Revelations: The Fallen

by Lauretta Hignett

  "Uh, Nimue, you don’t have to follow me to my room if you don’t want to. You can stay down here and chat to whoever you like.”

  A group of night porters and valets were eyeing her appreciatively, but she reluctantly tore her eyes away. “No, it’s okay,” she said. “I will escort you. I need to know what that delectable scent is.” She sniffed appreciatively as we walked into the building and up the stairs.

  “Scent?”

  “Energy. Aura. It’s all around here,” she explained, her eyes bright. “It’s so fun and sensual and so human.”

  We walked to the end of the hall, and I opened the bedroom door. I heard the shower running - it must be Clover, getting ready for work. I glanced over at Andrea’s bed and was surprised to see a big lump under the sheets.

  That was unusual. Andrea should still be at the stables. She only ever took the weekends off. She was a workhorse, just like her charges.

  “Hi, Andrea,” I said softly. “Are you okay? Are you sick?”

  I heard a low groan, then she pushed the covers back. “I think so,” she muttered, rubbing her head. “I just feel so tired. And a little headachy.”

  “Did you work today?”

  “Yeah,” she muttered. “But I took off early.”

  Dark circles ringed her eyes. Her cheeks were deathly pale, her straw-colored hair hung lank and greasy. “You poor thing,” I murmured. “I’ve been feeling exhausted, and a bit icky lately too. I wonder if there’s a bug going around.”

  “I don’t know,” she said faintly, brushing her hair back off her face. “All I know is that I feel awful.”

  “Do you need me to call the site doctor to come and see you?”

  “No, I’ll be fine,” she muttered. “I just need to sleep.” She pulled the covers back over her head and burrowed into a ball.

  It was a mark of how sick she must be that she didn’t notice Nimue in the room. I raised my eyebrows, but Nimue wasn’t too interested in Andrea anyway. She floated around the room, picking up books and knick-knacks, inspecting them, discarding them. Occasionally she gave a big sniff, and her gaze would wander.

  I left her to her own devices and quickly got changed for work, idly wondering what the night would bring. The door to the bathroom smacked open, and Clover came rushing out, butt naked.

  “Eve, honey, sorry I hope you don’t have to shower because I’ve still gotta dry my hair!” She shrieked at me before she grabbed her bra and wrestled her breasts into it.

  “I’m okay, Clover. I showered at Alex’s.”

  “Good!” Clover said with a muffled voice, lost inside her shirt. “I can’t believe I’m running late again.”

  “Who was it this time?” I asked her.

  “The Baroness,” she replied, a slight blush to her cheeks. “She checked out at lunchtime, and she wanted to say goodbye. So we didn’t get much sleep. I fell asleep in her suite when she left, and one of the maids woke me up when she came to change the bed linen.” Clover struggled into her pants, still slightly damp from the shower, pulling them up by jumping around. On her third jump, she ended up facing the door and finally spotted Nimue.

  “Oh,” Clover said, her cheeks going bright red. “Sorry. I didn’t know there was anyone else here.”

  But Nimue looked delighted. “Hello, darling,” she cooed. In an instant, she’d crossed the room to give Clover a hug. “It’s so lovely to meet you. I’m Nim, Alex’s mother.”

  “Oh,” Clover said, her voice muffled by Nimue’s chest. “Nice to meet you.”

  Nimue didn’t release Clover from her embrace. “I wanted to see where Eve lived, and perhaps meet some of her friends. I’m glad I caught you. And right out of the shower.”

  I suppressed a grin as I watched Nimue lean down slightly and sniff Clover’s hair. So that was the delicious scent that she’d been trying to locate. Of course it was Clover; the hedonist, the sexual connoisseur. “Uh, Nimue, you might want to let her go and dry her hair. We’ve got to be on the desk in ten minutes.”

  “Yes, sorry about that!” Nimue looked completely unembarrassed. She held Clover by the arms and gazed at her face warmly. “Clover, it’s an absolute delight to meet you. I hope to see you again soon.” She turned to me and gave me a happy smile. “Eve, I’ll leave you to get ready. Alex is outside, and will escort you to the desk.” Grandly, she swept out of the room, inhaling deeply as she went.

  I grinned. It looked like Clover’s lust for... well, lust, was exactly Nimue’s fragrance of choice.

  Clover turned to me, her face astonished. “That was Alex’s mother?”

  I nodded.

  “Girl, we need to talk. Right after I dry my hair!” She shot back into the bathroom, and I heard the hairdryer as she frantically waved it around.

  Tentatively, I approached Andrea’s bed. “Andrea, hon? Do you want anything? Soup, or something?”

  “I just need to sleep,” her disembodied voice croaked up at me. She didn’t move, and she sounded miserable. I made a mental note to tell Martin about it. He'd tell Heidi, the day manager, and she'd keep an eye on her. Andrea was a strong woman; it would take a hell of a virus to knock her down. I backed away from her bed and waited for Clover to get ready for work.

  “So what’s going on there?” Clover said as we hurried up the path to reception. “You’re hanging out with Alex’s mother now?”

  “She just kinda came up to visit,” I said lamely. “She’s… interested in me, I guess, as Alex’s girlfriend.”

  She shook her head, amazed. “You guys are moving fast. If it were anyone else I’d be worried, but I got a good feeling about Alex.” Clover gave me a warm smile. “A good feeling in my gut. It tells me that he’s got your very best interests at heart.”

  “Thanks, Clover.”

  “And he’s already introducing you to his mother,” she breathed out. “Last time I got introduced to any mother was when the Dowager busted in on the Duke and me having sex. That wasn’t a great experience,” she muttered. “Can we also please talk about what Nim looks like? Was she four years old when she gave birth to Alex or something? That woman doesn’t look a day over thirty.”

  I frowned. “I don’t exactly know how old Nim is, but I know she’s not young. Yes, she looks great, doesn’t she?” None of it was a lie. I was getting good at this skirting-the-truth thing.

  “She looks friggin' phenomenal! I’d normally be panting for a woman like that, but there’s also something downright…”

  “Scary?”

  “Overwhelming. She’s overwhelming.”

  “She liked you, though.”

  Clover smiled. “Yes, she seemed to. I wonder why?”

  I smirked. “I think she recognized a kindred spirit.”

  Her smirk became a full-blown smile. We picked up the pace a little, not speaking, until we got to the reception desk.

  Dale was already there, working away, finishing checking out an old couple that had been with us for several weeks. Clover rang for their car and helped a bellboy with their luggage, then the reception hall went quiet.

  I slipped behind the desk and quickly ran over the list of guests checking in and out for the day. It looked like it was going to be a slow night. I was okay with that - I still felt very, very tired. Hopefully, I could nap in the back room when no one was watching.

  Dale gave me a quick smile. “Martin’s off tonight,” he murmured, reading my mind. “Gastro, apparently.”

  “Oh, I wonder if that’s what Andrea’s got?”

  “Andrea’s sick?”

  “Yeah,” I said, remembering how awful she looked. “She took off from the stables early, and she was in bed when we left. Which is unusual, for her.” I let my shoulders slump down a little. “I’ve been feeling a little out of sorts lately too. I hope I’m not getting it.”

  Clover patted my back. “Have you, darling?” Her voice squeaked, high-pitched with sympathy. “Oh no! And you just got over that thrice-cooked pork belly!”

  “I’m okay,” I said
, immediately feeling guilty. “Just a little tired and squirmy in the tummy. But Andrea looks awful. She’s got it bad.”

  Dale frowned. “Poor girl. I hope she doesn’t give it to anyone else. The last thing this place needs is for all the staff to go down with a bug.” He shrugged his big shoulders. “Although maybe no one would notice.” He lowered his voice. “Bookings are down.”

  “Are they?” That was unusual too. We were usually booked up several months in advance, and some bungalows were rarely available, with the world’s richest people choosing to reserve them indefinitely. It cost them millions, but they didn’t care.

  Dale tapped the side of his nose. “I heard Martin talking about it. The long-termers are still on, but some new guests have canceled their bookings.”

  “I wonder why?”

  Clover propped her butt up on her chair and slumped down on it. She looked tired too. “Maybe it’s because of Mr. Savage?”

  Dale’s eyes lit up. “Eve, you were at the funeral. What was he like? I heard he threw himself on Hannah’s coffin and cursed God and everything.”

  I frowned. “Actually, you’re not far off. He was truly devastated. And,” I said, thinking about how the Quarters vultures were circling, “you might be right, Dale. Confidence in him could be shaken, on a business level, although I doubt that would make a difference to the bookings this early.”

  Clover bit her lip. “His daughter was murdered here. That might put some people off.”

  “I doubt it,” Dale said. “Do you know how many people have been found dead at Chateau Marmont?”

  “Yes, stupid, dozens. But none brutally murdered by roaming psychopaths.”

  “That we know of,” he shot back.

  Clover pouted. “Our confidentiality would be far better than theirs. They’re in L.A. for God's sake.”

  “Anyway, regardless of the reasons, bookings are down. And that’s why Martin is off.”

  “I thought you said he was sick?”

  Dale waggled his eyebrows. “He’s taking a sickie.”

  “Really?”

  “He’s never taken one before,” I mused.

  “Well, he deserves one then,” Dale replied.

  “Hmmm,” I said, “Bookings are down, Martin’s taking a never-seen-before sickie, and Andrea, who has the immune system of... er... something that has a great immune system, is actually sick. I wonder what is going on in the world.”

  Clover looked downcast. “I just hope our jobs are safe. I love working here.”

  “Me too,” Dale sighed.

  Footsteps echoed through the reception hall. I turned to see Maz, one of my favorite guests, coming towards me with a big smile on her face.

  “Your Highness,” I gave her a grin. “How are you doing?”

  She mock-glared at me. “I thought I told you to call me Maz,” she said, winking so I’d know her scolding wasn’t serious. “I’m great, thanks, Eve. But I’ve come to say goodbye.”

  I frowned. “I thought you were staying for another two weeks!”

  “I was,” she signed. “But something more important has come up.”

  “What could be more important than staying here and hanging out with me?” I whined.

  Maz was one of my favorite guests. She was so kind and full of hilarious stories. She quite often called me out to her bungalow just so we could eat popcorn and watch trash TV together. Officially, she was Princess Mariana Von Delmanhorst. She was one of the minor European princesses, but she didn’t have a snobby bone in her body. I adored her.

  She laughed. “Well, as much as I love you, I can’t stay here anymore. You see, I’ve had a sort of epiphany. You’re great, Eve. And you guys,” she nodded to Dale and Clover. “I honestly have to say that this is one of my favorite places to vacation.” Her smile faded slightly. “But it is a vacation, and quite frankly, I don’t deserve them.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked. “Of course you do. I know how hard you work, Maz.”

  She shrugged. “But it’s not important work. Not really. All that meeting and greeting and shaking hands and crashing bottles of champagne over yachts. It’s just for show. Someone else could do it easily.”

  “But… you’re a Princess,” I said lamely. “What else are you going to do?”

  She smiled at me. “Last year, I founded an orphanage in Hamburg. Now, I didn’t really do anything, but I funded and opened it. It felt great at the time, having my name on a building, but there was something else about it…” She trailed off, shaking her head in wonder. “Anyway,” she continued after a beat, “I just had a video conference with some of the women that run it, and Eve, my heart absolutely ached. I wanted to be there. I needed to be there. That’s the kind of work I want to do. So, I’m headed back, and I’m going to see what I need to do to open and fund some more homes for children.”

  I felt the blood drain from my face at the mention of children’s homes. My brief experience in an orphanage had left a scar on me. Literally.

  Maz noticed, and her face fell. “Oh, darling. I’m so sorry. I know that you were in a group home once upon a time.”

  I gave her what I hoped was a brave smile. “It was a long time ago now. I’m still alive.”

  She put her head on the side. “Maybe that’s why I’m feeling this way. Maybe it’s because of you.”

  “Because of ...me?”

  “Well, yes,” she said simply. “Of course, I’ve met children in orphanages, I’ve gone and visited a lot of them. But I got to know you, before I found out your history. I’ve seen how much your experience has left a scar on you. And Eve, I want to help.” Her beautiful face was so open and honest. It wrenched at my heart. “It’s not enough to open up a building and fill it with abused kids," she said. "I know that I’ve got to be there, to help them, to keep them safe.” Her eyes lit up. “I have to love them, Eve.”

  “Where did all this come from, Maz?” I breathed out, amazed. “You don’t just wake up and decide to throw away your crown and do charity work for the rest of your days.”

  She laughed. “But I did. It's what I'm doing. And I know it’s the right move because when I made my decision, my heart lit up and I’ve never felt better in my entire life,” she sighed. “And it was fate, of sorts.”

  “Why was it fate?”

  “Did you hear about what the Pope has done in Spain?”

  I froze. I knew exactly what the Pope had done in Spain. He’d told me himself.

  Maz mistook my apprehension for confusion. “He gave away all the Church’s assets,” she explained. “He donated everything to charity. Now those charities are immensely wealthy, and in the short time that they’ve had the funds, they’ve been doing amazing things.” She smiled serenely. “One of the girls who helped set up our orphanage has gotten a grant to fund a youth mental health clinic in Barcelona. I can’t wait to go and work there.”

  I gaped at her. “So you’re really giving it all up to go and do charity work?”

  She nodded. The look on her face was pure serenity. “I know it’s the right thing to do. Hearing about what the Church has done just gave me the final push. If they can give it all away, all their immense wealth and do charity work, then I can too.”

  I gazed at her in wonder. I could almost sense a divine glow around her. She felt absolutely and utterly at peace, and it was so beautiful. I couldn’t help but smile warmly back. “You’re amazing, Maz,” I told her, shaking my head in awe. “It sounds absolutely perfect.”

  “See, I knew you would say that!” She ran around the desk to hug me. “I wish my mother was as happy about it as you are.”

  I laughed. “Good luck,” I told her, squeezing her tightly.

  “Thanks. I don’t think I need it, though. I know this is the right thing to do. Keep in touch, okay? I’ve got you on my socials, so say hi every so often.”

  “Will do.” I gave her one last quick hug before she turned and walked out the front door.

  “Wow,” Clover came up beside me. “
Was she for real?”

  “Apparently so.” I tapped the computer for a bit, processing Maz’s checkout. “I don’t know how I missed that she was checking out today.”

  “Last minute,” Dale said. “She’s canceled all her future bookings, and the rest of the royal family's bookings too.”

  “I’m sad, but happy for her,” Clover said. “She’s so lovely. I wonder what went on in her head to make her want to throw her royal life away and work in an orphanage for the rest of her life?”

  I frowned. “I don’t know,” I said slowly. “Maybe the world is finally changing.”

  Dale laughed. “Maybe that’s why all our bookings are canceling. The rich people of the world are all finally realizing that their money is better spent on helping their fellow man.”

  “Maybe,” I said, without irony. “I sincerely hope so.”

  Maybe humans were evolving. And I was right here to witness it.

  Maybe all hope wasn’t lost.

  Despite knowing that I’d miss Maz and her regular visits, I felt optimistic when I clocked off for the day. It had been a slow night. Clover had disappeared hours ago. She’d been yawning on her feet, worn out by the Baroness in the daytime, and was no good to us anyway.

  I hoped that she’d checked on Andrea before she went to bed.

  As I was making final notes into the booking schedule before we left, a delicious breeze blew over my face. The seductive and exciting scent of fireworks and dark chocolate drifted over me, and I shivered in anticipation. Slowly, I turned around.

  Alex was there. He stood, tall, his shoulders broad and rippling, with hard muscle underneath his plain, white t-shirt. He was just overwhelmingly handsome, and he watched me with an expression that I could only describe as covetous - like he was staring at a precious gem, or the most delicious food imaginable.

  As always, the breath left my body when I looked at him, standing there in all his outrageous glory. His hair was in a topknot tonight, showing off his perfect bone structure, the hard lines of his jaw and his stunning cheekbones. His eyes glowed icy-blue in pure white, his gaze penetrated me right to my very soul.