Chapter Thirty

The Widow remains in captivity. Alone. She has taken up writing in a diary. Maybe one day she’ll escape this and publish her diary like Anne Frank did, except she’ll hopefully live to tell the tale. She hears the heels of the boots again. Nathan, once again coming to commit some sort of harassment. 

“It doesn’t have to be like this you know. We can be friends.” says Nathan pleading to get her to leave the room.

“Of course it has to be like this.” says the Widow, not even looking at him.

“Listen, I don’t want this place to feel like prison to you. It’s your home.” says Nathan.

“My home. Ha. Go f**k yourself.” says the Widow with a chuckle. 

“I really want you to be happy. You mean a lot to a lot of people.” says Nathan.

“And I mean something to you? Other than what I give to you monetarily?” asks the Widow.

“Once you pay me back, the house is yours. Everything. The maids, the servants, the dishes, the furniture. It all belongs to you.” says Nathan being sincere.

“Your sincerity seems real, but I know better than to  trust a spawn of Lucifer.” says the Widow.

“Lucifer. Ha! Ha! Lucifer was a punk. He had the nerve to call himself the Devil. He was nothing but a power hungry Angel who was mad at his daddy. He saw an opening and took the leap. Got himself noticed by the Council and they of course gave him the spot.” says Nathan.

“You tell me that why?” asks the Widow.

“I don’t mean it as a scare tactic, but I want you to know that I am a lot stronger than he was.” says Nathan. 

“Scared of you? I’m not, nor will I ever be. Now of this debt. What do you mean?” asks the Widow.

“I’m giving you this place for cheap, not free you fool.” says Nathan taking a seat in a chair in front of a mirror.

“I didn’t ask for it. I don’t remember asking for any of this.” says the Widow. 

“Stop looking at this as a prison sentence and a chance to establish yourself! If it wasn’t for me you would’ve had your head cut off like your idiot parents and those brat children!” yells Nathan flipping the table with the mirror on it. The mirror shatters and glass falls all over the floor. 

“I’ll call for the maid.” says Nathan standing up and walking out of the room.

“Please don’t slam the door Nathan.” says the Widow as Nathan slams the door.

After about ten or fifteen minutes of silence the door creaks open.

“Got something else to break you piece of s**t?” asks the Widow.

“I’m just here to do myself some cleaning.” says a maid coming through the door with a broom and dustpan to clean up the broken glass.

“Oh, I’m sorry to seem so off-putting, but I uh, I just don’t want to be here.” says the Widow with a sigh.

“Neither did your mother, well at least at first. She grew to love everyone here.” says the maid.

“You knew my mom?” asks the Widow.

“Of course! I’ve been working here in this mansion for a few hundred years. I’ve watched Necromancers come and go. But it looks like you could be the end of the line. Which means after you go and move on, I’ll be out of a job. But maybe it’s time for a retirement.” says the maid putting the glass into the dustpan.

“The Dark Emperors left this mansion alone after your mother quit. They didn’t bother to fill the position.” continues the maid.

“Why did my mother quit?” asks the Widow.

“Did she hate it here? Hate doing good things for bad people? C’mon! Tell me!” asks the Widow.

“She met your father. And they wanted to start a family, and decided this just wasn’t the place to do it.” says the maid, standing back to her feet with the dustpan of glass.

“So, my mom helped spread evil?” asks the Widow with a sigh.

“Oh child, sweetie sweetie. Do you mind if I sit?” asks the maid grabbing the back of a chair.

“No please do.” says the Widow.

“Once word gets out that a Necromancer is back, people will come to you from all over. With more money than you can imagine. Wanting the dead brought back. Your only obligation is to bring back whoever Nathan wants, for free.” says the maid.

“And if I don’t?” asks the Widow.

“Well I’m not sure with you because, well because you are the only one who wasn’t wanted to be here. Necromancers used to fight over this position. So anyone who disobeys the ruler is usually killed or cast out. But you are unique my child.” says the maid pinching the Widow’s cheek and wiping away her tears. 

“I think I’m missing something here, what makes me unique?” asks the Widow. 

Just as she asks a noise is heard from the doorway. It sounds as if someone is clearing their throat in a way to drive attention to them. The maid turns and the Widow stands. 

“Muriel, Nathan wants to see you when you finish cleaning up in here.” says Alexander, Nathan’s boyfriend and newest member of the Demon Council.

“Yes Sir, I was just finishing up here. I was telling the Widow how great her mother was.” says the maid, whose name is revealed to be Muriel. 

“You don’t have to call me sir Muriel. We’re friends here.” says Alexander with a smile. 

“You must be the Widow. I’m Alexander. Nathan is my boyfriend of almost five years now. I’m hoping to get a ring one day when we aren’t as busy.” says Alexander reaching for a handshake.

“Black Widow.” says the Widow introducing herself short and sweet.

“I understand you don’t want to be here. I’m gonna talk to Nathan and tell him the concerns of the Council keeping you here against your will.” says Alexander.  

“Please get me out of here.” begs the Widow.

“If it were my call you would have never been here in the first place. I told Nathan going on a hunt for you was wrong in the first place. But you know how dictators get when something gets in their head.” says Alexander with a nervous laugh as the Widow stares blankly. 

“Right, Muriel, come with me darling.” says Alexander walking out with Muriel right behind him.

“I want her out of here as soon as possible. The longer she stays the more chance we have of a rebellion on our hands. And with over half of our troops about to march on the Pagan Capital, we would have no way to go them back here fast enough to fight off the rebellion.” says Alexander.

“Alexander sir, no disrespect intended, but I’m just the maid. What do you want me to do?” asks Muriel, now walking beside him down the hallway.

“Figure something out.” says Alexander pushing through a door into an office with a large red spinning chair behind a desk. Nathan spins around in the chair with a cigar in one hand and a glass of wine in the other.

“Oh my lover and Muriel what a joyus day!” exclaims Nathan.

“Smoking again my love? You know I don’t enjoy the smoke.” says Alexander.

“I’m sorry, but I only smoke when I celebrate.” explains Nathan.

“And what could we be celebrating today? The fact that you have a teenaged Necromancer locked up in a mansion? Or maybe the fact that we're on the brink of a war that we have no idea what we're going up against? Or maybe just maybe it’s that your image in the face of the Council and the rest of Hell is diminishing.” says Alexander. 

“Do you think I care what those four saps think of me?” says Nathan putting out his cigar.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, it wasn’t long ago those were your friends and you were one of those saps.” says Alexander. 

“What do you want me to do then? Huh? I don’t see the Council coming up with any ideas.” says Nathan finishing his glass of wine and throwing it on the floor.

“Clean that s**t up you stupid maid!” Nathan says yelling at Muriel who immediately starts cleaning.

“We want you to let the Widow go. She cannot stay by force. If she wants to go we have to let her go.” says Alexander.

“All because people might see me as a true emperor? Maybe I should have given myself a dumb name too. If anyone is an emperor it’s me. They made no attempts to expand our empire and i’ve already made an advance on the Pagan world.” says Nathan, bragging about his accomplishments.

“Without permission from the Council might I add.” says Alexander with a sigh to follow. 

“What’s the point of being leader if you can’t make gut calls?” asks Nathan.

“War is not a “gut call.” War is something we need to vote on. You’re walking a dangerous line.” says Alexander.

“What’s on the other side of the line?” asks Nathan.

“Treason.” says Alexander silencing the room. 

“Goodbye my love.” says Alexander, standing and exiting the room.

“Nathan, if I may?” says Muriel rising to her feet. 

“Why should I listen to an old hag like you?” says Nathan spinning in his chair to face her.

“I’ve been around a long time. I may not be a politician, but I know a few things about people.” says Muriel.

“Are you a maid or a social worker?” asks Nathan.

“Well a maid, but.” says Muriel.

“Then shut up.” says Nathan.

“Listen if you think-” says Muriel being interrupted.

“Trust me I’ll tell you what I think.” says Nathan. 

“Master Nathan, I’ve seen Gods come and go. I’m sure you won’t be much different. One day your time will come and you’ll move on. Just like Lucifer, just like Hades, just like Beelzebub. and just like the Emperors.” says Muriel.

“I wish you were half as smart as you looked.” says Nathan raising his hand. 

“What do you mean?” asks Muriel staring confused.

“Goodbye Muriel.” says Nathan making his hand a fist.

When Nathan turns his hand to a fist, Muriel’s eyes roll back into her head and blood starts pouring from her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. She drops the dustpan with the broken glass and her body collapses into the broken glass. Nathan watches her fall and gets an evil grin on his face. He kneels beside her lifeless body and pushes the hair from her face.

“Sometimes it’s hard to find good help.” says Nathan standing up and walking out of the room.

“Nathan, why?” asks Alexander standing in the doorway.

“How long have you been standing there?” asks Nathan.

“Long enough to see you spill the blood of an innocent maid.” says Alexander.

“Innocent? Ha! The wench was trying to corrupt our little Widow.” says Nathan touching Alexander’s face, accidentally getting a little blood on it.

“Don’t touch me with those hands. Murder hands. That’s all they are.” says Alexander smacking Nathan’s hand away.

“You really don’t love me anymore do you?” asks Nathan.

“I don’t love who you’ve become. It isn’t the same person I fell in love with.” says Alexander walking away from Nathan.