Willow's gaze was drawn to a stunning painted portrait of a girl. The girl's eyes matched the same shade worn by the BustyrÃa's and her dark hair cascaded gracefully down her shoulders. A warm smile adorned her face as she stood dressed in a flowing white gown. Despite the slight fading, the portrait's intricate details were captivating.
Jack approached her side, his eyes also fixed on the portrait.
"This girl would change a lot just by being born, more than He would realize at the time. She helped form the world into what it is today," He mumbled, and Willow could hear the slight tone of awe in Jacks voice.
Drawing her attention away from the portrait, Willow regarded him curiously. He met her gaze briefly before continuing down the corridor, motioning for her to follow. They had reached the third floor's right wing, and Willow had paused by the portrait, intrigued by the repeated appearance of these two girls in various paintings throughout the mansion. The mystery of their identities lingered in her thoughts.
Following him down the marble corridor decorated with paintings, vases filled with colorful flowers, she couldn't help but wish Peter was here to see the island. He would have loved the different hiking paths there must be around the island.
He stopped up in front of a double decorative mahogany door.
"This is my room." he stated, swinging the doors open. The rich scent of pine and leather wafted out, greeting them as they entered.
As she entered the room, an audible gasp escaped Willow's lips, her eyes widening in awe. The spaciousness of the room allowed for an overwhelming number of books that seemed to have claimed every available surface. Even the old wooden desk between the two doors to the right was nearly obscured by the stacks of books resting upon it. A cozy TV corner, complete with a couch and comfy chairs was beside the grand, curved windows that led to an balcony to the left with what seems like cozy furniture on it. Across from the door they stepped through, a majestic king-size bed stood, flanked by wooden nightstands on either side.
The wall between the tv corner and curved windows to the balcony was covered in shelves that held an assortment of books, movies, video games, and things Willow had never seen before. A partially opened door beside the desk revealed a glimpse of an adjoining bathroom on the right wall, and a dark violin case rested against the desks leg.
As Willow took in the breathtaking view of the lake beyond the balcony, a frown crossed her face. Turning toward the door they had just entered through, she furrowed her brow in confusion. "Wait," she began, her tone puzzled. "This layout-"
"Is strange right?" Jack chuckled walking towards his closet. " it's on purpose, magic is imbedded in every stone of the mansion making it able to expand to house as many reapers as needed. making the layouts of the rooms on the floors above the ground floor sometimes wonky. Plus it's a good way to confuse intruders if it would ever happen." He pulled his jacket off, and Willow followed while wondering why he didn't wait to change after he showed her where she should stay, or did they expect her to be in his room?
He headed over to a rack of shirts, pushing them aside before pulling out a large wooden chest. Flipping open the latches, he began to sift through its contents, pictures and letters passed too quickly for Willow to discern their details, until he reached the very bottom.
He pulled out a small wooden box with a triumphal grunt before he walked towards her.
As he opened it she saw a black velvet ribbon with a white pearl pendant laid on a red velvet pillow. Retrieving an electric blue quartz crystal from his dark jeans, he gingerly held the ribbon up. With deliberate care, he detached the pearl and affixed the crystal wand pendant, bearing the carving of an hourglass, to the ribbon and reached it towards her.
"Do I seriously need to wear a collar? And why is this color everywhere?" She complained taking it from his hand, inspecting it. She slide her thumb across the carved hourglass, wondering where he had found a crystal in this color.
"It isn't a collar, it will be my mark. It's to show that you're my pet, and not to be touched." He put the box back in the chest. "It's for your own protection and was the best I could find, that would fit with the pendant in such short notice. Second, it's the color of the human soul," he sighed, taking the necklace from her hand.
"So also the color of yours?" she asked still wondering if what they meant by turned was that reapers had once been human.
"Before my death? Yes." He pulled out the bone dagger from the shadows of his coat. "Now my soul is not visible for those who can see souls."
"Let me guess, you need to stab me again," She sighed giving him her hand, and he gave her a apologetic smile.
He slid the tip of the dagger across her right palm before doing the same with his own hand not already bandaged. He placed the pendant in the blood in her palm before doing the same in his own. For a few seconds the hourglass on the pendant filled with blood before it vanished.
Willow shook her head, feeling a headache coming her way over all the strange thing happening as he gestured for her to turn around as the wound in his hand healed. She sighed deeply, hating the fact she had to. But she couldn't turn back now, so she took off the hood and lifted her hair.
As it touched her skin a blast of fire coursed through her body. Willow gasped in pain, as she felt her bones burn. The feeling was excruciating, and she clawed at the bow to get it off, but found it impossible to remove. Her legs started to tremble, as the feeling of every bone sizzling increased to an unbearable level.
"Deep breathing." Jack cooed as she let out a whimper falling to her knees getting caught in his arms. And then, just as quickly as the pain had surged, it vanished. The abruptness of the relief left her bewildered, and she looked up at Jack with teary, questioning eyes.
"What was that?!" She croaked, her whole body trembling.
"It was magic, my mark got carved into your bones and soul. To show Death and God you're my human now until your death." She looked at him with wide eyes, not believing what she heard. "I'm sorry," he continued, his voice gentle. "Thought you probably shouldn't know before it happened as it was unavoidable. You wouldn't have done it otherwise and I would have had to force it on you." He said softly before quickly adding. "Not that I wouldn't have done it, but you have yet to realize that I make the rules" he gave her a twitching smile, gently helping her up on her feet and she pushed him away, filled with anger.
"I don't care if you in charge or whatever, but when something like that gonna happen I want to know! It felt like a piece of me was ripped out while something was laser tagging in my body!" She growled, trying once again to tuck at the bow he had made, but couldn't.
"Well, it will also conceal your power. As I told you, only humans that have been resurrected can see in the veil. But this will conceal those powers so only when you are in the veil with me you will be able to, as well as showing you off as mine. Plus it will help you when you have to follow me to a job." Willow walked over to the mirror in the wall to inspect the choker that now adorned her neck.
"How will it help me?" She mumbled, rubbing her arms to get the last goosebumps away.
"Well it will make you able to speak and understand every language created by humanity, as I pick up souls all over the world. And some other stuff" He explained with a soft smile.
Willow touched the pendant with a sigh.
Well, this is never coming off again I guess, she thought.
He gently pulled her towards him, carefully pressing his tip of his grey t-shirt against the wound on her hand, revealing slightly defined muscles that had been hidden underneath it.
"Sorry, I'm not allowed to heal it," he mumbled with furrowed brows, before pulling her towards the scarf's. He selected a rather expensive looking grey scarf and carefully wrapped it around her injuries hand.
As they walked out of the closet she saw the sun hanging low on the sky and suppressed a yawn. She hadn't really gotten the chance to sleep, and with everything happening lately with her brother being in the hospital and the deal she made she had worn herself out.
"Darlia said something about a room? She didn't mean this one, right?" Willow asked, suddenly fearful she will get a pillow and have to sleep in the foot-end of Jacks bed.
"Yeah it's right beside mine," Jack headed toward his door and she followed him. He opened the door and gestured to the door beside it. "That's your room, a BustyrÃa will come by later to take your measurement and get a list of what you need. Get some rest, I have work to do tomorrow and I will need you to go with me. I haven't really gotten any food lately because of work and since it's an angel we gonna get, I need to be at my best, and need food." he gently nudged her out of the room and closed the door. She looked shortly at his door trying not to freak out by the fact he said angel.
They gonna go and kill or reap a angel. So much for being a atheist.
Willow took a deep breath to calm herself, it wasn't the time to freak out. She has done this for her brother, and she wasn't someone that backed down when she had decided on something. Even if the something was her being a blood bag for some reaper while they kill angels.
She headed toward her door deciding to get some sleep and freak out in the morning when she wouldn't be so tired.
Upon opening the double doors, Willow stepped into yet another expansive room, her eyes taking in the various features it held. To the right she noticed doors leading to an empty walk-in closet, and her gaze was immediately drawn to an enormous mirror that could easily accommodate two people between the doors. Adjacent to the mirror, was white vanity, featuring a smaller mirror and displaying a bone tooth comb and a silver-backed brush and neatly beside these items were small samples of what Willow assumed to be perfume.
Positioned prominently on the room's back wall was a dark wooden poster king-size bed frame, adorned with rich blue velvet curtains that cascaded gracefully. A comfortable chair and a small table were placed near the curved window-doors on the wall beside the bed that led to a balcony overlooking the lake. In one corner of the room, a grand old mahogany desk occupied the space where Jack's TV corner would be, accompanied by a black comfortable chair.
"Holy shit" She walked over to the closed door beside the vanity, not surprised if Narnia would appear on the other side, but instead she stepped into the biggest bathroom she had ever seen. One whole wall was a marble table with sink, and under it shelves with baskets, filled with cosmetic products. "I'm dead, this can't be anything but Heaven." She breathed amazed, looking at the open shower cabin and gigantic build-in marble floor bathtub she couldn't wait to try out.
Willow almost wanted to faint, as she realized this was all hers. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the massive mirror above the sink and to her shock saw her bruises was gone. Touching her face she wondered how, as she inspected her face, seeing no trace of them. Tugging at her hoodie she saw the bruises on her arms and torso was gone too.
As she walked back into the bedroom she found the contact lighting up the chandelier hanging on the ceiling before turning her gaze towards the windows across from the bathroom. She saw lanterns aglow in the garden surrounding the lake and somehow felt a little more at ease.
The place was gorgeous, so that helped on the fact she had to live here forever even though it was just a glamorous prison.
She jumped onto the bed and buried her head in one of the decorative pillows, sighing.
She could do this, she has too. Her eyes began to come heavy, and she slumbered of for a second.
"Excuse me? Miss Weber?" Her eyes snapped open and Willow glanced over towards the door where a woman in her early twenties with long honey blonde hair stood smiling. She studied Willow intently with her dark green eyes as she walked into the room. Willow guessed she was a BustyrÃa due to the electric blue summer dress. She couldn't help but find the girl beautiful, except the harsh look in her eyes. "So you're the one Jack chose to become his companion. I must say, I had expected... more." She grunted softly, placing a pale hand on her hip.
Willow felt the hatred bore into her soul from the slim young woman who looked like she just walked out of a magazine.
"Excuse me?" Willow sat up with a raised brow.
She snorted softly, rolling her eyes. " Even though Jack isn't a old reaper, is he a good one. He could have done so much better at choosing a companion. But from what I heard, you forced him into it." She rolled her eyes before they narrowed. "What, was your life not worth living and now we have to deal with you?" She snarled, walking towards the bed. Willow could see her eyes had softened for a second by the mention of Jack and realized what had made her so angry.
Jealousy.
"It wasn't exactly the plan when I got up that morning to become someone's pet. It just sort of needed to happen so I could save someone." Willow answered, getting out of bed as she crossed her arms. She knew jealousy herself, she had experienced it, but she wasn't in the mood to play along on it.
"Companions are special, precious. They make their reaper stronger, but the only thing special about you is those mismatched doe eyes of yours. You're not special, you're not worthy to be a companion."
For a second Willow was taken aback by the girls hostility and her direct attack on her eyes for some reason like Willow was actually at fault for it.
"I'm sorry, did you only come here to insult me, or do you have a purpose?" Willow snarled. She was not in the mood of hearing some scorned young woman tell her what she could do and couldn't do.
"I came to take your measurements and your list." She grunted, reaching out her hand.
"Sorry, I haven't made the list yet." Willow tried to smile at her, not interested in making any enemies she would have to live with forever. But by the looks of it, this girl had already decided to despise her.
"Well, isn't this my lucky day! I'm in charge of Jack and that means I also am in charge of you," She pressed the brim of her nose with a exaggerated sigh. "And you can't even figure out how to make a damn list?"
Willow started to feel really uncomfortable, when she saw the look in the young woman's eyes. But before she got a chance to raise her own voice they heard a voice that made both their heads snap towards the balcony.
"Jane? What's going on?" Jack asked as he walked into the room from the balcony, making Willow guess they where connected.
"Master Jack!" Jane pitch rose as she turned towards him, smoothening out her dress. "I'm sorry! Did we wake you? I was just trying to get the measurements from miss Weber and the list but it seems like she have yet to make one." the last part came out in a irritated tone.
"Well, Willow did just arrive, and had to leave her family behind. She probably forgot with all the new things she experienced today." Jack smiled, tilting his head softly with a arched brow.
Jane blinked serval times, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink for a second, probably due to Jack's charming smile.
"Of course master Jack! I will just come and do this later then when she has rested." she said perplexed, bowing shortly before heading towards the door.
"Master Jack?" Willow mumbled under her breath, confused over the now formal tone.
Jane spun around with a blank expression.
"Tradition dictates that a clean, unbreakable line is drawn between the household and their housekeepers. Therefore I will call Jack by his proper title, Master Jack. And you... Miss Willow." The last words came out with a harsh breath like the very words made her wanna barf.
"So I have to call you Master Jack too since I'm your companion as everyone seem to call it?" Willow grimaced.
Like hell she was gonna call him that.
Both of them said yes, but only one of them had a grin on their face indicating they're joking.
"Pet, I don't like the word companion, pet is more fitting." Jack shrugged with a hint of mischief twinkling in his eyes.
"Oh, praise the heavens, I been downgraded. Thank you master Jack, oh thank you." she responded with dripping sarcasm, bowing her head a couple of times.
Jane scoffed loudly before walking out the door.
Before Willow got a chance to thank him for saving her, he sighed dramatically.
"Don't walk around and become enemies with the BustyrÃa's. Especially Jane, she can make your life real miserable here, as she is ours. I'm not gonna save you every time, you know." he grunted, scratching his neck.
"You make it sound like I went out seeking it, she just came in here barking at me," Willow growled irritated. "Why did you come in here?"
"Reapers can feel certain emotions from their pets, fear is one of them. Especially if they feel threatened as you apparently did. Reapers and pets are connected, you know." He sighed, leaning casually against the door leading to the balcony.
"Well that's just great. I can't even have my feelings for myself anymore?! I give you my life, and apparently going to give you my blood. Now I also need to give you my feelings?!" Willow yelled the last words, feeling herself getting hysteric she began phasing around the room, cursing under her breath.
"Willow breathe. You chose this, I didn't twist your arm. In fact I would rather have taken your brother to Heaven and have you live out your life. But no that wouldn't do," He drawled the last part, rolling his eyes. "I saved your life, young lady. And don't make me regret it before I even got use of you"
"Don't call me that, you're not much older than me," She grunted, crossing her arms, as she sat back down on the bed.
Jack grunted softly, laughing.
"I died twenty years ago, though I was only seventeen when I did. So, I guess you're right as we don't age after our death, mentally or physically."
"You don't say," Willow grunted. He was too full of himself. She didn't care if he was a reaper, he needed to stop thinking so highly of himself.
"I am one of the most powerful beings that exist so I am one of the few that can think highly of myself." He chuckled.
She looked at him for a second before it hit her.
"Oh, so you can also read my thoughts now?!" She snarled, falling back on the bed. She took a deep breath to calm herself, while cursing him out in her mind.
"It was just written on your face what you thought. Though I can read your mind, so you will have to learn how to cloak them otherwise anyone will be able to read them without your permission. But right there, I didn't." He grinned, pushing himself away from the door. "I haven't read them out of courtesy. Reapers can read any beings mind, if they don't know how to keep us out. Which is unlikely if they don't know about the supernatural world."
Willow groaned loudly, putting her arm over her eyes while trying not to explode her head with all the new information. She was too tired for all of this, it was too much.
"This is all too much," She mumbled more to herself than to Jack. All she wanted to do was go home to her bed, and wake up from this dream.
"I know, that's why you need rest. Let's talk tomorrow, I will show you around and you can meet the others, and they can maybe help you cope." He smiled reassuringly. "I will find you the chronicles and other books of the different species and realms at some point, where you can read up on our world as that will probably help too. I read them when I turned, and they helped me comprehend what was happening to me to see it on paper. Now go to bed before I feel the need to knock you unconscious so I can get some sleep." He said with a soft tone, heading towards the balcony.
"Jack," He stopped up and looked back at Willow that has sat up. "Thank you for helping me."
He smiled softly. "Goodnight Willow"