“Oh my God,” whispered Avelyn to herself. It was a girl. And her warm, sad voice had said… Christine’s name.
***
“No, it’s not Christine,” whispered Avelyn through the closed door. She heard a bed creak, which meant the girl had probably stood up in alarm.
“Who is it then? I don’t recognize your voice.”
“I… I’m new here.”
“New? What do you mean?”
The girl’s voice had sounded a bit louder, and Avelyn was sure she was standing somewhere near the door. Avelyn didn’t know what to answer, so she settled for another question: “What’s your name?”
A moment of hesitation. “Sabine. What’s yours?”
“Avelyn.”
“I don’t know you. Are you… ugh, I can’t think straight.” The girl sobbed in frustration, and Avelyn thought she heard a soft thump, as if her knees had come in contact with the floor.
“Are you okay? Are you in pain?”
“No, I’m just dizzy.”
“Because you haven’t eaten in a long time? When was the last time you ate?”
“A couple of hours ago. It’s not that, it’s… Did Christine send you?”
“No, no.” Avelyn realized she had probably just gotten herself into a terrible mess and she couldn’t even assess the possible consequences. “Shit. She knows Christine,” she thought. “What if she says something?”
“Listen, Sabine,” she tried to keep her voice warm and soothing. She hoped she sounded convincing and trustworthy. “No one sent me. I was just… exploring the castle and I ended up here by mistake. I thought these dungeons were empty.”
“They are. Except for me… But you can’t exactly say I’m in a cell, so…”
“What’s it like? In there…”
“Oh, it’s nice and cozy. Max made sure I had everything I needed. He even got me a kitten poster. Because I love kittens so much. He said he’d consider getting me a real cat, but that was a long time ago. I think he forgot.”
“What the hell?” Avelyn couldn’t keep her voice down anymore. She dropped to her knees, both her hands pressed against the door. “Are you saying that Max put you in there?”
“You know Max?”
“Yes.”
There was silence on the other side. Avelyn heard the girl shuffle closer to the door. Now they were probably facing each other. “Who are you really?” asked the girl for the third time.
“I’m… his bride.”
“Is that so…” The words drowned in a sob. The girl sniffed her nose loudly. “For how long?”
“Two weeks.”
“Human bride. You’re human.”
“Yes… Why? What’s wrong? Why are you asking me these things?”
There was a pause that stretched on for long minutes. Avelyn knew Sabine was still there, and she waited patiently for the girl to gather her thoughts and say something. It was clear she wasn’t feeling well, and Avelyn would have given anything to see her.
“I was his bride once,” Sabine whispered.