Chapter 3

ANGELA’S POV

"Why me?"

I didn't waste a single second asking myself that stupid question. Sitting alone on the hard, dusty floor of the cramped attic, I stared at the glowing blue screen floating right in front of my face. I decided right then and there that this system must be payment. It was back pay for everything I had suffered, and I fully meant to make use of it.

I reached a hand over my shoulder, wincing slightly as my fingers ran over the raised, ugly scars on my back. Mrs. Bellini’s favorite riding whip had left those permanent marks. I endured ten long, brutal years of abuse in this massive, cold house, serving people who thought I was dirt on their shoes. And after that? Ten more years of pure hell, surviving the apocalypse. I survived zombies, starvation, and the absolute worst parts of human nature, only to be betrayed and left tied to a pole like a piece of meat.

I closed my eyes, letting the memory of the zombie bites fade away. I am alive. I am back.

"Sixty days," I whispered to the empty room.

I know the world ends in exactly two months, and I am the only person walking this earth who knows it. I started making a rapid mental list. I need canned food, fresh water, basic medicine, hunting knives, guns, and above all, a safe place to hide when the sky turns completely red and the first screams start.

But as I thought about my grand survival plan, my stomach twisted into a cold, hard knot.

Cash. I had absolutely zero money.

My wages were always docked. Mrs. Bellini always found some pathetic excuse to steal my pay. A broken dinner plate meant a whole week of no salary. A tiny smudge on the living room window meant no dinner and empty pockets for a month. I was essentially a slave with a title.

"How the hell am I going to buy a reinforced steel bunker and a truck full of supplies with pocket lint?" I muttered, feeling the sharp edge of panic creeping up my neck. "I can't steal enough canned beans to last ten years."

Right as the panic started to truly settle in my chest, the blue screen flashed brightly, completely lighting up the dark corners of the attic.

[NEW FEATURE UNLOCKED: EYE OF DESTINY.]

"Eye of Destiny? Now that sounds very fancy," I teased out loud, leaning closer to the soft blue light. "What exactly do you do, gorgeous?"

[THE EYE OF DESTINY GRANTS THE HOST THREE FREE READINGS A DAY. IT ALLOWS YOU TO LOOK AT ANY PERSON AND SEE THEIR HIDDEN TRUTHS OR THEIR NEAR FUTURE.]

"Hidden truths?" I purred, a slow, wicked smile creeping across my face. I licked my lips. "Now that is exactly my kind of superpower. Everyone in this giant house has dirty little secrets. I just need to find the right one to squeeze."

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Someone started pounding violently on my thin wooden door, shaking the hinges.

"Angela! Get your lazy, worthless body out of that bed right now!" Carmela’s shrill, angry voice pierced right through the wood. "If you are not downstairs in exactly two minutes, I’m locking you in the root cellar without food for the rest of the week!"

Carmela was the head housekeeper of the Bellini estate. She was a mean, bitter older woman who loved making my life a living hell. She was always yelling, always threatening, always finding ways to put me down. Before I died in the apocalypse, I was terrified of her. I used to tremble when she raised her voice.

But right now? I didn't feel a single drop of fear.

I stood up slowly, smoothed out my cheap, faded cotton pajamas, and walked over to the door. I grabbed the cold brass handle and pulled it open with a quick, hard jerk.

Carmela stumbled forward, clearly surprised that the door opened so fast. She caught her balance, her round face turning bright red with instant anger.

"There you are, you useless, stupid girl!" Carmela spit, jabbing a fat, wrinkled finger right at my chest. "Do you have any idea what day it is today? The new mistress is here! There is a massive welcome banquet happening tonight! And you are up here sleeping like a lazy dog! Move it!"

I didn't flinch. I didn't look down. I just leaned my shoulder casually against the doorframe, crossing my arms over my chest, and gave her a slow, teasing smile. I looked her up and down, from her gray hair down to her sensible black work shoes.

"Good morning to you too, Carmela," I said, my voice smooth as silk and totally relaxed. "You're looking very... energetic today. Did you miss me that much during the night? You really shouldn't scream so early, it gives you deep wrinkles."

Carmela blinked, her mouth hanging open. She was completely shocked by my casual tone. "Excuse me? How dare you speak to me like that! I will go straight to Mrs. Bellini and tell her to whip you until you bleed!"

"Oh, please do," I laughed softly. I stepped just a little bit closer into her personal space, forcing her to look right up into my eyes. "But before you go running to the boss lady on your short little legs, why don't we have a friendly little chat?"

"A chat? Are you drunk?" she yelled, taking a step back into the hallway. "Get into your uniform!"

System, I thought quietly in my head, focusing my eyes on her angry face. Use the Eye of Destiny on Carmela.

A bright, golden light flashed in my vision. It didn't blind me, but neat, glowing text started scrolling right next to Carmela's red face.

[TARGET: CARMELA BIANCHI.] [HIDDEN TRUTH: HAS BEEN STEALING THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS A WEEK FROM THE BELLINI GROCERY BUDGET FOR THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS. THE CASH IS HIDDEN INSIDE A HOLLOWED-OUT BIBLE UNDER HER BED. SHE REGULARLY BLAMES ANGELA FOR THE MISSING BUDGET FUNDS.]

I almost laughed right in her face. My smile grew wider, showing my teeth. The puzzle pieces clicked together perfectly. All those times Mrs. Bellini docked my pay because Carmela said I "lost" the grocery money.

"Well, well, well, Carmela," I purred, looking at her with total, absolute amusement. "You sure do have expensive taste for a humble housekeeper. Are you enjoying your little shopping trips?"

"What are you talking about, you crazy girl?" she snapped, looking nervously down the empty hallway. "Get dressed and get down to the kitchens! We have three hundred champagne glasses to wash before noon!"

"Three hundred, huh?" I said, tapping my chin playfully. "That's a very nice number. Three hundred. It actually reminds me of something else. Something very specific. Have you read any good books lately, Carmela?"

Her left eye twitched. "Books? I don't have time to sit around and read! I work for a living!"

"That's a real shame," I teased, lowering my voice to a husky, dangerous whisper. I leaned in so close to her ear that I could smell her stale coffee breath. "Because I absolutely love reading. Especially the Bible. It is truly amazing what you can find hidden inside a good, holy book, don't you think?"

Carmela froze completely. Her heavy breathing stopped. The angry red color washed totally out of her face, leaving her looking as pale as a dead body.

"I... I don't know what you mean," she stammered, taking a massive step back. Her fat hands were suddenly shaking wildly.

"Oh, I think you do, sweetie," I smiled, stepping entirely out of my bedroom and backing her right up against the hallway wall. "I'm just saying, if Mrs. Bellini found out someone was taking a three-hundred-dollar slice out of her weekly grocery budget... well, someone might get fired instantly. Or arrested. Or even whipped. I hear she swings pretty hard."

"You... you have no proof!" she whispered, her eyes wide and looking completely terrified.

"Don't I?" I laughed, tilting my head like a curious cat. "Maybe I should go check under your bed right now. Just to make sure your soul is clean. I’m sure God wouldn’t mind me flipping through your special Bible."

Carmela looked like she was going to have a heart attack and pass out on the rug. She reached out and grabbed my arm tightly.

"Angela... wait. Please," she begged, her tough act totally gone. "Don't say anything to the madam. What do you want?"

"Me?" I gasped dramatically, putting a hand over my heart like I was deeply offended. "I just want to be a good, helpful little maid, Carmela. Just like I always am."

"Please," she whimpered, her voice shaking violently. "I'll give you fifty bucks right now. A hundred! Just keep your mouth shut."

"Keep your dirty money," I scoffed, slapping her sweaty hand away from my arm. I hid my anger behind a sweet smile. "I am a team player. I agree to get to work right now. I'll scrub the floors. I'll wash your dishes. I'll iron the tablecloths. But I want a little favor in return."

"Anything," Carmela swallowed hard, nodding her head fast. "Name it."

"Tonight," I said, my voice turning flat and dead serious. "There is a massive welcome banquet for the new girl. The wealthiest man in the city is going to be there. All the biggest players in town are coming to eat dinner. I want to be in that room tonight."

"But... you are just a scrub maid," Carmela said, looking totally confused. "Scrub maids don't ever go up to the main hall. It’s forbidden."

"I know," I smiled, taking a step back and giving her a playful, teasing wink. "But servers do."

I walked past her, leaving her trembling in the hallway. I need to get near the young mistress tonight before the jade necklace binds itself to her. I have to make sure that magic space becomes mine. And I desperately need a way to mix with the rich guests at the welcome banquet, especially the wealthiest man in the city. I need his money and his access if I am going to survive.

A scrub maid would never be let near the main hall. A server would. And now she has exactly what she needs to force Carmela into giving her that chance.