After getting my coffee and some eggs from the food bar, I sat down with Elian, who was looking at her food carefully. She didn't ask or pry for answers, which I was glad about.

  “What was going on?” Bethany asked, walking over to us and stopping behind Elain.

  “We're eating,” Elain replied, showing her plate, and I did my best to hide my grin.

  “Not that!” Bethany snapped, ” What was going on with that murderer?”

  “Elians is not a murderer, well, not that I know of anyway,” I replied, looking at her, who gave me an evil grin.

  “Im not talking about Elain!”

  “Then who are you talking about?” I asked, looking around.

  “You know who Im talking about. Im not comfortable with him being anywhere near this hall.”

  “You are not the boss of me or anyone else. So mind your business.”

  “It does concern me. He ripped out that woman's throat!” Bethany screamed.

  “That woman killed her children,” Elian spoke up, causing both of us to stare at her.

  “How do you know that?” Bethany asked, looking at Elain.

  “I read about her in the paper. You can probably ask the maids.” Elain replied, holding her hand up, waving a maid over.

  “How may I help you all?” the maid asked, bowing.

  “That woman we saw murdered, why was she here?” Bethany asked, staring at the maid as if she held the answers to life.

  “She killed her kids. All the people who are released into the building are criminals who hurt or murder people. Unfortunately, there'ss no shortage of them,” she explained.

  “I see, but no one deserves to die like that,” Bethany snapped, then turned to me,” I don't want him in this hall.”

  “Say, Miss Maid, does anyone have the right to tell anyone who they can and can't invite to the hall?” I asked, staring at Bethany.

  “No, Nora Blackwell, you can invite anyone you would like to the hall or to your room. You're not allowed to invite them into other people’s rooms.” The maid explained.

  “Thank you.” I grinned, staring right at Bethany as she glared at me, then stormed off. In my head, I was like, trip, trip, and one of my ghosts popped her arm out of the ground, where she caught it and fell to the ground. Elain and I both stared at our food, shaking while trying not to laugh, while Bethany was cussing everyone out.

  After we all ate, the maid gathered us at the front of the hall, and then we started following them. The castle was huge, but I already figured out most of the layout thanks to my ghosts: one who was a former principal, a few hundred or maybe thousands of years ago, while the rest were students or teachers.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  I followed along with the group, listening to the maid and my ghost; mainly, the principal was fussing about how the school had gone downhill or how the maids were wrong. I wasn't about to argue with the maids, and I didn't want to piss my ghost off, so I just listened to everyone, which was giving me a headache.

  “I knew you would come for me,” Arthur whispered in my right ear, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me close. Everyone stopped to look. I saw Bethany's jaw clench as Matthew, who was at the front, talking to some guys, decided to help. Elain shook her head at him, but he didn't care. He stormed over, pushing Arthur away from me. Matthew started screaming at him to stay away from me and to leave me alone. I glanced between the two. Arthur seemed amused while Matthew was angry. What was Arthur about to do?

  “Matthew stopped!” I screamed, making everyone freeze. I couldn't let him get hurt. I got in between him and Arthr.

  “I don't need you to defend me!” I snapped, pushing him a few times away from Arthur, who was radiating a powerful aura.

  “Why, because you're his plaything?” He spat back. I stared at him, anger boiling in me. Why is he so stupid? Does he not see the position we are in? We're a bunch of pawns surrounded by queens.

  “Why are you jealous?” I spat back, calling a few ghosts to my side while glaring daggers at him.

  “Of you never. Bethany is right about you.” He growled, storming over to Bethany like a wounded dog. What was she saying about me? Elain looked at me with knowing eyes but still walked away. I felt a pain in my chest. I wanted to cry, but I wouldn’t here.

  “My plaything, huh? I like the sound of that,” Arthur whispered, nipping my ear a bit. I swung around, slapping him across the face.

  “Stop, I don't need any of this,” I screamed, looking at him. I could feel the tears sting my eyes, but he just smiled.

  Could he see through me? Could he see I was scared of losing people I barely knew?

  “Maid, I be excused?” I asked, to which she replied, "You may with my full name. I walked away, being careful not to make it look like I was running.

  I asked one of my ghosts to lead me back to my room. As we walked, I felt Arthur following me. After a few hallways of this, I turned around and planted my feet to show I was serious.

  “What do you want?” I snapped, and the next thing I knew, he had me pinned against the wall.

  “You.” He whispered, leaning down, his lips about to touch mine, and I wanted it.

  “Public displays of affection isn't allowed.” A stern voice stated, making Arthur stop and growl. I looked around the hallway, but I didn't see anyone.

  “In the dark doorway.” One of my female ghosts pointed towards a dark doorway. Compared to the other shadows in the hall, it was almost pitch-black. My ghost then told me to close my eyes for a second.

  A man with pitch-black hair, glowing red eyes, horns growing out of his head, and black leather wings on his back, leaning against the door frame. Why didn't I see his glowing red eyes?

  “Leave!” Arthur demanded, standing tall and blocking me from his view.

  “Now, why would I do that?” the demon asked with an unsettling grin that stretched from ear to ear.

  “Because I said so,” Arthur demanded.

  “You're not the only one who likes the new toy,” the demon replied with a grin, taking a step towards us, cutting off all the lights in the area. I wasn’t scared since I could still see, but if I didn’t have this power, I would have been in big trouble. I thanked my ghost profusely, who replied that they were glad to help.

  They kept arguing back and forth, getting nowhere other than on my nerves.

  “Im not anyone’s toy or property, so both of you fuck off,” I snapped, getting irritated, walking out from being Arthur, passing the demon toward my room.

  I followed my ghost back to my room, where Elain was waiting for me outside.

  “Matthew is upset at both of u—you for making him look weak in front of the others, and me for taking your side. Bethany is whispering in everyone’s ear about you, about what Im not sure yet. Rumors are spreading, the worst I found was that you're the devil, to your the devil's right-hand man.” Elian signs, rubbing the bridge of her nose. I stared at her, not knowing what to say or where to go from here.