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Chapter 7

God is alone, but the devil, he is far from being alone; he sees a great deal of company; he is legion.

- Henry David Thoreau

Thalia only realised now how tired she was, as if Dante mentioning how late it was had drawn Thalia’s exhaustion to the front of her mind. Only a few minutes before she had felt invigorated after finally being able to shift and explore the mystical outside world. Her muscles were sore but the warm burn wasn’t unpleasant, if anything it felt like home. How long had it been since she had felt that familiar ache from running in her wolven form?

Now though, at the mention of going to bed, Thalia’s limbs felt heavy and her eyes scratchy. She caught herself stifling a yawn only for a pink tint to bleed into her cheeks when Dante smiled at her in amusement.

“Come, I’ll escort you to your room.” Dante rested a large hand gently between the petite female shoulder blades, guiding her to another door, one she hadn’t noticed before. How many doors did this place have?

“Thank you.” Thalia nodded, letting her hospitable master guide her through the door.

The hallway that stretched out before them beyond the threshold was lit softly with wall lights. A heavy looking chandelier hung in the middle however was off, the dozens of crystals that hung from the metal frame like frozen droplets glimmering in the dim light. Everything about this place seemed opulent, grand and yet oddly mismatched. The apartments they had just left did not match the more dated style of this part of the house. The same could be said for Thalia’s room, the doctor’s office, the study, the grounds where she had just spent the evening exploring. The place was undeniably beautiful but Thalia couldn’t shake the feeling of being lost in a maze.

This unsettled feeling only grew like a lump in her gut when they turned the corner at the end of the hallway to be met with the familiar sight of the hallway where Thalia’s room was. How had they made it from what appeared to be the ground floor to a floor in the upper levels of the house without climbing any stairs? Thalia had remembered it taking nearly ten minutes to get from the bedroom to the door of the apartments when Ms Thorton had marched her there earlier than evening and yet it had been no more than three minutes since Dante had guided her from the heavenly feeling couch to the door of the very bedroom she had first woken up in so many hours before.

“I have to say, I have utterly enjoyed your company this evening Thalia.” Dante spoke, his voice quiet, intimate and yet rich, his blue eyes sparkling as they studied the young she-wolf’s face. “I would very much like to get to know you more if you will allow it.”

Thalia swallowed against her dry throat, her heart stuttering in her chest as uneasiness scratched at the back of her skull like needles. Her senses were telling her there was more to this handsome man and this curious house than met the eye and nothing about it was to be underestimated.

“Sleep, Thalia. Tomorrow is a new day.” Dante murmured, his words, though simple, were like a spell amplifying the exhaustion in Thalia’s body until her eyes nearly slipped shut there and then.

Thalia felt like she was in a dream after that. She vaguely recalled mumbling a good-night to Dante before wandering into her room as if in a trance. The moment her tired eyes spotted the bed, she felt it call to her like a siren to wayward sailors. The thought of changing into something more suitable for bed didn’t even cross her mind and she sighed happily as her body sank into the mattress and the inky depths of slumber pulled her under.


"Good afternoon Miss Georgiou." Ms Thorton's voice announced her arrival as she opened the door to the bedroom, critical eyes landing on the young she-wolf. "If you could follow me please, I have a bit of a surprise for you."

It had been nearly a week since Thalia's dinner with her new master and she hadn't seen the mysterious man since. In fact, the night of their dinner had seemed like a dream and if it wasn't for the fact Thalia woke the next day with tired muscles and Maeve for once extremely happy, Thalia would have indeed believed it was a dream. Since then, she had mostly been confined to her room although wasn't short on entertainment. Occasionally she was escorted out to visit the doctor for a check up or allowed to roam the gardens and woodland under the supervision of either Ms Thorton or the likes of Remi and other guards that appeared whenever called upon only to disappear when no longer required. Her meals were brought to the room by Ms Thorton, each one clearly designed to follow doctor McKinley's strict dietary instructions and yet delicious. Thalia couldn't remember the last time she had eaten so well so regularly.

It was beginning to show as well. It had only been a few days but already Thalia's cheeks were a little fuller and a healthy glow was returning to her skin, her eyes brighter and the dark shadows under them fading with each full night's rest.

Setting the book down she had been reading, Thalia turned to look at the stern older woman, a spark of curiosity flickering in her chest.

"What is it?" Thalia asked.

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now would it?" Ms Thorton sighed, glancing at her watch. "Now come along."

Thalia bit her tongue though her curiosity was growing by the second. In truth she was starting to get a little bored. She wanted to see what else the house had and she was still no closer to finding out what Dante truly wanted from her. Figuring whatever Ms Thorton had planned had to be better than reading for the rest of the day, Thalia followed the blonde woman out.

This time they headed in another direction from their usual route and Thalia found herself even more intrigued. She hadn't come this way before and while it so far looked like the rest of the hallway, it promised a glimpse at some part of this very confusing house.

Eventually they came to the doors of a sunroom, the pitched glass ceiling covered in Venetian blinds pulled to varying angles of open or closed to allow the sunlight in while making sure that the room didn't overheat. Luscious green plants in giant stone pots filled the edges of the space as if to imitate a jungle while terracotta tiles created a neat pathway through the greenery to the front of the sunroom that overlooked more of the forest and fields that surrounded them

In front of the window were several wicker seats with thick beige cushions and a large round glass and wicker coffee table. Thalia's eyes instantly spotted the five young women sitting in some of their seats, their laughter filling the air as they talked like they had been friends for years. It only took a few moments for them to notice the approaching visitors, all eyes set on Ms Thorton and Thalia.

"Hello ladies." Ms Thorton greeted the women.

"Hello Ms Thorton." They said in unison.

“This is Thalia,” The blonde motioned to Thalia who shifted uncomfortably behind her. “She is a new member of the family and I hope you all make her feel welcome. Now, Mr Connaught has arranged a special treat for you all while you get to know each other as you will be spending a lot more time together.”

With that, Ms Thorton turned on her heel and walked away, her heels click-clacking over the terracotta until even Thalia couldn’t hear her with her preternatural hearing. Silence filled the sunroom as the girls stared at each other for a few moments, each one assessing the other. Thalia had already determined that the girls before her were human although she had known that already. Ms Thorton had mentioned it just a week ago. What she didn’t know was if these girls knew what she was. Did they know their master and the majority of his staff were not human?

“I’m Laila,” One of the girls finally broke the silence, her skin like burnt sienna and her hair inky black as it tumbled over her shoulders, spilling out from under blue and soft pink cashmere shayla. “Come, sit.”

Thalia nodded and moved to the open seat, very aware of the eyes on her as she settled into the cushions. No sooner had she done so, several men in white waiter jackets and black trousers appeared carrying trays of cups and saucers, side plates and glasses. Others brought jugs of water and juice, another came with two teapots and a coffee carafe. Lastly, several tiered cake stands were set on the table with little cakes and sandwich quarters. Then, as quickly as they appeared, the waiters disappeared again, leaving the young women in silence.

“A tea party?” One of the girls spoke up, her accent giving her away as French, a blonde eyebrow raising above her blue eyes. “I think I would prefer something stronger than tea and orange juice.”

“Don’t be rude Jennifer!” Laila scolded the girl. “We should be grateful that Mr Connaught treats us so well.” Her eyes turned to Thalia once more. “Ignore Jennifer, she gets bitchy when she thinks she is being neglected.”

“I am sitting right here.” Jennifer growled, narrowing her eyes.

“Next to you is Priyanka,” Laila continued, ignoring the blonde and motioned to another girl “Then we have Svetlana and Miriam.”

Thalia regarded each girl in turn, each one of them waving or saying hello. They were all vastly different from the next. Priyanka was willowy with short hair and a small straight nose. She appeared to be the most nervous of the group and continuously tugged on her cardigan sleeves. Svetlana was more relaxed but there was a hardness in her eyes. Thalia spotted the defiance in them as clearly as she could see the scar that ran from one side of her throat to the other. Miriam was perhaps the friendliest after Laila. Her fiery red hair complimented her milky skin and green eyes while freckles dusted her cheeks and the rounds of her shoulders from under the green sun dress she wore.

“It’s nice to meet you all.” Thalia muttered, not knowing what else to say. It felt like an interview with the popular girls in school and yet they had no choice but to get along. “How long have you all been here?”

“Nine months.” Svetlana replied, her voice carrying her words and Russian accent confidently. “Priyanka came six weeks later, then Jennifer. Miriam and Laila came at the same time six months ago.”

“That’s quite a long time.” Thalia’s eyes widened.

“Yes well, Mr Connaught was waiting for his last girl.” Jennifer looked directly at Thalia and smirked. “His little she-wolf.”

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