Ghost in the Volturi Castle

Chapter 18: The Bench

We snuck out of the boutique and removed our amulets. Heidi walked in like she was the queen of the store, the associates were kissing up to her. They asked if there was anything she wanted, She went into her dressing room, ordering to not be disturbed unless they are called. We waited outside, casually leaning on the store window. Heidi is then out very displeased. All heads turn to her direction."Who did this? Who destroyed my room?" The associate Noela bribed was horrified. From her body language, she was scared to death but didn't say anything. Heidi questions the associate asking if she let anyone inside, she shakes her head 'no'. She demanded the associate find the people responsible, but she can't press charges, otherwise, she'll draw attention to herself. According to her master's rules, it's a big no-no. Oh well, rules are rules. I wish I could've seen Heidi's reaction to the recording. We leave as soon as she turns her back. "My GOD that was awesome." I laugh so hard, that my eyes start to water. "I want to turn back the clock and do it all over again." I fall to the floor, leaning against the wall, slowly letting air back into my lungs. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, I hate to say, "I told you so" but..."

"I know I know, you told me so. Thank you Noela."

"You are very welcome." She sits down next to me.

"I wished we could get the recording back."

"You can." She takes the grimoire out of the bag and opens it to a page for a spell that can summon the object the spell caster wants most. "Read the spell, picture the object of your desire in your hand." I picture the memory card in my hand, and say the spell out loud."You did it." Noela says. "You're a natural, it took Maverik almost a month to master that spell," I asked her why so long. "Because anger and force do not help with focus, if anything it derails it. When your mind is at ease focus is easier to maintain. I may not be a witch, but I know that much."

"How do you know so much about it?"

"There was a time in my life when I was so angry it interfered with the way I danced." "When were you ever angry?" She presses her lips together and her eyes stare down for a moment. I knew that look, she was recalling a painful memory. I change the subject and suggest we go to a bar. Her sad face changes back to a smile. Our asses fell asleep from sitting on the hard ground. I hear Heidi, she was outside of the boutique on the phone rambling on about what happened.

"Demetri, I think Santiago may have been right. Everything that has happened must be the work of, you know..." My familiars' eyes glow the brightest yellow, I could hear Demetri's voice at the end of the call. Super hearing? Awesome!

"Heidi, you are exaggerating. This could have been the work of some hooligans playing their foolish games. Settle the situation immediately, if the masters hear of this, you will be lucky if they order to have you locked away and starve, or worse yet leave you at the mercy of Jane."

"Demetri please, listen to me. Whoever did this knows who I am."

"And?"

"I have had this room reserved under an alias Demetri. The only people who would know about my room were me or others I have told about it no one else. I swear it." Demetri doesn't respond for a moment, then he lets out a breath.

"If you are wrong about this, it will be your head. Understand?"

"Yes." The line goes dead. I snicker at this, Noela didn't share my amusement, she looked worried. "What's the matter?"

"Maverik is going to have my ass for this." Noela sits on a bench, resting her forehead in her hands. "What for?" I sit to rest my tired feet. "Maverik and Clio have these rules that we follow. "Don't draw attention to ourselves" being the important one." I waited for her to finish. "Remember that night in the club?" I nod. "I was wearing the same disguise that I wore that night and wore in the recording. Heidi will recognize me." I wrap my arms around her to comfort her. I tell her that we were going to be all right and no one had to know, she breathes out a sigh of frustration "It's just that, it's not the first time I had gotten into this sort of trouble. I should have never dragged you into it." I stroker her hair. "Noela, everybody makes mistakes. It's part of life."

"A vampire's life on the run is no different than a human's in the Witness Protection Program." I wanted to know what she meant, but I didn't want to upset her again. I've been there before, everyone was kind enough not to ask about my past, and the least I could do was return the favor. I changed the subject so that wouldn't make bring up painful memories. I tell her my idea about wanting to open my own business. A cafe where I could serve all sorts of treats with coffee while customers read their choice of books. Spending so much time in my cafes made me want to have my own, a place that can be a home away from home.

"It would have been great."

"How come it didn't pull through?" I was hoping to avoid answering that question, not because I didn't know the answer, but because I did.

"It's complicated." Noela puts her hand on my face, looking into my eyes. "Tell me."

"Lexy... Always had these trips planned without warning. I had to set them aside every time. It never got to happen because of her. She's dead, I don't want to blame her but I do. I blame her. She's the reason why I never got to live my dream, she's the reason why I died."Noela holds on tight to me, I kiss her passionately, lying us down on this bench ready to take everything off and take her right here and now. Can I give myself super strength, yank this bench off the ground, and take it home with me? Noela wondered what I was laughing at, I told her exactly what I was thinking. "Maybe when I become a vampire again I can do it for you." She gives me a sexy wink, I bite my lip. Someone shouts at us, I don't know nor care about what they said, I just keep on kissing Noela. My world is bliss, there's no one else around. There's only us.