"I had time to spare." Carmilla prayed that her voice sounded nonchalant. Stress cooking was a habit she had as a human, which continued long into her afterlife. Of course, Zestial and the girls were aware of this habit. Though, not one commented on the large array of food that sat spread across the table.

Carmilla watched quietly as Clara told Zestial about the ins-and-outs of the newest club that the girls attended last week. The youngest barely taking a breath in between her long-winded sentences. Most would find the girl's excitement about such trivial things an annoyance. The Spider Demon, however, listened intently.

Letting out a sigh, she took a sip of her whiskey. She wished she could freeze time. Stay in this moment. Surrounded by the three most important people to her. Laughing. Happy. Together. But Carmilla didn't wield the powers of time.

Nor was it fair to continue to use Clara as a buffer. It was selfish to use her daughters' presence in such a way.

Yet, she did so anyway.

The matriarch could feel the bespeckled gaze. Settling on her eldest, she watched as Odette's own red eyes flicked down at her mother's hand. More specifically, to the finger that unconsciously tapped against the glass in her grasp. Instantly, the nervous motion stopped.

But it was too late.

"Zestial." Odette called, pulling everyone's attention to her. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I do think it's time that Clara and I retire for the night."

"What? Why? I haven't gotten to the best part yet."

Carmilla forgot just how perceptive her eldest could be.

"We have that early delivery, remember?"

"No we don- ouch!" There was the unmistakable sound of Odette's foot connecting with her sister's shin beneath the table. Being on the receiving end of Odette's pointed look, realization dawned on the youngest. "Oh. You know what, I completely forgot about that."

Carmilla knew damn well that there weren't any deliveries scheduled. On the contrary, her girls' schedules were well open until the afternoon.

Excusing themselves from the table, the two girls bid the Overlords goodnight.

With the girl's departure, the awkward tension returned. It was almost palpable. Not being able to take it anymore, Carmilla stood. Gathering various plates, she busied herself by clearing the table.

Walking into the kitchen, she all but slammed the plates into the sink. Bracing herself, she leaned against the counter. The feelings came back, almost suffocating her.

"Carmilla?" Zestial called quietly. He came to a stop beside her, placing the remaining dishes in the sink. "What troubles thou?"

"This isn't how this was supposed to go." Carmilla started to pace back and forth, muttering to herself in Spanish. Zestial tilted his head, trying to understand what her words meant. However, she spoke far too quickly for him to truly make any sense of it.

"My friend?"

"Carmilla?" Once again, his words were ignored. Reaching his hands out to her shoulders, he stilled her pacing. "I implore thee, halt."

"I know you've been avoiding me." Carmilla ran a frustrated hand through her hair. "I apologize for not telling you the truth. I- I've wanted to for some time now. I... couldn't find the right time."

Four green eyes blinked. When he'd received the invitation to dinner, he hadn't expected it to revolve around the truths of her past. While he couldn't just forget that she was angelic, he didn't want her to feel the need to share the information until she was ready.

Carmilla departed his home the morning after her abduction and hadn't spoken to him since. He feared that he'd overstepped a boundary. For the first time, in his nearly two centuries in hell, he feared what he might lose. The thought that the one person in Hell that he truly cared for, could want nothing more to do with him stirred an unfamiliar fear he'd long forgotten.

Instead of reaching out to her (as he had originally planned) the Spider Demon opted to give Carmilla distance. Hoping that once she gathered her thoughts, she'd come to him, just as she had in the past.

"Thou shouldn't push the boundaries of thine own comfort."

"You deserve to know. I just... Do not wish for things to change between us."

"Nonsense." Zestial tutted. "'Tis nought in this realm that couldst taint my opinion of thee."

Carmilla gave a halfhearted nod, not entirely believing the demon's words. Stepping past him, she reached into the cabinet, retrieving the whiskey reserved for 'special' occasions. Not bothering for a glass, Carmilla turned back towards Zestial, leaning against the countertop.

"After I died, I rose to Heaven. I was what the angels call a 'Virtue'. A step above regular souls, yet not the same as the Seraphines. Being a step above the others, it didn't take long for the head Seraphin to request my help. She said the beings in Hell were planning an uprising. One that would threaten Heaven's entire existence."

"I spent nearly twenty years learning how to craft angelic steel. At the time, I truly believed that their intentions were solely for the safety of the souls in Heaven. And, I bid my time, waiting for my girls to join me."

Zestial watched as Carmilla took a long drink from the bottle. There was a haunted look in her eyes. One that he hadn't seen before.

"After my death, the girls fell in with the wrong crowd. Los Diablos, a local mafia. One night, the leader convinced Odette and Clara to go with him. They broke into a handful of houses. The others ransacked, stealing anything they could all while my girls simply watched. It ended the entire group being killed by the local police after their leader chose to pull a gun."

"In Heaven, you're notified of when a loved one passes. After I learned of my girls' demise, I waited for them at the gates. But they never came. The gatekeeper informed me that they weren't on the list. I sought out the High Seraphin, begging for their souls to join me in Heaven. She refused."

"Guilt by association." Carmilla growled, nearly shattering the bottle in her grasp. "That was the petty reason for my girls to be condemned to hell."

"I decided then and there that I would be with my daughters. No matter the cost. I went behind Heaven's back and set up a meeting with Lucifer. I told him everything I knew of the weapons; in turn he helped reunite me and my girls. It wasn't long after that when he introduced you and I."

A thick blanket of silence filled the room as Zestial took in the information. He didn't miss the way that Carmilla refused to meet his eyes. The Carmine matriarch chose to keep her vision to the tiled floor between them.

"Dost, thou desire to know what I see before me?" Zestial lifted her chin gently, wanting her to truly understand that he meant the words he was about to speak. "A mother, who'st abandoned everything to ensure the safety of her daughters. Even if it meant an eternity of damnation."

"Zestial..." She leaned into his touch, taking comfort in his tenderness.

"As said prior. Thine past changes nought. Rest assured, thou 'tis still the woman who'st possesses my soul." He assured, brushing his thumb against her cheek.

Carmilla was the first to move, closing the distance between them. The kiss was truly an experience he wished would last forever.

However, dead or not, breathing was still a requirement for all souls. Pulling apart, Zestial leaned down, resting his forehead against Carmilla's as they said nothing. Choosing to remain in peaceful silence.

The moment didn't last long however, as an attempted quiet squeal of excitement came from the dining room. "Finally!"

"Clara!" Odette's voice hissed as her youngest's head disappeared from the entryway.

Carmilla chuckled to herself. Really, it was her own fault. Had she wanted to keep it a secret, such a conversation would have been held in her private study. Not in the kitchen which was shared territory.

"Girls."

"Yes mom?"

"You're grounded."