[disclaimer: i do not own abarat respectfully, only my character izis.]

-----Chapter 9:: Sold to the Devil

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I wondered how much dignity I still had left, at this point. I stood in my washroom, gazing into the mirror with a look that was crossed between rage and confusion, and it was an ugly face, to be sure. I had vainly attempted to fix my hair, but failed miserably and had to call in Chase to do it, who put it up and dread-locked it, as she called it, turning it into quite the exotic hairstyle, gothic and spiky and braided, still elegant. I could always count on Chase. She had become my best 'girl friend' here, so far. She was kneeling before me and fixing the deep, black kohl shadows about my eyes when I spoke casually. "So did you know about Candy Quackenbush?" She glanced up at me and held my gaze, and shook her head.

"I had no idea, Lady Izis. No one did. And I'm sure you would have known before any of us."

"I suppose..." I looked back at the mirror and watched as my eyes turned darker and darker. She whitened my face with chalk, until I appeared deathly ill. She was pattering on blush when I decided to speak again. My mind was in a rut, almost blocked, and I simply did not have the energy to try to sort through it all. "Grab me a cigar, Chase-- I'm so anxious." I guess she heard the ache in my voice, for she stood immediately and went hunting for my cigarillos. "Why does he have that whore down there?" I didn't know what it was, but I was not very much liking Ms Quackenbush as of this moment. Things were getting tense between Carrion and I, and quite obviously he would have the upper-hand in whatever sort of argument we went through. I did not have a lot of options here. Also, I couldn't possibly feel bad for just... playing around with her... just a little. Only a little. I had sharpened my skills over the past while and had learned the craft very well, for there is little else to do on Gorgossium. They say I was going insane, up there, locked in my room all the time.

I asked for a veil. I felt like mourning tonight. I fingered the rose petals that had accompanied the band for the veil, and in the mirror my face was barely visible through the mesh. I was not hungry, only thirsty. I shall dine only on wine tonight, and to hell with whatever Carrion said. As if he had the nerve to invite that girl into their tower... dear lord, I was starting to sound like Mater Motley. Poor girl probably didn't even know where the hell she was, let alone why she was wanted. Chase returned with my cigarillo and some matches, and I drank a glass of wine and asked Chase to sit. She sat down across from me from the vanity and she smoked a cigarillo as well with me, and we talked like old friends.

She looked very nice tonight. In the dim candlelight, her marble-smooth skin flickered with shadows. Her deep, emerald cat eyes glowed and fisured, drawing you in. White teeth accented the full, red lips. A sudden thought occured to me, as I, Queen of Midnight, looked over her most loyal maiden. "Chase..."

"Yes?"

"Are you a vampire?" She blinked at the question, not sure whether to smile or not. My face was stoic.

"No... not in that sense, my lady."

"You look beautiful tonight." I slugged back the rest of my wine, pretty much uncaring of whoever or whatever was near and watching. Chase flushed and smiled.

"Thank you, my lady."

"Of course. I suppose we should be going now." I stubbed out my smoke and arose, turning in a circle once so Chase could see that my dress was in working order. Tonight we had decided on a back-less black dress, with no straps, a dark purple shawl and high heels-- one of Carrion's outfits. I put on my jewellery and silver belt, and Chase and I linked arms and we made our way to the dinner hall. I had dropped my veil and felt much safer behind it, so no evil could look in at me. And there was much evil here, in these dark hallways-- I had just gotten used to it, and learned to become a shadow. Chase and I stopped before the massive dining hall doors, still shut. She looked at me.

"You're late. You should probably go in there." she said, doing last minute adjustments to my hair. I swatted her away lazily.

"Yes, yes. Be sure to be here, when this circus is complete." she bowed, and slunk away silently. I opened the doors to the dining hall and stepped inside.

The first thing I noticed was that it was a lot brighter in here then it usually was. Carrion had someone go through the extra trouble to have more candles lit for the human girl-- he had never done that for me, even when I had complained about the lack of light. That caused another thrum of jealousy. Carrion was sitting at the end of the table, glaring at me. Sitting at his left was a terrified looking Quackenbush, who had been forced into a simple dinner dress. She looked skinny and out of place wearing it.

"You're late." Carrion hissed, rising. The girl looked from me to him, obviously frightened. She must have heard the stories of Carrion's legendary cruelty-- but probably not about the only person who could stop it. I twisted my lips underneath my veil and snapped back.

"Well, you already have company." I said sharply, and Carrion sat down abruptly, still giving me a smouldering look. I sat down across from him, even more irked when I realized she was sitting on the side I always sat on. The girl was crossing her boundaries, alright. I removed my veil and I think the young woman was shocked. She stared at me, wide-eyed, and I thought quite simply, Pintarta. Candy Quackenbush winced, squeaked, and clapped a hand over her mouth, in pain.

"What is the matter?" Carrion asked, eyeing her with much scrutiny. He was looking for something in her, but I couldn't tell what. I hid my little smirk with a napkin. I didn't really know what was the matter with me, but it felt like this girl was invading the privacy of my home, and my husband. I poured myself a glass of wine, crossed my leg over the other one.

"Would you like some wine, Candy?" I asked, making my voice soft and sugary. Carrion gave me a weird look and I ignored him.

"Sure." Candy whispered, and I nodded at Carrion, who poured her a glass. She took a small sip. The silence was immense and I questioned Carrion's intelligence at inviting both us here. He had probably never had two woman eating dinner with him alone. I had taken a fancy to having my steak as rare as possible, even until blood was still seeping out. Candy had looked rather disgusted as I ate slowly, my gaze never leaving hers. I had practiced my stare, for it came over well with meetings with other politicians and royalty and such-- intimidating, feirce, and hypnotizing. Her own stare was small, shocked, and wild. This was unlike anything she had ever experienced before.

"So, darling, why is Candy Quackenbush suddenly a guest of honor in this household?" I asked boldly, once I was drunk. I was smoking and just finishing off my delicious steak, and I turned to my husband and let my leg slide a little farther over the other one. The slit in my dress parted and revealed much of my leg, and before I could immediately close it I figured this type of seduction could get me anything, at this point. Carrion did not miss it and he forgot about staring at Candy for a second.

"I think you have drunk too much, Izis." he pushed the wine bottle away from me and glared at me. "That is very innapropriate."

"Oh, whatever. Like it's anymore appropriate to keep her locked up for weeks at a time--"

"Izis. Don't push me." I blew smoke in his face and I thought he was going to lunge out of his seat and strangle me. Candy just stared, unsure of what was going on.

"Don't push me either, dear." I dropped my cigar in my empty glass of wine, where it smouldered with the remains of the drink. "Shall we dance?" Music always played during dinner-- no one ever danced though. Of course Carrion thought I was talking to him, but I stood up and extended my hand towards Candy. I swayed a little-- yes, I had definately succeeded in getting myself drunk, but I could still tango. If I remember right, dad taught me how to dance. I removed my shawl.

"Okay." Candy gingerly took my hand and I led her over to the floor. The hunched, deformed band played on with new enthusiasm, now that someone was appreciating their lonely, gothic two-step. I put my hand on her waist and held her other one, and she put hers on my shoulder. I began to lead her around, twirling and dipping her over, and she stumbled several times but never managed to step on my feet-- sometimes me and Samuel danced, late, late at night when no one was around. Ever danced around the gallows with the ravens calling on, and skeletons clapping? A slight, slight affair was beginning, possibly.

Candy smelled of dirt and lime. She was very pretty up close, but nothing special. I dipped her sharply and let my lips briefly touch her neck-- she tensed and I righted her quickly, leading her along. Eventually she caught on fast and stopped stumbling and tripping, and when I was finished I stepped back, holding her hands.

"Thank you, Candy. More then I could ever get out of my husband." I said quietly in her ear. She smiled a little.

"Your welcome." I let her sit back down. I glared at Carrion, who was staring back at me with an incredulous, unreadable expression on his face. "Shall I leave you two alone?"

"Yes." he said sharply. I nodded, collected my shawl, and demanded my coat. I drank another glass of wine while I waited, sometimes skewering the Nightmare Man. I was so angry, and hurt. My head was spinning. The anxiety, the stress, the lonliness... did he really expect me to cope so well? It felt like I was falling apart. I adored the solitude and the macabre and the morbid, to be sure, but this was too much. Now some girl? A girl that gave me the weirdest vibes? Something about her really turned me off, and I couldn't figure it out. Oh well. Chase arrived my coat, and I pulled it on and turned my shawl into a scarf.

"I'll be seeing you in a bit, Lord Carrion." I said, a tad bitterly, and left the dining hall. I banished a puzzled Chase and fled to Gallow's Forest. I planned on finding Ivan, the royal raven, and just sit amongst the skulls and bones and birds and just vent. Every girl had to vent somewhere, and here was I, barely 19 years old, already Queen of the most tormented island in the Abarat and I was slowly going insane. Perhaps I needed to travel. Perhaps claustrophobia was building up in me. And that girl. I exploded several trees as I made my way to the , the forest so melancholy and quiet tonight. I rather enjoyed it.

I saw the man as a fool. Foolish Carrion, he had become smitten with another girl, hasn't he? I sat on the edge of the gallow patio, and Ivan fluttered down. He had been getting bigger as the season grew colder, edging towards winter, my favourite season. He landed smartly on my knee, clucking.

"What troubles you, Queen Izis?" he asked. I sighed and let my head fall back.

"Candy Quackenbush." Several other ravens in the audience crowed and chuckled, smartly flapping their wings.

"Why, Carrion did not tell you?" Ivan asked, cocking his regal head. I shook my own. "You are aware of Princess Boa."

"Yes. She was my cousin." Ivan's eyes brightened, probably in surprise.

"Oh really? And I suppose you have not noticed, the similarities between Candy and Boa?" I blinked, and thought about it for a moment. The pieces put themselves together, and fit perfectly this time. My eyes widened in realization, and a sudden cold fury washed over me. How dare he. My heart clenched in pain. I stood up immediately, upsetting Ivan, who flapped overhead. Had it really happened? Was I falling in love with the Lord of Midnight? Nights had passed so long and I had only felt completely safe in Carrion's presence. I had grown fond of seeing him, our long nights together, our talks. We had grown close-- but I had not ever thought that I was falling for him. Was it even possible? I had seen for what he really was, deep underneath that scarred exterior-- a man who had walked through the abyss. I remembered the letters I had read, so long ago, between Boa and Carrion. She had led him on and on until he drove himself insane with love. And still he pursued her, even in reincarnated form.

Jealousy burned my throat, and I felt my eyes well up with tears. That bitch. I felt like I had to protect Carrion, as he had done for me. Then again, he would not want me now, now that the love of his life was before him. I had taken him so for granted. I slumped to my knees and began to weep. Ivan fluttered down by my feet and cooed encouragingly. "Darling, don't cry. T'is only an infatuation. When Carrion walks through here, he speaks of you quite highly."

"Leave me alone." I demanded, and Ivan obeyed, fluttering away. I got to my feet and sniffed, but the tears would not stop. I realized I loved the man, but now he had Candy to fawn over. He had never fawned over me, never, and every little thing he did for her made my heart ache. I was heartsick, for the first time in love, and it was with the most dangerous man in the Abarat, and he loved another person. I couldn't very well just go in there and demand that he release her, he would never do such a thing now that Candy was with him. Was he going to execute me and replace her as the bride? No. I would not let that happen. Never. He was not mine-- I never viewed a person to "belong" to someone else, but dear lord I loved the man, so much. Should I tell him?

No. I still had nightmares, recalling my encounter in the bathroom when I was almost drowned. I still had not figured out the culprit, or reported it. Except now, Carrion was the one who was drowning me. I walked the forest in despair, coming upon the graveyard. I opened the gate using my mind, and that caused a little mental stimulation that distracted from the pain I was feeling. I never thought I could be so hurt. I felt physically ill. I walked to my grave, my terrible mocking gravestone, and slumped before it and leaned against it, back to the stone, and looked up at the unforgiving sky. Black and more black, the stars turned red above me, and began to shine. Thoughts of suicide crossed my mind. As I fantasized, I heard the squeal of the gate being opened.

Sharply I looked. Through the darkness, I could not see, but I felt a presence there, several hundred yards away. I forgot my current predicament and felt that icy fear people felt when they knew they were not alone in the dark. My insides froze on me, and unexplained terror swallowed me. My hands turned cold and clammy in my lap and my mouth went dry as the Criss Cross Man stepped towards me.