Evelyn continued to walk towards the forest which was located after the village near the mansion. She walked until she saw a man who stood with his back facing her. "You shouldn"t be here," she said to him, and the man turned around to look at her as if she had caught him by surprise. He offered her a smile that could barely be accounted as a smile but the girl knew him. Able to decipher the little subtleties. Walking forward and he put his arms around her.
"I was worried about you," he confessed with Evelyn in his arms.
Hearing the words, Evelyn smiled, "Nothing will happen to me. Not when you are here," she responded back before pulling away to look up at him, "You yourself told me that I will live long. Live a healthy long life," her eyes looked into his black ones.
He raised his hand to push her hair behind her ear, fingers gliding down her neck before he let it go, "I did but the days are getting darker here," he pursed his lips as he said this, "Walk with me," and both Evelyn, as well as the man, started to walk in the forest which was deserted with no one to see them. The ground was as wet as yesterday and one would have to be careful while walking on it.
"How are things at home?" he asked her.
"Lonely without you," Evelyn replied for the man to nod, "I don"t mean to…" she tried to say that ended with her voice trailing.
"I know," he squeezed her hand, "I have been thinking about it for some time. To stay here with you."
Evelyn frowned, her eyes looking at the man, "They would never allow you to do that. If they were to find out-"
"Your world is in danger. The black witches are going to create havoc," answered the man, stopping his footsteps to turn and face her, "I went to meet Edith. She said our relations.h.i.+p would never be approved."
Evelyn didn"t meet his eyes this time. She looked at the nearest tree, staring at it, "We knew that already, Guilt. If they were to find out, you and I both will be punished."
"Which is why you cannot come to meet me often. Not unless we settle things," the man was none other but a Grim reaper who had fallen for her, "The black witches, they are taking the help of another Grim, to wash the people and make way for themselves."
Evelyn already knew who he was and it had taken her more than a week before she was able to talk to him. To understand and comprehend that he didn"t belong to this world. Somewhere on the other side which was dead while he was a living being.
"I have something to give you," said Guilt, pulling out a book from inside his cloak.
"What is this?" she asked him. Taking the bound book in her hand.
"It is a special book," said Guilt. Though others took Evelyn to be a human, she wasn"t one. She was a white witch who had grown up alone in the mansion as her parents had died when she was still young.
Though he was a Grim reaper, he had learned about magic and he had infused with his abilities. There were some magic that existed only in the land of the dead but they hadn"t been discovered. Before the Grim cards had come into existence, Guilt had created another essence of him which was in the land of the dead.
"If something were to ever happen to me, the essence I have hidden will take my soul without sending it to oblivion. Keep it safe with you," he said to Evelyn who held the book, "We don"t know what days are approaching."
Their time together had been limited since the beginning. It had been two years. Two years since she knew the reaper who she had fallen in love.
"When will I be seeing you?" she asked him, a longing in her voice. The last she had seen him was two weeks ago.
And the words he often said to her came on his lips, "Soon," but Evelyn knew soon was never soon.
Evelyn left the forest and went back to the mansion. Going to her room to hide the book under the floor which was made of wood, she placed the carpet back. She didn"t know what exactly the book was because it spoke about Garlic. That night she sat on the lonely bed, thinking.
Pus.h.i.+ng herself forward, Evelyn went to stand in front of the mirror. She started to untie the ribbon around her neck. Unb.u.t.toning the s.h.i.+rt that was tucked in and she leaned forward, stretching her neck where there was nothing until she ran her fingers and a mark came to appear on her skin. One wing which was broken. She covered it with her hand again and wore her clothes back.
But the night that approached was not a peaceful one. The dead were not supposed to mingle with the creatures who belonged in the living. The only time they were allowed was when the creature died.
Words of whispers had reached the higher holding creatures of the dark who had sent the creatures of their own to the mansion because of the rule that was broken. Evelyn was sleeping in her room when she heard something rattle outside her room.
Getting up from her bed, she walked towards the door when she heard someone shout from the bottom of the mansion. Evelyn quickly made her way out but her feet stopped when she noticed a creature who stood in front of her now.
A cloaked ragged creature that was tall holding scythe in its hand. By the description of what she had heard, it was no normal reaper but a Grim Reaper and it had come for her.
Evelyn took a step back, gulping softly when the Grim reaper"s eyes turned blue in colour.