Tyra continued to blow dry Raven’s hair. Afterward, she brushed and combed it; treating the girl’s hair as if it were delicate like she was. Raven then changed into the clothes that Tyra had laid out for her, but not before putting some sweet lavender scented lotion. Her skin was as smooth as an infant’s.

“What do you think?” asked Raven wanting Tyra’s opinion.

“You look beautiful,” answered Tyra.

Raven looked at herself in the mirror. The half sleeved blue shirt and black pants really suited her. Of course, the pendant looked good on her as well. The only thing missing was shoes. Raven asked what type of shoes she should wear since this place was still so new to her.

Tyra smiled and went inside the bathroom. She picked up a small brown box, then returned to Raven’s side. “Here you go, Miss Raven,” she said giving her the box.

Raven opened the box and found a pair of black sneakers. She picked up one of the shoes and examined it closely. There were gray swirls on the side that looked like flowers. Raven stared in awe at the shoes. She quickly sat on the bed and tried them on. The shoes were very comfortable. “Tyra, these are beautiful,” she gasped.

“They should be, Master made sure,” Tyra commented.

“Lucas?”

“Yes, Master made those shoes for you. He knew they’d win your favor.”

Lucas made them for her? Raven blushed a little. She hoped to thank Lucas for the shoes as soon as she saw him.

“Miss Raven, shall we go?” Tyra asked interrupting Raven’s thoughts.

“Go where?” Raven questioned.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to explore? But first, you must eat.”

“Oh, right! Let’s go.”

Tyra escorted Raven to the dining hall. The hallways were still beautiful, but then again, what isn’t? When they entered the dining hall, Raven saw Tomi waiting for her. “Tomi?” she called.

“Miss Raven, how was night? If I may ask,” he answered.

“I slept good, thank you. And no offense, but what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be doing other things?”

Tomi chuckled. “No need to worry, I understand your question. I do many things in master’s realm, especially when he is out. Today, he has asked me to watch over you until he returns.”

“Really? Do you know when he’ll be back?”

“Hard to say. Sometimes Master is out for a whole day. It all depends on the number of shadows on his list.”

“List?”

“Yes, have a seat and I’ll explain everything. After all, you must be starving.”

Raven blushed at the sound of her stomach. Tomi only chuckled and pulled a chair out for her. Once she was seated, Tomi had the chef bring over her meal. The food was the same as back home. Eggs, bacon, pancakes, waffles, a whole buffet. However, Raven noticed that Tomi and Tyra didn’t eat. They only sat next to her.

“Aren’t you two going to eat?” she asked.

“Now this is where I come in. You see, Miss Raven, Tyra and I do not eat. That is, we do not eat like you and master,” Tomi explained.

“But why? I mean, I get you two are shadows, but you look human. Shouldn’t you eat like humans?” Raven questioned.

Tomi chuckled. “No, not exactly. Although we look human, we don’t necessarily eat like humans. All the food here can be eaten by a human or a shadow. However, those who are given special marks. Like the one on Tyra, don’t need to eat.”

“So, the ones who don’t have that mark, need to eat?”

“Exactly.”

Raven was getting a history lesson that she actually enjoyed. For once, she wanted to learn more. “Then what do they eat?” she asked anxiously.

“Well…” Tomi trailed off. “That’s a bit complicated.”

“Is it one of those show rather than tell moments?”

Tomi smiled nervously and gave Raven a meek nod. She shrugged and continued her meal. This world was so mysterious. What was life like outside the castle? How did the shadows live? Were they happy? Miserable? Was Lucas a good ruler? So many questions, but thankfully, she had two experts sitting next to her.

When Raven finished her meal, she asked Tomi and Tyra for a tour of their world. The two agreed to give her a tour of the castle, but the world outside. They said that Lucas was better suited for that tour. Raven was smart, so she figured it was because it was dangerous. After all, she was a human in the realm of shadows. But still, her curiosity was peeked. What could be so dangerous that she couldn’t set foot out of the castle?