Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 127933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
She gave me a warm smile as I entered, her eyes lighting up. “There you are!”
Behind her, Drita and Nanno stood with garment bags draped over their arms, their expressions calm and composed, as always.
"Ready to get started?" Esther asked, her voice bright as if we were preparing for a party and not some ceremony I still didn’t fully understand.
I nodded, forcing a smile. "I guess so."
Esther grinned, linking her arm through mine, and leading me toward the large bathroom on the ground level. I hadn’t been back inside that room since the night I was dressed to be branded. That felt so long ago now as if it had happened to an entirely different person.
It wasn’t just any bathroom—this was more like a personal spa, with floor-length mirrors on every wall, a plush ottoman in the center, and an array of beauty products and tools laid out like an artist’s palette. The soft lighting gave the space a warm glow, making it feel luxurious and intimate.
“This is where the magic happens,” Esther teased as she motioned for Drita and Nanno to hang up the garment bags.
I sat on the ottoman, allowing Esther and the others to take charge as they began their work. Drita worked with precision, styling my hair in a way that felt both regal and haunting. It was pulled back into an intricate updo, with a few loose strands framing my face, delicate red roses woven in. Nanno focused on my makeup, her hands steady as she painted my face with careful strokes. The black lace gown that had been chosen for me hugged my body in all the right places, the delicate embroidery shimmering faintly under the light. I looked… ethereal. Almost otherworldly.
Esther smiled approvingly as she finished adjusting her own dress in the mirror, her fingers running through her hair to smooth it out. “You look amazing, Lo.”
"Thank you," I murmured, still trying to process the transformation.
The other women exchanged glances before Esther turned to them, her expression softening.
“Go ahead and wait in the foyer. I’ll join you soon.”
Drita and Nanno nodded obediently, leaving the room without another word. The door clicked shut behind them, and for a moment, it was just me and Esther. She turned to face me, her eyes searching mine. “You’ll be heading to the Chapel soon,” she said, her voice quieter now, more serious. “I’ll see you there and will stay with you as much as possible, but... try to keep an open mind tonight, okay?”
An open mind.
I wasn’t sure how much of that I had left, but I nodded, knowing it was the answer she was looking for. Esther stepped forward, wrapping me in a warm, familiar hug.
She was always like this—touchy, affectionate, and full of life. It was easy to forget sometimes just how deeply woven into this world she was.
“Take a deep breath, okay? It’ll be over before you know it,” she whispered, pulling back slightly to give me an encouraging smile.
“I’ll try,” I replied, though the nerves were still gnawing at me and her vagueness wasn’t helping. There had to be a reason she was being so mute. Esther didn’t hold back any other time.
She squeezed my hand once more before stepping back. “Wait ten minutes, then head out. My brother will be waiting for you.”
I nodded again, and with one last smile, she left the room. As the door clicked shut behind her, I turned back to face the mirror, taking a better look at myself. My reflection stared back at me from multiple angles.
For a moment, I didn’t recognize the person standing there. She was eerie and beautiful all at once, like something from a dark fairy tale. The roses entwined in my hair added a touch of fragility, yet the deep red petals against the dark waves were reminiscent of blood—beauty mingled with something more dangerous.
My face was a different story altogether. The skull design painted over my features gave me the appearance of a spirit caught between two worlds. The haunting lines traced across my cheeks and around my lips made me look almost skeletal, yet somehow elegant. It was as if my face had been transformed into a mask, concealing who I truly was beneath it all. I tried to find the familiar features—my eyes, my lips—but they were hidden. All I saw was someone who belonged in this twisted world.
I stared into my own eyes, darkened with smoky shadows that made them appear larger, more intense. There was a sharpness to them, an edge that hadn’t been there before. I didn’t recognize that part of myself either. The girl I used to be, before all of this, was almost gone. She was buried under layers of ceremony, tradition, and expectations.
I tilted my head slightly, watching as the skull lines shifted with the movement. Was this truly who I was meant to be? Sponsa Diaboli. The bride of the devil himself. It was a title I still hadn’t fully grasped, even after all this time. The weight of it pressed down on me, and for a moment, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The longer I stared at my reflection, the more I felt like I was slipping into this new identity.