Chapter 6: OLeander smell

"However, you don't know how you got here." He said, sitting facing Artemisia.

He looked elegant, wearing a black hat that shadowed his face, a suit in a green so dark it could be black. He was beautiful. “As beautiful as last time”, thought Artemísia as she drank some wine. Where did the wine come from? Wasn't it afternoon tea? It didn't matter, she looked at the man who had a sharp smile while looking at her.

"Should I know how I got here?” Artemisia asked, landing the cup of coffee on the bluish saucer. “Where is here?

"It's a special place, you know me here." He took a piece of cake and took a bite. At that moment, Artemisia realized that it was not cake, but rather a piece of meat, raw meat. Human.

"So you brought me here so you could know that I know you?

"What does it matter? You don't even know what's here, how are you going to know why you're here?" The blood flowed down the corner of his lips, leaving him looking frighteningly beautiful. "I brought you for a reason, but you won't let me tell you.

"Me?” Artemisia asked, taking the glass of wine and turning the liquid in her mouth. A sweet metallic taste touched her tongue, making her question again what that place was.

"Yes? I don’t know.

He laughed, passing his finger through Artemisia's lips, wiping the blood that flowed. She didn't want to think too much, especially after his touch sparked a summer storm inside her. Deliciously and painfully, waking up every instinct that Artemisia thought slept, or that didn't even exist. The room seemed to change, become colorful and illuminated.

"Why am I here?" She asked again, hoping that at some point the man in front of her could answer, even with another question.

"Because you don't know where you are and there's nothing more dangerous than being lost in your own mind.” in seconds, He was behind Artemisia, swiding her cold fingers on the girl's bare shoulders. "I could not let it be lost and in danger, what kind of demon would it be if I did?

Demon. She remembered hearing someone talk about demons, however, she didn't even know anymore in when she was, the where had already become an urban legend. It was left to her to believe the words of the demon, whether they were lies or truths.

"It would be the demon that was meant to be.

He smiled with Artemisia's statement, it looked like she was starting to dance as the music played in that place. The girl couldn't say for sure, but she was certainly starting to get used to all that ominous weather the place gave her. After the third sip in the wine glass, which at that time was wine, Artemisia began to hear a soft touch of piano and violin, in some corner of that hall.

"Art." she raised her face looking at the demon. "Art, I'm going to call you that now. Artemisia is very... rude, old-fashioned, tacky.

"Why do you think that is?" He stirs in his hat, giving the girl a slight glimpse of bright red eyes, but it was too simple to be sure.

“Artemisia, a name that comes from Artemisia Vulgaris or simply Wormwood." Something in the girl's chest began to hurt, as if she were pulling something. "A medicinal plant, certainly, but still, at the wrong dose, as fatal as hadone.

"What are you talking about, demon?" Artemisia landed the cup on the saucer, she did not care that object had changed for the tenth time only in... How many minutes had passed?

She was no longer able to understand, the same feeling as before came back as a punch. Where and when was she? Why were she talking to a demon and why wasn't everything what it seemed to be?

Suddenly, falling like snow in late autumn, a letter fell on the table, slowly and gently. It was a tarot card, as she knew Artemísia couldn’t even answer herself, yet, she knew it was a tarot card.

"You know the origin itself, Absinthe, the blood is no denser than water...

As He spoke, the girl approached her hand, what time she was gloved and time was bare, the letter that seemed to shine and sing like a mermaid, drawing her attention.

"Blood is as dense as wine.

In an instant, she quickly turned the letter, seeing a woman wearing an old moon mask, the stars glowed behind the letter, and there was blood dripping through the mask's eyes. She recognized that letter, The Moon, one of the major arcana.

“Not everything and what it seems to be, dear. What's the night behind us?” Artemisia could hear her nanny's voice while feeling a warm, soft hand cuddly her hair.

"Dream... This is a dream!" She looked again at the demon, who now truly smiled at her, and the hall began to take shape and color. "Today is Spring 36 and we are in a dream. Here is a dream!

"Good girl, Absinthe.

"Oh..." Artemisia blinked realizing that she was sitting at the table with the maidens and widows, Mrs. Yule was looking at her with a face of whom she really felt sorry. "It is terrible what happened to you, dear, but I’m sure that the Spirits of Love will light your way to the altar.

"May they not." thought the young woman as she finished eating one of the delicious macarons.

"I’m well into these things, Mrs. Yule, when the time comes the gods will warn me.

"You should have a priestess, your family's chapel is empty and still locked, it would be good for you, dear." Mrs. Hill said as she passed her icy hand over Artemisia's glove. "It is good that we have servants of the gods in our homes...

Artemisia stopped listening at some point, didn't bother at all to understand what the woman was talking about. Her attention turned entirely to the corner of the hall, where there were small shadows dancing and jumping between the men who tried to impress the maidens and the waiters who passed by collecting and putting more tea and biscuits on the tables.

In some corner of Artemisia's mind, she could hear the laughter and singing of the shadows. They seemed to be children and at the same time adults, singing about how good the night was for them, but that the day was more welcoming. After a few minutes of listening to them singing, the girl recognized the typical summer music, which was sung throughout the solstice and at some of the season's fairs.

She tried not to get too scared or intrigued by the creatures, just smiled at the women at the table when it was convenient for her and continued to drink the tea. She was managing to keep things that way, Artemisia didn't want to feed the rumors that the Carmesim property was cursed and that it really drove the owner of that mansion crazy.

"The Hestia family is looking for a bride for young Theodore," Mrs. Yule said as she looked at Artemisia. "Don't you think it would be a good idea for you to at least try to have dinner together? It's going to be a good thing for you.

Of course the lady would try to find suitors for Artemísia, it's not like they're going to let go of the fact that there was a single woman at the age of marriage who decided to stop being a maiden.

"I’m well, Mrs. Yule, at the right time the gods will grace me and I will continue my family." The blonde responded with an innocent lie and a docile smile.

She knew that not in a hundred years would give this burden to her child. The girl didn't quite understand why, but she felt she shouldn't let the cursed lineage of the Carmesim continue, ending that story with her seemed ideal.

"What begins with the Carmesm ends with the Carmesm" a female voice whispered near Artemisia, which caused her to let a macaron fall into her lap.

By the time the girl would ask the other women, a strong smell of oleander impregnated in the hall, almost leaving Artemísia a little dizzy. The shadows began to sing louder and dance faster, now around the table at which she was sitting with widows and maidens.

"At sunset we will all sit down, under the warmth of the evening's arrival and the melancholy of the Moon." The voices sang around the young woman, filling her mind with the music and intoxicating smell of oleander.

"When the time comes, we will bring death to pain in our hearts. Drag the cold and snuggle into hell and dance before the fire of the sun." The voices were unbearably loud, Artemisia didn't know how much longer she would spend sitting pretending nothing happened.

Suddenly, a warm hand touched the young woman's shoulder and the voices stopped at the exact moment.

"Miss Carmesim, how nice to meet you here.” Artemisia turned her face slowly and noticed a woman, not much older than her, with long fire-colored hair and a slightly uncomfortable smile. "I'm sorry to get close now that afternoon tea is running out, but I needed to talk to you.

The blonde scared off at the woman's words. When the afternoon tea came to the end and she didn't notice? Arranging her posture and holding the bag, she realized she was near the door, already apparently she had said goodbye to the widows and maidens, in addition to the hostess, Mrs. Montenegro. Something was terribly wrong.

"How can I help you, ma'am?...

"Leonore, just call me Leonore." The woman held Artemisia's arm and slowly pulled her out of the hall, near some sunflowers. "I won't take much of your time, you must have things to do, but I really need to talk to you about the late Delfine.