The Alchemist

Chapter 34

It was as if time stood still for a moment. Leona felt somewhat panicked and guilty after she realized she killed a human. Leona froze while everyone around her finished their feeding not knowing what to do. Once everyone was back to their less predatory senses they noticed her state. "Leona? What happened?" Demetri asked.

"I... I killed a human..." She answered wanting to cry.

"Which is normal for our kind. Why did you throw up?" He continued asking.

"She feels guilty over the human's death." Jasper answered.

"Is that true?" Felix took a step to his mate wanting to offer comfort but she stepped back rejecting it with a shake of her head.

"I took more than I needed and killed a human for it. I'm a horrible person!" And she fled the scene.

"Someone please clean that up. Felix go make sure she'll be safe from exposing herself. Be careful though. She might lose control over her gift if she upsets herself more." Marcus advised.

"Yes sir." Felix followed the scent Leona left behind. The rosy scent mixed with the blood she was covered in.

Only to find she had ran outside the castle. Luckily it was a cloudy day so the sun wouldn't expose them. She had gone to the square again. It was quickly becoming her little getaway place. "Leona?" a different voice called out.

Charlie had been out of the castle. "Dad, no. Stay away from me. I don't want to hurt you." Leona cried. Charlie didn't listen though. He sat down next to her. Felix simply kept watching the duo in case things would happen.

"What happened, sweetheart?" He asked wiping her face clean with his sleeve.

"I'm sorry, daddy. I killed someone." If there was one person Leona feared to disappoint, it would definitely be her father.

"Tell me everything." Felix didn't need Jasper's gift to sense the unconditional love the human felt for his daughter in all but blood. Leona told her father everything and he sighed.

"While I may feel upset you killed someone, from what you have told me about vampires, and about what happened, I am not mad at you." He spoke assuring her.

"You're not?" That had to be a lie right?

"No. You are practically a child again, just learning to be who you are now. You weren't prepared for the change, and right after you have had to deal with your old man turning up causing a lot of stuff to distract you from learning real control over yourself." He explained.

"But..." The look in his eyes shut her up.

"At least there is something to be learned from what happened earlier." He tried to show her a silver lining. 

"What's that?" Leona was confused now. What could possibly be learned from killing someone?

"While you do need blood for sustenance, you don't need to fully drain who you drink from, resulting in a human's death. I think once you learn to control that, your conscience will drop the guilt." That answer made her look up with hope.

"You think?" Her voice got lighter too.

"I do. And I am pretty sure you have plenty of people here to help you. Like your friends on the guard, the kings though that Aro fellow is a strange one. And I think Felix will be at your side every step of the way. Like he is now." The big vampire felt somewhat small under the protective gaze the human had on him.

"You'll be alright sweetheart. I promise." Charlie kissed his daughter's head and left her in Felix' care. Just his look was enough to warn the guard not to hurt his little girl.