Chapter 45 - The Lollipop Princess

Despite drinking more than I ever have in the cellar this morning, the thought of blood still lingers in my mind.  I stand as still as a statue in front of the castle's entrance as I wait for Felix.  My hunger is satisfied, but my body feels charged at the thought of losing control today.  Finally I hear footsteps.

"You look like you're overthinking," Felix's voice echoes as he approaches me, pulling me out of my spiral.  I'm glad one of us isn't worried at least.  "You've fed, you've planned, and you've got me with you.  What could go wrong?" he smirks.  I pull my cloak tighter around me.

"This'll be the first time I've been outside of the castle since becoming a vampire," I frown. 

"You'll be fine," he grins.

"You're enjoying this way too much," I glare at him.

"Maybe," he admits, "You're being way too hard on yourself.  If it makes you feel any better, even if you slip up, what you call a failure is what everyone else in the castle will call a success.  Aro will surely be the most proud of you.  He's always had a habit of trying to peer pressure the vegetarians into tasting the thrill of the kill."

"Slip up?  Felix, are you telling me you won't be strong enough to stop me?  Should I doubt your strength?  Isn't that the whole reason you're here?  You'd ruin your reputation for me?" I joke, raising an eyebrow. 

"Never.  See, you trust me.  Come on, your sister's waiting," he smiles, guiding me to the car with a hand on my back. I hesitate for a moment before sliding into the back seat and tug the hood of my cloak lower over my face.  Felix climbs into the car beside me, keeping his arm around my shoulders.

"Remember," I say, my voice quieter now.  "No windows open, no unnecessary stops, and if I need us to turn back I'll-"

"You'll tap my knee three times," he finishes, "I've got you Anna." I nod, closing my airway as the driver starts the engine.

The first few miles pass without a problem.  I keep myself focused on the rhythm of the tires against the road, but I regret not asking for some music to be turned on before leaving.  Oh well.  Felix sits as still as I am.  After what feels life forever, I finally sense the road curving into what must be the Cathedral's entrance. 

"We're here," Felix announces as the driver pulls the car to a stop.  "See?  You were great."  I pull my hood back slightly and open my eyes for the first time since we left the castle.  Felix steps out first to survey the area.  "All clear.  Let's go."

I take his hand and step out of the car behind him, still holding my breath as the warmth of the sun bleeds through my cloak.  I nod and Felix wraps his hands firmly around my upper arms.  I let myself take a breath.  Relief washes over me as the scent of the Nephilim fills my senses.  It's faint out here where we're still alone, but still completely unappetizing.  I give Felix a nod and he releases his grip on me, leading me inside arm in arm instead.

The Cathedral's interior is even more breathtaking than I remember now that I can see every single detail of the constellations that seem to glow on the arched ceilings soaring high above us.  The Nephilim fill the hallways like always, but crowded all together they're now radiating an ethereal glow that's almost blinding.  Wings of every shape and size stretch behind them with feathers shimmering like Raphael's in colors I can't even begin to describe.  It's mesmerizing. 

"Wow," I whisper, unable to tear my eyes away.  We finally make it to the auditorium in the school wing.  I pick up Raphael's scent and follow it to where he's seated in the middle of the auditorium.  His face lights up when he sees us.

"Anna, Felix," he greets us, shaking Felix's hand, "I'm glad you made it."  He gestures to the empty seats next to him.  I take the spot closest to him and Felix sits beside me.  "Emily has been buzzing with excitement all week." 

Before I can respond, the lights dim, and a soft chime signals the start of the play.  The stage comes to life, illuminated by the warm glow of the kids taking their positions.  Their wings are proportionally much smaller and more delicate-looking than Raphael's and the other adults around me.  I smile at how absolutely adorable they look, like little cupids. 

Emily spots me immediately and a smile breaks out onto her face.  Her scent stands out much more, and is much more similar to everyone in the Volturi.  It's fun being able to distinguish vampires from Nephilim by scent a bit better.

When the play starts, I really zero in and try my best to understand what's going on.  Luckily, being an elementary school play, the language in the script isn't too advanced.  Emily's lines in English really help me piece together the context a lot more.  There are a few gibberish words included that Raphael feeds me quick explanations for, like the name of the main lollipop sickness that the princess has.  Other than that, I'm proud to say I can understand most of it!

The Lollipop Princess is basically about a princess whose love for lollipops makes her sick with a condition that can only be cured by finding a unique lollipop flavor she has never tasted before.  The problem is, since she's a princess, she has already tasted every lollipop flavor in existence.  Eventually a prince from the moon comes down with both a lunar-flavored lollipop and a marriage proposal.  Of course it's a happy ending, I smile.

When the final bows are taken and the kids start exiting the stage, Emily waves enthusiastically at us, hopping impatiently behind the boy in front of her to get backstage.

"Let's meet her back in her classroom," Raphael suggests, standing up when the lights come on again.

The students beat us there.  Raphael pushes the door open to reveal a cheerful classroom filled with all the kids and their parents celebrating their performance.  Before I even lay eyes on her, Emily has already run into me with a hug.

"Anna I'm so happy you came!" she laughs.

"You were amazing!  I'm so proud of you," I laugh.

"Thank you," she smiles, looking up at Felix in awe.

"This is Felix, he's my friend from the castle," I tell her.

"It's nice to meet you Emily.  You owned that stage," he says, ruffling her hair. 

"I already can't wait for next year's play," Emily giggles.

Emily's teacher has refreshments for the Nephilim kids and parents, and bouquets of flowers for us, so we stay for a bit to meet and chat with the others. 

"From what I've heard, Emily has been such a joy to have in class," one of the student's parents starts, "We always thought it would be nice for the students to have more consistent, diverse experiences outside of the Nephilim.  They'll learn more about vampires and compassion for other beings as they get older of course, but being able to go to school with Emily can't be matched."  It really makes me feel good to hear everyone speak so highly of having her here. 

After a while, the crowd thins as parents and guardians gradually start heading for home.  Emily clings to my hand as we step back into the hallway. 

"Wait!" Emily exclaims.  I look down to see her looking like she's trying to think quickly.  "Anna let's race!"

"Race?" I echo, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah!" she says nodding, pulling me in the opposite direction.  "Come on, please?"  I look back at Raphael.

"This way to the track, ladies," he laughs.

"I guess I did want the chance to run at full speed out in the open," I smile, following him and Emily.

We make it to the track and Emily runs to the starting line immediately.  I laugh, setting my cloak down on the bench where Raphael takes his seat and speed up next to Emily.  Felix appears right behind us.

"I'll officiate," he grins.  "You'll be running a full marathon," he states, and my eyes widen.  "That's 42 kilometers, or about 105 and a half laps around this track.  Ready?" he calls.  Emily crouches down.  I glance at her, feeling the need to win bubbling to the surface.  My eyes narrow in on the track and I mirror her stance by crouching down myself.  "On my count," Felix says, "Three... two... one... go!"

Emily takes off like a rocket ahead of me.  She's obviously been running more than me and is comfortable at her fastest pace, but I quickly pick up speed.  The wind whips past me in a way that sends a thrill through my body.  My muscles hum with energy as I quickly begin to overtake her. 

"Hey, you're the big sister; you're supposed to let me win!" she laughs.

"Not a chance!" I call as I pass her.  The exhilaration of running at full speed for this long is unlike anything I've ever felt.  I have what... a hundred more laps to go?  But it doesn't faze me.  Emily lets out a determined growl, boosting her speed as best as she can to keep up with me.  We fly past Raphael and Felix for the tenth time.

Unfortunately for Emily though, her shorter legs combined with my fresher newborn-ness leaves her at a disadvantage.  Before the end of the race I'm able to lap her several times.  I finish the race and let myself collapse onto the grass in satisfaction.  If only Mr. Donnovan could see me now... I laugh.  This kind of power back then would have made high school gym class a completely different, less embarrassing experience.  Emily finishes her last couple laps soon after.

"You were amazing, Anna," she giggles, plopping down next to me.

"You too," I give her a squeeze.

Raphael and Felix walk over to us with smiles.

"I've never seen vampires race before," Raphael says, "I'm beginning to think we should host a 'Supernatural Olympics' here."

"It would be the perfect way to spread the peace, like the actual Olympics does," I laugh.

At that point, we bring Emily back to her classroom and say our goodbyes.

"Are you going to be able to come more often again now?" she asks.

"For sure!" I assure her before waving goodbye before heading back out into the hallway with Felix and Raphael.

"Anna, as I said there's something I'd like to talk to you about, if you have time before you need to get back to the Volturi," Raphael says with a smile. 

"Oh, sure," I nod, letting him lead us to a meeting room.  When we arrive I see that a Nephilim couple is already sitting inside.  I raise my eyebrows wondering what it is we'll be discussing.  Raphael takes a seat at the head of the table while Felix and I take the chairs across from the couple.

"As you know, my roommates and I have been taking care of Emily in shifts since her arrival," Raphael states.  I nod.  "One of my roommates will be transferred to our main European headquarters in the Vatican soon, and the other will be taking a job in France soon after.  Unfortunately with my work responsibilities, I won't able to act as her guardian alone.  We found a couple," he explains, gesturing toward the couple in front of us, who are both smiling kindly, "This is Domenico and Caterina De Luca, who said they would love to essentially adopt Emily and take on the role of being her guardians.  We don't mean to replace the role of your parents, but we thought it would be better if Emily had a stable mother and father figure in her life here, since that's what you both grew up with.  We wanted to make sure it was okay with you first."

"Wow," I say, looking at the couple in front of me.  I can't imagine that taking care of a young vampire is an easy decision for anyone to make.

"Yes," the woman, Caterina starts warmly, "We understand this might feel sudden, and we want to be completely transparent with you.  I teach fifth grade at the school, but I've seen how bright and resilient Emily is, despite everything she's been through.  We don't want to replace what she's lost, no one can, but we want to help make sure she continues to have a sense of strength and belonging." 

Domenico nods, earnestly adding, "Emily has had some great 'uncles' up until now, but we want to help her feel more at home in a consistent family environment that's similar to what she's used to.  We don't mean to impose on her, or take her away from you.  We would never want that.  We just want to be there for her."

I sit back, absorbing their words.  It's clear they've thought a lot about this. 

"Emily's happiness and well-being is all that matters to us," Domenico finishes.  "If you have any concerns or hesitations, please tell us.  We want to make sure you're comfortable with this too."

I glance at Raphael, who gives me a small nod.  "I appreciate how much thought you've put into this," I say finally, "I think you both would be perfect for Emily.  It means the world to me that you've offered to do this," I tell them, still in disbelief.  Caterina's smile brightens, and Domenico nods with quiet gratitude.  Raphael leans back, visibly relieved.

"Thank you for trusting us, Anna." Caterina says.

I exhale, feeling a sense of peace settle over me.  "Emily will be lucky to have you both," I smile.  Getting close to Raphael and the Nephilim as a whole really continues to be one of the biggest strokes of luck of my life.

At that moment, a woman knocks and comes into the room, locking eyes with Raphael.

"There's a visitor for Anna," she tells him.  I scrunch my eyebrows, trying to think of who would need to visit me here? 

"We're just finishing up," Raphael nods.  I give Caterina and Domenico a handshake goodbye and Felix and I get up to follow the woman.

"Sorry," the woman says, her eyes drifting apologetically to Felix, "The visitor has requested that Anna comes alone."  Felix and I exchange glances.

"I'll wait for you here," he shrugs.  I know there aren't any humans around, but it still makes me nervous to not have Felix by my side as I follow the woman to another part of the Cathedral.  She opens the door and gestures for me to step inside. 

My eyes widen.  "Daniel?" I say, shocked.  I would have thought he went back to the U.S. by now.  Now that Emily is safe here at the Cathedral I figured his business in Italy was done ages ago.

"You remember me!" he says with a wry grin.

I blink, caught off guard.  "Of course I do.  It's only been a few months," I reply, furrowing my eyebrows.  His smile deepens and I think I catch a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.  It's gone too quickly to be sure.

"You never know," he says, "Last time, I think your first thought was that I might be someone else.  We wouldn't want a repeat of that, would we?" he laughs.

I cringe internally remembering the morning after the club when I thought he was Derek, and the way I ran and hid behind all those boxes as if they could protect me from him. "That was completely different," I mumble, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Was it?" he asks.  His tone is teasing but his eyes are watching me carefully.  "Because I'd like to think I've made a slightly better impression since then."

A small laugh escapes me despite my confusion.  "You could say that," I admit.  "At least now I don't feel like I need to run at the sight of you.  Then again, Derek wouldn't stand a chance against me anymore."

"No doubt," he says with a smile, "I'd hate to leave you with the instincts of murderous rage at the sight of me.  But anyway, I know what you're thinking," he smirks, raising his hands up slightly in front of him, "I'm just here because I wanted to keep an eye on things for a bit so I could return home in good conscience," he explains.

"You mean with Emily?" I ask.

"I was planning on staying until her newborn stage wears off, but I can see she's in great hands here.  I figured I'd say one last goodbye before heading home," he tells me.  "And Anna, if you ever start missing home, you're welcome at my cabin anytime.  I wish I could do more to apologize for my brother's actions."

After the great time Caius and I had with my family last month, hopefully I'll be able to go home again one day and take him up on his offer.  "I appreciate that," I tell him, with a smile. 

Author's Note:

Well, I've gone and joined Wattpad's Open Novella Contest with two story entries, "The Broken Prince" (unicorn romance) and "Steps of Temptation" (demon romance) so writing-wise I'm going to be busier than expected until May.  I need 20,000 words written in my contest stories before May so I'll be hustling on those, but I'll keep updating "Unbreakable" when I can during that time, even if it's still not as consistently as I hoped!  If you're interested in some original content by me check them out!  Here are the story descriptions:

The Broken Prince

Celine never believed in magic, at least, not until she stumbled upon a broken unicorn horn in the forest.  Now she's being hunted by a secretive organization determined to claim its power, but they're not the only ones searching for the missing pieces.  Soren, the prince of a forgotten kingdom wants back what's his.  The problem?  Restoring his power might kill Celine.  With enemies closing in, Celine faces an impossible choice: risk her own life and help the prince, or betray him to save herself.

The Open Novella Contest prompt I chose: #12. While hiking through a forest, you stumble upon a unicorn's horn.

Steps of Temptation

Demons don't unravel your soul all at once, they tempt you through the process in carefully curated steps-each one more seductive, more dangerous, and more impossible to untangle than the last.

When a perceptive stranger begins showing up at her favorite café, Nadia isn't easily charmed. But, Azrael watches too closely, and seems to understand her so well that Nadia questions whether her thoughts are even her own.

Nadia is resistant, though. She doesn't follow the script. She pushes back in ways Azrael has never seen. And now, Azrael is starting to wonder: Is it his system that's failing... or is it him?

The prompt I chose: #2 To be in love with a demon was the last thing on your wishlist.

If you're interested in the contest too, go to @OpenNovellaContest to follow them in preparation for next year's contest!  If anyone else joins or has joined let me know and I'll be sure to support your stories!