"Mother please, we are here to tend to an important business matter regarding y/n."
Aimiah spoke in a stern yet elegant voice as she straightened her already perfect posture. Her mother, Evelyn gazed on in amusement and slight confusion. I can see nothing has changed much since my rank was lowered. Aimiah still looks up at Evelyn while Evelyn still looks down at Aimiah. How can someone admire a person who only sees them as a joke? Only Aimiah knows the answer to that question.
"Oh really? And what is this 'business matter' that you oh so desperately want to tell me about?"
Evelyn smirks finding her daughter's seriousness hilarious. Aimiah clears her throat before speaking.
"Actually Mother, this issue involves all of the elites. You see, I brought y/n here today because she needs forgiveness. I'm afraid the universe has not been kind to her, as of yesterday."
Evelyn's smirk drops as she stands to her full height once again. The other elites perk up in their lounge chairs. Two of them even went as far as to scoot up to make sure they haven't misheard. I look down in utter shame and humiliation as I can feel all five of their pupilless eyes burning into my skull.
"You don't say."
Evelyn's voice cut through the silent air with a lot less playful undertone. She sounded so serious. The cold tone sent a shiver down my spine as I keep my eyes glued to the floor out of fear.
"Yes. Unfortunately, she hasn't prayed since....the incident."
Evelyn lifts one of her perfectly trimmed blonde eyebrows. Evelyn scoffs before clapping her hands together two times. With that, a man comes running out to greet us. It was Aimiah's father. He was always so kind yet being around these women has clearly taken its toll on him. He is way more scrawny than when I was a kid. Light wrinkles can be seen creasing his forehead and his dark brunette hair has a few grays making his hair look duller. His pinkish pale complexion has lost its color slightly giving him an almost sickly appearance.
His blue eyes spotted me as his face lit up in recognition before facing his wife and daughter.
"Y-yes my l-l-love?"
He stutters as he speaks to Evelyn. Even his voice has gotten deeper and more lifeless. The passion he once held in his words and body language has long since vanished. Evelyn looks at him disgusted before bending down to his level. Her hand comes up to his face, stroking his cheek only for her thumb to stop beside his bushy mustache.
"Tony, dear, what did I say about this disgrace of a facelift? You know how I feel about body hair."
Evelyn grimaced as she plucks a hair from his mustache. Aimiah's dad, Tony, flinches from the quick pain he just endured. He looks down in shame. The poor guy can't even have a mustache anymore.
Body hair is seen as a part of masculinity. So the elites banned it after taking over Midtown. They rather us all walk around like naked mole rats than have one hair out of place which is why we have so many waxing salons.
Evelyn wipes her hand on Tony's shirt in disgust before fixing the pink collar around his neck. I could see his name plated in gold dangling from the collar as if he was a dog that would run away the first chance he gets.
"I'm sorry my dear. I will shave it off as soon as I get the chance."
He was defeated and broken. I could see it in his eyes. My frown deepens as Evelyn once again raises to her full height, upturning her nose at him before speaking.
"Good. Before you do that however I would like you to set up the meeting room. There are seven of us so you have better make sure there are enough chairs and drinks."
Tony nodded his head vigorously
"Of course, I'll get on it right away my love. I won't disappoint."
Tony begins walking away as Evelyn leaves him with her final words.
"See to it that you don't. Remember darling, I wouldn't mind being single."
Tony pauses before continuing to walk away quivering in fear. I swore I even heard an auditable gulp before he left. I clenched my teeth wanting to speak up about her scrutiny but I knew it would be far from wise considering what happened the last time I spoke up.
Evelyn clears her throat to get our attention before speaking.
"Well, why we wait for my disgrace of a man to finish setting up the table why not enjoy ourselves for the time being? Aimiah, why don't you go say hi to Chantel, Melissa, and Tabitha? Y/n, you're coming with me."
"But mother-"
"No buts Aimiah. It is unlike a lady to question authority."
Aimiah blinks a few times before straightening up for what feels like the fiftieth time today.
"Yes Mother"
The whine from her voice dissipates as she walks away to greet the other Nobles by the pool. Evelyn smiles as she watches her daughter before turning to me, beckoning for me to follow her as she walks to the rest of the elites.
"Everyone, this is y/n. Chantel's and Aimiah's childhood friend."
One of the elite's faces lit up as she remembered me.
"Oh, y/n I remember you. You're the girl Chantel couldn't stop talking about."
Chantel's mother smiles at me before her emotions did a complete one-eighty as she hits me with a deep unforgiving frown. My head tilts in confusion while she goes to speak yet again.
"You're also the one who broke my little raindrop's heart. You better pray to me that I grant you my forgiveness during the meeting or so help me you will be my next meal."
I gulp as I trimble underneath her hardened brown-eyed gaze. Evelyn cleared her throat to break the tension.
"Now now, Nadia. Don't call her a meal, it makes us sound unhinged and uncivilized. Remember, we call the sacrifices or offerings. I refuse to be categorized with animals."
Chantel's mom, Nadia scoffs before agreeing with Evelyn...not without baring her sharp canine-like teeth at me as a warning.
Another elite clears her throat after taking a sip of her red wine, now that I think of it their wine is practically an identical color to human blood and it makes me a little uneasy to think about it. I am disrupted from my thought when the elite spoke.
"My name is Valerie, the fifth powerful elite. I doubt we have ever met but from what Nadia has said about you I am quite glad that we have never crossed paths. I would have hated to bloody my newly polished nails on a lowlife like yourself."
I flinch slightly. For the least worshipped elite and bottom tier of the elite rank, she sure has a lot of arrogance. Before I could say anything else a loud giggle could be heard.
"Oh please, Valerie. All she needs is a weapon and you would be easily defeated."
Valerie gasp as she turns to another elite.
"I would not! Besides, I don't know why you even chose to speak Ramona. You are only one rank above me and not even by much."
The other elite, Ramona hisses at Valerie before snorting and leaning back into her lounge chair as she crosses her arms like an overgrown child.
"Knock it off you two. Either way, none of you compare to me, Evelyn, and Nadia's strength. Therefore, neither of you should be talking."
A low almost raspy voice puts an end to the two elites fighting. I looked to where the voice came from and there I spot the tallest and second-powerful elite behind Evelyn and in front of Nadia.
She had matte black skin making her almost resemble the darkest part of a shadow. Her eyes were fully black with no white insight making her eyes blend into her skin almost seamlessly. She was wearing white lipstick to go with her white hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, bathing suit, and long claw-like nails. Her white hair was glowing with a few black and grey stars lighting it up more as her hair floats effortlessly around her.
She was under her umbrella as she laid back in her lounge chair. She gracefully grabs her wine before taking a sip, placing it down, and standing up. She stood at a staggering twelve feet tall as she walk, no, glided her way over to me. As she hovers her way towards me her hair follows in a fluid motion, not one hair out of place as it swims through the air around her as if it has a mind of its own.
She allows her bare feet to touch the spotless concrete ground once she is towering above me.
"It is lovely to meet you mortal. The name is Tati but I assume you already know that."
I gazed on in awe and fear as her pitch-black eyes seemingly looked into my soul. I don't know how to feel at this very moment. I'm entranced by her beauty but at the same time, I'm terrified at what she could do to me. If she felt like she could easily step on me and end my existence at this very moment. All without batting an eye.
I hesitate to speak back to her but manage to utter my name as if she doesn't already know it. I wanted to punch myself in the face but luckily Tony came back to end my misery.
"The meeting room is ready my love."
Evelyn smiles as she notices his freshly shaved baby face.
"Good. Now be a dear and go cook dinner while we tend our meeting. Also, tell Charles to stand outside the door in case we need anything."
Tony nods
"Of course darling."
Tony speed walks away as he adjusts his collar. Evelyn smiles before beckoning Aimiah to join us and for Chantel and the other two nobles to stay put until dinner.
Aimiah rushes over while still maintaining her perfect posture to impress her mother as we begin going inside.
After a long walk, we make it to the meeting room that is on the other side of the house. The room looked like a meeting room straight out of a big corporate building. The only difference was it was fancier with gold and diamonds lining the walls, tables, and even cutlery.
Evelyn ushers me to sit in a sit near the front door facing her while the other elites set on the sides of the tables. Aimiah is also set right beside her mother with Evelyn uncaring that she is in her space.
"Now, let's get down to business shall we."