Children of Van Helsing

Chapter Sixteen - The Thought of Meaning Something

Regina

I managed to get Ian to the kitchen without him being distracted too much by paintings or small statues in the hallway and made him cut paprika. Helen and Greg were busy inspecting Susanna’s whiskey stock. We had agreed to start with the ‘lessons’ as soon as all the family was gone. They were going to arrive tomorrow… I really, really didn’t feel like it.

I really didn’t feel like anything. Besides, I was still a bit grumpy about Susanna and Ian in the library. It had probably been nothing, but they had been sitting so close to each other… Suspicious. Well, Susanna never got into relationships, so Ian was going to be all mine. I didn’t have to worry about that. She was smart, strong and responsible, but couldn’t flirt at all. And they hated each other.

And if that was going to change, I just had to make sure they would keep on hating each other until Ian was mine.

I sneakily looked over my shoulder to see what he was doing. He talked to Sacha while cutting the paprika. She smiled. I wanted to know why – what had he said? God, I was jealous! And Sacha was very beautiful, though she was way too skinny due to the time she had spent underground.

I focused on the Christmas ham I was preparing and gnashed my teeth. Maybe he didn’t pay very much attention to me because I looked bad – my hair was messy, my nails dirty, my cheeks and nose red and I was wearing my pyjamas, whereas Sacha wore really nice, tight clothes. I undid one button so that my breasts were more visible, turned around and walked to Ian.

“How’s it going?” I asked with my sweetest smile.

“Uh… Well, what can I say.” He grinned.

Wow. He was a really bad cook. Or he was just sloppy.

“What a mess!” I said, laughing. Then I got hold of his smooth, slim hands. “Here, I’ll show you how you should…”

“You sister is back!” Sacha interrupted me.

I gave her an evil look, but walked to the window and saw Jessica and Lily driving the car up the hill. It had started snowing again.

While they parked the car I opened the door and walked towards the angel statue, to wait for them there. I looked up and saw the angel’s sad but determined face – the face of a protector. It was a look I recognized. Susanna often looked like that. But I couldn’t really call her an angel.

The word ‘angel’ is overrated. Nobody is completely good or completely bad. Angels just like to think they are. And if you’re good at pretending, everybody believes you – that’s why everyone thinks angels are trustworthy. But what makes you an angel? A bow? Wings? Or the fact that you try to do good? But I knew that, even though you meant so well, trying to do good could lead to bad things.

If this angel was meant to protect our family he was doing a bad job. But who was the angel of our family? Susanna, maybe? She was protective, that was true. But what about Jessica, who always cheered everybody up and chose to see the good in people? Those sounded like qualities an angel should have. Could it be me? I was the youngest, but if I was the most innocent… While pondering my own vices and virtues I stroked the cold, hard marble and sighed. Everything was so terribly confusing. I hated uncertainty – sometimes it seemed easier to be on the bad side…

The door to the garage opened and the first thing I saw was Jessica’s blue hair. She was carrying a beautiful, large Christmas tree along with Lily, who seemed her happy self again. She smiled at me.

“We got one!”

“So I see.” I said. “Where do you want to put it?”

Jessica shrugged. “Where we always put it. In the drawing room, next to the fireplace. Not too close, though – I don’t a repeating of three years ago.”