A Legacy of the Damned: Daughter of Astaroth

Chapter 25 - Spidey Babies

I twine a lock of my hair around and around my finger as my eyes skip over the sink and roam over the counter and the floor of the bathroom. I've been looking for my "engagement" ring to Nico for over twenty minutes now and I'm about ready to give up. I'm very sure I took it off and placed it beside the sink here last night.

I huff in indignant and frustration. This is new to me. My memory isn't flawed. In fact, it is excellent and I don't normally misplace things.

I took it off last night on a whim because I saw how Sacha scowled and how his jaw tightened when he saw it. He would clam up every time he caught the sight of it on my finger.

I used to secretly enjoy seeing how the sight of the harmless ring on my finger could irritate the mighty Nephilim leader but these last couple of days have been nice. Better than nice, actually.

We have established a habit of spending time together. In the morning, we both get up early to work out in the gym. Sometimes he's shirtless and I enjoy looking at his flexing muscles way too much. His sculptured body is a work of art and he's too good looking for his own good...or for mine.

Then we have breakfast together before he goes off to work and I spend my morning annoying the crap out of Jenny and Alicia.

At noon, he comes home and we have lunch. Last night, we watch a movie after having dinner together.

It feels strange...in a good way, to have someone to spend time with, morning, noon, and evening. I never had that before and I think I like it. Very much.

I don't love it when he has to go out for work but I know he's coming back and it gives me something to look forward to. I feel giddy and euphoric when he's around.

My heart was always cold and hollow but there's warmth spreading in my chest now. I know it's dangerous to let myself get used to these feelings but I can't help myself. It's like finding something that I never knew I need. My soul is craving more and more of it every day.

I sometimes enjoy being cruel or hurtful to people around me. Making them feel bad. But I don't find enjoyment in doing that to Sacha anymore and wearing that ring is upsetting him. It's strange, but I want to make him happy and that's what prompted me to take it off last night.

Besides, the ring is meaningless. I don't feel engaged to Nico. I never had and I never will. I suspect that even if I went ahead and marry Nico sometime in the future, I'd never feel married or committed to him. I know he wouldn't.

I sigh and give the bathroom another inspection before I give up. I even peek into the empty wastebasket. The ring might be meaningless and not to my taste but it's very expensive. I wonder how much money I have to fork out to Nico as payment for the lost ring.

"Well, did you find what you're looking for?" asks Molly when I go to the kitchen. She's frying something in a pan. The smell of sauteed onion and some herbs makes my mouth water.

"No," I reply with a defeated sigh.

"It'll show up somewhere soon," the motherly woman says soothingly. "The cleaning crew will show up tomorrow. They'll probably find it."

"Yeah, maybe," I say.

"I'm going to make some good old banana bread. Mr. Sacha likes banana bread," announces Molly. "Now, would you like to crack some eggs into the bowl, Miss Danica? I know how much you enjoyed doing that the last time."

"Yes, I'd like that!" I smile as I move eagerly to her side and open a carton of eggs. Cracking the eggs is so much fun! "How many do we need? Are two dozens enough?"

Molly laughs. "Oh no, we don't need that many eggs, dear."

I would normally try to distance myself from a motherly figure like Molly. I'm not that little girl who was starving for motherly affection anymore. I vowed to never get attached to someone like her a long time ago. But she is teaching me how to cook and I found out that I like cooking.